Letter of Intent to Marry

[KayDeeCee 4,892]

Other posters have talked about the behemoth bureaucracy of the USCIS and quibbling about this. I looked at your links, and believe it may be a matter of drawing straws as to whether the government person who reads it, accepts a copy of not. Probably not worth putting oneself into getting an RFE. For this case, they sent in a fax copy of the letter of intent already in response to the RFE. Can only hope it works out. So, if they don't like it, do you think they will send another RFE, or what?

I definitely think it depends on the adjudicator, as some receive an RFE for copies and some do not. This is why I advise people to send in original signatures so they can avoid a potential RFE.

I would like to hope that if they are not happy with the scanned version, they would send another RFE asking for an original. I do not know what a picky adjudicator may do though.

I also agree that if they want originals and will send out an RFE for a copy, then they need to state original signatures are required right there in the I-129F instructions. It would be quite helpful.

[Robby999 1,024]

I believe I would continue sending orginal letters of intent until they (USCIS) issue a memo like they issued for the G-325A forms requiring original signatures for the I-129F forms.

[KayDeeCee 4,892]

Just a note: only your first link indicates they received an RFE for not sending an original copy. The other links are just discussion about it.

All the links are of people stating they received an RFE for the letter of intent, some for scanned versions and some for originals that they thought appeared to be copies. The last link is in a thread where the OP posted their actual RFE in post #34 of that thread.

[corvusheart 163]

I know most of you don't trust lawyers but here is what he told me. I contacted him personally about this and he has said with other clients he has relied on notarized statements via fax and they were successful petitions even in the last 60 days he said.

[enlijoe 20]

One thing to think about when reading legal verbiage. The intent of the statement. In this case we are talking about original vs copied. The intent here is so there if there are items that giving the USCS could not be recreated or could be lost and not replaced. Sending in an original boarding pass as evidence would be bad because it can not be recreated. Sending in a original letter is not bad if lost because it can be recreated.

I believe that the copy verbiage was added to address this issue and therefor would not apply to things like the letter of intent.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

I know most of you don't trust lawyers but here is what he told me. I contacted him personally about this and he has said with other clients he has relied on notarized statements via fax and they were successful petitions even in the last 60 days he said.

Well, since you're the one this thread is about, let's wait and see what happens in the next several days. They will receive your notarized letter of intent, signed by your fiance in the UK, and faxed from the UK notary office either today, or tomorrow. In my view, this letter falls into the same category as an unsigned G-325a, for which the USCIS issued a memo in 2005 to stop sending RFE's as it could be signed at the interview.

Wish you good luck, and keep us posted.

[ricnally 258]

What is so difficult about obtaining a letter with an original signature?

[LibCampFireClub 635]

What is so difficult about obtaining a letter with an original signature?

As much as everyone tries to get it right, there are times when things do go wrong. We have members here who are in trouble and sometimes need help and support. Your post is not helpful.

[SethSharrin 0]

We did not sign the bottom of the letter of intent they sent it back to us and then had to resimitt. It cost me two months of time

[ricnally 258]

As much as everyone tries to get it right, there are times when things do go wrong. We have members here who are in trouble and sometimes need help and support. Your post is not helpful.

Just honestly wondering what the difficulty is. The letter does not need to be notarized, witnessed, or even typed. It only needs to be one sentence long and then signed, sealed, delivered.

[corvusheart 163]

Just an update for everyone here. I sent a notarized faxed statement of a letter of intent to USCIS. And guess what? WE GOT OUR NOA2 WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED! SO FAXED STATEMENTS DO WORK!! HAHAHA!!!

[corvusheart 163]

After everyone saying that a faxed statement won't work well it worked and we have our approval. It proves to me to invest a little less faith in this forum.

[tolitzpogi 37]

I don't think everyone said it... I would have a little less faith in them rather than in the forum... the forum is just a tool for ideas... you don't blame the car for a backseat driver...

Oh, and congrats btw!

[KayDeeCee 4,892]

Just an update for everyone here. I sent a notarized faxed statement of a letter of intent to USCIS. And guess what? WE GOT OUR NOA2 WE HAVE BEEN APPROVED! SO FAXED STATEMENTS DO WORK!! HAHAHA!!!

It was stated in this thread and others here on VJ that sometimes a copy is accepted and sometimes it is not. Your faxed letter does not set the mandate for all petition processing. Nothing needs to be notarized in this process, but in this case, I actually think it is what helped, since notarization is to witness the signature of someone and make sure the person that signs is who they say they are.

Congrats on your petition approval.

I do not get the 'hahaha' stuff. This kind of silliness is what makes me think I should follow others in their exit from this site and trying to help people out here.

[OuVisaJourney2012 4]

I took a "photocopy" of my fiance's own "Letter of intent" to marry during my interview and it was accepted.

But during when we were filling the 129, we didn't use any ''photocopy". We used the "originally" signed letter of intent.