No Pictures Together = No I-129F Approval

[Norway-California 0]

Thanks for all the great advice! I am so glad I found this forum otherwise I would have wasted a ton of $$$ on an attorney with nothing to show for it.

[okspider 0]

Next time you are together, take a LOT of pictures. When we went in to get our restrictions removed, they wanted lots more pictures than we had. We got approved right away, but they like to see those pictures. Wishing you the best!

[Ketsuban 1,035]

I have seen people get RFEs BECAUSE of their attorneys. There are some really shocking errors made and absolutely awful advice given by attorneys that VJ members report almost weekly, if not daily. A lot of attorneys forget to include the statement of intent to marry with the I-129F petition, something the petitioner and beneficiary probably would have made sure to include had they decided to do it all themselves.

Given your country of origin, and assuming you have no criminal records or overstays, this is an easy legal process once you read everything carefully and follow all instructions given. It just takes a long time and there are a fair few forms to fill in, which intimidates people. A lot of the info you have to give is repeatative. I had to prove my marriage was real to USCIS, a bit more of a task than merely proving we'd been in person together within 2 years, and did this with no legal help and no co-mingling finances (a big deal sometimes for USCIS). I got approved after 6 months with no RFEs and no lawyer.

I've already seen you're not going for the lawyer, but I get really worked up by shoddy attorneys taking advantage of people who just want to be with their partners, thus my rant. My father-in-law is a family lawyer and tried getting my husband to hire an attorney. I put my foot down there and then and told them both "no way!"

[Naisha 5]

I talked to an immigration attorney and they said "No pictures = No I-129f approval" and they said they could take over the case and send in the supplemental pictures/evidence before the RFE. But I called USCIS and they said it's not possible to send supplemental information until an RFE is requested.

Don't worry about it, you will be fine. When my husband (my then fiance) applied for K1 petition, he only sent the I-129f form to the USCIS because we really don't know how the process was. He thought that he only need to fill out the form and send it. I only discovered VJ a couple of months after we filed for the petition. And I was so worried when I found out that we have to send a packet for I-129f and not just the form alone. I was worried that they might reject the application, so we waited and see. After a few months USCIS send us an RFE containing the checklist of what we need to submit and it's almost the same as the checklist here in VJ. So, I suggest it's better if you just wait for them to send u an RFE (is there's any, because photos are just secondary evidence).

[Kiwinyc 62]

As the others say, you'll be fine with the evidence you've submitted. Most of us have done this entire process without a lawyer (RFE's or not) and you really don't need one - for this kind of visa there is nothing they can do that you can't do yourself, they cannot expedite, they do not have any fast track channels into USCIS, any forms they will out will be dealt with in the same order as everybody elses. Good luck!

[Norway-California 0]

It's good to know that I should be fine . The immigration attorney made me feel like I am a complete idiot since I didn't include pictures of us together. I know that I followed the instructions on the I-129f exactly and nowhere in the instructions does it specifically ask for pictures together and that is precisely why I didn't include any.

Edited April 9, 2014 by Norway-California

[nightingalejules 678]

I received my NOA 03/03/2014 and I updated my timeline but I'm not sure how to display it on my timeline like most people have since I'm new . I already filed the I-129f on my own so I'm not sure how hiring an attorney at this point would help anything?

Yeah... No attorney.

But the fun stuff about your posts. Go to your profile page, find the signature tab and type in all the timeline info you want! Welcome to VJ - where (most of the time) we give better advice than any immigration attorney!

[cmellgren 0]

Norway, your lawyer isnt even correct about where your K-1 will be processed.. you will need to go to Stockholm once you have your interview. My fiance was in Norway, she arrived Dec 16th and we were married Dec 20th, we are going through the AOS process. so if you have any questions about the Norwegian process.. costs etc let us know.

[disteph 9]

big smile norway! no need attorney

You just have to keep looking on VJ members update and look on your country group. This website full of nice people that ready to give you advice. This website also help me and my fiance to not waste our money.good luck for your journey!

[Norway-California 0]

Well now I realized I made another mistake because I only included a statement of intent to marry in 90 days for myself but I think we both signed it

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Worst case, you'll get an RFE, which will delay you a bit, but won't result in a denial. They'll just ask for statements from both of you and you send them in. Have them typed up and ready to be signed and dated as soon as you get the RFE and then away you go.

[nobbie 105]

Lawyer is talking nonsense. I submitted no pictures either for the K1 petition or had any for my K1 interview. I had boarding passes and other bits of paper like reservations for dinner in my name but receipted with my fiancees email and stuff like that.

[baron555 934]

Next time you are together, take a LOT of pictures. When we went in to get our restrictions removed, they wanted lots more pictures than we had. We got approved right away, but they like to see those pictures. Wishing you the best!

It amazing the number of couples that attempt to conduct an international relationship is a casual way with no regard for the evidences that are required during the process.

You have to convince a total stranger, the Embassy CO (and later the USCIS AOS adjucator) that you have a legitimate relationship (for AOS a legit marriage).

I strongly suggest couples purposefully generate all kinds of evidences to help themselves out.....but having just said all that....the key is not quantity but quality. It's the content of the evidences that should show a real relationship......most relationships follow a normal course and your evidence should show that progression and more important that the couple are talking about the relationship and the details of life together.