I-130 Packet Preparation

[NKrishMT 17]

Hello! I'm quite a newbie here and I really need help about I-130 filing. SO thanks in advance to those who will be able to help me.

My husband and I are both Filipino nationals. He became a US citizen since he was 5 years old. So basically, he has been a US Citizen almost since birth. I'm 25, and he's 28. We just got married last November here in the Philippines. We really miss each other very much and we want to be together soon.

I'm a little bit confused with the processing etc. I'm still waiting for my birth certificate to be corrected by the National Statistics Office here in the Philippines (my mom's name on my birth cert is incorrect, so we had to have it corrected, however, her name on our marriage cert is correct).

Do I really need to wait for my birth certificate before my husband can file I-130 form? I read on the instructions that birth certificates are classified as "additional requirements/documents/evidence" only.

Also, we are planning to also enclose photographs of our wedding day as secondary evidence. Will that count as an evidence of an ongoing marital union? What other documents can we submit aside from bank accounts etc?

Thank you so much! Have a good day.

[HollyGolightly 72]

Is the correction a substantial change or a just a spelling issue? If it is only an insignificant misspelling you can probably submit the uncorrected version of your birth certificate with an attached affidavit of the correction. Your mother can execute an affidavit titled "Affidavit of one and the same Person" where she can declare that she is the same person (though misspelled) referred to in your birth record. I've had a similar issue with my mother's name (Edith vs. Editha) that I've never corrected. Anyway, the mistake does not concern a mistake on you primarily but just an entry on your mother's name.

Photographs will be good evidence to include in your packet. Other evidence would be joint bank statements, joint lease, mortgage, debt, insurance, land titles, joint tax certificates, anything that shows a commingling of funds and the like. Good luck!

[NKrishMT 17]

Is the correction a substantial change or a just a spelling issue? If it is only an insignificant misspelling you can probably submit the uncorrected version of your birth certificate with an attached affidavit of the correction. Your mother can execute an affidavit titled "Affidavit of one and the same Person" where she can declare that she is the same person (though misspelled) referred to in your birth record. I've had a similar issue with my mother's name (Edith vs. Editha) that I've never corrected. Anyway, the mistake does not concern a mistake on you primarily but just an entry on your mother's name.

Photographs will be good evidence to include in your packet. Other evidence would be joint bank statements, joint lease, mortgage, debt, insurance, land titles, joint tax certificates, anything that shows a commingling of funds and the like. Good luck!

Hello there! Thanks for the info. I believe it's going to be a substantial change. Her name on my birth certificate was Maybeth, but then she found out that her real name is actually Anamarie. So I guess that is a significant change. Hm, maybe I'll just wait for my amended birth certificate, then? Yes, you're right. But then my husband's sister-in-law who had also went through I-130 said all documents should be telling the same information.

Okay, we will enclose our wedding photos. We don't really have joint tax certs or anything from that list. I read that some I-130 petioners used their Skype call logs as additional evidence. Do you think we would need to do the same as well? Thanks doll!

[Ryan H 3,856]

Your birth certificate is not needed for the filing of the I-130.

Any evidence of time spent together should be included. After that, include communication records. For pictures, don't limit those to just your wedding day.

Edited April 21, 2014 by Ryan H

[NKrishMT 17]

Your birth certificate is not needed for the filing of the I-130.

Any evidence of time spent together should be included. After that, include communication records. For pictures, don't limit those to just your wedding day.

Really? Hm, that's what I've been thinking. Ha! I've been waiting for two months now for my amended birth cert... So I guess my husband can now mail the packet.

[Leatherneck 693]

Really? Hm, that's what I've been thinking. Ha! I've been waiting for two months now for my amended birth cert... So I guess my husband can now mail the packet.

You don't need your birth certificate until later on in the process. The link below will help you get an understanding of the NVC process.

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process#Step_6_-_IV_Package

Below is a link to the forum for married couples.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/110-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-process-procedures/

[NKrishMT 17]

You don't need your birth certificate until later on in the process. The link below will help you get an understanding of the NVC process.

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/NVC_Process#Step_6_-_IV_Package

Below is a link to the forum for married couples.

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/110-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-process-procedures/

Thank you! you are very helpful. ?