i-130 application is done, who should I send the package with??

[phyxsius 1]

So we have finally finished everything for our i-130 application.

Now, since we both live in Sweden. Which postal service should we use? does it matter?

What did you guys use when you applied abroad ? My guess is fedex or UPS?

[TeaCup 65]

We sent ours via An post (irish postal services) we sent it business class and when it got to the states in turned over to USPS and arrived at the chicago lockbox a few days later with no problems.

I would suggest going with whichever you can get there quicker with.

[phyxsius 1]

Great!

And just to confirm:

The address we should send it to when we are OUTSIDE of the U.S is:

USCIS Chicago Lockbox

For U.S. Postal Service:

USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

correct? Found it on the uscis site, but just want someone to confirm

[Abby&Mario 100]

Great!

And just to confirm:

The address we should send it to when we are OUTSIDE of the U.S is:

USCIS Chicago Lockbox

For U.S. Postal Service:

USCIS

P.O. Box 804625

Chicago, IL 60680-4107

correct? Found it on the uscis site, but just want someone to confirm

Yes, but NOT if you use a service such as FedEx. I highlighted it in red for you:

Outside the United States* USCIS Chicago Lockbox

For U.S. Postal Service:

USCIS

P.O. Box 804625

Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For Express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS

Attn: I-130

131 South Dearborn-3^rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Source: http://www.uscis.gov/i-130-addresses

[phyxsius 1]

We sent ours via An post (irish postal services) we sent it business class and when it got to the states in turned over to USPS and arrived at the chicago lockbox a few days later with no problems.

I would suggest going with whichever you can get there quicker with.

Hi TeaCup,

We will probably send ours with a Swedish postal service, and it will probably go over the same route as yours, where did you send your package? do you remember? the full address, since there are 2 to choose from

[vincesca 2]

Hi phyxsius,

We are sending the I-130 petition from Italy next week.

I think I will be using FedEx.

As far as I have understood the address is:

USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn-3^rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

[phyxsius 1]

Hi phyxsius,

We are sending the I-130 petition from Italy next week.

I think I will be using FedEx.

As far as I have understood the address is:

USCIS

Attn: I-130

131 South Dearborn-3^rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Hi,

yes but i think that address is only used when using a mail service such as fedex, dhl & ups etc. I am not sure if I should use that one if i am sending it with a swedish post office courier, would be nice if someone could clarify just so they dont send it back because i sent it to the wrong one

[TeaCup 65]

Hi TeaCup,

We will probably send ours with a Swedish postal service, and it will probably go over the same route as yours, where did you send your package? do you remember? the full address, since there are 2 to choose from

We used this address

USCIS

Attn: I-130

131 South Dearborn-3^rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5517

U.S.A.

[TeaCup 65]

http://prntscr.com/3e2640

http://prntscr.com/3e26ft

Check those links, that was our packet we put together.

[TeaCup 65]

Also, this was our cover letter if it'll be of any help

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

Nature of Submission: I-130 Application

Please find enclosed my I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of my wife (INSERT NAME)

Please find enclosed:

Check enclosed for the amount of $420.00

Completed form G-1145

Completed form I-130

Completed form G325-A Signed by me the petitioner (INSERT NAME) with attached signed passport-style photo

Completed form G325-A Signed by wife (INSERT NAME) with attached signed passport-style photo

Copy of our Marriage Certificate

Copy of petitioners birth certificate (Front, Back & Apostille Stamp)

Copy of my wife's longform birth certificate *Printed on two (2) pages

Copy of Petitioners passport (INSERT NAME)+ visa stamps to Ireland

Copy of petitioners Irish visa card

Copy of my wife's passport + visa stamps from visits to the U.S.A.

Original bank statement as proof of co-mingling financial resources

Original photographs as a secondary evidence of a bonafide marriage.

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date.

　

Signed: _________________________ Date: ____________

[silverjetplane 34]

So we have finally finished everything for our i-130 application.

Now, since we both live in Sweden. Which postal service should we use? does it matter?

What did you guys use when you applied abroad ? My guess is fedex or UPS?

I would use FedEx/UPS/DHL as it's generally easier to track. Personally, I don't like the change of hands from the local postal service to USPS. If there is a problem with delivery, using a courier service will at least remain consistent. There is no blaming over what the local postal service did versus what USPS did. In fact, when I realized I forgot to send our passport photos with the G-325A, I called FedEx and they were able to call the driver of the truck the same morning of the delivery and destroy the package. I resent one of my backup copies the next day and I was shocked at how attentive the service from FedEx was. I don't think that would happen with USPS. But really, whatever you are most comfortable with. As others have noted, use the courier address and NOT the PO Box address if you send it this way.

Also, this was our cover letter if it'll be of any help

Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services

Nature of Submission: I-130 Application

Please find enclosed my I-130 Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of my wife (INSERT NAME)

Please find enclosed:

Check enclosed for the amount of $420.00

Completed form G-1145

Completed form I-130

Completed form G325-A Signed by me the petitioner (INSERT NAME) with attached signed passport-style photo

Completed form G325-A Signed by wife (INSERT NAME) with attached signed passport-style photo

Copy of our Marriage Certificate

Copy of petitioners birth certificate (Front, Back & Apostille Stamp)

Copy of my wife's longform birth certificate *Printed on two (2) pages

Copy of Petitioners passport (INSERT NAME)+ visa stamps to Ireland

Copy of petitioners Irish visa card

Copy of my wife's passport + visa stamps from visits to the U.S.A.

Original bank statement as proof of co-mingling financial resources

Original photographs as a secondary evidence of a bonafide marriage.

Copies of documents submitted are exact photocopies of documents and I understand that I may be required to submit original documents to an Immigration or Consular officer at a later date.

　

Signed: _________________________ Date: ____________

Others will probably jump in, but:

• Is the check drawn on a US Bank?
• Your need to send EITHER a copy of the petitioner's birth certificate OR all pages of the US passport. Not both.
• You don't need to send the beneficiary's birth certificate at this point.
• You don't need to send copies of your wife's passport, but the stamps are good for bona fide evidence.
• I'm not sure if your Irish visa card is necessary, but the stamps are good for bona fide evidence.

Personally, I think the bona fide evidence is a bit light. The bank statement is good (EDIT: Send a copy, not original. Nothing but the forms should be original at this point.), but do you have anything else in both of your names? Contracts? Leases? Letters/Invitations? When you say original pictures, how are you packaging them? The best advice I've seen (and what I did) is to print several color pictures on normal printer paper and accompany each photo with a date, location, and brief description. You aren't allowed to send albums and a stack of loose pictures can be disorganized and hard to store together. In any case, you should try to label the pictures with dates, locations, and descriptions. Do you have anyone who could write and notarize an affidavit as back-up? Generally, USCIS prefers hard evidence along the lines of contracts and co-mingled finances, but I consider what you currently have to be a bit lacking.

In any case, good luck!

Edited April 28, 2014 by silverjetplane

[TeaCup 65]

I would use FedEx/UPS/DHL as it's generally easier to track. Personally, I don't like the change of hands from the local postal service to USPS. If there is a problem with delivery, using a courier service will at least remain consistent. There is no blaming over what the local postal service did versus what USPS did. In fact, when I realized I forgot to send our passport photos with the G-325A, I called FedEx and they were able to call the driver of the truck the same morning of the delivery and destroy the package. I resent one of my backup copies the next day and I was shocked at how attentive the service from FedEx was. I don't think that would happen with USPS. But really, whatever you are most comfortable with. As others have noted, use the courier address and NOT the PO Box address if you send it this way.

Others will probably jump in, but:

• Is the check drawn on a US Bank?
• Your need to send EITHER a copy of the petitioner's birth certificate OR all pages of the US passport. Not both.
• You don't need to send the beneficiary's birth certificate at this point.
• You don't need to send copies of your wife's passport, but the stamps are good for bona fide evidence.
• I'm not sure if your Irish visa card is necessary, but the stamps are good for bona fide evidence.

Personally, I think the bona fide evidence is a bit light. The bank statement is good (EDIT: Send a copy, not original. Nothing but the forms should be original at this point.), but do you have anything else in both of your names? Contracts? Leases? Letters/Invitations? When you say original pictures, how are you packaging them? The best advice I've seen (and what I did) is to print several color pictures on normal printer paper and accompany each photo with a date, location, and brief description. You aren't allowed to send albums and a stack of loose pictures can be disorganized and hard to store together. In any case, you should try to label the pictures with dates, locations, and descriptions. Do you have anyone who could write and notarize an affidavit as back-up? Generally, USCIS prefers hard evidence along the lines of contracts and co-mingled finances, but I consider what you currently have to be a bit lacking.

In any case, good luck!

We sent all of this and never recieved an RFE (hopefully won't!)

Before I sent in my package I showed others this and everyone gave me the "good to go!"

This was just an example for others to use, it will not apply to everyone.

• Yes, the check was drawn on from my husbands account.
• we sent the birth cert as his proof of citizenship and the passport pages as proof that we met (visa stamps)
• we sent my birthcert to show my proof of irish citizenship
• we sent my husbands visa from Ireland as proof that he is here with me legally.

We sent an original of our bank statement because we didn't need it anyway and can always a new one if needed.

We sent groups of pictures,

1. Wedding day
2. trips together
3. with eachothers familys
4. various.

They were neatly packaged and all relevent pictures were paper-clipped together with dates,names and signatures on the back of each.

I didn't feel we had too little evidence of a bonafide marriage, we're married almost 2 years and living together, we now have a lease in our name (didn't at point of filing) If necessary, we will use this too.

EDIT: This is how it was packaged

http://prntscr.com/3e2640

http://prntscr.com/3e26ft

Edited April 28, 2014 by TeaCup

[silverjetplane 34]

Hi TeaCup - sorry I thought the original poster shared their cover letter. I didn't see that you had already sent it - I wasn't trying to pick it apart!

You are right that only some of the information applies to some people in certain situations. We all have different circumstances and therefore our advice is based on our assumptions. A lot of advice is subjective and I was only trying to give a response that reflected the hours of cases I studied here and elsewhere. I wish the best of luck to you and everyone else here. We are not alone in any of this process!