Darn! RFE Mailed!

[ELW 5]

Darn! I was touched on the 13th - Saturday! And a message popped into my mailbox at exactly 8:16 PM today, Tuesday the 16th, saying a request for more evidence was mailed. (Why stuff comes in after work hours, I know not!)

I'm really nervous that it is about proof of meeting within two years. I was living in India and my fiancé used to visit me all the time – he worked 12 hours away but came on holidays, spending a week or 10+ days at a time, several times a year. but he always took the train, and threw away the crumbling tickets! And I had my own place (staying free at a friends apartment, because she hasn’t come to India for years), so there are no hotel receipts. We never traveled together because our relationship was so taboo in the culture. I just sent photos of us together in my apartment. I do have plenty of letters, phone records, etc., dating from 2001 to the present – but of course that doesn’t prove meeting! What to do…?! (I'm worrying myself sick, here.)

[kitkat1 5]

Why worry when you don't know what it's for yet? Maybe you forgot to sign a form. You'll deal with it when you receive the RFE and have more information.

[ELW 5]

Why worry when you don't know what it's for yet? Maybe you forgot to sign a form. You'll deal with it when you receive the RFE and have more information.

You're right. I'm waaay too on edge, I gotta calm down.

[s2convt 0]

Why worry when you don't know what it's for yet? Maybe you forgot to sign a form. You'll deal with it when you receive the RFE and have more information.

You're right. I'm waaay too on edge, I gotta calm down.

Am I missing something?!?! Photos of you and your fiancee in your apartment means that you have met (perhaps not in the past two years?).

[ELW 5]

Am I missing something?!?! Photos of you and your fiancee in your apartment means that you have met (perhaps not in the past two years?).

Yes, I labled the photos with dates but they might question that! I wonder if anyone else has only had photos as proof of meeting? I know many people show plane tickets and passport stamps - but my passport says I did not leave India at all from 1989-2005 August!

[David-and-Mae 15]

Am I missing something?!?! Photos of you and your fiancee in your apartment means that you have met (perhaps not in the past two years?).

Yes, I labled the photos with dates but they might question that! I wonder if anyone else has only had photos as proof of meeting? I know many people show plane tickets and passport stamps - but my passport says I did not leave India at all from 1989-2005 August!

The photos that we submitted in our packet has dates printed on it already (we used digital camera) but we still labeled each and wrote a little caption at the back of it. It would have been better if you have other evidences that will prove you've met within 2 years prior to your application. Good thing we were able to save proofs like boarding passes, tickets, itineraries, hotel reciepts/accomodations, passport page with immigration stamps, etc. But like what others have said, maybe you should try not to worry about the RFE until you got the letter. Who knows, it's about something else and not about the pictures. And who knows, after you've submitted what they're asking from you, you'll get the approval right away. I've seen cases like this looking from others' timelines. Anyway, good luck to you and I wish you a speedy approval!

Mae

[YuAndDan 153]

Am I missing something?!?! Photos of you and your fiancee in your apartment means that you have met (perhaps not in the past two years?).

Yes, I labled the photos with dates but they might question that! I wonder if anyone else has only had photos as proof of meeting? I know many people show plane tickets and passport stamps - but my passport says I did not leave India at all from 1989-2005 August!

If she was in India, and your passport shows leaving India in 2005, then that should meet the 2 year rule.

Do you have pictures together near landmarks that are recognizable as being in India?

Do you have airline tickets from when you left India?

How about a receipt for paying for the airline tickets?

[ELW 5]

Do you have pictures together near landmarks that are recognizable as being in India?

Do you have airline tickets from when you left India?

How about a receipt for paying for the airline tickets?

No pics of us near India landmarks... we lived in villages where inter-racial relationships are REALLY frowned upon, so we just stayed mostly indoors! However we can prove we were in India only – he never left the country and my passport shows I never left, either!

I DO have my airline tickets when I left India in Aug 2005 – and no, I had NOT submitted them with the I-129F. Never thought of it! My father paid for the tickets online in USA and sent them to me via a friend going to India… I have the original emails from Expedia.com confirming the flight (phew! just dug them out!). Geeze I never thought sending those would mean anything. Guess I should send those, in case that’s what the RFE is?

[David-and-Mae 15]

I DO have my airline tickets when I left India in Aug 2005 – and no, I had NOT submitted them with the I-129F. Never thought of it! My father paid for the tickets online in USA and sent them to me via a friend going to India… I have the original emails from Expedia.com confirming the flight (phew! just dug them out!). Geeze I never thought sending those would mean anything. Guess I should send those, in case that’s what the RFE is?

Well, if ever your hunch is right about the RFE (insufficient proof of meeting), you can now use the airline tickets that you have. I'm sure it will somehow and maybe you should also include an extra page of letter explaining why you're lacking of evidences. You said going out together in public is a taboo in India. Maybe (just maybe) they will accept it. Good luck!

Mae

[TracyTN 237]

Your timeline shows you had a previous RFE. What was that for?

Kind of strange that they didn't ask for both things at once.

[ELW 5]

Your timeline shows you had a previous RFE. What was that for?

Kind of strange that they didn't ask for both things at once.

Nah, the first one was before NOA1. I first filled in the I-129F in May 2006, and stored it on my computer. We were waiting for his passport to be issued before sending it in. Passport only came in Septtember, then I mailed in the application. Turns out that application had an expire date of June on it! So my whole packet was returned, requesting me to send in an updated I-129F form. I did that immediately and only after that, the NOA1 was issued.

[sereia 0]

your foreign fiance doesn't n eed a passport before sending in the i-129f, do they????? i thought they could get it later

[ELW 5]

your foreign fiance doesn't n eed a passport before sending in the i-129f, do they????? i thought they could get it later

Yes, that's what I told him! But he was concerned the process would be too FAST and the passport would not be there before the interview. His passport ended up taking 8 months to get, due to the different spelling of his name in English on various official documents in India. (He had go through a lot of red tape to get them all changed to the same spelling, and re-apply for the passport.)

One VJer here sometime ago, was frantic cuz the interview date was scheduled and no passport had come yet. Wonder what happened with that?

[TracyTN 237]

Your timeline shows you had a previous RFE. What was that for?

Kind of strange that they didn't ask for both things at once.

Nah, the first one was before NOA1. I first filled in the I-129F in May 2006, and stored it on my computer. We were waiting for his passport to be issued before sending it in. Passport only came in Septtember, then I mailed in the application. Turns out that application had an expire date of June on it! So my whole packet was returned, requesting me to send in an updated I-129F form. I did that immediately and only after that, the NOA1 was issued.

Gotcha.

[misa 2]

Did you two have mutual friends while in India? Perhaps you could get them to write letters confirming that you two were together.