Questions about the Pre-Interview Phase

[mirrortraveler 1]

Hey all,

So good news: I sent out form DS-160 without a problem. Printed it out, paid the fee via cash/bank deposit.

Today I got an email confirmation that the money has arrived and that I can now go ahead and schedule my interview.

But I have not sent out the documents on my application checklist yet. Should I have done this before paying or does the order not matter? Can I schedule my interview online without having mailed out the relevant documents to the consulate, yet? Unfortunately, I cannot send out my documents to the consulate until next Thursday as some have to be translated by a registered translator and that is how long it will take her to do so. Does anyone think that this might pose a problem?

Also a few more questions:

1) The Affidavit of Support (I-134) has to be sent to the consulate via mail, too. We have a co-sponsor. Should I send in all of her documents and my fiance's together or do they just need the forms I-134 by themselves and I can bring the rest of the evidence later?

2) Is it really necessary for the biographic page of my passport to be translated as well? The confirmation page of the DS-160 is also in German. I don't really see the point in them wanting a translation of their own documents, but then again, a lot of this doesn't exactly make sense. So do they?

3) As supporting documents of the I-134, I have:
- For Carol (co-sponsor): Form I-134, printed out bank statement September 2014 (do we need more?), documents by her employer showing current compensation, pay statement, and payment history (not stamped or signed, does it need to be?), current W-2.
- For Douglas (petitioner): Form I-134, signed letter from employer, Form I-9 Employment Elegibility Verification, Form W-4, current bank statement/checking account summary (September 2014), last 6 earnings statements (he is paid twice a month so they go back until the middle of July), current W-2.

Do we have everything? Do we need more? There is so much conflicting info on the forums. How far does all of this have to go back? A month? 3? 6? Several years?

4) The Immigrant/Fiance(e) & K Visa Application Checklist for my local consulate (http://photos.state.gov/libraries/frankfurt/9318/consular_pdf/Instructions%20for%20IV%20and%20K%20Visa%20Applicants.pdf) states: On the appointment day, please bring the following items:
- Visa fee (for immigrant visa applicants ONLY) ~ so not for me since I already paid it online
- Your current passport
What about proof of relationship and other documents? Are those implied or somehow suddenly irrelevant?

[Jhalil&Mandy 15]

You can e-mail or call them and explain the situation about some documents. Usually they'll ask you to bring those with you on the interview day.

As for your documents, for the I-134 you need to bring the form and as much evidence to show that they can financially support you. I brought to my interview a letter from the sponsor's employer stating their position and salary and that they are hired in good standing. This needs to be on company paper (as in the company logo on the paper) and has to be signed by your sponsor's employer. I also brought the W-2 and Paystubs along with a few months worth of bank statements showing deposits/withdrawals and current balance.

You also need to bring a new letter of intent from your spouse. It should be the same as the one she/he sent with the I-129F but this one will have a much closer date to the interview date. Along with recent chat logs/phone call logs/emails etc.
This depends on each consulate but during my interview they didn't ask to look at any of that. They didn't even ask for a new letter of intent that I brought. But each case is different and it depends on the person conducting the interview as well.

Germany is not a high fraud country so if you have the basics along with some chatlogs of the past couple of months/weeks. You should be fine. Just make sure to get a signed letter from your sponsor's employer, that's one thing that they always make sure is in order.

[Caryh 5,206]

Get the instructions from the consulate you will be going to. Do not use a generic list of what is needed for the K-1 visa, every embassy has different requirements and standards.

http://germany.usembassy.gov/uploads/f6/77/f677362c323ce60f859ce9b593aef879/iv_fiance_checklist.pdf

[mirrortraveler 1]

Hmm...I read somewhere on this forum that all tax forms have to go back 3 years. Also, does anyone know what tax forms are needed? Do I need W-2's, W-4's, I-9's, and IRS forms 1040 (all of them together)? My fiance was unemployed before 2012 and has only had a full-time job for a year. He didn't do tax forms before this past year. Is one year of tax forms enough in that case?

[d3adc0d3 186]

Hmm...I read somewhere on this forum that all tax forms have to go back 3 years. Also, does anyone know what tax forms are needed? Do I need W-2's, W-4's, I-9's, and IRS forms 1040 (all of them together)? My fiance was unemployed before 2012 and has only had a full-time job for a year. He didn't do tax forms before this past year. Is one year of tax forms enough in that case?

One copy of last year's tax return along with 3 recent paystubs & a letter from his employer, with the employer's letterhead stating:

1. Start Date
2. Salary/Hourly Wage
3. Position
4. Full/Part Time

I printed a copy of my tax return from the online service I used (H&R Block, I think?), and they accepted it just fine. They tend to mostly care about the tax returns when someone is self-employed.

Edited October 29, 2014 by d3adc0d3

[mirrortraveler 1]

Wow...that sounds like a relief. But everything else I've read so far said 3 years and multiple tax forms. I believe one person even went back 7 years with their tax info. How could there be so much conflicting information on one document?

[d3adc0d3 186]

Wow...that sounds like a relief. But everything else I've read so far said 3 years and multiple tax forms. I believe one person even went back 7 years with their tax info. How could there be so much conflicting information on one document?

Depends on the consulate. Those consulates with a high fraud rate tend to be more strict than the rest. I doubt Germany has a high fraud rate though.

Argentina was exceedingly easy, and pretty much gave no fricks.

[mirrortraveler 1]

I forget how there are literally worlds between the different consulates. Still, I hate how this contributes to everyone's insecurity. If there were only clear, fair rules for all. I will at least ask my co-sponsor to see if she can unearth tax forms from 3 years ago. Really just want to stay on the safe side.

[HK12 273]

As for Q4, I just mailed them the relationship evidence along with all other documents they required from me (Führungszeugnis, birth certificate, etc.). Everyone else I know who went through Frankfurt did so, too. They will give you your relationship evidence back after the interview. Don't overdo it, just pick some good, quality evidence. At my interview, the CO hardly even looked at my evidence.

Also, in response to Jhalil&Mandy I just wanted to add that in Germany you do not necessarily need new letters of intent. I actually e-mailed Frankfurt about it when I applied, and they told me that they only needed new letters of intent if they had to re-validate the application (= if the original petition had expired four months after NOA2). You should be just fine.

Edited October 30, 2014 by HK12

[TBoneTX 45,543]

there are literally worlds between the different consulates.

This truth needs to be engraved in the brains of every VJ member.

It should be emblazoned above the computers of those dealing with Easy Consulate A who would tell those dealing with Hellhole Consulate B, "You will be fine."

[Caryh 5,206]

I forget how there are literally worlds between the different consulates. Still, I hate how this contributes to everyone's insecurity. If there were only clear, fair rules for all. I will at least ask my co-sponsor to see if she can unearth tax forms from 3 years ago. Really just want to stay on the safe side.

Tell her to go to the IRS web site and get tax transcripts. Then there's no worry about having the W2' and any extra forms that were required. There will be no problem going years back also.

[msbau764 245]

You can e-mail or call them and explain the situation about some documents. Usually they'll ask you to bring those with you on the interview day.

As for your documents, for the I-134 you need to bring the form and as much evidence to show that they can financially support you. I brought to my interview a letter from the sponsor's employer stating their position and salary and that they are hired in good standing. This needs to be on company paper (as in the company logo on the paper) and has to be signed by your sponsor's employer. I also brought the W-2 and Paystubs along with a few months worth of bank statements showing deposits/withdrawals and current balance.

You also need to bring a new letter of intent from your spouse. It should be the same as the one she/he sent with the I-129F but this one will have a much closer date to the interview date. Along with recent chat logs/phone call logs/emails etc.

This depends on each consulate but during my interview they didn't ask to look at any of that. They didn't even ask for a new letter of intent that I brought. But each case is different and it depends on the person conducting the interview as well.

Germany is not a high fraud country so if you have the basics along with some chatlogs of the past couple of months/weeks. You should be fine. Just make sure to get a signed letter from your sponsor's employer, that's one thing that they always make sure is in order.

The employer letter does not to be signed. For some companies, particularily the large ones, it is impossible to get someone from HR to sign such a document. Tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements and/or letter from bank verifying account date opened (also unnecessary) is sufficient.

[SK2014 44]

Hi

Can someone advise me on the fee to be paid as I thought it was $325 but when going through the payment system for Frankfurt (Germany) it says $265

Which is correct please?

Thanks for your advice

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

$265 is the current visa processing fee.

[dakobert 6]

2) Is it really necessary for the biographic page of my passport to be translated as well? The confirmation page of the DS-160 is also in German. I don't really see the point in them wanting a translation of their own documents, but then again, a lot of this doesn't exactly make sense. So do they?

It is not necessary to translate any document that is either in German or English. So no translation needed. Only court entries have to be translated into English. So normally there should be no need for any translation.

As for the tax statement, in previous Checklists they did not require a tax statement if not self-employed. However, in the new Checklist they require that, can somebody confirm this is needed if letters and pay stubs proof everything is legit?