starting k-1 process.. need help!

[Sucre_86 2]

Hi Everyone,

My fiancé and I are getting ready to start our K-1 petition, we are in the process of collecting documents for our I-129F packet. A little background on our case, I (US petitioner) and my fiancé met in 2011 during my Peace Corps Service in Ecuador. I lived in Ecuador for 2 years and 11 months (two years as a volunteer and the rest with my fiancé). I returned to the US almost a year ago, now i want to him here asap!!!

So that said I have a few questions regarding some of the required documents.

1. Proof of relationship over the last two years…..

We do not have call logs or Skype conversations from when we were both in Ecuador (there was no internet available in my community till a year into my service) we used Ecuadorian telecommunication prepaid cell phones, which don't have phone records . What i do have are pictures, some emails (we rarely emailed, only on holidays when i flew back to the states) and Facebook photo posted by friends. From what I have read on VJ these are considered secondary evidence… which I should include anyways since we are going through the Ecuadorian Consulate in Guayaquil.

It sounds like primary evidence would be flight tickets and passport stamps.

So for that i have 2 flight stubs from this year (one to Ecuador and one for Mexico) should i include both our mexico flight stubs to show we were both there??? I did not save all other flight stubs from my trips since 2011 (didn't know id need them), so for those i have flight itineraries.

also, I have passport stamps and visas in two passports, one is a government issued passport for Peace Corps (official use only) and the other is my personal passport. do I include all pages of both or will having two US passports confuse the heck out of whoever looks at our case???

Thank you all for posting on Vj, this site has helped loads!!

[TBoneTX 45,469]

For USCIS's purposes, you merely have to prove that you have been together in person once during the last two years. It appears that you can do this.

In terms of including extra evidence (for reasons in my last paragraph below), I'd include everything that you've mentioned. Write a concise explanation to cover the more confusing material.

I'd write a "relationship timeline" to cover the otherwise-undocumentable time in Ecu.

It would help if you can get a letter from a Peace Corps official, or a letter in Spanish from some official in Ecu who knew you and your fiance when you were there (with English translation), or both. It can be very simple: "I knew Sucre_86 and Novio de Guapo in Ecuador from [date] through [date], under [circumstances]." These short letters should include contact information for their writers.

When you file the I-129F petition, I'd prepare a cover-page for the secondary evidence, written by hand in large letters with thick marker, to say something like "USCIS: Presuming I-129F approval, please pass all these enclosures to the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil."

Looking ahead: I haven't heard that the Consulate has been up to the evil monkeyshines that it inflicted on me and my contemporaries, but that might be because VJ members have been assiduously following the advice to front-load like crazy and for the petitioner to be there for the beneficiary's visa interview. You're very wise to be considering your evidence and to be front-loading your petition package.

For the benefit of other readers: USCIS will not care about the supplementary evidence of a bona fide relationship, but the consulate will -- and USCIS forwards your package to the consulate. The consul who reviews your package (and whose job it is to be suspicious) will get a sense of the bona fide nature of the relationship and might even form a mental decision before the interview. You don't want to take Guayaquil (or other rough consulates) lightly in this regard.

Edited November 5, 2014 by TBoneTX

[Sucre_86 2]

Thanks for the info TboneTX, i will try and get my program director to write me a letter plus a letter from my sister saying she came to visit us twice.

what does a "relationship time line" look like and are there any examples on VJ?

should I photocopy all pages of both passports? or just the pages with stamps? I'll send an explanation as to why i posses two current valid US passports at the same time just so there is no confusion.

this site is awesome! thanks again.

[TBoneTX 45,469]

Your ideas regarding the letters sound good.

Relationship timeline: I'd simply do it like this: [date] then [event].

It doesn't need to be fancy. Perhaps someone will pop in here from, or you can look through, the Vietnam regional forum -- these timelines are just about a requirement there.

I'd be tempted to copy all pages of both of the passports, but the info pages and those with stamps might do. Someone else can comment. Good idea to include the explanation of the two valid passports.

[jb2015 0]

Wishing you guys all the best!

[J and A 1]

Hooray RPCVs!

We're coming up on my fiance's interview in Kenya, and we submitted the I-129F in April... Went through an immigration attorney (though I don't know how much that helped). Basically, the attorney said that me being an RPCV makes our case pretty strong (and I agree... I hope USCIS agrees as well).

I wrote out an extended sort of timeline outlining our relationship, mentioning that we lived together for my last year in Rwanda.

I included photo copies of my PC passport, with all of my stamps in and out of Rwanda, along with an explanation and highlights/ arrows (I wanted it to be as easy as possible for them to find the "proof"). If I were you, I would definitely include copies of your "regular" passport also if that will help your case. Just make a note and try to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. I didn't have my flights stubs or anything else from my travels to and from the states either, but I think passport stamps are more official anyway.

I included a few simple photo collages, one for each year we've been dating, and one for a big trip we went on together (that was 4 total... anywhere from 4 to 12 photos per page). So that covered the photo evidence pretty well. I would definitely include proof of you guys traveling together. I did the same with our trip together to the US... included joint ticket reservations and photos to show that we did go to DC together etc.

I certainly believe that "front-loading" the petition is the way to go. They don't want to see ALL of the evidence you have, just a wide range and the "strongest" proof.

Good luck!

Hi Everyone,

My fiancé and I are getting ready to start our K-1 petition, we are in the process of collecting documents for our I-129F packet. A little background on our case, I (US petitioner) and my fiancé met in 2011 during my Peace Corps Service in Ecuador. I lived in Ecuador for 2 years and 11 months (two years as a volunteer and the rest with my fiancé). I returned to the US almost a year ago, now i want to him here asap!!!

So that said I have a few questions regarding some of the required documents.

1. Proof of relationship over the last two years…..

We do not have call logs or Skype conversations from when we were both in Ecuador (there was no internet available in my community till a year into my service) we used Ecuadorian telecommunication prepaid cell phones, which don't have phone records . What i do have are pictures, some emails (we rarely emailed, only on holidays when i flew back to the states) and Facebook photo posted by friends. From what I have read on VJ these are considered secondary evidence… which I should include anyways since we are going through the Ecuadorian Consulate in Guayaquil.

It sounds like primary evidence would be flight tickets and passport stamps.

So for that i have 2 flight stubs from this year (one to Ecuador and one for Mexico) should i include both our mexico flight stubs to show we were both there??? I did not save all other flight stubs from my trips since 2011 (didn't know id need them), so for those i have flight itineraries.

also, I have passport stamps and visas in two passports, one is a government issued passport for Peace Corps (official use only) and the other is my personal passport. do I include all pages of both or will having two US passports confuse the heck out of whoever looks at our case???

Thank you all for posting on Vj, this site has helped loads!!

[Sucre_86 2]

Thanks loads for the information, you guys have been super helpful. Its nice to see over RPCVs going through the same process. TboneTX I've followed your advice and front loaded my petition. do you think 80 pages is over kill? Also, is it okay to photo copy pictures for the purpose of organizing, if so regular paper of photo paper?

I'm almost done assembling my packet, just waiting for my fiancés signed paperwork to arrive via DHL. I kind of think i messed up his letter of intent, I addressed it to

United States Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 660151

Dallas, TX 75266

but, now i think its better to send it priority to the other address is this a problem? Do i have to re-adress the letters and have him re-sign and send them to me. I don't see why it should make a difference plus i don't want to wait that long I'm anxious to have him here asap. I rather be safe then sorry. what your opinion?

should i expect delays in the overall process because of the holidays?

thank you!!

[Pheebs1201 269]

Thanks loads for the information, you guys have been super helpful. Its nice to see over RPCVs going through the same process. TboneTX I've followed your advice and front loaded my petition. do you think 80 pages is over kill? Also, is it okay to photo copy pictures for the purpose of organizing, if so regular paper of photo paper?

I'm almost done assembling my packet, just waiting for my fiancés signed paperwork to arrive via DHL. I kind of think i messed up his letter of intent, I addressed it to

United States Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

P.O. Box 660151

Dallas, TX 75266

but, now i think its better to send it priority to the other address is this a problem? Do i have to re-adress the letters and have him re-sign and send them to me. I don't see why it should make a difference plus i don't want to wait that long I'm anxious to have him here asap. I rather be safe then sorry. what your opinion?

should i expect delays in the overall process because of the holidays?

thank you!!

It does not matter what address is on the letter of intent, as it's inside the packet. Some people include no address at all. So don't worry