I-129F 34.a. - How to describe circumstances of meeting

[netminder30 1]

I am the U.S. citizen petitioner in the process of completing the I-129F. I am not certain about how to respond to question 34.a. which asks for a description of the circumstances under which my fiancé and I met. There seem to be conflicting opinions out there.

Some people advocate a very succinct response that fits within the space provided on the form, while others advise sending a lengthier response presented on a separate sheet. What is the consensus? Can both approaches be taken with a succinct answer appearing on the form and a lengthier response appearing on a separate sheet?

Below is what I am proposing to write. I would appreciate feedback on both the length and content. Also, does the documentation I plan to include provide sufficient proof that my fiancé and I have met?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I first met my fiancé Nelly about five years ago (September 2010) on the internet through a website devoted to foreign language learning. I was studying Russian (her native language), while she was improving her English (my native language). Our first communication came when Nelly reviewed an exercise I posted, and this led to us exchanging contact information (both e-mail and chat) so we could help each other with our language learning. I have included a copy our first e-mail exchange following our online meeting.

Avid learners, Nelly and I quickly established regular communication, exchanging e-mails and chatting (both text and voice). These interactions provided not only an opportunity for language learning, but also for discussions about culture, history, politics, philosophy, and aspects of our personal lives. There was almost an instant chemistry between us and our correspondences became an almost daily affair. I was struck by Nelly’s warmth, her sense of humor, her intelligence, her devotion to her family, and love of music, which I share. By 2012, we had fallen in love and started to make plans for our first face-to-face meeting in Moscow. (I have included several examples of our e-mail correspondences.) We first met in person in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow on May 13, 2013. Our connection was instant – we felt like we had known each other our entire lives. I’ll never forget the thrill of hugging her for the first time. We spent a magical week in Moscow, seeing all the major tourist attractions, enjoying meals together, and having long talks over coffee at Starbucks. By the time I left on May 19, we were already talking about our next meeting.

We have since had four personal meetings between November 2013 and September 2015; I returned to Moscow once and Nelly came to the U.S. three times. Our visits lasted anywhere from two weeks to three months, giving us ample opportunity to assess our compatibility, not only with each other, but with members of our families, including our children. I developed a close relationship with Nelly’s 10-year-old daughter, Sasha, who recently accompanied Nelly to the U.S., while Nelly established a great rapport with my three children (ages 16, 20, and 22). Given our experiences together, along with the support of our families, Nelly and I know we can live together happily and harmoniously. We are deeply in love, ready for marriage, and looking forward to a long and fulfilling life together.

I have included documentation of our third meeting which began in New York City on May 17, 2014: 1) a copy of Nelly’s entire visa containing a stamp indicating she arrived at JFK airport in New York on May 17; 2) an e-mail from Delta Air Lines inviting me to check in for my flight from Atlanta arriving in JFK airport on May 17; and 3) separate e-mails from the hotel in New York City respectively addressed to Nelly and me showing we stayed together at the hotel on May 17 and 18. I have also included pictures of our meeting in New York, along with photos from other meetings.

Edited September 18, 2015 by netminder30

[ElGuapo 1]

Hi there!

We wrote ours in a simple calibri font 11 pt, single spaced and about one page. We just called it an attachment and "see attachment for question 34.a".

Also, when we sent our petition, we put everything in folders with her proof of meeting on one side and mine on the other. Using inexpensive tabs will also help you to keep it organized. To make it all easy to disassemble, we used paper clips.

If you need any help, feel free to contact me

[netminder30 1]

Thank you very much for your response! I appreciate the tips on how to package the petition and it's contents.

[TBoneTX 43,401]

For USCIS's purposes, all that you need for proof of meeting are boarding passes, passport stamps, etc., and a statement of a line or two.

For the visa interview (consular stage), "front-loading" of the petition package with proof of your bona fide relationship is often highly advisable. However, Moscow has not been known as a difficult embassy. Furthermore, you have a lengthy relationship history and an enviable amount of "face time."

With the above in mind, perhaps you can cut down on your statement, starting with the lovey-dovey stuff.

[quicksword47 0]

The space allotted for that question is not enough to document the circumstances of the most current physical meeting. As ElGuapo posted, just title the page as I-129F supplement with your contact information just like on your cover letter. And yes you can skip a lot of things, just note something along the lines of flight number, arrival airport, and where you both stayed. The USCIS is not that into details so long as the stories correlate.

[Zedayn 485]

I am the U.S. citizen petitioner in the process of completing the I-129F. I am not certain about how to respond to question 34.a. which asks for a description of the circumstances under which my fiancé and I met. There seem to be conflicting opinions out there.

Some people advocate a very succinct response that fits within the space provided on the form, while others advise sending a lengthier response presented on a separate sheet. What is the consensus? Can both approaches be taken with a succinct answer appearing on the form and a lengthier response appearing on a separate sheet?

Below is what I am proposing to write. I would appreciate feedback on both the length and content. Also, does the documentation I plan to include provide sufficient proof that my fiancé and I have met?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Question 34.a asks you to "describe the circumstances under which you met". It does not ask you for a lengthy description. It is asking you HOW, WHEN and WHERE did you meet your fiancé within the last 2 years.

An example that I used: I met my fiancée [name] at the NAIA airport in Manila, Philippines on Nov 3, 2013. We spent two weeks together.

Yes, you can include a lengthier statement of how you met, and perhaps go a little further to describe your relationship, like what you have already written. For the petition the extra statement isn't needed if you answer question 34.a right on the form, but it could be helpful for the embassy interview as a form of proof of your relationship.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I am the U.S. citizen petitioner in the process of completing the I-129F. I am not certain about how to respond to question 34.a. which asks for a description of the circumstances under which my fiancé and I met. There seem to be conflicting opinions out there.

Some people advocate a very succinct response that fits within the space provided on the form, while others advise sending a lengthier response presented on a separate sheet. What is the consensus? Can both approaches be taken with a succinct answer appearing on the form and a lengthier response appearing on a separate sheet?

Below is what I am proposing to write. I would appreciate feedback on both the length and content. Also, does the documentation I plan to include provide sufficient proof that my fiancé and I have met?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I first met my fiancé Nelly about five years ago (September 2010) on the internet through a website devoted to foreign language learning. I was studying Russian (her native language), while she was improving her English (my native language). Our first communication came when Nelly reviewed an exercise I posted, and this led to us exchanging contact information (both e-mail and chat) so we could help each other with our language learning. I have included a copy our first e-mail exchange following our online meeting.

Avid learners, Nelly and I quickly established regular communication, exchanging e-mails and chatting (both text and voice). These interactions provided not only an opportunity for language learning, but also for discussions about culture, history, politics, philosophy, and aspects of our personal lives. There was almost an instant chemistry between us and our correspondences became an almost daily affair. I was struck by Nelly’s warmth, her sense of humor, her intelligence, her devotion to her family, and love of music, which I share. By 2012, we had fallen in love and started to make plans for our first face-to-face meeting in Moscow. (I have included several examples of our e-mail correspondences.) We first met in person in Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow on May 13, 2013. Our connection was instant – we felt like we had known each other our entire lives. I’ll never forget the thrill of hugging her for the first time. We spent a magical week in Moscow, seeing all the major tourist attractions, enjoying meals together, and having long talks over coffee at Starbucks. By the time I left on May 19, we were already talking about our next meeting.

We have since had four personal meetings between November 2013 and September 2015; I returned to Moscow once and Nelly came to the U.S. three times. Our visits lasted anywhere from two weeks to three months, giving us ample opportunity to assess our compatibility, not only with each other, but with members of our families, including our children. I developed a close relationship with Nelly’s 10-year-old daughter, Sasha, who recently accompanied Nelly to the U.S., while Nelly established a great rapport with my three children (ages 16, 20, and 22). Given our experiences together, along with the support of our families, Nelly and I know we can live together happily and harmoniously. We are deeply in love, ready for marriage, and looking forward to a long and fulfilling life together.

I have included documentation of our third meeting which began in New York City on May 17, 2014: 1) a copy of Nelly’s entire visa containing a stamp indicating she arrived at JFK airport in New York on May 17; 2) an e-mail from Delta Air Lines inviting me to check in for my flight from Atlanta arriving in JFK airport on May 17; and 3) separate e-mails from the hotel in New York City respectively addressed to Nelly and me showing we stayed together at the hotel on May 17 and 18. I have also included pictures of our meeting in New York, along with photos from other meetings.

I started out to answer this question like you did. Then I thought about it and wondered, "What happens if the idiot at the USCIS cannot find the attachment? I have not answered the question." So I put that my fiancée came to the US on a tourist visa on xx/yy/zzzz and we travelled around the US until cc/vv/zzzz. I put the second time we met and then the third. I just put date, location, and duration. Why go into gory detail of the relationship when all you need to provide is a statement of when, where, and why/how you met within the last 2 years? I provided passport stamps, airline tickets, and photos of us together.

Dave

Edited September 18, 2015 by Dave&Roza

[netminder30 1]

A very sincere, heartfelt thanks to all of you who answered my question. Your input and advice is extremely helpful.

I am taking it that a lengthy, more detailed response is not required and may not even count for much on the I-129F, but could prove helpful when it comes time for the embassy interview.

I intend to provide a short, direct answer to 34. a. directly on the I-129F form in the space provided, and then reference USCIS to an attachment that will provide more detail as I have done above. They can choose to look at it or not, but it may help set the stage for the embassy interview.

Thanks again to everyone who responded to my question. I greatly appreciate the efforts made to help me out.

Steve

[netminder30 1]

Sorry, but I have one follow up question for Dave. Dave, did you provide proof for all three of your meetings or just one meeting of your choice?

It seems I have the most solid evidence for our fourth meeting. My fiancée flew to Atlanta and we subsequently flew to San Francisco to visit my brother. I plan to submit her passport stamps, our boarding passes showing that we sat together on the flight to San Francisco, and pictures of us in San Francisco.

Will mentioning all five of our meetings without providing proof for each create confusion? Are we better off only referencing our fourth meeting on the I-129F form and mentioning the other meetings on an attachment?

Thanks again for your help.

Steve

[Ash.1101 1,755]

My fiance visited a total of 8 times for 4-7 days each time, we only provided ticket stubs and boarding passes for maybe 2 or 3 of them, since I had kept some but misplaced the others. We also sent in a couple of pictures spanning the two years that he had flown down here.

We did also do a separate page saying "In Regards to Question 34.a on the I-139F application" and then wrote when I met him online, when and where I met him in person, and then listed all subsequent dates and duration that he came and visited.

Over all, no RFE.

[Dave&Roza 748]

I did all three meetings as I still had the evidence and they were all within the 2 year time frame.

Dave

[netminder30 1]

Thanks, Dave and Ash. I see you chose to include evidence for several of your face-to-face meetings.

Do you see a problem if I mention that my fiancée and I have met five times, but I only submit evidence for one of the meetings? Am I better off only mentioning the one meeting for which I'm submitting the evidence or is it ok to mention all the meetings? Unfortunately, we can only produce a patchwork of evidence for all but one of the visits.

Thanks again. I welcome comments from anyone else who wishes to contribute.

[Dave&Roza 748]

Thanks, Dave and Ash. I see you chose to include evidence for several of your face-to-face meetings.

Do you see a problem if I mention that my fiancée and I have met five times, but I only submit evidence for one of the meetings? Am I better off only mentioning the one meeting for which I'm submitting the evidence or is it ok to mention all the meetings? Unfortunately, we can only produce a patchwork of evidence for all but one of the visits.

Thanks again. I welcome comments from anyone else who wishes to contribute.

For your case, I would mention the meeting you have all the solid evidence for. I would then mention the others with what evidence you have along with your long explanation you wrote as additional evidence of relationship--this along with all the e-mails, chat logs, long distance calls, Skype, etc. The first is for the USCIS person looking over your petition as that requirement is meeting within the last 2 years; and the other is for proof of on going relationship for the Consulate/Embassy phase once the petition is approved.

Dave

[Pennycat 880]

I did a bit of both. I stated when and how we met (briefly) and the last time we saw each other, with evidence (we snapped a photo, newly engaged, holding the daily paper in front of us, pointing at the date. Cheeky but, I was told by a CO, funny). Then said "see below for a detailed description of dates and events of other visits" and spelled those out a bit.

So...quick and dirty for USCIS who really only needs to know that you've been in each other's physical presence sometime in the past 24 months, and more fleshed out in case the embassy wants to see relationship progression/proof.

No RFE, for what it's worth.

[netminder30 1]

Thanks Dave&Roza and Catherine A. Your input is very helpful!