RFE (evidence petitioner and beneficiary have met in person preceding the filing of the petition)

[fa87-94 6]

Hi everyone!

We filed for K1 fiancé visa in March 2016. My fiancé and I got an RFE in the mail today asking for evidence to show that we (the petitioner and beneficiary) have met in person before sending the petition. I have been an au pair from July 2014 to July 2015 in the USA and I met my fiancé in October 2014 and we starting dating since then. We would see each other every weekend. We traveled together around the US and we have provided this evidence when sending the petition, like airbnb receipts with both our names. My fiancé came to visit in December 2015 in Italy we sent them his ticket, but not the passport stamp. The only stamps he has in his passport are from the connecting flight in Germany, there are no stamps at his final destination in Italy. How can we work around this?

I went for two weeks in April 2016 to visit him and I have my passport stamps and boarding passes, should we also send that proof?

I don't know if it is ok because it was after we filed the petition. What are your thoughts?

Thank you in advance for any help.

Here is the list of evidence we are considering sending back:

-Explanation of meeting circumstances

-AirBNB receipt to New York (with both our names on)

-AirBNB receipt to Virginia Beach (with both our names on)

-Plane ticket for Italy December 2015 through january 2016

-Credit card statement showing purchases in Italy

-All copies of petitioner passport including the passport stamp

-Copy of Beneficiary J1 Visa to the U.S. showing I have been in the Stases for one year

-Pictures in New York

-Pictures in Italy at the Vatican City

-Different other pictures of us in US and Italy

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[Anitafeliz 1,133]

It looks like what ever you sent did not convince them. Resend anything that proves you were both at the same place. Pictures together, flight manifest.

Passport stampes help. Can you prove you were both in the US besides what you sent that they didn't think enough?

[zorus40k 21]

-Pictures in New York

-Pictures in Italy at the Vatican City

-Different other pictures of us in US and Italy

If it was before march 2016 it will help and that's basically what they want

also text message/phone call/skype/viber logs, etc also before March 2016

if you guys making pics hastily after sending petition it just looks (for the person who reviews your case package) like you are trying to forge relationships that might have not been existing before

also don't forget to write location, date, names on the back of pictures

[arken 4,197]

So not a single picture of you two was sent along with the petition even after you two have met for so many times? Your list looks good though.

[fa87-94 6]

Thank to you all! Yes we did send pictures.

But we didn't send my fiancé stamp and not even the copy of the passport. We already sent skype and what's app before March 2016.

In the RFE they specifically said passport copy and stamps as an example which we didn't send.

We will also send more pictures, credit card statements of my finances expenses in Italy.

The only problem is the stamp is only from Frankfurt, there is no stamp in Italy. Should we explain that in a statement?

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

Do you have a flight itinerary that shows the final destination was Italy?? Possible money withdrawals he could have made a said time?

You may need the boarding pass since the stamp is missing and send a statement saying they didn't stamp his passport. Now is this a thing Italy doesn't stamp? And you could possibly say that they don't?. I was under the impression all passports get stamps at all dis embarking points...

Edited June 13, 2016 by Anitafeliz

[Lemonslice 4,886]

Do you have a flight itinerary that shows the final destination was Italy?? Possible money withdrawals he could have made a said time?

You may need the boarding pass since the stamp is missing and send a statement saying they didn't stamp his passport. Now is this a thing Italy doesn't stamp? And you could possibly say that they don't?. I was under the impression all passports get stamps at all dis embarking points...

In most of Europe, you only get a stamp in the first country you reach in the Schengen area.

[fa87-94 6]

When I came back in April my passport wasn't stampt at the airport of Turin, so I'm not sure if this how it works.

Yes he has his itenerary ticket stating his final destination and the connection flight in Frankfurt. Unfortunately he didn't keep the boarding passes.

Yes he did withdraw money when we were visiting Venice, and he used most of the time his credit card to pay everything. So we have all statements with date and place where the money were spent. This all happened between December 2015 and January 2016 before filing the petition. Also we have pictures in Venice, at the Vatican City Florence etc... So we will send more pictures.

[fa87-94 6]

So we can write in the statement explaining that in most Europe you get a stamp only in the first country you reach?

[Anitafeliz 1,133]

If you have statements of he spending and withdrawl i would think thats good in addition to what they requested which was the passport. If what was said is true then i would hope they knew this as it has come up before i would think...

Edited June 14, 2016 by Anitafeliz

[Lemonslice 4,886]

So we can write in the statement explaining that in most Europe you get a stamp only in the first country you reach?

Works best if you add some documents to support his presence in Italy though (bank or credit card statements, pictures, boarding passes, etc.) - didn't he get elecronic boarding passes by email or in his frequent flyer account?

Edited June 14, 2016 by Lemonslice

[fa87-94 6]

We will definitely support his stay in Italy with pictures and credit card statements.

No unfortunately were papers not electronical. Hoping that's enough for his visit to Italy.

We have also other evidences staying in the same place in New York in December 2014 Airbnb receipts has both our names on it and we have pictures in NY in front of little Italy and other different pictures.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Your trip after the petition was filed does not count. You need proof of meeting within the 2 years prior to filing.

Your list looks good, and the passport stamps, boarding passes, copy of your J-1, and receipts/credit/bank statements will work as proof and should have been sent initially. All documents showing you were in the same place at the same time works. Photos are secondary and not the most important type of evidence for proving meeting, but using ones with you both in front of landmarks can be helpful.

Edited June 14, 2016 by KayDeeCee

[TabeaK 517]

Resend the evidence you have and write a letter explaining it. Add stuff from prior to filing the petition, if you have any. They may have simply lost the documents - you have A LOT of evidence.

[arken 4,197]

I guess sometime you have to direct them about your order of evidences coz they might not want to flip through the pages to find the evidences on their own.

Like for the evidence of travel to Italy:

1. Making an statement that flights between Italy and Germany, being members of Schengen countries, are like a domestic travel with no custom/immigration check or stamping

2. Flight reservation along with the bank statement showing the airfare payment.

3. Passport stamp in Germany (do they provide both? arrival and departure) matching the dates shown in the flight reservation. (No need to submit the copies of all pages, just the ones that matter) I would be pissed if I have to go though all pages on my own just to find one or two relevant pages.

4. If applicable, arrival stamp back in US.

Similarly other lists you have laid out.

Edited June 14, 2016 by arken