Husband Made Mistake on G-325A

[SimplySyra 0]

So I'm in the process of filing an I-130 for my Canadian husband and it requires we both fill out G-325A forms. Our issue is that since he's in Canada still he had to mail his forms in to me and trying to get all these forms together and sent out within a feasible period time has been a nightmare since I'm also trying to gather affidavits from friends who no longer live in the same state so they also mailed theirs in.

I noticed while finally putting everything together that he signed his G-325A form with a date of 10/17/2016. He of course meant 9/17/2016 but he was concentrating so hard on doing the US-style mm/dd/yy that he totally missed it. Now it's completely outside of the 30 day window for our passport style photos.

Am I able to correct it on his form or will it raise too many questions? Does he have to send me a new one in?

At what point does the affidavit (dated 9/15/16) become too old? Will I need to get a new one if it takes another week for him to mail the form in again? Even with Express mail the mail got held up in customs and took me a week to get last time.

What should I do? I'm freaking out here!

[Unshakable Faith 493]

If it makes it any easier, he can just fix the form and scan it to you. Originals are not required unless specified. Just have him fix it and send it to you. If you read the instructions for the forms, you will see that original signature id's not required.

What are you talking about the dates being too far from the passport photos? I think you might be thinking too hard about this process.

Breathe and relax, get your husband to resign and date a copy and scan out to you to give you some piece of mind.

Edited September 18, 2016 by FN&KO

[SimplySyra 0]

If it makes it any easier, he can just fix the form and scan it to you. Originals are not required unless specified. Just have him fix it and send it to you.

What are you talking about the dates being too far from the passport photos? I think you might be thinking too hard about this process.

Breathe and relax, get your husband to resign and date a copy and scan out to you to give you some piece of mind.

Hello FN&KO, thank you so much for responding! I was under the impression per the instructions sheet I downloaded from the USCIS website that the photos have to be taken within 30 days of the petition. It states, "A passport-style color. photo of yourself and a passport-style color photo of your spouse, taken within 30 days of the date of this petition..." It's literally listed in the "Instructions for Form I-130" at the official website: https://www.uscis.gov/i-130. So the signature on his form is over a month away from the photos we took which have dates stamped on the backs. However, perhaps it's possible that this is outdated or not a huge deal since you haven't heard of it?

If it's okay for this form to be a scan then we should be able to have him email me a copy. I had thought we needed the original signed documents.

[gregcrs2 1,780]

Grab a bottle of wine and chill out. You are making this over-complicated.

[Unshakable Faith 493]

Hello FN&KO, thank you so much for responding! I was under the impression per the instructions sheet I downloaded from the USCIS website that the photos have to be taken within 30 days of the petition. It states, "A passport-style color. photo of yourself and a passport-style color photo of your spouse, taken within 30 days of the date of this petition..." It's literally listed in the "Instructions for Form I-130" at the official website: https://www.uscis.gov/i-130. So the signature on his form is over a month away from the photos we took which have dates stamped on the backs. However, perhaps it's possible that this is outdated or not a huge deal since you haven't heard of it?

If it's okay for this form to be a scan then we should be able to have him email me a copy. I had thought we needed the original signed documents.

The forms can be scanned

[SimplySyra 0]

Grab a bottle of wine and chill out. You are making this over-complicated.

Hello Gregcrs2, forgive me. I'm pretty nervous because this has been a difficult application for me to arrange between all the parties so I'm very concerned about getting it all right the first time. Could you specify what your answer means? Are you telling me that I can cross out the date error and just write in a new one? Should I scan it and send it to him and have him send it back?

The forms can be scanned

Awesome, thank you so much! You've been so helpful!

[gregcrs2 1,780]

I can't tell you what to do. But if it were me, I would choose the quickest way.

Edited September 18, 2016 by gregcrs2

[B and H 18]

If it makes it any easier, he can just fix the form and scan it to you. Originals are not required unless specified. Just have him fix it and send it to you. If you read the instructions for the forms, you will see that original signature id's not required.

What? The instructions say the opposite. A photocopy of a signed petition or a typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable. That's from the I-130 and I don't see why the signature on a G-325A would be any different.

[Meg&Andrew 297]

My fiancé made a mistake on the G-325a. When I received it, I was putting our package together and giving everything one last glance, and I caught the mistake. I crossed out the mistake and wrote in the correct info. Even though it was typed, I just wrote it in with black ink and marked out the mistake. We made it through the process without any RFE's.

[SimplySyra 0]

My fiancé made a mistake on the G-325a. When I received it, I was putting our package together and giving everything one last glance, and I caught the mistake. I crossed out the mistake and wrote in the correct info. Even though it was typed, I just wrote it in with black ink and marked out the mistake. We made it through the process without any RFE's.

This is good to hear! I ended up just crossing out the error and correcting it in light of the conflicting information I was getting about scanned forms. Hopefully that will be all right although it may just depend how big and relevant the mistake is. I guess I'll just have to cross my fingers and see.

What? The instructions say the opposite. A photocopy of a signed petition or a typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable. That's from the I-130 and I don't see why the signature on a G-325A would be any different.

I read this as well after doing some more research and decided to just cross out the error and write in the correct date. Hopefully it won't be an issue, and if it is, I'm hoping it'll be an easy correction.

[B and H 18]

I read this as well after doing some more research and decided to just cross out the error and write in the correct date. Hopefully it won't be an issue, and if it is, I'm hoping it'll be an easy correction.

I hope you don't have any problems. But... if it's a hassle to fix properly now, why would it be an easy fix in about five months when they start looking at your paperwork? It may not be an issue, but it's not like they let you know upon receipt that it's going to be a problem, so prepare a new form for later. No, it's added delay after they get to your paperwork.

[Unshakable Faith 493]

What? The instructions say the opposite. A photocopy of a signed petition or a typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable. That's from the I-130 and I don't see why the signature on a G-325A would be any different.

Please look on the instructions for form I-130. Page 2 states:

Copies. Unless specifically required that an original document

be filed with an application or petition, a legible photocopy

may be submitted. Original documents submitted when not

required may remain a part of the record, and will not

automatically be returned to you.

Forms used to require original signatures until they changed the instructions in 2013. People that are misinformed still tell you that scanned copies are not acceptable but it's clearly written on the form instructions that is it acceptable.

Photocopies of the petition form itself is not acceptable. It clearly specifies on page 6 of the instructions for form I-130 that it cannot be photocopied. All documents and other evidence allow photocopies as specified on page 2 of tge instructions. That includes G-325A.

Edited September 18, 2016 by FN&KO

[agripa 100]

How would they even know the passport photo wasn't within 30 days?? Nearly all photo shops I've been to (Walgreens, etc.), no one prints the date on the photograph. I think as long the photograph isn't of you from like more then a year ago, how could they possibly even know?? I feel like you're over thinking this.

[B and H 18]

Please look on the instructions for form I-130. Page 2 states:

Copies. Unless specifically required that an original document

be filed with an application or petition, a legible photocopy

may be submitted. Original documents submitted when not

required may remain a part of the record, and will not

automatically be returned to you.

That is for supporting evidence filed with an application or petition.

For primary documents, like the I-130 itself and G-325A, see page 6.

Acceptance. Any Form I-130 that is not properly signed or accompanied by the correct fee will be rejected with a notice that the petition is deficient. A photocopy of a signed petition or a typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable.

[Unshakable Faith 493]

That is for supporting evidence filed with an application or petition.

For primary documents, like the I-130 itself and G-325A, see page 6.

Acceptance. Any Form I-130 that is not properly signed or accompanied by the correct fee will be rejected with a notice that the petition is deficient. A photocopy of a signed petition or a typewritten name in place of a signature is not acceptable.

That's what my post said. You quoted a version before I finished

The G-325A is not a petition or application and can be scanned. This is the age old debate that can be proven because no one has received RFE's for scanned G-325A forms since 2013 when the instructions were changed.

Edited September 18, 2016 by FN&KO