I-130 packet for CR1

[TeamNiKe 0]

Hi, I am a US citizen currently in Virginia trying to petition my wife in the Philippines for a CR1 visa. I'm very new to this and I feel I've read a ton of different combinations of submitting I-130 and the documents that go with it. I am just hoping for any help and advise. 

 

      I am trying to submit this for a CR1 visa. Aside from the standard forms. that I have to submit (I-130, I-130A, G-325A), there is the bonafide evidence.

On the USCIS site the examples for bonafide evidence gives you documents such as: Joint Bank Accounts, Mortgage\loans\lease with both our names on it.

     Does it have to be signed documents to be mailed with the I-130 to the lockbox for the initial filing? As we do not have "these kind of docs for evidence." 

 

        The only evidence I have compiled so far are: Plane tickets, boarding passes, pictures(wedding & Hong Kong trip), messages(Skype, Twitter, FB messenger) screenshots, Pregnancy check (yes she is pregnant and no I don't have any DANA testing.. yet). I guess my question is.. Am I supposed to mail these in along with the I-130 and the rest of the forms to the lockbox? 

         Or is it okay to just send the I-130 with the other required forms for now. Then wait for an instruction from USCIS later to bring these evidence in. 

 

 

 

Thank you very much for any help or advise. Hopefully my question made some sense.. I am currently waiting for the marriage cert to arrive in the mail. Just trying to get things together so that I could maybe send the application out right away. Like I mentioned, my wife is pregnant and I am def fighting against bitter odds here, but I am willing to try to get her here before her due date mid November. 

[nightingalejules 678]

You're much better off to send everything (including all the evidence) at once, when you send your petition.

 

Collect everything you can right now (obviously, if you're not living in the same country you won't have joint accounts - we didn't have those things and were approved. Take a look on the forums and find lists of what other people have included.

 

Fill out the forms, print them out, get copies of everything else you have to send (make an extra set of copies in case they lose something, which happens all the time - keep them with you so if you need to re-send you can. Write a cover letter, and wait for your marriage certificate. As soon as it arrives, send everything to the lockbox.

 

You know it's a pretty outside chance that you will be able to get her here before her due date, but it's worth a shot. The last thing you need is an RFE (request for evidence) because you didn't include everything you have. Every time you get an RFE, you lose more time when they could be processing your applications.

[TeamNiKe 0]

7 hours ago, nightingalejules said:

You're much better off to send everything (including all the evidence) at once, when you send your petition.

 

Collect everything you can right now (obviously, if you're not living in the same country you won't have joint accounts - we didn't have those things and were approved. Take a look on the forums and find lists of what other people have included.

 

Fill out the forms, print them out, get copies of everything else you have to send (make an extra set of copies in case they lose something, which happens all the time - keep them with you so if you need to re-send you can. Write a cover letter, and wait for your marriage certificate. As soon as it arrives, send everything to the lockbox.

 

You know it's a pretty outside chance that you will be able to get her here before her due date, but it's worth a shot. The last thing you need is an RFE (request for evidence) because you didn't include everything you have. Every time you get an RFE, you lose more time when they could be processing your applications.

Yes thank you for the lengthy reply and the mention of the cover letter as I haven't even read anything about it yet. 

 

I am a naturalized citizen, so my options for proof of citizenship is my US passport and my Certificate of Naturalization. 

 

Getting a certified copy of my certificate of Naturalization seems to take too much time (no appointments for the rest of the month to do it).

Also I am hesitant to just make a copy of my Cert of Naturalization as it says right on the paper that it is illegal to just make copies without certification. 

Do you know if sending a photocopy of my passport would be good enough to send off with my I-130 as proof of citizenship? 

 

 

 

 

[kcrb 24]

My lawyer frontloaded our petition and did not attach anything about joint finances because we don't have any. We are unable to sign up for any joint accounts because all of my banks require my wife to appear at the branch in person because she is a foreign national. We just submitted pictures, boarding passes, phone bills, call logs, etc. It was approved in less than 60 days from NOA1. I am under the impression that when a couple is not filing for adjustment of status, joint assets are not imperative because they are hard to have when living in two different countries. It sounds like you have enough proof to get approval by USCIS, but remember that an approval by USCIS does not automatically mean an approval from the consulate. Continue to gather evidence, the embassy will want evidence of "continuance of relationship" after USCIS approval. 

[nightingalejules 678]

5 hours ago, TeamNiKe said:

Yes thank you for the lengthy reply and the mention of the cover letter as I haven't even read anything about it yet. 

 

I am a naturalized citizen, so my options for proof of citizenship is my US passport and my Certificate of Naturalization. 

 

Getting a certified copy of my certificate of Naturalization seems to take too much time (no appointments for the rest of the month to do it).

Also I am hesitant to just make a copy of my Cert of Naturalization as it says right on the paper that it is illegal to just make copies without certification. 

Do you know if sending a photocopy of my passport would be good enough to send off with my I-130 as proof of citizenship? 

 

 

 

 

Your passport should be just fine. (All pages, not just the bio page) All they're looking for is proof of citizenship, and the passport proves that. If you want to submit your naturalization document in addition (not a bad idea): This is from the i-130 instructions page.

 

"Copies. You may submit legible photocopies of documents requested, unless the Instructions specifically state that you must submit an original document. USCIS may request an original document at the time of filing or at any time during processing of an application, petition, or request. If you submit original documents when not required, the documents may remain a part of the record, and USCIS will not automatically return them to you."

 

Later on in the instructions, it does just say that with your initial petition, you can provide copies rather than originals, although they may ask for originals at any time. So for now, submit a photocopy, and meanwhile, apply for an extra certified copy, in case they ask for it later.

 

Here's the link to the instructions, although I'm sure you already have it.

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-130instr.pdf

Edited March 20, 2017 by nightingalejules

[Ryan H 3,925]

Do not submit the G-325A with the latest I-130 form, it's not needed.

Edited March 20, 2017 by Ryan H

[TeamNiKe 0]

19 hours ago, kcrb said:

My lawyer frontloaded our petition and did not attach anything about joint finances because we don't have any. We are unable to sign up for any joint accounts because all of my banks require my wife to appear at the branch in person because she is a foreign national. We just submitted pictures, boarding passes, phone bills, call logs, etc. It was approved in less than 60 days from NOA1. I am under the impression that when a couple is not filing for adjustment of status, joint assets are not imperative because they are hard to have when living in two different countries. It sounds like you have enough proof to get approval by USCIS, but remember that an approval by USCIS does not automatically mean an approval from the consulate. Continue to gather evidence, the embassy will want evidence of "continuance of relationship" after USCIS approval. 

Thank you for sharing that. Me and the wife are already planning to save all future receipts of money sent, messages plus pregnancy checkups.

 

I've been told on the interview part (I'm guessing that would be when she shows up at the US embassy  I in the Philippines) They ask for any other evidence on hand.

[TeamNiKe 0]

16 hours ago, nightingalejules said:

Your passport should be just fine. (All pages, not just the bio page) All they're looking for is proof of citizenship, and the passport proves that. If you want to submit your naturalization document in addition (not a bad idea): This is from the i-130 instructions page.

 

"Copies. You may submit legible photocopies of documents requested, unless the Instructions specifically state that you must submit an original document. USCIS may request an original document at the time of filing or at any time during processing of an application, petition, or request. If you submit original documents when not required, the documents may remain a part of the record, and USCIS will not automatically return them to you."

 

Later on in the instructions, it does just say that with your initial petition, you can provide copies rather than originals, although they may ask for originals at any time. So for now, submit a photocopy, and meanwhile, apply for an extra certified copy, in case they ask for it later.

 

Here's the link to the instructions, although I'm sure you already have it.

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-130instr.pdf

Thanks. Great advice. Def not a bad idea to still get the certified copy. I'll probably just send the passport copy since I might need my cert of Naturalization when or if they hold on to it. 

[TeamNiKe 0]

13 hours ago, Ryan H said:

Do not submit the G-325A with the latest I-130 form, it's not needed.

Thank you for pointing it out. Had to go back to the instructions. Yes I guess I'm only sending I-130, I -130A and G-1145 as far as forms.