Required documents for my I-130

[JustinS 44]

All, 

I appreciate all the guidance so far but I am trying to determine what all I truly need for my packet.  I keep finding conflicting information so I am hoping I can clarify here. Most of these requirements are pulled from the I-130 Instructions Document.  I have a spouse and 3 stepkids so if I am not mistaken I would need the following.

1. 4 I-130 forms

2. I-130A Form filled out by spouse only. Not needed for stepkids

3. Check for 5*$535

4. Copy of my birth certificate

5. Copy of my marriage certificate

6. Copy of my divorce certificate for prior marriage

7. Two identical passport pictures for myself 

            a. Forums have said submit this for the spouse also, but the instructions say (if he or she is in the United States).  Do these need to be submitted for my wife/stepkids?

8. Cover letter/ petitioner affadavit-  Is this necessary?  I think its a good idea but is it bad to send too much? My wife and I have clear contact for the past year but prior is just Whatsapp logs. I think maybe this will help explain the gap. 

9. Birth certificates- My understanding is my spouses is no longer required. For stepparent/stepchild it seems that I need a marriage cert/divorce cert for prior marriages and a copy of their birth certificates.  Would it be bad to submit my spouses and all 3 kids anyways to be safe?

10. Proof of Bonafide marriage. We have never lived together. Would the following be enough?

              a. Whatsapp call logs, cell phone call logs, skype logs, screenshots of whatsapp conversations (one per month or so? for a few years), facebook posts (family events/outings etc), pictures of visits/wedding, flight itineraries, 3-4 affadavits from family/friends.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

[Lenchick 133]

 

All, 

I appreciate all the guidance so far but I am trying to determine what all I truly need for my packet.  I keep finding conflicting information so I am hoping I can clarify here. Most of these requirements are pulled from the I-130 Instructions Document.  I have a spouse and 3 stepkids so if I am not mistaken I would need the following.

1. 4 I-130 forms

2. I-130A Form filled out by spouse only. Not needed for stepkids

3. Check for 5*$535

4. Copy of my birth certificate

5. Copy of my marriage certificate

6. Copy of my divorce certificate for prior marriage

7. Two identical passport pictures for myself 

            a. Forums have said submit this for the spouse also, but the instructions say (if he or she is in the United States).  Do these need to be submitted for my wife/stepkids?

8. Cover letter/ petitioner affadavit-  Is this necessary?  I think its a good idea but is it bad to send too much? My wife and I have clear contact for the past year but prior is just Whatsapp logs. I think maybe this will help explain the gap. 

9. Birth certificates- My understanding is my spouses is no longer required. For stepparent/stepchild it seems that I need a marriage cert/divorce cert for prior marriages and a copy of their birth certificates.  Would it be bad to submit my spouses and all 3 kids anyways to be safe?

10. Proof of Bonafide marriage. We have never lived together. Would the following be enough?

              a. Whatsapp call logs, cell phone call logs, skype logs, screenshots of whatsapp conversations (one per month or so? for a few years), facebook posts (family events/outings etc), pictures of visits/wedding, flight itineraries, 3-4 affadavits from family/friends.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

whatever you put in your case, put in your step kids cases as well, except chat logs and etc., do you have pictures of you and your step kids together? I'd put those? If you have the kids listed somewhere on your other documents or maybe have receipts from the gifts if you ever bought any for them. Kids' cases will be dependent on your wife's one and approved if her petition gets approved. My kids petitions were approved in a heart bit, in one-two weeks, because mine was already approved, we filed for the kids several months later.

 

Do you have any evidences of financial commingling?  For ex., you might have sent your wife money. It'd be good to include those receipts. If not, affidavits with all the rest you have listed should be enough.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JustinS 44]

How crazy are they with financial commingling.  I've sent money over PayPal and ordered gifts off Amazon. Does that suffice?

[Lenchick 133]

 

How crazy are they with financial commingling.  I've sent money over PayPal and ordered gifts off Amazon. Does that suffice?

That's good actually! Print out and include those too. You don't have to include bona fide marriage evidences into the kids' petitions but in case you have some proofs, like pictures with the kids, and gifts particularly on their names, I'd include those. If you bought toys, smth. that would show that connection, then put those evidences in all the petitions. For example, my husband had pictures with my kids together and some of the papers where the kids were listed, so I put those copies into the kids' petitions. Not necessarily if you don't have any.  Also, the kids' cases should include copies of their birth certificates, of your wife birth certificate, marriage/divorce papers and the petitioner's first passport page. I looked at my cover letter, I also put petitioner's birth certificate. I guess it was redundant.

[Lenchick 133]

 

How crazy are they with financial commingling.  I've sent money over PayPal and ordered gifts off Amazon. Does that suffice?

also, one more tip, when you assemble the cases, make  it as easy as possible for the immigration officer to navigate through your cases. If you think something might not be quite clear, write short explanations. Our pictures didn't have any dates on them, I just wrote short sentences on the back side explaining names, place and time. It worked. We never received any RFE. I included pictures, e-mails, trip itineraries and western union receipts.  I also made it all match each other and chronological. E-mails consisted of discussions of the trips I included and pictures that were taken there. I hope it helps!

[JustinS 44]

So as opposed to all screenshots together....all pictures together etc....you assembled it chronologically so it would flow.  Did you put this in a file folder?  Or papers followed by pictures in a bag followed by more papers.  I'm nervous!

 

Also, did you include a statement about your relationship or just the app?

[Lenchick 133]

 

So as opposed to all screenshots together....all pictures together etc....you assembled it chronologically so it would flow.  Did you put this in a file folder?  Or papers followed by pictures in a bag followed by more papers.  I'm nervous!

 

Also, did you include a statement about your relationship or just the app?

I didn't include any affidavits if it is what you meant. I put my case in a big envelope and fastened each stuck of the same evidences with clips. Petition-clip, Western Union receipts -clip, e-mails-clip, itineraries-clip and in the order listed on my cover letter.  When I sent my kids cases, I put them in one envelope but clipped them each separately with a big fastener. USCIS has an instruction on their website where they warn people not to use files that would make it difficult for them to disassemble the case. You can read it here https://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing

 

Don't be nervous, everything will be all right! I was worried too but looking back I wish I would not have spent so much time driving myself crazy!)

[Ryan H 3,856]

 

How crazy are they with financial commingling.  I've sent money over PayPal and ordered gifts off Amazon. Does that suffice?

 

USCIS and the Embassy will not expect nor require a couple living apart in separate countries to have co-mingled finances, joint property, etc. etc.

 

Sending money via PayPal, Western Union, or some other service as well as ordering gifts off of Amazon is not the same as financial co-mingling.  Financial co-mingling is defined as having joint bank accounts, assets, and things like that.

[pushbrk 13,406]

 

 

USCIS and the Embassy will not expect nor require a couple living apart in separate countries to have co-mingled finances, joint property, etc. etc.

 

Sending money via PayPal, Western Union, or some other service as well as ordering gifts off of Amazon is not the same as financial co-mingling.  Financial co-mingling is defined as having joint bank accounts, assets, and things like that.

Agreed.  I just wanted to add that each of your five petitions must be able to stand alone.  So, there will be, for example, a copy of your birth certificate and marriage certificate in each of the five petition packages, even though you should send them all in one envelope.  Your foreign spouse's birth certificate is needed later at the NVC stage.  The children's birth certificates are needed with their petitions as evidence of their relationship to your spouse, making them your step children and as evidence they were each under age 18 when the marriage took place.  Do not file a petition for any of your spouse's children who were already 18 on your marriage date.  They will be denied and no money returned to you.

 

Note that at the NVC stage, you'll send five separate affidavits of support but you can send only one set of tax returns and current income documentation.  Those don't have to stand alone.

Edited May 7, 2017 by pushbrk

[Mido&Emi 33]

 

All, 

I appreciate all the guidance so far but I am trying to determine what all I truly need for my packet.  I keep finding conflicting information so I am hoping I can clarify here. Most of these requirements are pulled from the I-130 Instructions Document.  I have a spouse and 3 stepkids so if I am not mistaken I would need the following.

1. 4 I-130 forms

2. I-130A Form filled out by spouse only. Not needed for stepkids

3. Check for 5*$535

4. Copy of my birth certificate

5. Copy of my marriage certificate

6. Copy of my divorce certificate for prior marriage

7. Two identical passport pictures for myself 

            a. Forums have said submit this for the spouse also, but the instructions say (if he or she is in the United States).  Do these need to be submitted for my wife/stepkids?

8. Cover letter/ petitioner affadavit-  Is this necessary?  I think its a good idea but is it bad to send too much? My wife and I have clear contact for the past year but prior is just Whatsapp logs. I think maybe this will help explain the gap. 

9. Birth certificates- My understanding is my spouses is no longer required. For stepparent/stepchild it seems that I need a marriage cert/divorce cert for prior marriages and a copy of their birth certificates.  Would it be bad to submit my spouses and all 3 kids anyways to be safe?

10. Proof of Bonafide marriage. We have never lived together. Would the following be enough?

              a. Whatsapp call logs, cell phone call logs, skype logs, screenshots of whatsapp conversations (one per month or so? for a few years), facebook posts (family events/outings etc), pictures of visits/wedding, flight itineraries, 3-4 affadavits from family/friends.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

 

Yes, so far so good. Get the I-130 forms. The check for it. Copy of your birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce certificate. Here is what I also included in mine: 2 passport sized photos of myself and my spouse, his birth certificate as well with translation (if not in english) just to make sure, copy of his passport as well. I'd include pictures for the stepkids as well. I included a cover letter with all the contents of my petition. The sponsor forms. (I'd include the stepkids birth certificates too). And proof of marriage. I included pictures of my spouse and I and of us with friends as well. Chat logs we had while we were apart. Boarding passes from when I visited. Money sent to each other. Call logs. 3 affidavits from friends. I even included movie tickets from when him and I went out lol. If I was you, I'd include pictures of the kids as well. The more evidence the better. It's better to be safe. Goodluck!

[JustinS 44]

Thanks everyone!  I feel like I'm on the right path.  I still will include a statement of my own and now I need to go get 3 more copies of the marriage cert!  Otherwise, I think I'm in good shape and very much appreciate all of the feedback!

[NikLR 13,232]

For the I-130 you only need photocopies, not certified or notarized or any other type of copy.  Just a plain xerox/photocopy.  

[pushbrk 13,406]

Photocopies of Certified Copies.

[JustinS 44]

So I should send in one official birth certificate and 3 xerox copies.  Same for divorce cert etc.   What about pictures.  Should I print 4 copies

[JustinS 44]

Sorry guys, this won't allow me to edit.   So, for the marriage cert, divorce cert, Birth Certs etc... should I include one official copy and 3 xeroxed copies for the packet....  all xeroxed copies or all official....  I feel like I may be misunderstanding but don't want to risk refusal.  Thanks!