RFEs

[AnaUmo 419]

Hi Guys,

 

I was curious about getting the input of persons who have received RFE(s). Just simple things such as what was the reason given by the USCIS, what was the RFE(s) for, how long did it delay you, etc?

Much appreciated to those sharing their experiences on this topic .

[geowrian 22,337]

Every case is unique, and people have received RFEs for any number of causes...

• Forgot to sign or check a box / fill in a field /whatever
• Forgot to provide proof of being a USC
• Insufficient evidence that you met within the past 2 years
• Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)
• Missing one or both letters of intent to marry
• Incorrect or missing passport photos (from either person)
• Missing or improper divorce decrees
• Missing or improper court records/dispositions

My delay was about a week to get the RFE hardcopy, a day for me to reply to it, 2 days for them to get it, then 2 days for them to issue the NOA2. Others have waited a week or so, and some are waiting 30 or 60+ days. It really depends on the nature of the RFE and the officer's workload/priorities, and if there's anything else they still need to check or have cleared.

[CopperChem 328]

17 minutes ago, AnaUmo said:

Hi Guys,

 

I was curious about getting the input of persons who have received RFE(s). Just simple things such as what was the reason given by the USCIS, what was the RFE(s) for, how long did it delay you, etc?

Much appreciated to those sharing their experiences on this topic .

The list from geowrian is pretty complete. What I can says is that for the last 3-4 of us in April who got RFE's it was about 2 weeks after USCIS received the paperwork back that they approved everything.

[AnaUmo 419]

7 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Every case is unique, and people have received RFEs for any number of causes...

• Forgot to sign or check a box / fill in a field /whatever
• Forgot to provide proof of being a USC
• Insufficient evidence that you met within the past 2 years
• Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)
• Missing one or both letters of intent to marry
• Incorrect or missing passport photos (from either person)
• Missing or improper divorce decrees
• Missing or improper court records/dispositions

My delay was about a week to get the RFE hardcopy, a day for me to reply to it, 2 days for them to get it, then 2 days for them to issue the NOA2. Others have waited a week or so, and some are waiting 30 or 60+ days. It really depends on the nature of the RFE and the officer's workload/priorities, and if there's anything else they still need to check or have cleared.

Hi Geo!

You said, "Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)", and that piqued my interest because I met my fiance online. We both stated how we met online in a one page letter each stating what exactly happened and how we continued from there, we provided screenshots of our messaging and such as well (5 pages of screenshots). Is there anyway you would expound on why it's a big deal if we met online first ?

[geowrian 22,337]

5 minutes ago, AnaUmo said:

Hi Geo!

You said, "Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)", and that piqued my interest because I met my fiance online. We both stated how we met online in a one page letter each stating what exactly happened and how we continued from there, we provided screenshots of our messaging and such as well (5 pages of screenshots). Is there anyway you would expound on why it's a big deal if we met online first ?

You may be fine with that. They want will evidence that you didn't meet through an IMB. Showing your initial messages to each other is one piece of evidence for this. Another is to provide the site's TOS, and/or contact them to have them confirm that they are not an IMB.

 

Meeting online isn't the big deal itself. I wouldn't be surprised if most people on this website met online. It's just that there are IMBs out there on the Internet, and USCIS needs evidence that 1) you didn't use one, or 2) if you did use one, that the appropriate IMBRA forms have been filed and both sides are aware of individuals' histories.

Edited October 9, 2017 by geowrian

[AnaUmo 419]

11 minutes ago, geowrian said:

Every case is unique, and people have received RFEs for any number of causes...

• Forgot to sign or check a box / fill in a field /whatever
• Forgot to provide proof of being a USC
• Insufficient evidence that you met within the past 2 years
• Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)
• Missing one or both letters of intent to marry
• Incorrect or missing passport photos (from either person)
• Missing or improper divorce decrees
• Missing or improper court records/dispositions

My delay was about a week to get the RFE hardcopy, a day for me to reply to it, 2 days for them to get it, then 2 days for them to issue the NOA2. Others have waited a week or so, and some are waiting 30 or 60+ days. It really depends on the nature of the RFE and the officer's workload/priorities, and if there's anything else they still need to check or have cleared.

One more thing, you stated "Forgot to provide proof of being a USC" as well as "Incorrect or missing passport photos (from either person)". That confused me a little, I never sent in my passport pictures (beneficiary) and my fiance doesn't own a passport (I always visit him in the US) but we submitted the front and back of his birth certificate. Would that be enough?

[AnaUmo 419]

2 minutes ago, geowrian said:

You may be fine with that. They want will evidence that you didn't meet through an IMB. Showing your initial messages to each other is one piece of evidence for this. Another is to provide the site's TOS, and/or contact them to have them confirm that they are not an IMB.

 

Meeting online isn't the big deal itself. I wouldn't be surprised if most people on this website met online. It's just that there are IMBs out there on the Internet, and USCIS needs evidence that 1) you didn't use one, or 2) if you did use one, that the appropriate IMBRA forms have been filed and both sides are aware of individuals' histories.

Oh ok! That's fine. Yea we actually met while gaming and we have the initial messages of after we met through a random lobby so no IMB

[geowrian 22,337]

3 minutes ago, AnaUmo said:

One more thing, you stated "Forgot to provide proof of being a USC" as well as "Incorrect or missing passport photos (from either person)". That confused me a little, I never sent in my passport pictures (beneficiary) and my fiance doesn't own a passport (I always visit him in the US) but we submitted the front and back of his birth certificate. Would that be enough?

Let me clarify...sorry for the confusion. Actual passport photos aren't needed. However, US passport-style photos are needed. See page 11 of the I-129F instructions:

"5. Photographs

You must submit one color passport-style photograph of yourself and one color passport-style photograph of the beneficiary taken within 30 days of filing this petition. The photos must have a white to off-white background, be printed on thin paper with a glossy finish, and be unmounted and unretouched.

 

The color passport-style photos must be 2 by 2 inches. The photos must be in color with full face, frontal view on a white to off-white background. Head height should measure 1 to 1 3/8 inches from top of hair to bottom of chin, and eye height is between 1 1/8 to 1 3/8 inches from bottom of photo. Your head must be bare unless you are wearing headwear as required by a religious denomination of which you are a member . Using a pencil or felt pen, lightly print your name and A-Number (if any) on the back of the photo."

 

The front and back of the petitioner's birth certificate is fine for proving you're a USC. The passport photos are a separate requirement.

[AnaUmo 419]

Thank you for the feedback! Ahh I see what you meant though now. An oversight on my part, I was thinking of photocopies of the passport since I've seen persons having to have to copy their entire passport (page by page).

[geowrian 22,337]

1 minute ago, AnaUmo said:

Thank you for the feedback! Ahh I see what you meant though now. An oversight on my part, I was thinking of photocopies of the passport since I've seen persons having to have to copy their entire passport (page by page).

Yup, making a copy of the passport is another way to prove you're a USC. But the BC by itself is fine here (and what I did myself). Not everybody was born a USC, though. haha

 

Good luck!

[Ahoy01 31]

15 minutes ago, AnaUmo said:

Hi Geo!

You said, "Insufficient information on how you met and that you did not meet through an IMB (big if you met online first)", and that piqued my interest because I met my fiance online. We both stated how we met online in a one page letter each stating what exactly happened and how we continued from there, we provided screenshots of our messaging and such as well (5 pages of screenshots). Is there anyway you would expound on why it's a big deal if we met online first ?

This peeked my interest as well. I met my wife 3 years ago, and we met online on a chat website. We were not excatly trying to cataloging our first meet as, I was just some guy she met and she was some girl I met online (when we initially met). We have changed phones and have lost messages of our first few conversations. How important is it that we show our first interactions. We mentioned we met online in our cover letter but did not elaborate. What kind of evidence will we be expected to provide?

[geowrian 22,337]

7 minutes ago, Eli01 said:

This peeked my interest as well. I met my wife 3 years ago, and we met online on a chat website. We were not excatly trying to cataloging our first meet as, I was just some guy she met and she was some girl I met online (when we initially met). We have changed phones and have lost messages of our first few conversations. How important is it that we show our first interactions. We mentioned we met online in our cover letter but did not elaborate. What kind of evidence will we be expected to provide?

I didn't provide our first chats either. I just 1) printed out the site's Terms of Service (TOS), and 2) contacted the website's support team asking if they were an International Marriage Broker, then printed out the response. I doubt both steps were actually needed, and a couple others who filed around the same time as me who met from the same website did not get an RFE, but that was my experience. It's not consistent if they issue an RFE or not asking for evidence that the site is not an IMB...the adjudicating officer gets to make the call if he needs more evidence or not. But if you provide the info upfront, it can avoid the RFE.

Edited October 9, 2017 by geowrian

[Ahoy01 31]

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

I didn't provide our first chats either. I just 1) printed out the site's Terms of Service (TOS), and 2) contacted the website's support team asking if they were an International Marriage Broker, then printed out the response. I doubt both steps were actually needed, and a couple others who filed around the same time as me who met from the same website did not get an RFE, but that was my experience. It's not consistent if they issue an RFE or not asking for evidence that the site is an IMB...the adjudicating officer gets to make the call if he needs more evidence or not. But if you provide the info upfront, it can avoid the RFE.

 

That helps a lot. In fact I might bookmark this page, if we are given an RFE as well.

 

Thank you!

[AnaUmo 419]

8 minutes ago, Eli01 said:

This peeked my interest as well. I met my wife 3 years ago, and we met online on a chat website. We were not excatly trying to cataloging our first meet as, I was just some guy she met and she was some girl I met online (when we initially met). We have changed phones and have lost messages of our first few conversations. How important is it that we show our first interactions. We mentioned we met online in our cover letter but did not elaborate. What kind of evidence will we be expected to provide?

Well I have the same issue as well. Well when we met we mostly spoke over mic (first contact) and then through messages. We both have general terrible social skills (unless we try which weren't trying at first) so our messages didn't even start with like a "hi" or anything like that . We also started using SnapChat and Wire (the app we use now) a lot after that so those SnapChat messages are lost forever so that's pretty much out the door BUT I tried to get the Wire chats which I couldn't get a few months worth so I reached out to their support team and printed the email they sent in response that they don't save messages beyond a certain time. Well all we can do is hope for no RFE because of that.

[David & Diana R 1,005]

1 hour ago, AnaUmo said:

Hi Guys,

 

I was curious about getting the input of persons who have received RFE(s). Just simple things such as what was the reason given by the USCIS, what was the RFE(s) for, how long did it delay you, etc?

Much appreciated to those sharing their experiences on this topic .

My wife got one because I missed the date by two days between her last residences.  If I recall it added about 3 weeks to our process.  But it was my fault and I should have had someone else review my forms before submitting them.  Someone else might have spotted the error.  Good luck.