What does a completed I-130 Packet look like?

[SelAli711 1]

Hi All!

 

My husband Vincent and I got married in 2016 in Accra after a denied K1.  I've done A LOT of traveling back and forth to Ghana over the past couple of years, and we're now trying to get pregnant, so it's past time that we begin our "VisaJourney" again--this time with a spousal visa petition.

 

The K1 was denied because they believed our relationship wasn't bona fide.  In my last petition, I sent in the bare minimum of what was needed, and then worked really hard on making sure Vincent was ready for the interview with the photos, chats, etc.  That obviously didn't work for whatever reason, so this time I'm wanting to front-load and see if that helps any.

 

I have a flimsy 3-ring notebook that is organized into 5 sections:

1.  Essentials--cover letter, money order, G-1145, and I-130

2.  Petitioner/Beneficiary Documents--copy of my passport, two passport photos of me, I-130A, passport photos for Vincent, marriage certificate

3.  Whatsapp Chats--I plan on picking 3 conversations from each month, for as far as I can go back

4.  Photos--I have about 200 photos of before we were married, our marriage ceremony, and us traveling around Ghana with both mine and his family

5.  Witness Statements--Notarized statements from my sister and 4 friends here in the US that have either met Vincent in person, or have at least talked to him on the phone

 

Does this look okay?  Anything else you think I should add, like financial documents?  We don't own any property together and our finances aren't really mingled like they would be if we actually lived together.  Should I add in my personal income stuff to the front-load?  I make the 125% above the poverty level required and I read on VJ that NVC will send a letter to me requesting this info, but not sure if I should go ahead and add it in since, well, it's Ghana...

 

Thanks for all the posts and everyone's help!  This forum was great in the past and can't wait to be involved again!

 

--Ali

[O&GForever 387]

First off, I am sorry you have to go through this. Our K1 was denied in 2015. We started over with the CR1 and he’s now been here almost 2 years. 

 

I would recommend sending in proof of your trips to Ghana. You mentioned photos which are great, but you should also include copies of your passport stamps, airline tickets and receipts, hotel receipts (if you stayed in one) and any receipts you may have from activities together. To this embassy, time spent together is the golden evidence. 

 

With your photos, you probably don’t need to send that many. Try to pick about 7-10 from each trip that show you two in different locations, with different people and on different days. Don’t fill the packet with tight selfies that don’t show any kind of scenery. I would also included may 10-12 from your wedding. 

 

If you look look at my timeline and the review I wrote after our CR-1 interview, you can see a list of all the evidence I submitted at each phase of the process. 

[millefleur 5,035]

Financial documents carry a lot of weight if it shows co-mingling. Our case had "red flags" and I front loaded it with everything: added him to my bank account (it was hard but I just had to keep calling the bank over and over until we managed it), my husband even made a will listing me as the beneficiary of the property he owns. I changed my last name immediately after the wedding, I got a new passport and SSN did all that too because I wanted to show that we're a real couple.

 

I agree with @O&GForever, proof of travel together is strong. I scanned all of our passport pages showing that we had stamps from the same place/day. I've heard also any other travel proof such as tickets or hotels or anything that might potentially have both names on it helps.

 

I've heard that notarized statements carry very little weight. I'm not sure how helpful they would be, but probably better to include them than not at all.

 

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by millefleur

[D&D_NYC 58]

Streamline the photos -- choose a smaller selection of pictures from different trips, and focus on ones that show the two of you together with members of his family. Family members co-mingling at your wedding is great, if possible. Agree with the above, that hard evidence of travel together (hotel bookings, itineraries, tickets/stamps) is stronger than just photos. 

 

The best bonafide marriage evidence is definitely financial co-mingling. Adding him as an authorized user on a credit card, adding him to an account, making him a beneficiary on your work benefits, etc. It might be tough with him not in the US yet, but definitely work on building up those ties. 

 

Not quite sure I understand how you're putting together your package (whether it's with a notebook or a binder), but all you really need to do is clip evidence together with fasteners or binder clips. Make it as easy as possible for the IO to take it apart to review it. 

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Thread is moved from the K-3 Process forum to the CR-1 Process forum.

[SelAli711 1]

Great, thanks everyone!

 

The financial stuff is hard. I bank at a State Employee credit union and any person I add has to actually come in the office. I’ve got insurance of course, but don’t have a life insurance policy or anything (I’m 27 and just haven’t really thought much about it—I can work on that though). I did add him to my credit card, but AMEX threw him off when they realized he didn’t have a SSN.  Looks like I need to dig up some Airbnb receipts, but even those would probably just have my name on them since I’m the one with the card 😱

[Mrsamoah2019 593]

U dont need 200 photos..i sent in appox 50 from each trip (been there 3 times)

I had joint bank account info (his bank in Ghana allowed me to be added to his account)

hotel/wedding receipts

added to life and non driver on car insurance

added as authorized user on my credit cards

affidavit of support from my mom and brother letters

screenshots of him talking to my children and family

messages between him and my family and vice versa

airline tickets passport stamps

copies of his FB pages indicating me on his social media

phone records and FB chats from the time we first met ( I did 3 chats per month from the time we met...beginning, middle, and end of the month)

 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Mrsamoah2018

[carmel34 3,531]

Add each other to your financial and legal documents like any normal married couple would, as beneficiaries on each other's insurance and retirement accounts/investments, named in each other's wills, living will, memberships like Costco, AAA, health insurance coverage together.  Lots of good ideas if you search here on VJ for previous posts on this same topic.  Also you can side-load at the NVC stage with evidence of additional visits to be together after filing the I-130, plus new evidence of financial co-mingling like tax returns showing married filing jointly (lots of recent posts on how to do this), transactions from a joint bank account,  utility bills in both names at your US address (easy to add him with a phone call to the utility company).  Good luck with the process, hopefully it will go smoothly.

[NikLR 13,220]

23 hours ago, SelAli711 said:

Hi All!

 

My husband Vincent and I got married in 2016 in Accra after a denied K1.  I've done A LOT of traveling back and forth to Ghana over the past couple of years, and we're now trying to get pregnant, so it's past time that we begin our "VisaJourney" again--this time with a spousal visa petition.

 

The K1 was denied because they believed our relationship wasn't bona fide.  In my last petition, I sent in the bare minimum of what was needed, and then worked really hard on making sure Vincent was ready for the interview with the photos, chats, etc.  That obviously didn't work for whatever reason, so this time I'm wanting to front-load and see if that helps any.

 

I have a flimsy 3-ring notebook that is organized into 5 sections:

1.  Essentials--cover letter, money order, G-1145, and I-130

2.  Petitioner/Beneficiary Documents--copy of my passport, two passport photos of me, I-130A, passport photos for Vincent, marriage certificate

3.  Whatsapp Chats--I plan on picking 3 conversations from each month, for as far as I can go back

4.  Photos--I have about 200 photos of before we were married, our marriage ceremony, and us traveling around Ghana with both mine and his family

5.  Witness Statements--Notarized statements from my sister and 4 friends here in the US that have either met Vincent in person, or have at least talked to him on the phone

 

Does this look okay?  Anything else you think I should add, like financial documents?  We don't own any property together and our finances aren't really mingled like they would be if we actually lived together.  Should I add in my personal income stuff to the front-load?  I make the 125% above the poverty level required and I read on VJ that NVC will send a letter to me requesting this info, but not sure if I should go ahead and add it in since, well, it's Ghana...

 

Thanks for all the posts and everyone's help!  This forum was great in the past and can't wait to be involved again!

 

--Ali

Get rid of the binder.  They don't want anything in binders or stapled

 

1) I would say the I-130A would fall under this category

2) don't need passport photos of the beneficiary of this time

3) sure 

4) 200 photos is overloading.  Pick a selection that show the duration of your relationship, marriage, and time with family.  Print up to 6 per page of letter sized paper.  Date and say who's in them. 

5) meeting on the phone doesn't matter.  Don't bother.

 

YOu need to provide evidence you've spent time with each other.  Boarding passes, passport stamps showing you've visited.  Add him to your car insurance.  Make him the beneficiary of a 401k if possible  or life insurance.  Make a will or living will.  Next time you visit him, open a bank account with him.   File taxes jointly this year if you feel okay with his passport and sending a w7 (you can use this for side loading at the NVC.)    the I-864 will come into play at the NVC and you can add more relationship evidence at that time.  Front loading is about RELATIONSHIP evidence.  You need to send everything that shows you're in a genuine relationship to someone who doesn't think you are.  Quality over quantity however.  Honestly the best thing you have going for you is multiple visits and you need to highlight that time spent together.