Help with assembling I-130 packet

[PoojaCh 56]

We have finally prepared all the documents for I-130. We have a total of 855 pages. Can anyone please help me understand on how to send those 855 pages. My husband is planning to put all the papers in a box and all the pages are loose (No clips, no binding) and send it but I’m not sure if that’s ok. Should we divide the pages and put it in different envelopes and then put all the envelopes in one box? I tried looking up on how to send the packet on VJ but I couldn’t find it. I’m sorry if you have already discussed about it and I’m unable to find it. I would really appreciate your help.

[AnJay 137]

I am sorry but, 855? What are you sending? Its enormous amount of paper and I highly doubt IO will even look it all up. Never heard of someone sending a BOX. Sorry. 

[JMPM 507]

That's almost two reams of paper. What a waste. I think I topped out at 50-60 pages. And I think I front loaded too much imo. 

[OmarStuck 24]

5 hours ago, PoojaCh said:

We have finally prepared all the documents for I-130. We have a total of 855 pages. Can anyone please help me understand on how to send those 855 pages. My husband is planning to put all the papers in a box and all the pages are loose (No clips, no binding) and send it but I’m not sure if that’s ok. Should we divide the pages and put it in different envelopes and then put all the envelopes in one box? I tried looking up on how to send the packet on VJ but I couldn’t find it. I’m sorry if you have already discussed about it and I’m unable to find it. I would really appreciate your help.

 

Can you specify those pages by category? I really want to know how you got to 855 pages.

[*BestDayEver0425* 7]

@PoojaCh you had posted back in March under the topic I130 Packet Content   and in February under the topic  Need Help!!! I130  a lot of explanation was given and it does not seem like the advice that you were given is = 855 pages.  The more you provide the more they have to scrutinize, it will appear as if you are trying to prove something that might no be, (not implying that you are) but it will seem like over kill. Listen to @pushbrk from those posts he is very insightful.

What consulate? 

[arken 4,197]

855 pages for just i130! Can’t complain if it takes extremely long processing time. My suggestion would be don’t send that many. It’s like buying a car with truckload of pennies.

Mine was under 70 pages.

 

 

 

[PoojaCh 56]

We are including below documents:

 

1) Cover page

2) check

3) three forms (I-130, I-130a, I-864)

4) passport size photographs(2 each)

5) Marriage certificate 

6) Petitioner’s passport all pages and birth certificate.

7) Both of our tax returns for the last three years

8 )  Rental lease and utility bills.

9) Beneficiary’s birth certificate 

10) Police verification certificates since I already have it cause my lawyer asked me to.

11) My previous petitions and I-94

12) Evidence of bonafide marriage: Life insurance, chat messages(once a week from the past 1.5 years), call logs, wedding pictures, pictures together from different trips with friends, passport stamps from all  the visits, boarding passes and tickets.

 

I am so surprised that you guys just had 60-70 pages. How did you do it? What should I remove? All the documents seems very important. 

[PoojaCh 56]

8 hours ago, *BestDayEver0425* said:

@PoojaCh you had posted back in March under the topic I130 Packet Content   and in February under the topic  Need Help!!! I130  a lot of explanation was given and it does not seem like the advice that you were given is = 855 pages.  The more you provide the more they have to scrutinize, it will appear as if you are trying to prove something that might no be, (not implying that you are) but it will seem like over kill. Listen to @pushbrk from those posts he is very insightful.

What consulate? 

Delhi consulate 

[pushbrk 12,106]

1 hour ago, PoojaCh said:

We are including below documents:

 

1) Cover page

2) check

3) three forms (I-130, I-130a, I-864)

4) passport size photographs(2 each)

5) Marriage certificate 

6) Petitioner’s passport all pages and birth certificate.  One or the other, not both.

7) Both of our tax returns for the last three years Not needed at petition stage

8 )  Rental lease and utility bills.  Unless you were living together, not needed.  If you were, one or two will be plenty.

9) Beneficiary’s birth certificate Not needed at petition stage

10) Police verification certificates since I already have it cause my lawyer asked me to.  Waste.  Will current ones at NVC stage.

11) My previous petitions and I-94 Not needed.  They can access their own copies.  Just answer the applicable questions.

12) Evidence of bonafide marriage: Life insurance, chat messages(once a week from the past 1.5 years), call logs, wedding pictures, pictures together from different trips with friends, passport stamps from all  the visits, boarding passes and tickets.

This will likely be the biggest cut.  Chat messages once a week for 1.5 years is probably the bulk of the pages you'll cut.  Concentrate on EXAMPLES of how and how frequently you communicate.  See bold in 12 above.  Limit that section to 20 pages instead of hundreds.  You can cut back on the photos too if it's more than a few pages.

1 hour ago, PoojaCh said:

I am so surprised that you guys just had 60-70 pages. How did you do it? What should I remove? All the documents seems very important. 

See inserted comments in bold italics above.

 

Bear in mind that if you send more than they can possibly read, they'll read very little.  The less you send, the more likely it is they will read it all.  Stick to what's important, EXAMPLES.  

 

Bear in mind also that USCIS adjudicators generally spend less than 30 minutes with a single case.  What are they going to do with 800 pages, even if they take an hour?  I suggest you keep yours under 100 pages.  50 or 60 would be better.

[carmel34 3,529]

Your package does not need to be that many pages, it will look like you're desperate to the officers reviewing it and may subject your file to greater scrutiny, even slow down approval.  Just think of the person who has to scan it into their system.  Focus on quality, not quantity, and only submit the REQUIRED civil documents.  Read the I-130 instructions very carefully and only send what they are asking for, no more than that.  For photos and chat logs, a few (4 or 5) pages of photos from different times you were spending time together,  your wedding and so on are sufficient and representative samples of communication over time are all you need, even for India.  You should easily be able to send evidence of a solid, bona fide relationship in less than 100 pages.  Good luck!

[*BestDayEver0425* 7]

2 hours ago, PoojaCh said:

Delhi consulate 

India no matter which consulate is a challenge, less is more, keep it simple you don't want it any more complicated than it is.   

 

26 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

Your package does not need to be that many pages, it will look like you're desperate to the officers reviewing it and may subject your file to greater scrutiny, even slow down approval.  Just think of the person who has to scan it into their system.  Focus on quality, not quantity, and only submit the REQUIRED civil documents.  Read the I-130 instructions very carefully and only send what they are asking for, no more than that.  For photos and chat logs, a few (4 or 5) pages of photos from different times you were spending time together,  your wedding and so on are sufficient and representative samples of communication over time are all you need, even for India.  You should easily be able to send evidence of a solid, bona fide relationship in less than 100 pages.  Good luck!

QUALITY not QUANTITY

 

 

 I 864  is at NVC stage not initial application 

[pushbrk 12,106]

3 hours ago, PoojaCh said:

Delhi consulate 

And, FYI Delhi no longer processes Immigrant Visa applications.  The only US Consulate in India with an Immigrant Visa Unit is Mumbai.

[*BestDayEver0425* 7]

2 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

And, FYI Delhi no longer processes Immigrant Visa applications.  The only US Consulate in India with an Immigrant Visa Unit is Mumbai.

I forgot that.  Any idea what made them do that, Mumbai was already busy?

[bakphx1 785]

I’ll echo pushbrk in that you can pare down your chat logs.  They aren’t interested in seeing entire conversations, just enough to show regular contact.

 

I took one random conversation from each week and then took a random snippet of that.  A half a page to a page.  So one month was represented by 2-4 pages.  A year by 24-48 pages and then I did double-sided printing for just the chats.  It thinned the packet down.

 

My packet was around 80 pages and that was, I thought, a lot.

 

My own guiding principle when I got caught up in the details was to make it easy to approve. A box full of 855 pages is NOT easy for them to approve.

 

[PoojaCh 56]

13 hours ago, pushbrk said:

This will likely be the biggest cut.  Chat messages once a week for 1.5 years is probably the bulk of the pages you'll cut.  Concentrate on EXAMPLES of how and how frequently you communicate.  See bold in 12 above.  Limit that section to 20 pages instead of hundreds.  You can cut back on the photos too if it's more than a few pages.

See inserted comments in bold italics above.

 

Bear in mind that if you send more than they can possibly read, they'll read very little.  The less you send, the more likely it is they will read it all.  Stick to what's important, EXAMPLES.  

 

Bear in mind also that USCIS adjudicators generally spend less than 30 minutes with a single case.  What are they going to do with 800 pages, even if they take an hour?  I suggest you keep yours under 100 pages.  50 or 60 would be better.

Thank you so much everyone for the feedback. We have cut down our chat to 18 pages(6-8 screenshots per page) and 3 pages of pics(6-8 pics per page), removed my previous petitions, lease agreement, my tax returns. We can not afford to remove other things. We have only met twice in 1.5 years and planning to visit each other in August(we will add this at the nvc stage). The screenshots are not so very clear specially the text messages we exchanged when I was living in the states. I hope that’s not going to be a problem. About keeping under 100 pages, three forms itself has a total of 28 pages and then petitioner’s all passport pages, his tax returns for 3 years( he has checked the box in the form so we are including them) has many pages. We will try to keep it as low as possible. So we should put in the envelope(loose paper) or we need to punch one hole and tie it with the thread?