Passport Stamps, Ticket Reservations, Photos and "telling the story"

[goursh 3]

So we wrote out a fairly basic declaration of how we met when we were both together in person recently, and both signed it with ink--however now upon further research I am learning that they would prefer a more personal story about how we fell in love? What I've written already is more like a timeline of our time together (in our case, traveling, which we back up with photos of said travels, in which we are both very much happy and visibly "in love"). I mention her meeting my parents and how I'll be returning to her country soon to spend time with her family.

 

But since apparently photos are secondary evidence, I am wondering if it would be a better idea to re-write it with more emotional detail, but then only I would be able to sign it. Or would it be acceptable to add a new attachment? I am also attaching receipts/reservations of plane flights and tickets, passport stamps, and a witness statement by my parents.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Edited August 26, 2019 by goursh

[payxibka 10,044]

5 minutes ago, goursh said:

So we wrote out a fairly basic declaration of how we met when we were both together in person recently, and both signed it with ink--however now upon further research I am learning that they would prefer a more personal story about how we fell in love? What I've written already is more like a timeline of our time together (in our case, traveling, which we back up with photos of said travels). I mention her meeting my parents and how I'll be returning to her country soon to spend time with her family.

 

I am wondering if it would be a better idea to re-write it with more emotional detail, but then only I would be able to sign it. Or would it be acceptable to add a new attachment? 

 

Thanks for any advice.

No such thing as declaration of how we met.  Circumstances of meeting can be but a couple of sentences and is not signed 

 

USCIS is NOT interested in an emotional mumbo jumbo love letter 

Edited August 26, 2019 by payxibka

[goursh 3]

2 minutes ago, payxibka said:

No such thing as declaration of how we met.  Circumstances of meeting can be but a couple of sentences and is not signed 

 

USCIS is NOT interested in an emotional mumbo jumbo love letter 

Haha ok. That is what I had figured. Some of these immigration attorney "how to"/tips artuckes sure have some weird advice...

[payxibka 10,044]

10 minutes ago, goursh said:

Haha ok. That is what I had figured. Some of these immigration attorney "how to"/tips artuckes sure have some weird advice...

Those are the attorney's that keep current by watching YouTube videos 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

53 minutes ago, goursh said:

So we wrote out a fairly basic declaration of how we met when we were both together in person recently, and both signed it with ink--however now upon further research I am learning that they would prefer a more personal story about how we fell in love? What I've written already is more like a timeline of our time together (in our case, traveling, which we back up with photos of said travels, in which we are both very much happy and visibly "in love"). I mention her meeting my parents and how I'll be returning to her country soon to spend time with her family.

 

But since apparently photos are secondary evidence, I am wondering if it would be a better idea to re-write it with more emotional detail, but then only I would be able to sign it. Or would it be acceptable to add a new attachment? I am also attaching receipts/reservations of plane flights and tickets, passport stamps, and a witness statement by my parents.

 

Thanks for any advice.

I’ve never even heard of a “declaration of how we met”.  

 

Stick with the instructions.  

[JFH 12,189]

Look at the size of the space on the form where the question on how you met is asked. That’s how much detail/information they want. If they wanted the full love story, they would provide several pages for you to fill. They don’t. Save the story for a potential career with Hallmark movies. 

[goursh 3]

Hi all, I appreciate the tremendous help some of you have already offered me. I have a few more things regarding documentation and evidence I want to make sure of before I send away. I appreciate any input.

 

A little backstory: the way my fiance and I have developed our relationship is by traveling together, mainly in locations that were not our homes (even though we also spent time together in our respective home countries together). We have plenty of photos, ticket reservations, and passport stamps to prove this, and I feel like it's more straightforward than chat/FaceTime records. So I've chosen to go about providing evidence with passport stamps, ticket reservations (we unfortunately don't have any ticket stubs still), and photos in those locations. My questions:

 

1. Should I keep it as 3 straightforward sections (1: passport stamp copies; 2: tickets; 3: photos in locations) OR "tell a story" by interspersing them with date/location dividers: first showing the passport stamps arriving in a location, then the ticket reservations, then the photos with captions and dates; repeat per destination. She meets my parents at the third and fourth destinations, and my father also includes a witness statement--I would include that there at the end.
2. Some of the train tickets are in German. I've highlighted the names and locations but I've read that they want official translations of anything not in English. Is this a big deal? I feel like there's enough other evidence to prove one of our meetings to skip this segment of our travel completely, rather than have the risk of them not liking the foreign language.
3. How does one physically organize this part of the package? I read on the USCIC website that they appreciate bottom tab dividers, but could I use manilla folders? 

 

Thank you... If I'm overcomplicating it, please just tell me

[payxibka 10,044]

1 minute ago, goursh said:

Hi all, I appreciate the tremendous help some of you have already offered me. I have a few more things regarding documentation and evidence I want to make sure of before I send away. I appreciate any input.

 

A little backstory: the way my fiance and I have developed our relationship is by traveling together, mainly in locations that were not our homes (even though we also spent time together in our respective home countries together). We have plenty of photos, ticket reservations, and passport stamps to prove this, and I feel like it's more straightforward than chat/FaceTime records. So I've chosen to go about providing evidence with passport stamps, ticket reservations (we unfortunately don't have any ticket stubs still), and photos in those locations. My questions:

 

1. Should I keep it as 3 straightforward sections (1: passport stamp copies; 2: tickets; 3: photos in locations) OR "tell a story" by interspersing them with date/location dividers: first showing the passport stamps arriving in a location, then the ticket reservations, then the photos with captions and dates; repeat per destination. She meets my parents at the third and fourth destinations, and my father also includes a witness statement--I would include that there at the end.
2. Some of the train tickets are in German. I've highlighted the names and locations but I've read that they want official translations of anything not in English. Is this a big deal? I feel like there's enough other evidence to prove one of our meetings to skip this segment of our travel completely, rather than have the risk of them not liking the foreign language.
3. How does one physically organize this part of the package? I read on the USCIC website that they appreciate bottom tab dividers, but could I use manilla folders? 

 

Thank you... If I'm overcomplicating it, please just tell me

1)  keep it simple.   Demonstrate one face to face meeting with quality evidence.   Witnesses statements are of little utilitarian value 

 

2) if you don't need it then don't send it 

 

3)  use no extra office supplies as they will get tossed.   Just make it easily disassembled so the can take it apart and resemble in uscis format 

[bakphx1 785]

No one can tell you what they like. They don’t give us feedback on what they liked, only RFE’s if something is missing.  I arranged my case essentially te same way you did.  I used a blank sheet of blue paper (the same size) as a divider.

 

I was approved, but I can’t say what they thought of it.  It helped me to keep it coherent if nothing else.

 

They want translations of official documents like birth and marriage certificates, but not travel documents.

[Hank_ 9,173]

8 hours ago, goursh said:

Hi all, I appreciate the tremendous help some of you have already offered me. I have a few more things regarding documentation and evidence I want to make sure of before I send away. I appreciate any input.

 

A little backstory: the way my fiance and I have developed our relationship is by traveling together, mainly in locations that were not our homes (even though we also spent time together in our respective home countries together). We have plenty of photos, ticket reservations, and passport stamps to prove this, and I feel like it's more straightforward than chat/FaceTime records. So I've chosen to go about providing evidence with passport stamps, ticket reservations (we unfortunately don't have any ticket stubs still), and photos in those locations. My questions:

 

1. Should I keep it as 3 straightforward sections (1: passport stamp copies; 2: tickets; 3: photos in locations) OR "tell a story" by interspersing them with date/location dividers: first showing the passport stamps arriving in a location, then the ticket reservations, then the photos with captions and dates; repeat per destination. She meets my parents at the third and fourth destinations, and my father also includes a witness statement--I would include that there at the end.
2. Some of the train tickets are in German. I've highlighted the names and locations but I've read that they want official translations of anything not in English. Is this a big deal? I feel like there's enough other evidence to prove one of our meetings to skip this segment of our travel completely, rather than have the risk of them not liking the foreign language.
3. How does one physically organize this part of the package? I read on the USCIC website that they appreciate bottom tab dividers, but could I use manilla folders? 

 

Thank you... If I'm overcomplicating it, please just tell me

You are over complicating.

 

You need evidence of having met in person within 2 years of filing the I-129F.  Provide evidence from your travels together to meet that requirement and file the rest under "memories".

 

Never DO-DO when DO will DO.

 

 

As for he petition package.   K.I.S.S.

 

And use a simple binder clip.

 

[Hank_ 9,173]

10 hours ago, goursh said:

So we wrote out a fairly basic declaration of how we met when we were both together in person recently, and both signed it with ink--however now upon further research I am learning that they would prefer a more personal story about how we fell in love? What I've written already is more like a timeline of our time together (in our case, traveling, which we back up with photos of said travels, in which we are both very much happy and visibly "in love"). I mention her meeting my parents and how I'll be returning to her country soon to spend time with her family.

 

But since apparently photos are secondary evidence, I am wondering if it would be a better idea to re-write it with more emotional detail, but then only I would be able to sign it. Or would it be acceptable to add a new attachment? I am also attaching receipts/reservations of plane flights and tickets, passport stamps, and a witness statement by my parents.

 

Thanks for any advice.

Section 53 simply asks you to describe circumstances of your in-person meeting (in section 54, notice the space is small     )     ... not a letter or even a short story.    

 

 

Edited August 26, 2019 by Hank_

[Hemutian 68]

9 hours ago, goursh said:

Hi all, I appreciate the tremendous help some of you have already offered me. I have a few more things regarding documentation and evidence I want to make sure of before I send away. I appreciate any input.

 

A little backstory: the way my fiance and I have developed our relationship is by traveling together, mainly in locations that were not our homes (even though we also spent time together in our respective home countries together). We have plenty of photos, ticket reservations, and passport stamps to prove this, and I feel like it's more straightforward than chat/FaceTime records. So I've chosen to go about providing evidence with passport stamps, ticket reservations (we unfortunately don't have any ticket stubs still), and photos in those locations. My questions:

 

1. Should I keep it as 3 straightforward sections (1: passport stamp copies; 2: tickets; 3: photos in locations) OR "tell a story" by interspersing them with date/location dividers: first showing the passport stamps arriving in a location, then the ticket reservations, then the photos with captions and dates; repeat per destination. She meets my parents at the third and fourth destinations, and my father also includes a witness statement--I would include that there at the end.
2. Some of the train tickets are in German. I've highlighted the names and locations but I've read that they want official translations of anything not in English. Is this a big deal? I feel like there's enough other evidence to prove one of our meetings to skip this segment of our travel completely, rather than have the risk of them not liking the foreign language.
3. How does one physically organize this part of the package? I read on the USCIC website that they appreciate bottom tab dividers, but could I use manilla folders? 

 

Thank you... If I'm overcomplicating it, please just tell me

My package had many train ticket and hotel reservations in Chinese. 

We did not get any official translations of these, but I did do a small amount of translation myself on key information, like the names, dates, and locations of the hotels, destinations on the train tickets, and my fiancee's name, which appeared in Chinese on these documents. 

I attached a short paragraph certifying that I am fluent in Chinese and English and capable of doing Chinese-to-English translation, and signed and dated it.

[goursh 3]

Thank you for the responses everyone. Constrasting input compared to this thread: 

 

I'm going to keep in probably 2 of the 4 trips plus photos

[Hank_ 9,173]

That other topic is a good example of over-kill ...    

[goursh 3]

2 minutes ago, Hank_ said:

That other topic is a good example of over-kill ...    

Overkill but success stories nonetheless! 😛