A few questions about filing form I-130

[Timdo72 1]

1. I am thinking of filing online to minimize the cost of making hundreds of color copies of all the photos and evidence as well as paying to mail the heavy I-130 package. Is online filing a better way compares to paper filing?

 

2. When filing online, do I have the option to pay the $535 fee with a credit card at the end or do I have to fill out Form G-1450: Authorization for Credit Card Transactions and upload that? Could I choose one or the other?

 

3. Form I-130 can be filed online but form I-130A cannot. So do I have to print out form I-130A and upload it as a PDF file along with form I-130 when filing online?

 

4. I read that 2 passport-style photos of the beneficiary are not required at this time if he/she is not in the US. The situation is the beneficiary is currently not in the US at this time. Since I have the 2 passport-style photos of the beneficiary available on hand, should I submit them now so that later on I wouldn't have to submit them as part of the RFE at NVC or should I wait until they are being requested? The other question is if I submitted them now, would they be too old by then and I would have to submit new ones again later at that time?

 

5. I currently have translated and certified copies of the beneficiary (spouse) birth certificate, passport, and ID card from her home country Vietnam. Should I submit them now as part of the I-130 package so that they wouldn't be requested later at NVC or should I wait until they are being requested at a later time?

 

6. I currently have hundreds of pages of evidence of a bona fide marriage to upload when filing online. Should I upload one massive PDF file of all the pages of evidence into one file or should I separate it into different sections and have multiple PDF files instead? And does it matter which way I choose to upload?

 

Please confirm and thank you in advance for your answers and/or suggestions. Thank you!

[Just Paul 4,595]

Not knowing the country where you are interviewing and if there are any red flags gets you the following stock answers.  You can update your profile to include the country to get better answers quicker. I have to read down the 5 question to find out it is Vietnam.  

 

6 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

1. I am thinking of filing online to minimize the cost of making hundreds of color copies of all the photos and evidence as well as paying to mail the heavy I-130 package. Is online filing a better way compares to paper filing?

There is no way that a petition of several hundreds or color copies needed.  Quality over quantity.  A few photos reduced to a 8 to 12 on a page is all that is needed.  If you include chat logs only a few pages are needed and can be printer from 2 or 4 reduced pages on one page. 

 

If you file online there is a limit to each pdf upload.

 

6 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

2. When filing online, do I have the option to pay the $535 fee with a credit card

Yes

6 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

4. I read that 2 passport-style photos of the beneficiary are not required at this time if he/she is not in the US. The situation is the beneficiary is currently not in the US at this time.

read the instructions and follow them literally.

6 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

5. I currently have translated and certified copies of the beneficiary (spouse) birth certificate, passport, and ID card from her home country Vietnam. Should I submit them now as part of the I-130 package so that they wouldn't be requested later at NVC or should I wait until they are being requested at a later time?

What do the instructions say?

 

6 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

6. I currently have hundreds of pages of evidence of a bona fide marriage to upload when filing online. Should I upload one massive PDF file of all the pages of evidence into one file or should I separate it into different sections and have multiple PDF files instead? And does it matter which way I choose to upload?

Again, hundreds of pages, does not equal quality.  Upload the best evidence. You aren't going to be able to upload all that in one PDF.  And no one will be anxious to scan in or read a large box representing a case.

 

If it can't fit into a USPS priority letter envelope or a padded envelope, you are probably sending in too much.  I looked at ours and it was 30 pages long but front loaded as we were filing directly at the consulate (at UCSIS office) and had documents from 4 countries.

 

 

[Timdo72 1]

10 hours ago, Paul & Mary said:

Not knowing the country where you are interviewing and if there are any red flags gets you the following stock answers.  You can update your profile to include the country to get better answers quicker. I have to read down the 5 question to find out it is Vietnam.  

Thanks for the suggestion. I just edited my profile

 

There is no way that a petition of several hundreds or color copies needed.  Quality over quantity.  A few photos reduced to a 8 to 12 on a page is all that is needed.  If you include chat logs only a few pages are needed and can be printer from 2 or 4 reduced pages on one page. 

I have tons of chat logs and call logs. Should I just include the first week of every month to show that there is an ongoing communications between us? I also have tons of pictures of us together since I spent 8 months with my wife in Vietnam. Again, should I just include a few photos from each month only to show that we did spend time together?

 

If you file online there is a limit to each pdf upload.

Do you know what the limit are? How many PDF files can I upload? How many pages inside a PDF files can put?

 

Yes

Thank you for the confirmation!

 

read the instructions and follow them literally.

The instruction says not required if she is not in the US so I guess I won't have to submit it.

 

What do the instructions say?

There is no instruction on this. Can anyone suggest what to do with these?

 

Again, hundreds of pages, does not equal quality.  Upload the best evidence. You aren't going to be able to upload all that in one PDF.  And no one will be anxious to scan in or read a large box representing a case.

Thanks! I will look into omitting lots of pages and only trying to keep some of the strong evidence. It is just hard to know exactly what evidence are consider as strong evidence in the eyes of USCIS. Any suggestions might help as strong evidence?

 

If it can't fit into a USPS priority letter envelope or a padded envelope, you are probably sending in too much.  I looked at ours and it was 30 pages long but front loaded as we were filing directly at the consulate (at UCSIS office) and had documents from 4 countries.

At the moment, I have way too much evidence (chat logs, call logs, photos) that it won't fit inside the letter envelop. I will need to spend more time cherry picking evidence. So tough when I have so much that I want to show everything about my relationship.

 

 

 

[Just Paul 4,595]

17 hours ago, Timdo72 said:

5. I currently have translated and certified copies of the beneficiary (spouse) birth certificate, passport, and ID card from her home country Vietnam. Should I submit them now as part of the I-130 package so that they wouldn't be requested later at NVC or should I wait until they are being requested at a later time?

It is not listed as it isn't needed at this time.   It will be sent at the NVC stage.

 

When you file for a spousal Visa, the I-130 is mostly about the petitioner and whether or not they are married to the beneficiary.  Proving you are married means marriage certificate and things around married life.  Photos are not primary evidence.  One or two pages is all you need.  Plenty of us here have only provided one or two photos.  Some included none.  Chat logs prove you communicate. 

 

Proof that you have spent time together is the most important.  Include the visa stamps on your passport and boarding passes from your trips; copy of the hotel bill.  You can include some random chat or logs if you haven't been spending time together.   Adding the spouse to your life insurance, credit card, checking accounts, as a beneficiary on a retirement account, utility bills, house or car title, and listed on your tax return is all better proof of living a married life.  You only include what you can.  Affidavits are also secondary evenduce and should only be included if you have nothing else.

[pushbrk 12,977]

Just going to add/agree that there's no need to go overboard.  If you submit a package that, on paper, would be "heavy", you are overdoing it.  Nobody is going to read or look at a hundred pages, certainly not hundreds.  Better to keep evidence to less than 50 pages.  20 pages would be better.  With such concise quality evidence, it is likely to be actually seen and considered.  What you have in mind is likely to be ignored at best and literally frowned and/or bitched about to coworkers, at worst.

 

There's also no substitute for becoming an A-Student of the I-130 instructions, and to interpret literally and answer accurately.  For example, understand that any "list" that follows the words, "In addition to the required...." is NOT REQUIRED.

[Timdo72 1]

12 hours ago, Paul & Mary said:

If you file online there is a limit to each pdf upload.

 

Do you know what are the limit? How many pdf files can I upload? How big of a pdf file can I upload (meaning how many pages inside that pdf file)?

 

 

 

[pushbrk 12,977]

5 minutes ago, Timdo72 said:

 

The limit is shown on the site.  How many pages will depend on the resolution you use and whether you reduce file size.

[NikLR 13,227]

Quality evidence is time spent in person. Concentrate on that over chat or call logs. 

[pushbrk 12,977]

8 hours ago, NikLR said:

Quality evidence is time spent in person. Concentrate on that over chat or call logs. 

Yes, and if you provide evidence of how and how frequently you communicate, use "examples".  Limit those examples to a few pages spread over time, so they actually have value and meaning.