I-129f Spanish Documents

[Oatmealgoat 0]

My fiance is from Ecuador so most likely her ID and birth certificate would be in Spanish. Do we NEED to get this stuff translated or can I just photo copy them? Also, she doesn't have a passport. It's been months since she applied for one but they won't get back to her. No updates whatsoever. Do I really need to copy this for the i-129f too? It would be much simpler if I could just give them an ID or something. Not everyone is willing to spend money on a passport they might not be able to even use after all.

 

In any case, if I do need to get all of this stuff translated to send the packet in, where should I go to do so? Keep in mind I'll only have photo copies of this stuff to turn in to them, not originals since I'm all the way in the USA and don't have the time or the 300$ to travel for some paper since the government already wants me to spend over 1000$ on this visa. I literally don't know. She can translate herself but they're so picky so that's not an option.

[payxibka 10,044]

17 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

My fiance is from Ecuador so most likely her ID and birth certificate would be in Spanish. Do we NEED to get this stuff translated or can I just photo copy them? Also, she doesn't have a passport. It's been months since she applied for one but they won't get back to her. No updates whatsoever. Do I really need to copy this for the i-129f too? It would be much simpler if I could just give them an ID or something. Not everyone is willing to spend money on a passport they might not be able to even use after all.

 

In any case, if I do need to get all of this stuff translated to send the packet in, where should I go to do so? Keep in mind I'll only have photo copies of this stuff to turn in to them, not originals since I'm all the way in the USA and don't have the time or the 300$ to travel for some paper since the government already wants me to spend over 1000$ on this visa. I literally don't know. She can translate herself but they're so picky so that's not an option.

You need to reread the evidence requirements for the beneficiary as it relates to the petition carefully.  Nothing you mentioned above is even required.  No originals are required either. 

 

Where are you reading about pickiness as it relates to translations.

 

Edited May 9, 2021 by payxibka

[Removed20210801 22]

Is a CR1 an option as you are actually looking at 2.5k from start to green card and the CR1 is about 1k less.

 

you may also want to check that you will be able to meet the income requirements for both.

[Oatmealgoat 0]

6 minutes ago, payxibka said:

You need to reread the evidence requirements for the beneficiary as it relates to the petition carefully.  Nothing you mentioned above is even required.  No originals are required either. 

 

Where are you reading about pickiness as it relates to translations.

 

Several websites including this one have told me to include evidence of her citizenship (translated). Which includes Passport  (scanned) and birth certificate. If this stuff isn't required, then that just means I'm getting false information from people I'm asking who claim to have been through this process before.

 

As for translations, they also specifically say she is not allowed to translate her own documents even if she can speak perfect English. They want certified translators to do so and give me some certificate to prove its legit.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Oatmealgoat

[powerpuff 5,890]

6 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

Several websites including this one have told me to include evidence of her citizenship (translated). Which includes Passport  (scanned) and birth certificate. If this stuff isn't required, then that just means I'm getting false information from people I'm asking who claim to have been through this process before.

You need to rely on official instructions on USCIS.gov, not what some other third party site said. No birth certificate is needed and no passport scan unless the passport is part of evidence showing you met in the last 2 years.

 

6 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

As for translations, they also specifically say she is not allowed to translate her own documents even if she can speak perfect English. They want certified translators to do so and give me some certificate to prove its legit.

Not true. Who’s “they”? USCIS? Nowhere does it say you need certified translators. It says a certified translation, not translator.

Edited May 9, 2021 by powerpuff

[payxibka 10,044]

4 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

Several websites including this one have told me to include evidence of her citizenship (translated). Which includes Passport  (scanned) and birth certificate. If this stuff isn't required, then that just means I'm getting false information from people I'm asking who claim to have been through this process before.

 

As for translations, they also specifically say she is not allowed to translate her own documents even if she can speak perfect English. They want certified translators to do so and give me some certificate to prove its legit.

Best source of the truth is the petition instructions itself.   You are getting bad information 

 

She absolutely can translate herself if she is fluent and signs an attestation as such.

[Oatmealgoat 0]

6 minutes ago, bogotaCO said:

Is a CR1 an option as you are actually looking at 2.5k from start to green card and the CR1 is about 1k less.

 

you may also want to check that you will be able to meet the income requirements for both.

From what I heard it raises every year. Last time I did the math it hit just under 2k. Though that doesn't really change the fact that it's expensive xD. 

As for income, I'm sure I can meet that, it's just that I'm not too keen on spending so much at once when they can deny us simply because "she's dating a female and that's again her country's religion".

I've heard the horror stories and whether they're true or false, I'm not sure, but it's still a scary thing to think that we can get denied and automatically lose out on all of what we saved up for due to stupid reasons. Especially when her country isn't too kind to gay couples to begin with. Speaking of Ecuador, I don't think her place of origin helps since she not only latino(which America seems to hate now more than ever), but she's also from a very poor county, which people say they're VERY suspicious of and that doesn't help my fears much.

3 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Best source of the truth is the petition instructions itself.   You are getting bad information 

 

She absolutely can translate herself if she is fluent and signs an attestation as such.

Oh thank God. That helps a lot then.

[Crazy Cat 39,214]

9 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

Several websites including this one have told me to include evidence of her citizenship (translated). Which includes Passport  (scanned) and birth certificate. If this stuff isn't required, then that just means I'm getting false information from people I'm asking who claim to have been through this process before.

 

As for translations, they also specifically say she is not allowed to translate her own documents even if she can speak perfect English. They want certified translators to do so and give me some certificate to prove its legit.

I don't know where you are getting such inaccurate information.  You need to read the actual instructions for the forma and the guides here on VJ.  Please show the link for the following information:  "As for translations, they also specifically say she is not allowed to translate her own documents even if she can speak perfect English."  The fact is that ANYONE who is fluent in both languages can translate the documents.  Just include the required certification statement.

[payxibka 10,044]

1 minute ago, Oatmealgoat said:

From what I heard it raises every year. Last time I did the math it hit just under 2k. Though that doesn't really change the fact that it's expensive xD. 

As for income, I'm sure I can meet that, it's just that I'm not too keen on spending so much at once when they can deny us simply because "she's dating a female and that's again her country's religion".

I've heard the horror stories and whether they're true or false, I'm not sure, but it's still a 

3 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

From what I heard it raises every year. Last time I did the math it hit just under 2k. Though that doesn't really change the fact that it's expensive xD. 

As for income, I'm sure I can meet that, it's just that I'm not too keen on spending so much at once when they can deny us simply because "she's dating a female and that's again her country's religion".

I've heard the horror stories and whether they're true or false, I'm not sure, but it's still a scary thing to think that we can get denied and automatically lose out on all of what we saved up for due to stupid reasons. Especially when her country isn't too kind to gay couples to begin with. Speaking of Ecuador, I don't think her place of origin helps since she not only latino(which America seems to hate now more than ever), but she's also from a very poor county, which people say they're VERY suspicious of and that doesn't help my fears much.

Oh thank God. That helps a lot then.

 

OMG, wherever you have been reading you need to stop NOW.  

 

This is 🇺🇸 immigration and is adjudicated based on US law.  

[Crazy Cat 39,214]

5 minutes ago, Oatmealgoat said:

I've heard the horror stories and whether they're true or false, I'm not sure, but it's still a scary thing to think that we can get denied and automatically lose out on all of what we saved up for due to stupid reasons.

It sounds like you have been getting some terrible information from terrible sources.  You are now in the right place for the best info....usually....Good luck.

Edited May 9, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[CJPinEcuador 396]

Hi! So my fiancé is also from Ecuador (and it's where I am as well right now as I've lived here for almost 10 years) and we did have to get a few documents translated for some specific reasons (his name change when young that hadn't previously been registered on his ss card and Alien number when he lived in the US as a child, as well as both of our previous marriage/divorce certificates as we had both been previously married and divorced in Ecuador) but I had been told anyone could translate them either in Ecuador or the US as long as the person translating provided their info. We chose to get them through a translation department here in Ecuador so we'd have certified copies to take to the social security office later on and for our personal records, but we just sent in copies of the translations and copies of the original documents. 

 

If you do need to send any documents back and forth, I would highly suggest looking up the Ecuador Mule groups on Facebook. Most of us expats use people to take things back and forth for us for a fraction of the price of services like DHL and just pay them to sent it in the US once they arrive. That's also how I ended up sending my I-129f application and docs! 

 

I can't speak for the same sex couple part, but I have also seen other same sex couples on this and other forums not have major issues with this as it is legal in the US and US law is what decisions are based on (including other couples who are same sex and also applying/applied in Ecuador). 

 

I have had several other friends do the spousal or fiancé visa over the years and being from Ecuador, even as "poor" country, has not been a limitation for them to get the visa as long as they met all the requirements. Mostly just a waiting game for everything to be processed as long as their paperwork was in order. 

[YecaCruz 374]

You don't need to submit proof of citizenship of your fiancé when you file initially. You need to submit proof of your US citizenship with is either a birth cert or passport, the intention to marry letter from both of you, and evidence that you've met in person within 2 years of filing.

    I personally front loaded our application and included the evidence of relationship stuff right away.

 

It would be at the embassy when it comes time for the interview that your fiancé would need to make sure to have birth cert, police cert etc. They won't need to be translated unless they are in any other language other than Spanish (like if it was in German or something). 

    Applying for the greencard is when you would have to translate anything not in English. As others have commented anyone who is proficient in both languages can translate those docs and sign the certification themselves. In my case, I translated my husband's birth cert with no problems.

 

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-129finstr.pdf

This has listed what they expect with the fiancé-visa application. 

Good luck!

 

 

[Crazy Cat 39,214]

11 hours ago, CJPinEcuador said:

So my fiancé is also from Ecuador (and it's where I am as well right now as I've lived here for almost 10 years)

Yet, you chose a K-1?  Seems to be an odd choice for couples who are together in same country.

Edited May 10, 2021 by Lucky Cat

[CJPinEcuador 396]

It may seem odd to some, but we have chosen to do the K-1 as we do not want to marry in Ecuador and intend to live in the US (we have been dating about 1.5 years and only recently got engaged and applied). I will be returning in a few months while the process is ongoing (I was just waiting out the school year as I teach, as well as dealing with some custody arrangements with my son's father which have been slow moving with the pandemic) as I had previously decided to leave for many personal reasons and we would like to start our married life together in the US. 

[Crazy Cat 39,214]

2 minutes ago, CJPinEcuador said:

It may seem odd to some, but we have chosen to do the K-1 as we do not want to marry in Ecuador and intend to live in the US (we have been dating about 1.5 years and only recently got engaged and applied). I will be returning in a few months while the process is ongoing (I was just waiting out the school year as I teach, as well as dealing with some custody arrangements with my son's father which have been slow moving with the pandemic) as I had previously decided to leave for many personal reasons and we would like to start our married life together in the US. 

Personal choice, of course. I hope you are aware of the consequences of that choice.  Good luck.