CR-1 / I30 Proof of Marriage

[rad1182 1]

Hello friends. I'm getting ready to submit the I30 for my wife and I was hoping to get input from those of you who have been successful with your applications. I'd like your thoughts on whether what I plan to submit for Proof of Bonafide Marriage is sufficient.

 

Background

I'm a US citizen and my wife is Filipina with residency in the UAE. I moved for work to the UAE in 2015 and we met in 2017. We started living together at the end of 2017. At the time, unmarried couples could not officially live together so we don't have any leases, bills, etc. in both of our names. I moved back to the US in 2020 right at the beginning of the pandemic and she remained there. She's visited me multiple times since, and I visited her in Sep 2022. During this trip we got engaged and married.

 

Proof I Plan to Include

• Residency visas for the UAE showing that we both lived in the UAE
• Many pictures spanning 5 years of us together with friends and family. This includes the time we both resided in the UAE, as well as after I moved back to the US. Her mom visits the quite often and my family has also visited. I read that it's important to include pictures with family & friends. Her mom, uncle, and aunt were at our engagement dinner and I plan to include pictures of that as well. For the wedding, it was just me and her but I plan to include pics of that as well. 
• Airline confirmation for the trips she took to the US once I moved back and for the trip I took in Sep (I don't have original boarding passes anymore - will this be an issue)?

 

Do you think this is sufficient? Thanks!

 

PS - I saw that there's a merged Proof of Marriage thread below. I apologize if I should not have started a new thread on the same topic.

 

 

[mamba69 38]

Seems fine to me. my case was just approved and I included similar evidence + some proof of merging our finances together such as having a property under both names where beneficiary resides and giving gifts to each other. We also had a joint bank account where beneficiary resides and occasionally used it when I would go visit. One more thing I did is that when I filled online, I would add more evidence every three month through online account which is easy to do. It was approved after eleven month of wait, no RFE's. 

Edited October 9, 2022 by mamba69

[rad1182 1]

Thanks. Unfortunately we don't have any shared assets as it was impossible to do so while we weren't married. I did just add her as the beneficiary to my retirement accounts and once I get confirmation, I'll include that in the documentation.

 

Thanks again for your response!

[Dashinka 23,368]

5 hours ago, rad1182 said:

Thanks. Unfortunately we don't have any shared assets as it was impossible to do so while we weren't married. I did just add her as the beneficiary to my retirement accounts and once I get confirmation, I'll include that in the documentation.

 

Thanks again for your response!

You can add additional information at the NVC stage.  I think you have enough to get the I130 in motion.

 

Good Luck!

[nelmagriffin 143]

Greetings!

I think that you will be fine, just do not forget to register marriage to the Philippine Embassy in Dubai. Best of luck! NG

[rad1182 1]

4 hours ago, nelmagriffin said:

Greetings!

I think that you will be fine, just do not forget to register marriage to the Philippine Embassy in Dubai. Best of luck! NG

Thanks for your response. We haven’t thought of that. Is that required? The marriage certificate is already attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Thanks again!

Edited October 9, 2022 by rad1182

[Steve & Erma 33]

4 hours ago, rad1182 said:

Thanks for your response. We haven’t thought of that. Is that required? The marriage certificate is already attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

Thanks again!

If you want to change her name on her Philippine passport you will need to register the marriage with the PSA. This video goes over the requirements but they are for the Utah marriage so you will need to adjust where you are sending it. I also added the Philippine Consulate for the UAE link if that is where you married it would be the consulate you need to register it with.

 

https://dubaipcg.dfa.gov.ph/

 

 

[pushbrk 12,233]

You mention boarding passes and airline confirmations.  Neither is needed if you have stamps in the passport.  Airline confirmations are not proof of travel.  Passport stamps are.

 

[nelmagriffin 143]

Greetings!

Hello, I think the Embassy is still in Abu Dhabi. Dubai is very close to my heart, My home for so many years. Best of Luck! NG

reference: Marriage (dfa.gov.ph)

Report of Marriage (ROM)

A Filipino citizen married outside the Philippines must register the marriage with the Philippine Foreign Service Post (Embassy or Consulate) of the country where the marriage was officiated.

A Report of Marriage will then be issued and transmitted by the Philippine Foreign Service Post through the Department of Foreign Affairs for registration and recording with the Office of the Civil Registrar General in the Philippines.

The Philippine Consulate General – Dubai has jurisdiction over Dubai and all Northern Emirates.

Edited October 10, 2022 by nelmagriffin

[nelmagriffin 143]

Greetings!

Yes, it is required. During your wife's interview, one of the required documents is your marriage certificate. Read the link provided. NG

Here is what I read: reference: Philippines (state.gov)

 

Document Name: Marriage Certificate/Contract.  Marriage records generally are in English.  For marriages that occurred outside of the Philippines, the original marriage certificate from the issuing country should be provided, and translated into English, along with the Philippines recording of the marriage.

 

[Chancy 6,233]

On 10/9/2022 at 12:22 AM, rad1182 said:

we don't have any leases, bills, etc. in both of our names.

 

At the time of petition filing, my spouse and I also had no joint leases.  But we had already spent several months together in person, before and after we got married.  We submitted just 12 pages of bona fide relationship evidence, mostly consisting of passport stamps, beneficiary's I-94 US travel history, and pictures from our wedding and trips together before and after getting married.  I got my spouse visa without any RFE throughout the entire process.

 

Include a screenshot of your wife's I-94 entry/exit records from -- https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/history-search

 

Report of Marriage (ROM) will not be required by the US consulate for your wife's visa processing.  But ROM will be required when she renews her PH passport, if she wants it to list her married name.  Note that the US consulate will not mind whether her passport lists her married name or her maiden name.  Her visa, green card, and SSN card will be issued with the name on her passport.  So if your wife wants her US IDs listing her married name, best to sort out the ROM filing and passport renewal before her visa interview.  No need to do so before filing the I-130.

 

[rad1182 1]

On 10/10/2022 at 12:14 PM, Chancy said:

 

At the time of petition filing, my spouse and I also had no joint leases.  But we had already spent several months together in person, before and after we got married.  We submitted just 12 pages of bona fide relationship evidence, mostly consisting of passport stamps, beneficiary's I-94 US travel history, and pictures from our wedding and trips together before and after getting married.  I got my spouse visa without any RFE throughout the entire process.

 

Include a screenshot of your wife's I-94 entry/exit records from -- https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/history-search

 

Report of Marriage (ROM) will not be required by the US consulate for your wife's visa processing.  But ROM will be required when she renews her PH passport, if she wants it to list her married name.  Note that the US consulate will not mind whether her passport lists her married name or her maiden name.  Her visa, green card, and SSN card will be issued with the name on her passport.  So if your wife wants her US IDs listing her married name, best to sort out the ROM filing and passport renewal before her visa interview.  No need to do so before filing the I-130.

 

That's a very helpful website. Thanks Chancy!