IR1 Category Question - CEAC Portal

[jiggaman97 1]

I’m the petitioner filing for my spouse (beneficiary) under the IR1 category and uploading documents to the CEAC portal.

1. For the interview, which originals should the beneficiary bring (e.g., her passport and birth certificate)—she doesn’t need my original passport, birth cert, etc, correct?

2. I was previously married and divorced — do I need to upload my divorce decree to the CEAC portal? And would my spouse have to bring this original?

Thank you.

[TBoneTX 48,340]

Thread is shifted from the CR-1 Case Progress subforum to the CR-1 Process forum.

[pushbrk 14,037]

50 minutes ago, jiggaman97 said:

I’m the petitioner filing for my spouse (beneficiary) under the IR1 category and uploading documents to the CEAC portal.

1. For the interview, which originals should the beneficiary bring (e.g., her passport and birth certificate)—she doesn’t need my original passport, birth cert, etc, correct?

2. I was previously married and divorced — do I need to upload my divorce decree to the CEAC portal? And would my spouse have to bring this original?

Thank you.

Exactly what to bring depends on exact circumstances. In short, she should bring the original or certified copy of anything that is uploaded.  Exception is the affidavit of support.  A scanned copy of the signed affidavit is fine.

[Theersink 48]

16 hours ago, jiggaman97 said:

I was previously married and divorced — do I need to upload my divorce decree to the CEAC portal? And would my spouse have to bring this original?

Leave nothing to chance, I sent via courier my Original Certified Divorce Decree with the seal and ink certification on it so she has it. I didn't want to take the chance of them rejecting a printed copy from an email since it does say Original. 

[mam521 2,725]

Please fill out your timeline here: https://www.visajourney.com/timeline/profile.php?id=493368

 

Knowing what consulate you'll be dealing with may help others tailor their answers to suit your needs.  

 

There will be a list provided of what your partner is required to bring to the interview and whether it has to be original or can be a copy.  Your divorce decree will definitely be required, so you might as well upload it to CEAC.  

[TiffAndMike 114]

On 10/22/2025 at 8:50 PM, jiggaman97 said:

I’m the petitioner filing for my spouse (beneficiary) under the IR1 category and uploading documents to the CEAC portal.

1. For the interview, which originals should the beneficiary bring (e.g., her passport and birth certificate)—she doesn’t need my original passport, birth cert, etc, correct?

2. I was previously married and divorced — do I need to upload my divorce decree to the CEAC portal? And would my spouse have to bring this original?

Thank you.

For the interview, she needs to bring her passport, recent passport photos, the police report from her home country and any other country she has lived in since she was 16 years old, the marriage certificate, your divorce decree, her birth certificate, possibly a certified translation of her birth certificate( if her interview is in a country other than the one she was born in) photos of the two of you together ( if you have photos of the two of you with family, even better) past plane tickets or itineraries of your in person visits since marriage. ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS NEED TO BE ORIGINALS. 

 

You DO need to upload your divorce decree to the CEAC portal and she will need to present the original at the interview. 

 

What consulate will she be interviewing at?

[TiffAndMike 114]

On 10/22/2025 at 9:41 PM, pushbrk said:

Exactly what to bring depends on exact circumstances. In short, she should bring the original or certified copy of anything that is uploaded.  Exception is the affidavit of support.  A scanned copy of the signed affidavit is fine.

They didn't even ask us for the Affidavit of Support at the interview.

[jiggaman97 1]

Hello, thanks again everyone for the assistance. Below are the documents intended to be taken (original vs copy).
Just to reclarify - me being the petitioner, beneficiary wouldn't need my actual passport, naturalization papers for the interview correct? It seems a bit odd they would need originals for that.

 

1. AOS/IV Fees Receipt (Original)
2. DS-260 Confirmation Page (Original)
3. Beneficiary Passport (Original)
4. Beneficiary Photographs (2x2) (Original)
5. Beneficiary Birth Certificate (Original)
6. Beneficiary Marriage Certificates/Documents (Original)
7. Beneficiary Police Certificate (Original)
8. Beneficiary Education Background (Original)
9. Marriage/Couple Photos/Itineraries/Financial Support Statements (Original)
10. Petitioner Tax Returns + Transcripts, W-2 & Job Letter (Original)
11. Petitioner Divorce Papers/Decree (Original)
12. Petitioner I-864 Form (Copy)
13. Petitioner Passport (Copy)
14. Petitioner Naturalization Paper (Copy)
15. I-130/I-130A Forms (Copy)
16. I-130 – Bonafide Marriage Affidavit (2 Witnesses) (Original/Copy?)

 

Final Questions: When uploading the divorce papers, do I upload it in the petitioner portion or beneficiary portion of the CEAC site? Or just do both? Do please clarify if above is sufficient, much appreciated. All these documents is what relates to us, and nothing further is required.

Edited Sunday at 03:40 PM by jiggaman97
Clarification.

[jiggaman97 1]

On 10/25/2025 at 5:18 AM, TiffAndMike said:

For the interview, she needs to bring her passport, recent passport photos, the police report from her home country and any other country she has lived in since she was 16 years old, the marriage certificate, your divorce decree, her birth certificate, possibly a certified translation of her birth certificate( if her interview is in a country other than the one she was born in) photos of the two of you together ( if you have photos of the two of you with family, even better) past plane tickets or itineraries of your in person visits since marriage. ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS NEED TO BE ORIGINALS. 

 

You DO need to upload your divorce decree to the CEAC portal and she will need to present the original at the interview. 

 

What consulate will she be interviewing at?

Thank you! Posted a follow up question - she will be interviewing at the Islamabad,Pakistan Embassy & Consulated.

[appleblossom 5,230]

3 hours ago, jiggaman97 said:

Do please clarify if above is sufficient, much appreciated.

 

You've missed things like the appointment letter. You'll get a document checklist with the interview notice, but you need to make sure you follow the instructions on the usual website really carefully and take everything specified on there (including the country specific guidelines) - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-10-prepare-for-the-interview/step-11-applicant-interview.html

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/list-of-posts.html

 

As it's a high fraud consulate, make sure she takes plenty of evidence of your marriage and time together. Better to take way too much than not enough! 

 

Good luck. 

Edited Sunday at 07:11 PM by appleblossom

[pushbrk 14,037]

Everything you are calling an "original" is probably a "certified copy".  Certainly a divorce decree from any US State would be.  The State owns and holds the original.  For example, when you supplied your divorce decree with the I-130, that would have been a photocopy of a certified copy.  What you are talking about now is an "Original Certified Copy".  Words mean things.