Imelda

It's not like that with everyone; it's good that you were prepared. Some experience a more detailed interview in which the IO ask for more evidence. When you have someone from your nationality, it sometimes ends favorably with the harassment level being next to zero.

The email you received is your status report confirming your approval. Your welcome letter may arrive by the weekend. Yay! Congrats again.

i appreciate all of your help! i was thankful that we received a more calm officer. thanks again.

Hi everyone! as promised, i wanted to let you know how our interview went after being doubtful because of my "evidence". our appointment was at 8:40 am on Monday and we arrived at 8:00. we waited until about 9 to be called in. the officer was very nice. he was actually phillipino so my husband started asking him about his country and stuff. finally he said the interview would start. he asked me first basic questions off of our application such as full name, birthdate, social security number. then asked us if we had kids and their names. then he asked my husband his name and date of birth along with his mothers name and his place of birth. also, he asked me, not my husband, how we met. he then requested the evidence. we showed him our wedding album, he took two pictures off of it. and showed him pictures from our honeymoon in san francisco. after that, i gave him my electricity bill, a letter from my employer stating what date i added my husband to my insurance, oh yeah and our tax return. he asked me why we didnt have bank accounts together and i was honest and explained that to him. he then said that he was going to approve the petition and that we would get the greencard within 30 days. i still dont see the actual approved step on the website. i see the below:

On April 2, 2012, we mailed you a notice that we had registered this customer's new permanent resident status. Please follow any instructions on the notice. Your new permanent resident card should be mailed within 60 days following this registration or after you complete any ADIT processing referred to in the welcome notice, whichever is later. If you move before receiving your card, please call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

basically, it was a piece of cake and we were all worked up over nothing. he kind of just observed and looked at how we reacted. i feel so relieved. thank you all for your help throughout this process.

thank you all so much! i will let you know how it goes tomorrow morning.

Of course i thought about this before, but we can not have any joint bank accounts. there are other circumstances in our situation that prevent us from doing this. i can not add him to my mortgage because i bouight my house before i even met him. i couldnt add him to any bills because he just received his EAD card 2 weeks ago and they wouldnt allow me.

of course i have a ton of pictures of us before and after our marriage and i also have those with me. we have pictures with both of our families.

i do understand what you are saying, but if i explain the situation to them, i hope they understand.

i do have every original with me...and i also have copies. i do have him on my medical insurance, but our insurance cards only have my name on them. i will try to use our drivers licence. thanks!

Ok so we have our interview tomorrow and i am a bit confused on what to take. my husband and i dont have joint accounts yet. we did file our taxes together this year and that is about it. i have my motgage under my name and the electricity and water bills are all under my name only. i have pictures of our wedding and can take the album with us but i am a bit worried about any other evidence they may request. Also, the interview request says "Original and copy of each supporting document that you submitted with your application. Other wise, we may keep your originals" I have no idea what this means.

any help is appreciated!

thanks!

Congratulations! We've been waiting two weeks for her visa...maybe yours will be faster!

Thank you! I hope it is faster than 2 weeks! We will see!

YAY!! After all of this time my boyfriends visa was approved last friday! Now I am wondering how long it will take until we get his passport via DHL to Mexicali....

thank you for all of your help visa journey! i will write a review shortly.

I know! Thank you! I am so excited! I hope to get a reply soon! But i guess the NVC is a little slow right now. Thanks for your reply!!

once you get your NOA2 via mail call the NVC and ask for new case number it took a month for me to get packet 3 wich is just a letter telling you you can now schedule your interview could take less thsn that thou good luck

I am so excited! Thank you for your response! Wow your interview is already in August?! Good luck! Let us know how that goes!

So i live in mexico with my fiance....and i cross the border everyday obviously...as soon as i cross, i receive a text from USCIS saying that they had updated my status online. I of course freaked out because i had already responded to their RFE. I picked up my fiance at work and told him. unforutnately, my phone is unable to access the USCIS website. so we drive to my grandmas house which is like 20 minutes away. those were the longest 20 minutes of my life. i get there and my hearts pounding really fast as i type the receipt number on the website..and sure enough! i see the below message:

On July 18, 2011, we mailed you a notice that we have approved this I129F PETITION FOR FIANCE(E). Please follow any instructions on the notice. If you move before you receive the notice, call customer service at 1-800-375-5283.

For approved applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include USCIS sending notification of the approved application/petition to the National Visa Center or the Department of State. For denied applications/petitions, post-decision activity may include the processing of an appeal and/or motions to reopen or reconsider and revocations.

I was so happy! We were so happy!! Now what? LOL! All this waiting has paid off! I cant wait until our interview date. If I am correct, we play another waiting game until we receive an interview date right?

Thanks for all your help!!

Thank you so much! I will keep my fingers crossed.

Generally this means: You Petition is in AP ( Administrative Processing )

Also Means: You may expect to receive Your NOA2 in 2 weeks or Less

Does'nt mean 60 days (though posible)

Depends on what the RFE was about but I won't go there.

Good News is : Its on someones desk.

I am so excited! I got a notice yesterday that they received our evidence yesterday. Below is the message that is on their website:

On July 13, 2011, we received your response to our request for evidence. This case is being processed at our CALIFORNIA SERVICE CENTER location. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283. We will notify you by mail when we make a decision or if we need something from you. You should expect to receive a written decision or written update within 60 days of the date we received your response unless fingerprint processing or an interview are standard parts of case processing and have not yet been completed, in which case you can use the processing time information on our website to estimate when this case will be done. If you move while this case is pending, please use our Change of Address online tool to update your case with your new address or call our customer service center at 1-800-375-5283.

Once a timely response to the request for evidence is received by USCIS, we review the evidence or information you submitted. If you submitted the requested evidence, we continue with the adjudication of your application or petition in light of the new evidence.

What is the process generally after this?

I appreciate any help or relaxing suggestions! I am so nervous!!!

Thanks!

Those were all nice ideas, however, your RFE is for the 2 years proceeding your date of filing. So, taking pictures now, and getting a stamp in your passport now, will not help. They do not want proof that is dated for now. They want proof that is dated from the last 2 years before you filed this year in March. The petition requires proof of meeting sometime in those 2 years before filing.

Use the pictures you already took together, and put the date, who is them, and where they were taken on the back. If you print them out on regular paper, put that info in captions underneath them.

The lease being under both of your names is good, IF it came before you filed. You can send a copy anyway, with the rest of your evidence though.

Write a statement explaining the fact that you do not get your passport stamped when going through the border, and you do not take a plane, train or bus to get there. Show any receipts that you had in those previous 2 years that could match up with any photos of you together on that same date.

Having something from customs would be very helpful, but I am not sure what they could offer you now to satisfy the RFE.

Notarized statements from people that have seen you together in person during the previous 2 years might help too. In this situation, you need to send all that you can for proof.

Good luck!

Thanks Jay - Kay,

I will take the pictures that I have which are a ton and write on the back of them and send them along with receipts of those events.

I will definitely have written statements from me about not having my passport stamped.

Thanks for all of your help!

Great : )

I scanned a few atm receipts and the credit card(same digits x'ed out as on receipts) showing my name and then the thing from the bank so there wasn't any doubt of me as credit card holder. They accepted that as primary proof.

If your literally have no stamps in your passports, scan it anyways, print it and ad a statement saying they don't stamp your passport at the US/Mexican border. You can add a timeline of when you've been in Mexico(duration of stay and meeting) and if you have a couple of pictures, add them with dates and locations like someone else advised you to. This will hopefully help you establish proof of having met along with primary proof.

Another thing is phone records. Although it might not directly show proof of having met, if you used it in Mexico at any time it'll be presented on that record, as long as your name is on there.

EDIT: ..and good luck : ) Sorry I made a short story long!

Thanks for the idea of scanning my ATM card. I have receipts of some where i used it so i can use that as proof!

thanks so much for your help.

These are all great idea! It looks like I am going to have a very busy weekend putting this packet together. I am starting to feel better. I have a bunch of pictures already of trips we have taken so I will write on the back of those. I have a ton of movie tickets also. But no pictures aat the theater. I will improvise next time we go to the movies.

The border town we are at is very touristy so I am sure I can find a lot of cool things to take pictures with. I am just very nervous and cant even think of anything right now.

I am even thinking of asking the people at customs for a letter. They see me everyday!! But i am not sure if that will slide.

Thanks for your help.

Well... now you need to go out and CREATE opportunities to have proof! And quick!

What I mean is you have to go to unmistakably Mexican locales and have someone take a picture of the two of you together there. Like under a "Welcome to Mexico" sign, or in front of a famous landmark. Pictures celebrating birthdays and holidays with family work well, too. Don't worry about photos being imprinted with the date, just write the date and a description on the back of the photo. That's what everyone does. It's great if it is obvious what the date is in the photo, like holding up a newspaper, or standing by holiday decorations or a dated sign. Go to events where you will have ticket stubs and receipts (concert, movies, show), and take pictures there. Or stay one night in a hotel. That way you will have paper and a photo (and it is important to have paper). Even brochures or menus with a photo of you at the place can help prove you were there. You may have to spend some money to go to places or events that will give you tickets or receipts, but its just what you have to do at this point.

And at some borders, if you ask nicely the US Officer will give you a souvenir "Welcome to the US Customs, whatevertown, USA" stamp, since people collect these.

Let me remind you now that when it comes to to Adjust Status after you are married, you will have to show proof AGAIN that your marriage is legit. So always be on the lookout for "photo & proof opportunities". Wherever we went, Hubby and I had a lot of fun with our "Visa photo op" moments!

Don't miss your RFE deadline, and don't even THINK about photoshopping!!!!

Have you used your credit card in your fiance´s city/country(or her using her card in US)?

If so, get the bank receipts/statement showing a withdrawal of any purchase proving you and your fiance were at least in the same country/city.

Thanks! I do take out cash in Mexico all the time! And my bank statements show cash withdrawals along with international fees! I have already submitted that but I can print out more

Thanks!

Thank you so much!!

The lease is under our name! Both of ours, so I will have receipts from April that have both of our names! We live in Mexico but when I filed the petition I was living here in the US so the address that is on the application is my address in the US.

I didn't think having notified letters would help! I can get a ton of those! I can even get one from my job I believe.

Thanks for your help!! Have a good day.

You can get close friends and families to write a notified letter and also you say you guys stay together is both of your names on the least? if so that would be a great evidence, Also did you put down your address and his the same on the application? or was that prior? Also if he is not on the least you need to find evidence that can prove you guys live together. If i come up with anything else i will come back and write have a good day.

You don't need to have known her for two years, but you MUST have met at least once within two years before you filed the petition. You could have spoken with her on the phone yesterday, and met her in Mexico today...that will satisfy the requirement...but you MUST prove that you have met in person. DO NOT manipulate anything! If you do and get caught you are doomed!

Thanks for answering that question!

I have seen him everyday for almost 4 months and everyweekend for a year now! I just need to find a way to prove it

Hi Ni-Ing,

I do have receipts but not very many, everything is usually cash. No documents needed to get into Mexico! And my passport isnt stamped on my way back in the US.....

I am very nervous!

You need proof that you go to Mexico. Do you have reciepts for places in Mexico? Anything that can prove that you meet him? Do you need documents to get into Mexico?

Hi everyone!

I need help!

My Fiancee and I have been dating for a year now and I filed the petition in March, 8 months after we were dating. I received my RFE today and it says:

Last Personal Meeting - Submit evidence of meeting the beneficiary in person within the two -year period preceding the filing of the petition. Primary evidence may include airline ticket stubs and receipts (that indicate month, day and year), copies of passport pages that show the identification page and admission stamps, military orders, letter from Commanding Officer, or any evidence that will help USCIS to determine that the petitioner has met the beneficiary within the two years. Secondary evidence may include film-dated photographs of the petitioner and beneficiary together. The following does not constitute evidence of meeting: airline ticket without the month/day/year, disc, videos, emails, letters, phone bills, and greeting cards.

My fiancee lives just across the border. I come and go to Mexico everyday so I do not have airline tickets. We have been living together for the last 3 months. I work here in the US and since it isn't very far, it isn't a problem. I am having a hard time though, thinking of what kind of evidence I can submit since I don't have plane tickets!! I don't have film dated photographs, but i read in a forum I can just manipulate my pictures.

Also, it says "within the two year period preceeding the filing". Does that mean I would have to prove I have known him for two years?

Hi Everyone!

I just checked my status online also and it moved from Initial Review to RFE!! At first I was kind of nervous. I received my NOA on March 28th so I am anxious to see what I will need to send them. Hopefully the RFE gets here within the next few days and I can post what they requested.

Thos that have been approved, what has been the average time after receiving the RFE?

Thanks for your help!

Imelda