SterlingGirl

One other question - I've known my fiance since the middle of 2004, we met on a forum not unlike this one. Will USCIS need documented proof of when we MET, or just proof of our relationship? As far as our relationship, will signed letters from friends of ours serve as proof?

The thing is, we've known each other over a long period of time, but our relationship (aside from meeting in person) has been entirely electronic - calling overseas would be a ridiculous expense, so we just use voice chat for free. I've had program and disk crashes since we first met and a time or two in between, and I had no idea we'd eventually be getting married, so it didn't occur to me to hang on to every last scrap of history between the two of us. We do have lots of pictures of us from when he visited here, lots of which are affectionate, but it sounds like those would just be proof of our having met - not proof that we have a relationship. He's got copies of text messages (he sends me texts via his email address, I get them on my phone) stored up since September of last year. And I may have a few blog entries talking about his trip out here. Will things like that work?

I'm just nervous that, because we don't spend way too much money to actually call overseas to each other or save every scrap of communication between us, we'll be thought of as not a real couple.

Hi, all. As a bit of background info, I'm a U.S. citizen, born and bred, and my fiance is a native of London. Currently, I'm still legally married, though my ex and I have been separated since April 1, 2007 (different residences; our relationship ended even before that, but we still lived together for financial reasons). My court date for the divorce is this Friday (2/22/08), by which I should be a free woman. Immediately thereafter, I intend to gather everything we need and file the I-129F.

Just out of curiosity, does immigration really care when a relationship begins in the wake of a marriage? Our relationship began before I moved out of our home and long before our divorce, obviously - but, emotionally, there was no relationship left when I met my fiance. I never cheated on my ex, he knew I wanted I divorce before things began with my UK guy. It's simply that I prepared all of our divorce papers myself out of an aversion to involving lawyers in any aspect of our divorce, so it took me a little longer to understand the in's and out's and feel confident I was drawing up the correct thing. Then I had to file, and my state has a mandatory 60-day waiting period (I guess hoping people will reconsider). Will USCIS scrutinize this? Can they try to claim that there was some kind of marital infidelity and reject our application on some trumped-up moral basis? I wish I could say I was half-joking, but I'm not.

Also - I'm employed as an independent contractor. That's legally (and for tax purposes) my job title, although I really only work for one organization. I get paid the same thing on a monthly basis, I'm just not considered an employee. I receive a desk check in the mail every month, no taxes withheld, etc. So I don't have paystubs. How can I prove my income? Will they accept 1040 tax forms and bank statements, rather than paycheck stubs? Should I start photocopying my checks for the next couple of months? Help!