Gemmacat

As much as I'd LOVE to think that this will be my last question for a
while........


I've noticed that on some timelines, after the 129F is
received, then there is no RFE, but on others, they have to send in a
RFE.

This might sound really stupid, but why is that??? Did some
people include pictures, and other good stuff like that with the 129F ?
Could that be a reason why they didn't have to do the RFE?

CalgaryAMC

Originally posted by gemmacat
    > As much as I'd LOVE to
think that this will be my last question for a while........
    >
    >
I've noticed that on some timelines, after the 129F is received, then
there is no RFE, but on others, they have to send in a RFE.
    >
    > This
might sound really stupid, but why is that??? Did some people include
pictures, and other good stuff like that with the 129F ? Could that be a
reason why they didn't have to do the RFE?

I sent precisely
what was asked for in the instructions. Nothing more, nothing less. I
did not receive an RFE (request for evidence). Others do. I suspect
there is a random element.

Many people get an RFE for simply not
following the instructions: forgot to include something that was asked
for, forgot to fill something out, whatever.

Sunflwrgrl13

Originally posted by gemmacat
    > As much as I'd LOVE to
think that this will be my last question for a while........
    >
    >
I've noticed that on some timelines, after the 129F is received, then
there is no RFE, but on others, they have to send in a RFE.
    >
    > This
might sound really stupid, but why is that??? Did some people include
pictures, and other good stuff like that with the 129F ? Could that be a
reason why they didn't have to do the RFE?

A couple could
receive an RFE for not including the correct documents. I.e. incorrect
divorce certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate, don't sign
the forms (yes this happens). Or a couple may not include enough
evidence that they have met, so they would need to send in more
pictures, boarding passes and copies of passport stamps as proof of
travel to the countries in question, receipts of hotel stays or other
receipts that could be used as evidence. You could also receive an RFE
for filling out the I-129f or G-325 forms incorrectly - i.e. putting N/A
vs. 'None.'

And sometimes, it's sheer bad luck - you've included
everything correctly, but USCIS manages to 'lose' a few docs.

Gemmacat

Originally posted by sunflwrgrl13
    > A couple could
receive an RFE for not including the correct documents. I.e. incorrect
divorce certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate, don't
sign the forms (yes this happens). Or a couple may not include enough
evidence that they have met, so they would need to send in more
pictures, boarding passes and copies of passport stamps as proof of
travel to the countries in question, receipts of hotel stays or other
receipts that could be used as evidence. You could also receive an RFE
for filling out the I-129f or G-325 forms incorrectly - i.e. putting
N/A vs. 'None.'
    >
    > And sometimes, it's sheer bad luck - you've
included everything correctly, but USCIS manages to 'lose' a few docs.


Should I send some further evidence along with my original
129F? My passport was just renewed, and only has 2 stamps . Should I
include copies of my old passport (with the 19 UK stamps) Just to be on
the safe side?

SecretGarden

Originally posted by gemmacat
    > Should I send some
further evidence along with my original 129F? My passport was just
renewed, and only has 2 stamps . Should I include copies of my old
passport (with the 19 UK stamps) Just to be on the safe side?


Hi Gemma,
Many people confuse the "proof of having met in person
within the last two years" with "proof of relationship". All you have
to document is that you have been physically together in the same spot
within the last two years. Passport stamps, boarding passes,
photographs, etc will show that you were in the same place at the same
time. Hotel receipts with both your names on them if possible will also
show this.

Some people send in things like love letters, copies of
cards, emails, phone bills with the other person's number on them, etc.
This will show that you are in contact with one another and have a
relationship but doesn not prove that you've physically met. This type
of information is not required and will not fulfill the requirement of
proof of meeting.

As Jamie said, there are many reasons that someone
might get an RFE----mistakes filling out the forms, not submitting what
is asked for, and yes, we've heard about people who have sent in
everything and got asked to send in something already sent. My husband
and I were in the pool of lucky ones---no RFE, although we waited as NSC
for 181 days........

Just out of curiosity, what service center are
you under?

~SecretGarden

Monty_Burns

I have to admit the RFE I got April 20th was my fault I guess. On the former
spouces question I wrote my Ex. wifes maiden name. Of course our divorce
decree was in her married name. I got an RFE looking for a divorce decree
with my ex's maiden name on it....daaaaaa.....
So I worte them a letter explaining the ex's maiden name and sent them my
original marriage liscense as proof of the maiden name. I have not heard
back from them as of yet.
My fault, my bad.....hahahaha It has just added a little more wait time to
my process.

Monty...:)
"sunflwrgrl13" <member16206@british_expats.com> wrote in message
news:...
    > Originally posted by gemmacat
    > > As much as I'd LOVE to
    > think that this will be my last question for a while........
    > >
    > >
    > >
    > I've noticed that on some timelines, after the 129F is received, then
    > there is no RFE, but on others, they have to send in a RFE.
    > >
    > > This
    > might sound really stupid, but why is that??? Did some people include
    > pictures, and other good stuff like that with the 129F ? Could that be a
    > reason why they didn't have to do the RFE?
    > A couple could
    > receive an RFE for not including the correct documents. I.e. incorrect
    > divorce certificate, marriage certificate, birth certificate, don't sign
    > the forms (yes this happens). Or a couple may not include enough
    > evidence that they have met, so they would need to send in more
    > pictures, boarding passes and copies of passport stamps as proof of
    > travel to the countries in question, receipts of hotel stays or other
    > receipts that could be used as evidence. You could also receive an RFE
    > for filling out the I-129f or G-325 forms incorrectly - i.e. putting N/A
    > vs. 'None.'
    > And sometimes, it's sheer bad luck - you've included
    > everything correctly, but USCIS manages to 'lose' a few docs.
    > --
    > Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Gemmacat

Originally posted by SecretGarden
    > Hi Gemma,
    > Many
people confuse the "proof of having met in person within the last two
years" with "proof of relationship". All you have to document is that
you have been physically together in the same spot within the last two
years. Passport stamps, boarding passes, photographs, etc will show
that you were in the same place at the same time. Hotel receipts with
both your names on them if possible will also show this.
    >
    > Some
people send in things like love letters, copies of cards, emails, phone
bills with the other person's number on them, etc. This will show that
you are in contact with one another and have a relationship but doesn
not prove that you've physically met. This type of information is not
required and will not fulfill the requirement of proof of meeting.
    >
As Jamie said, there are many reasons that someone might get an RFE----
mistakes filling out the forms, not submitting what is asked for, and
yes, we've heard about people who have sent in everything and got asked
to send in something already sent. My husband and I were in the pool of
lucky ones---no RFE, although we waited as NSC for 181 days........

    > Just out of curiosity, what service center are you under?
    >
~SecretGarden


Accoriding to USCIS, I send everything to
Philly, but according to Philly, they don't process I-130's. So, I'm at
a loss there. Can I send it to the NBC myself?

As for the proof, where
I'm confused is that when I looked at the sample 129F, there was nothing
on the form that mentions showing proof of relationship.
I just want to
be clear, so I don't make any mistakes!
Thanks!

SecretGarden

Originally posted by gemmacat
    > Accoriding to USCIS, I
send everything to Philly, but according to Philly, they don't process
I-130's. So, I'm at a loss there. Can I send it to the NBC myself?
    >
As for the proof, where I'm confused is that when I looked at the sample
129F, there was nothing on the form that mentions showing proof of
relationship.
    > I just want to be clear, so I don't make any mistakes!

    > Thanks!

No, that's what I'm saying........you don't have
to show proof of relationship, only proof of meeting in person. Some
people send much more than they need to send, thinking that they also
need to show they are truly in love and committed to one another. You
don't need to send that. The directions only ask for proof of having
met, so I would send in any documentation you have that shows just that.
(If it were me, I would copy the old passport as well as long as those
visits were in order to see your stb-hubby).

My now-husband and I went
through this process as K1ers, so I'm going to have to defer your
question about the I-130 to a K3 member of the group. You've already
learned a valuable lesson---never trust anything the mis-information
line tells you! :)

~SecretGarden

Gemmacat

Originally posted by SecretGarden
    > No, that's what I'm
saying........you don't have to show proof of relationship, only proof
of meeting in person. Some people send much more than they need to
send, thinking that they also need to show they are truly in love and
committed to one another. You don't need to send that. The directions
only ask for proof of having met, so I would send in any documentation
you have that shows just that. (If it were me, I would copy the old
passport as well as long as those visits were in order to see your stb-
hubby).
    >
    > My now-husband and I went through this process as K1ers, so
I'm going to have to defer your question about the I-130 to a K3 member
of the group. You've already learned a valuable lesson---never trust
anything the mis-information line tells you! :)
    >
    > ~SecretGarden


Thanks! I'll get copies from his passport as well. We take
turns seeing each other, so I have a year or two missing in my passport.

SecretGarden

Originally posted by gemmacat
    > Thanks! I'll get copies
from his passport as well. We take turns seeing each other, so I have a
year or two missing in my passport.

Absolutely. Include
anything that he has which will show you were both in the same place at
the same time. Does he have any credit card receipts showing purchases
in the US which correspond with dates of travel? Or maybe bank
statements with debit transactions listed, specifying US purchases?


After awhile you start to think about saving all these things to help
you through other steps in the process. During one of the visits right
before we sent the petition in, we purposely asked an innkeeper to put
both of our names on the room confirmation, and he also wrote a note
saying how lovely it was going to be to see us again. We took pics by
the sign of the inn. I can't tell you how many times in three years
we've looked at one another and said, "This is evidence!!!" :)

Takes
some of the romance out of it all, having to plan it that way, but
whatever it takes to be approved and together!

~SG