Best Supporting Evidence for Your I-130 Spousal Visa 

hi there! thank you so much for being here and for you kind comments! glad to have you here :) Congrats on getting to this point, I know the process is so daunting at times, you should be proud for navigating it. Did you get an interview date yet?

Can i ask you what you used to prove your marriage?

@@blackwaltz3135 I used my WhatsApp call logs and chats with my husband, his family, and friends. My husband and I chat and talk daily. I did a screen shot of the call logs for one month. Picked a recent month close to my filing date of the i130. For the chats I did a flow of different dates to show how the relationship progressed from friendship to relationship to marriage. Few pages here and there of the chats. I also included chats with his family. I wrote a summary of our relationship giving details about myself and how it lead to our marriage. This was my first marriage and I never thought I would ever get married. Somehow things changed when I met my husband. I included pictures of when I went to see him, things we did, our marriage, and pics with his family. On the back of the picture, I wrote what was going on in the picture. We don't have any joint accounts due to distance. After marriage I listed my spouse in my 401K. My i130 got approved without any additional requests and was forwarded to NVC. I had spent a lot of time questioning how I can prove a bonafide marriage. Watched a lot of videos. Hope this helps.

@@DeviOhira yes it's a very long process that started in September 2019. Case got sent to NVC April 2020. Case got documentarily qualified January 2021. Just few days ago I finally got the interview email we've been waiting for.

SAGAPO PERISSOTERO MY BABY LOVE

i have been going thru this as well to have that much help wow you blessed I'm following

ohh thank you so much for being here! happy to have helped, really appreciate you letting me know!

Hi Giovanni! thanks so much for being here and for your words, I really appreciate it!

Do it before is best

hi there! oh my goodness, you flatter and me and made my day. Thanks so much for your kind words and even more for being here! Yes whenever you have questions please do post about them here and I am also wishing you a quick process

hi Hazel! thank you girl for being here :)

How many photos do I need to submit? Also, my wife lives aboard and I only spent one month with her. Do I need to provide hotel bills , plane tickets, etc?

@@boysovereign yes,the more the better

As someone whose husband's case was denied due to "lacking evidence," this is HORRIBLE advice.

@@jewelweed6880 hello. As someone who's husband is about to file , which evidence did you attach initially?

@@misanyazura6321 one thing we couldn't give was financial proof - our joint account was too new and we didn't use it enough to prove anything. We live rent free with my mom and no house bills in our name. We don't have joint property yet that they would take as proof we own big things together. They didn't care about the proof that my mom loaned us money so he could attend a graduate school program. It could have been more expensive, but it isn't cheap. Why would she do that if we weren't really married!???

thanks luv! I didn't submit an affidavit from me personally, but I did submit a cover letter which did explain a few pieces of the timeline of our relationship, and I also had my best friend and my dad write an affidavit to also give further support of the timeline of my relationship and the legitimacy of it. they further vouched that they love my husband, they see we FaceTime eachother everyday, etc etc. be sure to have the people writing your affidavits include their full name, dob, city and state of birth, passport number

@@DeviOhira but what if they don't have passports??

@@msphae30 do they have other credible ID? tax id? drivers license? anything that establishes them as a real person that can be looked up in a system

@@DeviOhira okay thanks.

Hi, in filing an I-130 and I-130A together. does it also need to file an affidavit of support of financial evidence right away?

I’m so sorry 😞

Omg...why?

Did they say why?

Can u tell us why?

Hi! There's a CBP (customs border protection) website where you can find your departure/arrival history for the last 5 years: i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/#/history-search Just input your information and then you can download a PDF. Hope it helps you!!!!

It’s all on your passports

Yes. All documents in foreign language needs to be translated to English.

@@chosenone5536 thank you

it varies

@@seleniajones4800 thank you

@@rosiep6488 you’re welcome! you can create an account on USCIS and as long as you access it every 30 days it will stay open until you’re ready to file!

oh John, im so sorry to hear that. Have you tried direct consular filing through the columbian embassy? especially if for the time being you are mostly living abroad there, but can prove domicile (a US address that you'll move to once both of you are here) then that might be the better faster route. almost always the DCF is faster. I know you will make it work

HI Michael! thanks for being here - by chance did you sign in blue ink...? they always say you have to sign in black. Other than that, I would submit an inquiry into your myUSCIS account to have more clarification if there wasn't any addt'l info provided

hi Gloria! just to clarify, affidavit of support for proof of bona fide marriage?

@@DeviOhira yes!!! On the video you mentioned having your dad write one 😊

@@Shawtybeliebe I used this: citizenpath.com/cpwp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/I-130-Affidavit-Sample.pdf

thanks so much for being here!

YOURSELF

A certified translator. They might reject your documents.

haha thanks for being here hun!!

thank you for being here Kenya!! xo

hi Brayant! yes, not ever stepping foot on US soil still qualifies a CR-1 approval, granted you have solid evidence of the bona fide marriage and have seen eachother at least once in person. It sounds like you have all of it. Supporting affidavits from friends and family testifying about your relationship might help too

@@DeviOhira so if my wife has never been to the US what's the best attainable proof of bona-fide marriage? will pics (recent, marriage, honeymoon,zoo and activities) and screenshots of chat and logs (4 years ago up until today) and maybe plane tickets from honeymoon do or should we get a foreign joint bank account aswell?

if your husband is in a diff country you don't need to have him sign the I-130A. but for good measure I would just include a cover letter articulating that so they have no chance of mistaking an incomplete app

Do I have to send the application without sign? We make some bank transactions between ours back accounts can I add as a proof.

@@rosarivera3003 you can submit the I-130A without the signature of your foreign spouse but definitely make sure to sign everything else! if going hard copy, It must be in black ink

hi Renata! I literally just did it through google drive docs and inserted a table where I placed a photo in each section of the table 3 x3 on each page (doesn't have to be the biggest ever) so I could also write a caption under each photo. Then I printed it on regular printer paper. Just as long as the photos are clear and bright enough to see.

Devi Ohira im gonna upload the form online but still trying to figure out how to make sure it fits the requerimentos

I think for screenshots, they might not need to get translated by an official translation company, if your foreign spouse can do a side by side translation instead. for more official documents like birth certificates, etc, then use a certified translation company. Because you are right, it gets expensive. The company I use is $20/page

hi Pierre! thanks for being here. Not totally sure I understand your question - regardless of children or not, couples can file for the spousal visa. Then it becomes a matter of whether or not your kids are young enough (under 18) for the US citizen/LPR to sponsor them too

Good morning

hi Gorri! thank you for being here & so sorry for delay! the more evidence you can send, the better, as long as it is a variety. did your lawyer update you with the latest progress on your case?

Hi Elsa. Is there any 1) letter correspondence between the two of you? 2) proof that you sent eachother gifts like receipts 3) travel bookings or records of any travel together like hotel, reservation, train tickets etc 4) Him adding you to his retirement accounts as a beneficiary or a will or something like that. If you could also have friends and family members write an affidavit or support to serve as testament to the bona fide marriage. also, which cover letter are you referring to?

@@DeviOhira he just joined the military so there wasn't much. All we did was talk at nights not for long since they had curfew and all. We hv pics of wedding, text messages from last yr and this yr. I don't have receipt of anything since I've thrown them away. We got married in 2018 and he was the one who came down for us to get married in my home town. I'm from the Caribbean and we hv never travel together since I've never left the Caribbean. Will our names on tricare be one a proof.

@@elsa6520 do you have screenshots you can pull up of your call logs for when you called at night? I would also write a cover letter explaining all that so that uscis has a better understanding. I'm not familiar with tricare - is that a bank? if so, if it's anything where your names are together on an account, thats a great form of proof!

It has to be from a us citizen, that's what they told me.

Or unless your spouse has assets of his or her own that can be turned into money. Like owning a home in there country, business or stocks and bonds and savings accounts that can be transferred to the US

Hi Annika! thanks for being here & tuning in :) I would definitely make sure that if you are doing the online filing of the I-130 to include as many types of supporting documentation as possible. Whether hardcopy or online shouldn't matter, except for preference on how you'd rather apply. If you're doing online & attaching a PDF, I'd send it as big as possible as long as the system lets you upload the file size. If the attachment is too big for the system, when you do make the file size smaller DO MAKE SURE that it's still readable. On the NVC side when I scaled down a file, it made it blurry so I had to get a program to scale down file size without losing resolution. Always double check everything before sending off!

Hi! Sorry to jump in. I want to apply for my wife. Since we both live abroad, I wanted to complete the forms online. I know that you can file the I-130 online, but what about the I-130a? There is no mention on the website of it being available for online filing. How did you do it? Thanks!

mario lara I’d like to know that too! I’m in the same position

@@mariolara6054 I-130A must be submitted too! I filled it out for my husband (the foreign spouse) he signed it because he was here visiting, but if youre not in same place, signature on I-130A is not required by the foreign beneficiary

@@DeniceLucasandOlivia I-130A must be submitted too! I filled it out for my husband (the foreign spouse) he signed it because he was here visiting, but if youre not in same place, signature on I-130A is not required by the foreign beneficiary

Hi Karla! it's a great question - the reason I went with and advise US citizens is because there's a way for the US to easily vet who is an actual person, if you're providing ID info like a passport number. I think when it comes to other countries, the ID process can be a little bit harder, but with that being said, I wouldn't rule it out entirely. Just make sure that when your sister in law writes it, she also puts as much identification info in the signature of it so if USCIS needs to run a background report to check that this an actual person, they might be able to do so

More documents, communication between you 2, images.

Hi there, thanks for being here! no issue at all, rest assured. My husband and I did the same thing. In anticipation of me filing, I had him sign the I-130A while he was here with me in the US during the time we got married. All was okay with our application, you will be fine!

hi Delilah! sorry for late reply, you can always message me here or on my twitter messages @devistate21

@@DeviOhira hi...plz tell me when uscis update my case status..they need an evidence I sent that on april 2020...I submit my case last year june 2019..

@@DeviOhira hi questions ,my husband is a us citizen and he file the i130 for my kids and I but mine is approve by usics and send to nvc for processing and the kids own still don't approve by usics .can you please tell me why the kids didn't approve at the same time

if you want to stay in the US, get married and file the spousal visa IR-1/CR1 and then adjust status here. Or, if you would like to go back to his country together, still get married and file the IR1 via consular processing

hi Katherine! thank you for being here & so sorry for delay! Just remember that you are not the only one who doesn't have bank account together & have been long distance since the beginning. A ton have gotten approved despite that. As long as you can showcase your legit relationship, it's ok to not have the combined financials. Can you have friends & family write affidavits supporting bona fide marriage?

do not do anything just to manufacture evidence, that will lead to denial. just have your normal relationship and show proof, you'll be ok.

Then submit before it expired

hi there! you can file altogether under 1 account if you filing online you can make your spouse the principal beneficiary - as for the fee I actually am not sure and dont want to misspeak

@@DeviOhira Thanks.

nope they won't accept videos

that being said many I-130s online don't require pictures to be accepted

Yes you do... Joint bank accounts, health insurance, life insurance, lease, tax returns etc etc

alien relative would be correct! hit the link and then the button to file online www.uscis.gov/i-130

@@DeviOhira if i’m filing I-130 for my spouse(wife living in mexico)do i also need to file I-130a ? if so..how can i file I-130a online? or do i just need to file I-130 by itself? (i’m doing the whole process online )

@@adolfolopez8726 yes, you'll have to file the i130a, but your foreign spouse doesn't need to sign it. one of my previous videos covers this part :)

does your RFE give you the lockbox to resubmit to? Or does it tell you to submit the addendum online?

This is what it tells me, on the last page of the notice, but its also says i can also submit the evidence online,, If I'm gonna submit through online do i need to attach the notice they send me it was 3 pages. PLACE THIS ENTIRE LETTER ON TOP OF YOUR RESPONSE. SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE WITHOUT THIS LETTER WILL DELAY PROCESSING OF YOUR CASE AND MAY RESULT IN A DENIAL. PLEASE USE THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE TO MAIL THE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE REQUESTED BACK TO THIS OFFICE.

My RFE , THERE is[ p.o box 82521 Lincoln 68501, it was with the icon of homeland security ,its on top of my 1st page notice.] should i submit all the RFE ON THIS Address?? On the 2nd page of the notice it says, "" Your response must be received in this office by January 2021 "What does it mean requested back to this office"? PLACE THIS ENTIRE LETTER ON TOP OF YOUR RESPONSE. SUBMISSION OF EVIDENCE WITHOUT THIS LETTER WILL DELAY PROCESSING OF YOUR CASE AND MAY RESULT IN A DENIAL. PLEASE USE THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE TO MAIL THE ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE REQUESTED BACK TO THIS OFFICE.

you can submit an application at any time - do you mean when approval will be? it will come down to many factors - how well the applications were prepared being a major factor, service center assigned, which visa type (different for siblings than say children)

hi Lana! I think youre lovely red dress is totally fine, but just explain it with a photo caption so they get it. "This dress is my wedding dress. I chose a red wedding dress instead of traditional white because ___"

Thanks for the informative video. I guess that my next step is the financial support documentation. Where can I find a schedule of the minimum financial requirements in dollars?

@@arthuryoung5361 hi Arthur! I would reference this: www.uscis.gov/i-864p

@@DeviOhira thank you so much for this video

im still in the middle of the process, im at NVC stage so interview I cannot yet be sure how long it will take. on average they say a year for people from I-130 filing to visa interview

@@DeviOhira i have question please i send nvc 1040 and w2 to prove my income is it enough or i need something else ? Please

@@DeviOhira Hi how is life going for you now? have you been reunited with your husband? Did sending all of the documentation assist you? thanks so much for helping all of us like this!

@@TwoTrees777 hi Hun! you're so sweet to write in! We are very much enjoying life together and FINALLY jumped through another hoop- we finally got his green card this week, after almost 6 months from POE. Crazy. How have things been for you? Sending hugs

Since filing the I-130, my husband hasn't yet come into the US, but he plans to soon. He will be on a Visitors Visa. Is your spouse from an ESTA visa country? We're hoping all goes well, since he will be on a tourist visa while our I-130 is processing. I highly suggest your husband, if he visits, has 1) proof of a return ticket home back out of the country and 2) a letter from his employer stating he's expected back at work on a date following the trip. That way it proves to the border patrol that he doesn't plan to overstay

@@DeviOhira no not from a ESTA country. Good luck to you

@@AmirA-zv6uk many people have found this untrue, and are still Able to travel on a visitor visa. its not always a guarantee entry, but it does happen. just be 100% honest with border control that you have a pending application

@@AmirA-zv6uk I believe it will vary from country to country and whether or not you already have an existing visitors visa

you'll send scanned copies of all on the USCIS end & nvc for that matter. Only when you get to interview will you be required to bring originals just in case they ask to see them.

@@DeviOhira Thank you so much for your reply!!! I have had such a hard time understanding this and there's no one to speak to at the moment due to Covid.

IOE don’t mean anything.

hi there! wow have you even received NOA1 with receipt number? do you have tracking from the mail carrier that you originally used to send in the I-130?

lol sexting will just have to remain for the eyes of your phone service carrier lol

does the courier in which you send it have a way to cxl the package? I would file everything in one place - so if you did it online, do everything online. if you submitted hardcopy, submit it all hardcopy

I don't think that is accurate across the board for all - it will very much matter how well you prepped your file, which service center youre at, which consulate youre routing through. Those 3 factors alone can slow or speed the process by months

hi Bay! I dont think the dual account ownership will be possible. under both names if your wife is not physically present in the US with you. My husband happened to be here when we got married, so thats why we were able to open together using his passport and national ID card (2 diff forms) but with that being said, both parties have to be there to physically provide docs and sign

@@DeviOhira - Hello Devi! Can you open a joint bank account with a US Visa number. My wife does not have SS or ITIN. Thank you

@@madisonone8929 hi Madison! Wells Fargo allowed us to open a joint one without my husband's SSN or an iTIN. He just had to provide 2 forms of ID as well as proof of credit or debit account info from other bank institutions

for the I-130A? you don't need to have sig on it technically

I would take the best parts of the communication and translate it. You can even have a friend or family member do it, but make sure they sign a statement and date it saying that they have proficiency in translating and they certify that it has been translated to the best of their ability

hi there congrats on the I-130! are you married to a US citizen or LPR? at this point since you already are approved via your sister, it would be best just to complete the process with her as the petitioner rather than starting over via your wife

@@DeviOhirathank you so much for the warmth. just wanted to add that I have been written to by the DVC and asked to open an online profile as my case has now been transferred to the embassy in my country where I reside. Does my sister still have access to the application?

@@DeviOhira also, I am married to a foreign citizen. We have two kids that were born in the United States of America.

@@lordhamiltonbingers as long as your sister is still the rightful petitioner, then yes she should have access.

thanks for being here! Yes, do include all supporting evidence and I do recommend color photos with captions

Hi I also just came across your video. My husband is filing i130 for me. Does he need to attach his taxes and his financial statements

Online is IOE but it’s usually Texas.

Document showing you send money to support your wife or husband