EOR letter

[Broseph32]

Now that its getting close to our interview time, i think i've all but perfected my EOR letter in my eyes. However, my eyes arn't the ones that will scrutinize our case. So here i am looking to second opinions on my EOR letter.

But first, a little history:
We interviewed in August for a tourist visa for my fiancee in Beijing. It was denied, albeit my grandfather (90), who is like a father to me, was in the hospital for pneumonia.....

That day i provided her with an invitation letter i wrote up myself. From what i hear, it didn't impress.

Anyway, since the very beginning i have been working on my EOR letter, updating it- editing it- tearing it down and starting over again- as time passed and situations changed. I have two (2) EOR drafts.

One is clearly superior to the other, and i intend to use it. I stopped using/editing the other some months ago. I just want to provide it so everyone can see more options i had considered earlier for an EOR letter.

I feel an EOR letter is very important to our case, especially as we didnt front load our I-129F. I constantly feel that the biggest problem with our EOR is that there's sooo much i want to say but only 1 page to say it in.

So, any thoughts/feedback? Here's the one im using (minus bolds, underlining and italics):

Petitioner Introduction/ Evolution of Relationship

Dear Sir or Madam, US Consulate Immigration Officer,

Hello- I would first like to thank you for your assistance with Yun and our visa case. Yun is a very special woman in my life, and I would like to take a few moments to explain why in this letter.
Yun and I first met in person in December 2008, at Yun’s store. When we met, we were immediately captivated by each other, swapped phone numbers, and soon after began dating. But my time was short. China was not a place I ever planned to live in, nor did I expect to have a relationship this serious. And I already had a flight back to the US scheduled not but a few weeks after we started dating. However by and large, it was solely because of her that I returned to China in January 09, because I knew she was the one for me (Originally I came to China to study Taiji, and promptly return to the US).
Upon returning to China, Yun and I decided to move in together. This was because we love each other very much and really enjoy all of our time together, and during our time living together, we traveled from time to time- including to Yun’s family near Xinyang, a trip to Hong Kong, and Beijing. We also braved many hardships together- such as dealing with immigrations, buying expensive flight tickets, balancing our finances, and not to mention criticisms from being a Chinese / white couple. I know for a fact that if it weren’t for her being there to comfort me, I wouldn’t have been able to keep staying in China. And although we somewhat lack an official engagement party (we bought our rings in April 09, but didn’t really commit until August), largely due to not having the money for a big party yet, we are currently saving our resources for a wonderful marriage in the US.
Followed by a 2 month return to the US, Yun and I promptly went to vist her family again to spend the holidays with them. After our return to Zhengzhou, I was finally able to obtain a work visa, and provide for us both while we are undergoing this visa process. Our continuous time living together has shown us both just how much we mean to one another, and how far we are willing to go for each other.
Yun is my best friend and my Fiance, and over the past year & a half I feel I know her better than I do my sister sometimes! She has been a great help in taking my Chinese to a comprehensive level (language and culture!) that we use to communicate with each other every day (save for when we practice her English). And upon our mutual return to the US, I plan to enroll her in ESL classes to really get her English to a proficient level. Learning each other’s languages has been a romantic experience for both of us.
Lastly, I would like to point out that our trip to the USA is more than just going home for us: it’s also our only chance to marry and be able to live peacefully together for 3 more years. Consider this: I would have married Yun already if I could have.
Please remember, this is our life destiny you are holding in your hands.

Thanking you,

And for reference/ my older ideas, my old EOR draft:

Petitioner Introduction/ Evolution of Relationship
To: Interviewing visa officer and all related parties; Guangzhou, China

Dear Sir or Madam, US Consulate Immigration Officer,
Hello- as I’m sure you’re aware, the woman in front of you now is my fiancee, Yun, applying today for a K-1 visa. This letter is very important- its purpose is to help make things easier for the interviewing officer to make an informed and educated decision concerning our case.
First, I would like to apologize for the way that our petition is put together- please understand that going into this process, both my fiancee and I were very under informed as to how to handle this visa: as I understood it, the I-129f was to be more focused around the petitioner, rather than the beneficiary, or both- and the evidence provided should reflect this.
After closer inspection, and consulting with other people in this process, I have heard rumors that- Guangzhou consulate in particular- sometimes likes to readjucate petitions, and come to a decision before an interview even takes place.
I implore the interviewing officer to give my fiancee and our evidence the time at the interview to prove our mutual intent, and- more importantly- demonstrate superlatively: the sincerity of our relationship.
I believe that we as K-1 visa filers have a more real (and ‘bona fide’) relationship than most K-1 filers, and likely even some K-3 filers. I feel this way largely in part because of the long time we have spent living together- from February 09 to December 09, we spent uninterrupted- constantly together- in Zhengzhou, China. As opposed to many filers that first meet online, have one, two, or three one-month visits to China, we met in person, and have had extraordinarily more time together than the average K-1 couple.
Given this, I hope that the consulate can overlook any ‘possible’ flaws in our petition (ie. The uneducated manner in which it was put together; or perhaps my age). Consider this: I would have married Yun already if I could have.
Finally, to put into words what our I-129f petition in trying to say: we met in person in December 08, at the electronics market in Zhengzhou, when I shopped at Yun’s store, and bought an item from her. When we met, we were immediately captivated by each other, and swapped phone numbers. After we started dating, I eventually had to return home, however by and large, it was solely because of her that I returned to China in January 09, because I knew she was the one for me. Since then, we have begun living together, and, minus recognition by the state(s) involved, in many ways nearly common-law married.
Please remember, this is our life destiny you are holding in your hands.

Thanking you,

The petitioner,

Thanks for the help! I know i have a bad habit of writing letters that sound like music to my ears, but often can appear quite mediocre or even aggressive to others.

[2mike&jin]

Thanks for the help! I know i have a bad habit of writing letters that sound like music to my ears, but often can appear quite mediocre or even aggressive to others.

 

 

I dislike saying anything "negative" without taking the time to explain why --- but my 4 month old is making noise and I have to go take care of him.

 

In short, you need a NEW LETTER! (Your newer one is certainly better than your first one - never apologize, or beg, it shows weakness and they will smell the fear)

 

I would first ask that you stop...all this "music to your ears" stuff and put yourself (if possible) into the head of a GUZ immigration person! They will have about 60 seconds to read your letter and form an opinion. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW - and yes "evolution" of feelings needs to be in there...but the "facts" first. The facts, like all documents or position papers need to be from your "winning perspective", not begging, fear, apologetic, or musical.

 

My fear is that as I read the letter....it made me think that "finances" will be one of your biggest issues --- only my impression from reading your letter......so by definition the letter is a problem!

 

Who says the letter can only be 1 page! Mine was two pages since I lived in China for almost two years....I had a long evolution!

 

Sorry to be so "strong" to the negative but I think you have widely missed the mark here and as written, will not aid in your case, and might hamper it! I should have more time towards the end of the day...I'm in HST, so if you are interested I would be glad to share an additional 2 mao worth. Again, sorry to be in such a hurry.

 

{edit} Fixed broken quote tags.

Edited April 22, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[3timescharm]

Thanks for the help! I know i have a bad habit of writing letters that sound like music to my ears, but often can appear quite mediocre or even aggressive to others.

 

 

I dislike saying anything "negative" without taking the time to explain why --- but my 4 month old is making noise and I have to go take care of him.

 

In short, you need a NEW LETTER! (Your newer one is certainly better than your first one - never apologize, or beg, it shows weakness and they will smell the fear)

 

I would first ask that you stop...all this "music to your ears" stuff and put yourself (if possible) into the head of a GUZ immigration person! They will have about 60 seconds to read your letter and form an opinion. WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, HOW - and yes "evolution" of feelings needs to be in there...but the "facts" first. The facts, like all documents or position papers need to be from your "winning perspective", not begging, fear, apologetic, or musical.

 

My fear is that as I read the letter....it made me think that "finances" will be one of your biggest issues --- only my impression from reading your letter......so by definition the letter is a problem!

 

Who says the letter can only be 1 page! Mine was two pages since I lived in China for almost two years....I had a long evolution!

 

Sorry to be so "strong" to the negative but I think you have widely missed the mark here and as written, will not aid in your case, and might hamper it! I should have more time towards the end of the day...I'm in HST, so if you are interested I would be glad to share an additional 2 mao worth. Again, sorry to be in such a hurry.

I agree, you need to re-write and not be apologetic. Just give them the facts and make sure you do not give them any reasons to to look harder. Remember....give them what they want and do not give tyhem to much.

 

Robert

 

{edit} Fixed broken Quote Tages

Edited April 22, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[Broseph32]

Ok, i understand the 'apologetic' part with the old letter and what not, but i'm not seeing it in the first.

 

You did see where i said it was for reference only? It was for that same reason that i trashed it and only worked on the first one. I have no intention of using the 2nd one.

 

Ok- the whole part about not having enough money.... noted, but then how am i (or my fiancee for that matter even) going to explain not having engagement party photos if the VO asks? My cosponsor more than qualifies financially, and we have provided everything under the sun for him- my finances being a problem or not.

 

I understand that writing a little longer letter might not hurt.... but honestly, like you said, they have 60 sec.- weather or not they even bother to read the second page is a doubt of mine. I always thought the best idea was to make sure they'll read it- especially since i think we sorely need it- so i erred on the side of the 1 page max idea.... but can anyone confirm having had their VO read a longer letter come interview?

 

Also, im biased toward a one letter max- when we were in beijing for her tourist visa, my letter was 2 pages, and i heard my letter was the one thing the VO spent anytime looking at- but she didn't actually read the letter, she just spent about 90 sec. trying to figure out what a word i had blacked out with a pen said. It was a typo.

Edited April 22, 2010 by moonandstar99 (see edit history)

[Kyle]

Unless you sent your EOR letter in with your initial paperwork (front loaded), I think there is a very good chance that it will go unread. Our letter wasn't looked at. Neither my wife nor I were previously married either. If either of us were previously married, to me, this makes EOR letters much more important. We did get our EOR letter notarized (one page) while in Guangzhou for her interview and yes it was examined at that time - no questions were asked. In fact, the vice-counsel who notarized it asked me to sit down while it was processed. If you do decide to submit an EOR letter, I'd keep it less dramatic and stick to laying out the facts in a thoughtful manner. If you didn't send it in with your initial petition, then getting it submitted before her interview (while in Guangzhou) to the consulate worker who will do the preliminary paper processing minutes before she is called to interview will be your best bet. You can try to get it noticed when getting it notarized at ACS, but that is also a crap shoot. I wouldn't bet the bank that her VO will request it and read it during the interview itself. It may happen, but I doubt it. All of this comes from my personal experience - others of course will have differing experiences. Please do not hold my thoughts at the gold standard of GUZ procedure. Good luck.

[weiaijiayou]

Based on my own experiences and perspective, I'd suggest:

 

1 Since you use Chinese to communicate with your fiancee, you should write your letter in both Chinese and English.

2 Hand-write it and have it notarized, at ACS if possible.

3 For content: Your current letter has too much detail in some places and not enough in others. Where you talk about how you met is fantastic. Focus on that, and develop in more detail how your feelings toward your fiancee grew over time. For me, where your letter goes off-track is that you sometimes lose focus of your relationship (e.g., you say something to the effect of you went back "in part" to be with her), tell the VO things he or she will already know (we are applying for a K1, and the applicant is Yun, my fiancee), and talk too much about what you could/should have done instead of what you did (e.g., you could have married her, you took too long to have an engagement banquet).

 

I'd post the EOR I used, but since it's handwritten I'd have to type it all in, and I'm not sure you would be interested. If you are, let me know and I can post it, and perhaps it could be useful for you or others.

 

BTW, in my opinion there is nothing wrong with being sentimental, as long as it is expressing your real feelings and situation. Below is what I sent in as my "intent to marry" document to USCIS:

 

Dear USCIS officer,

 

In 2005 I was outside the United States for the first time in my life, and I found myself in Beijing, China, on what might have been a different planet from the small American town where I grew up. Only later would I discover that Jing, too, was far away from her home, in a place where the dialect was challenging and where even her closest relationships were only recently formed. I met Jing in Beijing by chance, through a mutual acquaintance, and our friendship became a refuge for me while abroad ¨C a place where language problems melted away with a smile, where cultural differences became moot in the face of the universalities of warm friendship and genuine, mutual interest and engagement. I knew from the start that Jing was someone I wanted to know for a long time, but, even then, I never could have imagined how important she would become to me.

 

Only two and a half years after meeting, Jing has become my most trusted confidante, my closest friend, my lover and companion. Her patience, her beauty, her resilience, her caring attitude for not just me but for all those around her ¨C these are some of Jing¡¯s qualities that make me certain that she is the woman I will spend the rest of my life with. These are some of Jing¡¯s qualities that transcend space and make me feel blessed, even when we¡¯re apart. These are some of Jing¡¯s qualities that allow me to wait for her, a smile on my face and my arms open, no matter for how long.

 

I, ¡°WeiAiJiayou,¡± hereby declare that I am legally able and willing to marry ¡°Jing¡± and will do so within 90 days of her arrival in the United States using the K-1 visa.

[Broseph32]

I'd post the EOR I used, but since it's handwritten I'd have to type it all in, and I'm not sure you would be interested. If you are, let me know and I can post it, and perhaps it could be useful for you or others.

From what i've seen of your intent to marry letter, i think it'd be pretty helpful to see it, if its not too much trouble for you.

[tsap seui]

A few years ago the EOR was being asked for as a blue slip item, a lot of us in que for the interview started writing them and having our girlfriends/wives try to hand them in at the beginning of the interview, along with the America passport if the guy was there. Back then a sort of EOR was asked for on the I-129F application, I used a continuation sheet to write one then...then, for the interview I hand wrote a new, two page, EOR letter, went to the consulate and had them notarize it as well as a new intent to marry letter.

 

With your letter just highlite the positives...that's all you need to do to build a quickly read... STRONG... EOR letter.

 

You've got a strong case, and you are wise to load the bases with a good EOR letter, even a new intent to marrry letter. I always say, and I did in our case, prepare so that if something goes wrong at the interview you can sleep at night knowing you covered all the bases.

 

By the way...my easily to see that it was notarized at the consulate EOR letter with it's attached new intent to marry letter was angrily shoved back through the VO's window UNREAD, along with my passport with it's four visa stamps. Not all of them get read at the interview, but that shouldn't stop you from preparing.

 

Good luck, you guys should be fine.

 

tsap seui

[weiaijiayou]

Good, comprehensive advice from Tsap Seui.

 

When I went and found the letter I wrote, I found it to be basically a love letter about my wife, which I also used as an "Updated Intent to Marry." It has feelings, experiences, and hopes, and basically nothing that can be corroborated aside from dates when I was in China. But still, I think a letter like this can be useful for several reasons: First, for cases like ours, it shows Chinese language skills and the ability to communicate (though, looking back just a year and a half later, these were perhaps not superior writing skills!). Second, even though all of this could be faked (for example, someone else could write your Chinese letter), it¡¯s my belief that any evidence you put your heart into should add something to the overall picture of your loving relationship (if it gets looked at).

 

My experience as far as getting the letter into the VO¡¯s hands: Before my wife¡¯s interview, I had the hand-written relationship letter notarized and took it to ACH. For one of my questions, I asked if my wife¡¯s interview could be in Chinese. The VO said ¡°no problem,¡± and asked if my wife and I used Chinese to communicate. I said yes and used this as an opportunity to talk about the letter, asking if there was any way it could be added to the file for my wife¡¯s case. The VO said it couldn¡¯t, but this at least opened the door for a short discussion about the letter. The VO said my Chinese handwriting was excellent and seemed to make notes about it. Since almost anyone could have written the letter, I asked if she wanted to hear me read from it, and she declined. We then went on to talk about my other questions. At the interview, my wife handed the letter to the VO with our passports. He accepted it and spent several minutes reading it.

 

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Updated Intent to Marry

 

Dear Consular Officer,

 

I have been struggling for weeks trying to find the words to describe my relationship with XX. I have asked myself: what adjective can I use to let you know how I feel when I hear her voice? What words can I use to explain how it feels to walk away from her at the airport, knowing that it will be almost a year before I can see her again? What promise can I make that will prove our love? How can I express the trust and faith we have in each other? No document can summarize the joy and sadness, the memories and hopes, the love, support, and faithfulness that make our beautiful relationship what it is. No matter what words I use, they always seem dull next to the love that inspires them.

 

When XX and I first met in Beijing in 2005, I knew I had met an extraordinary person. Over three years later, I am completely in love with her. She is both my fianc¨¦e and my best friend. She knows and understands me better than any other person in the world. Since 2005, I have gone back to China three times to be with XX (from June 9 ¨C June 30, 2007; from March 12 ¨C April 7, 2008; and from December 1, 2008 ¨C January 20, 2009). I will also be back in March 2009 so we can better support each other around the time of this interview. When apart, XX and I talk on the phone every morning and every night. We also send email to each other every day. Sometimes, we talk on the computer using QQ or MSN messenger, and we enjoy mailing each other letters and small surprises. Today, XX will be able to provide you with examples of our photographs, emails, QQ and MSN conversations, and letters.

 

XX and I hope that, as you view our evidence and talk to XX, you will see the genuineness of our love. We hope you will realize the sacrifices we have made for each other ¨C the long, lonely months spent on opposite sides of the world, the holidays celebrated while looking at each other on a webcam, the late nights and early mornings with telephones pressed to our ears, frustrated by bad reception but thanking goodness for technology. We hope you will see the wonderful relationship we have built. We know that every lonely moment we have experienced will be rewarded with a thousand happy ones, and that each tear we have cried will buy a thousand smiles. But we pray that, after you talk to XX, we won¡¯t still be earning our smiles and saving them for later. We hope you¡¯ll let us begin cashing in on our happy moments together. We pray that your words at the end of the interview will be, ¡°Congratulations, XX, you and XX can start your life together in America.¡±

 

I love XX with my whole being. I trust her completely, and I wait for the day when I can officially take her hand in marriage. I, XX, declare that I am legally able and willing to marry XX and will do so within 90 days of her arrival in the United States using the K-1 visa. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.

[weiaijiayou]

Looks like there were just a few luanma. XX=my wife, and sometimes me

 

Love Zhengzhou by the way... My wife is from Nanyang. Later today we MAY just be eating some henan huimian.

[Sam and Fen]

A few years ago the EOR was being asked for as a blue slip item, a lot of us in que for the interview started writing them and having our girlfriends/wives try to hand them in at the beginning of the interview, along with the America passport if the guy was there. Back then a sort of EOR was asked for on the I-129F application, I used a continuation sheet to write one then...then, for the interview I hand wrote a new, two page, EOR letter, went to the consulate and had them notarize it as well as a new intent to marry letter.

 

With your letter just highlite the positives...that's all you need to do to build a quickly read... STRONG... EOR letter.

 

You've got a strong case, and you are wise to load the bases with a good EOR letter, even a new intent to marrry letter. I always say, and I did in our case, prepare so that if something goes wrong at the interview you can sleep at night knowing you covered all the bases.

 

By the way...my easily to see that it was notarized at the consulate EOR letter with it's attached new intent to marry letter was angrily shoved back through the VO's window UNREAD, along with my passport with it's four visa stamps. Not all of them get read at the interview, but that shouldn't stop you from preparing.

 

Good luck, you guys should be fine.

 

tsap seui

 

I did have an EOR letter.

 

Since I have been on this site I do not remember anyone being asked for one.

 

The chances are you might get a blue and be asked for an EOR letter. The VO might not even give you a chance to hand it if you had one at the interview.

 

IMHO the EOR seems to be an outdated document.

 

Edited to add:

I am not saying not to have one but I would not loose sleep over it.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Sam and Fen (see edit history)

[xiaofeizhu]

I had not frontloaded an EOR, much like yourself. My husband and I also did not have an extravagant engagement party, nor did we even have much of a wedding party. When we married, we were dirt poor, living off my scholarship and his part time job in Japan. Our "ceremony" consisted of signing the mariage application and going to a some-what decent dinner with his sister and my family, which they paid for! We had a few pictures, one professionally taken on our wedding day, and the rest were at the dinner. I didn't have a dress, so looking at the pictures looks like my hubby took me out to dinner and bought me a bouquet of flowers.

 

What I am trying to say is that there is not necessarily a problem with having no party. It is not a requirement, but I would not bring attention to the fact that you did not have one. We never brought up that our "reception" looked like a semi-casual night on the town.

 

I hand-wrote an EOR before we went to the interview. I did not notarize it because notarizing it does not guarantee its authenticity, so I figured that it would only show that my signature was real, and could have a nice meal for $30 in China

 

I formatted my EOR as a timeline. I tried to exclude any references to my emotions and any references to the future. I also made sure there was evidence (in my husband's brief case) that could serve as proof of every statement I made.

 

Below is my EOR, in [brackets] is the proof I encluded for my hubby should the VO have had any questions of the authenticity of the statements.

 

Dear Immigration Visa Officer,

My name is "xiaofeizhu" and I am the wife and petitioner of "Mr. xiaofeizhu". Below is a brief timeline of our life together. I would greatly appreciate your favorable consideration in regards to today's interview.

 

2005 September - Met in Kyoto, Japan as classmates of Blah Blah University when I fell off my bicycle [Japanese visa to show the similar arrival dates of us to Japan]

2006 May 11 - Officially began dating [pic of us the night we began dating]

2006 June - Began living together in Mr. Xiaofeizhu's dorm [pics]

2006 December - Engaged [receipt of rings, translated]

2007 January 09 - Married at Shimogyo-ku Ward Office in Kyoto followed by dinner party [pics, marriage cert]

2007 March 14 - Moved into new rental appartment [pics, rental agreement]

2007 July - My parents, sister, and childhood friend visit us in Japan [copies of their entry stamps to Japan, pics]

2007 July 25 - Arrive together in China through Shenyang from Kansai International Airport [copy of visa, entry/exit stamps]

2007 September 04 - Began renting an apartment together in Beijing and taking classes at Beijing Foreign Studies University [rental agreement, translation of rental agreement, copy of student ID/tuition charges]

2007 October 13 - My mother and father fly into Beijing to visit us for 13 days, Mr. Xiaofeizhu's mother and father come to Beijing from Inner Mongolia [my mom/dad's passport entry/exit stamps, pics]

2008 January 31 - Returned to Inner Mongolia to spend time with Mr. Xiaofeizhu's family [train ticket]

2008 July 09 - Mr. Xiaofeizhu and I arrive in GUZ [train ticket]

2008 July 11 - My mother and father arrive in GUZ to visit and support us [passport entry stamps, physical passports at interview]

 

Sincerely,

Xiaofeizhu

2008 July 14

 

 

 

 

Hope this helps. Just as a side note, you said

Lastly, I would like to point out that our trip to the USA is more than just going home for us: it¡¯s also our only chance to marry and be able to live peacefully together for 3 more years.

I am not sure if I am reading this wrong, but it sounds like you will only be together for three more years.

 

I tried to keep my EOR easy to read so that the VO could just peek at it and be done. Our certification of the ability to communicate in Chinese and Japanese was done through an affidavit, but I think it is good to include it on the EOR, too. I would try to have some kind of proof that you can communicate in Chinese, though.

 

Sorry this post was so long!

 

PS The VO never looked at our EOR either, even though my hubby tried to give it to him.

Edited April 24, 2010 by xiaofeizhu (see edit history)

[Broseph32]

I am not sure if I am reading this wrong, but it sounds like you will only be together for three more years.

Thanks for that! What i really mean, is that i'm 20

And Chinese law prevents me from marrying her now.

[shenzhen]

We submitted an EOR letter with the I-130 application. My wife complained it was like a business letter instead of a love letter. I think that is how it should be. State the facts with names, dates, places and pictures to prove the facts. My letter was like the one xiaofeizhu posted.

 

When we went for the interview I updated the EOR letter and folded it in my passport, when my wife gave it to the VO he just threw it in the trash without looking.

 

You should bring one but dont expect it to make or break your case unless, as others have pointed out, you provide some information or present it in such a way as to show negative parts of your case.

 

I still beleive in the "give them what they ask for and nothing more". I saw people their with suitcases full of documents.

Edited April 24, 2010 by shenzhen (see edit history)

[weiaijiayou]

Keep in mind that many people here did not need to prove to the VO their ability to communicate in Chinese. From what you¡¯ve said about how you and your fianc¨¦e communicate, you¡¯re more than likely in a boat with only 5 or 10 regular/current posters on this board (including XiaoFeiZhu above).

 

The EOR/Letter of Intent to Marry can be an important piece in this puzzle. In it, talking about your feelings, personal relationship experiences, and other ¡°unprovables¡± in Chinese would seem to have value because it shows you can communicate in Chinese about issues relevant to a romantic relationship.

 

Using the EOR/Letter of Intent to Marry for this purpose is obviously not perfect because you can¡¯t guarantee that the VO will look at it. Hopefully you have front-loaded your petition with other evidence that suggests your communication ability and history in Chinese. For example, I used email logs of our communication, snail-mail letters (including my own translations of the letters into English for the people at USCIS), and a more detailed description in Chinese about how my wife and I first met (documented with pictures and included with our other photos).

 

Another poster in our same position last August tried using copies of her diplomas from various Chinese language programs as evidence of language ability. She got a blue slip for an EOR letter and the transcripts of her individual classes. Another poster shortly before my wife¡¯s interview tried using his wife¡¯s experience in an English program as evidence of her English ability. She got a blue slip for the school records.

 

Some people question how useful it can be to use stuff they have written in Chinese as evidence of their Chinese ability. After all, there is no real proof that you wrote it.

 

But on the other hand, this kind of evidence is good for the very same reason. There is no more related verification or documentation that they can request after reading it. The personal nature of the content, the feelings conveyed, and the way it is written should all help add to the authenticity of the communication and give the VO the impression that you have done everything in your power to allay his or her potential concerns.