DCFing I-130 next week, am I forgetting anything?

[David11]

Greetings CFLers!

 

My wife and I married last month and we are headed to Beijing early next week to DCF I-130. Am I forgetting anything vital? Any other feedback or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Additionally, where exactly do I go to DCF? The mailing address for DHS in Beijing is different from the Embassy's address. Do I go to the embassy, and if so which entrance? I have been there once prior to get the marriageability affidavit at the ACS office located upstairs after entering from the east side.

 

Here is what I have in my file to submit:

 

Application Materials-

Completed I-130

4x Completed G-325A's for myself

4x Completed G-325A's for my wife

Her Notarized Birth Certificate

Her Notarized Divorce Decree

Our Notarized Marriage Certificate

Copy of actual Marriage Certificate

Copy of Bio Data from my passport

Copy of Bio Data from her passport

Copy of my valid Chinese Residence Permit

1x Passport Photo of her

1x Passport Photo of me

 

Supporting Info-

-Affidavit from my employer stating that we have lived together since August 2009 and function as a happy couple, etc. in her opinion

-Affidavit from a current co-worker briefly outlying similar information as above

-Photocopies of old Chinese visa and entry/exit stamps from visit

-Screenshots of the two of us having Skype video calls with my family

-EOR letter (4-pages) outlying when we met (Sept 2008), how we met (Skype), and how things have evolved. I make mention of our conversation methods, my initial visit to Chine in February of 2009, how we have lived together since August of 2009, taken multiple trips together, visited her family on multiple occasions, etc. In the EOR letter I also mention that her ex-husband has since their divorce also remarried.

-Flight Itinerary/etickets/credit card receipts for my three flights to China

-Credit card statements with the name and city of the hotel I stayed at (in the city she lived in) during my first visit

-Copy of one letter she sent to me via postal mail. Multiple letters I sent to her never arrived.

-(23) Emails exchanged between my wife and I spread out between September 2008 to July 2009. 99% of our communication was on Skype but we do not have any logs of that.

- Skype screenshot of phone calls made to her and her mother's home when both of us made a trip home (hers to her hometown, mine to to the US) to visit family this summer.

-(15) Emails exchanged with my family spread out between Feb 2009 and present day. Some of the emails are addressed to both of us, but most of them are just family asking how the two of us are and me talking about her with family.

-(4) Receipts for gifts I purchased for my wife

-(2) Copies of e-cards from family congratulating us on our marriage

-(40) Pictures of the two of us together spread out between Feb 2009 and present day. In the pictures we can clearly be seen at different points of interest in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Xi'an, and others). In a few of the pictures we are together with my wife's family during visits.

 

I have a few small concerns also...

Our online relationship and initial meeting occurred well before she got divorced. Virtually no relationship between them existed at the time and they just were putting off going through the process because he was terrified of confronting his family about it.

 

My wife still technically owns the apartment her ex-husband lives in because the bank refuses to let her transfer it into his name until the loan is paid off, the loan won't be paid off for years, and they refuse to allow the loan to be transferred into his name.

 

We have little in the way of showing us as an actual married couple. We've functioned as a couple down to cohabitation for the last 16 months, but there was no formal marriage proposal because we had discussed marriage numerous times and were just waiting for a convenient time to actually do it. We also did not have any form of wedding ceremony because this is her second marriage and she preferred we save the money.

 

Any thoughts at all would be much appreciated!

[dnoblett]

You will find info for USCIS office in Beijing here including where they are and how to visit them. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=38b38875d714d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=1ac900c262197210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

 

Looks like enough.

 

Why the four G-325A from each? The form is no longer a 4 part form, if they wanted 4 copies the form would be a 4 part form like it use to be.

 

Also do not be conserned about the apartment loan having her name on it, this is normal.

Edited December 4, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[David11]

Thank you for the reply Dan.

 

In addition to the above I forgot to note that a copy of a "Thank You" card sent to my wife from my mother in response to gifts she sent her, a copy of our train tickets from four trips to visit her family, and a copy of plane tickets from two other instances of our travels.

 

I have read the USCIS website but I'm really dense (or more likely just a little nervous) and recalled a story of someone needing to explicitly state that they were there to visit "DHS" when entering and it didn't register that DHS and USCIS (which has directions on the website) are sort of the same thing in this instance.

 

Four copies of the G-325A because when emailing DHS Beijing about scheduling an appointment they attached an "I-130INFOSHEET" file and the one of the requirements on the checklist states "Form G-325A for both the petitioner and the beneficiary (4 copies for each, must be completed and signed)".

[dnoblett]

Well since you have four of them may as well turn them in, call it redundancy. Looks like their instructions have not caught up with the form, the G-325A use to be 4 part fill in page 1 and print, the form would print out the other 3 filled out for you. That form got updated about a year ago with a on page one.

[Kyle]

They only need one copy of the G325A- the info sheet you're talking about, is outdated. They only took one from each of us. One thing to note - be sure to bring original documents with you as well. They'll accept copies from you after seeing the originals. For example, your wife's passport will need to be shown before they accept her submitted bio page copy - Same is true for marriage certs, etc.

[David11]

Whew, I-130 and materials submitted.

 

In a total bonehead move I didn't double check the passport photos we submitted. We mistakenly used the Chinese size photos rather than 2"x2". The man who accepted the materials commented on them being the incorrect but still accepted them. Two other folks there also applying today did the same thing. I am hoping that him accepting them means that they will suffice but I'm a little worried about it.

[dnoblett]

Whew, I-130 and materials submitted.

 

In a total bonehead move I didn't double check the passport photos we submitted. We mistakenly used the Chinese size photos rather than 2"x2". The man who accepted the materials commented on them being the incorrect but still accepted them. Two other folks there also applying today did the same thing. I am hoping that him accepting them means that they will suffice but I'm a little worried about it.

should be OK for DHS, I did same thing when filing my wife's I-129F.