Sorry but I have to ask this question...

[MarcRosie]

I know Randy sort of answered the question before when I asked if we needed to bring all original documents we sent copies of to NVC to GUZ for my wife's daughter's interview, but do we need to supply my birth certificate? Last 3 years of tax returns (which I sent to NVC)? Proof of my employment? Our marriage license from USA? I need to be sure. If they go and don't have something because I said we didn't need it you know who's gonna pay!

 

Thanks!

[warpedbored]

Personally if I was in doubt I'd send it.

[tsap seui]

I'll make it simple Marc, because I am a simple guy...I made sure my wife and son had EVERY FREAKIN' THING I HAD EVER SENT IN, OR OR THAT I THOUGHT THEY COULD POSSIBLY NEED FOR THEIR INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERY SINGLE PERSON involved in the matter's birth certificates....EVERY SINGLE FINANCIAL paper I had sent in already, or that I could think of....EVERY RED BOOK and slip of paper from the marriage in China....REAMS of paper showing I was on SSDI and VA service connected disability (since I couldn't legally work)...you name it, they had it...and it didn't matter to me what anyone else said "they needed", they HAD IT ALL!!!!

 

Now, what do they "need" to take with them? I'll leave that to the good hands of much more complicated thinkers and people than my self, Dan and Randy.

 

You can send them in to the interview "minimalistically"...or you can send them prepared to answer any question or bit of evidence that none of us have ever seen asked for at an interview. Take what you can from Dan and Randy, think about this process that you have studied and researched yourself (I can only hope for many many hours on) and send them in with anything else that you think they could possibly need to cover every remote situation that could rise it's ugly head, and then....then you send them in with what you feel you can sleep "doubt free" and "soundly" with, should anything go wrong, or should they have needed something they didn't have.

 

At the end of the day, if they needed something they didn't have, you aren't going to be able to switch the blame on Dan and Randy, because they didn't say they would need it....reread your last sentence.

I devoted almost 5 years of my life intensely studying and researching this subject. Dan was my main mentor at that time, but I read and took notes on every single scrap of information I could find on the subject, mainly from Candle, and any case files I could find elsewhere. I was in that damned Guangzhou with them for almost a week before their interview and each day and night we rehearsed every scenario I could come up with. They weren't gonna fail from lack of any damn paperwork.

 

Good luck to all three of you.

 

tsap seui

[MarcRosie]

"At the end of the day, if they needed something they didn't have, you aren't going to be able to switch the blame on Dan and Randy, because they didn't say they would need it....reread your last sentence."

 

I meant that I would be paying. Not anyone else.

 

Thanks for your response!

[tsap seui]

Marc, I knew that was what you meant...I read your last sentence and well understood both the humor, and the reality of that sentence. See, I too have a Chinese wife.

 

I hope you got more than that out of my response. I was trying to make a point about taking material to the interview. Forgive me if you felt I stepped on your toes.

 

Good luck to all three of you.

 

tsap seui

[Mick]

Always better to overkill than underkill. Whenever I lived down in South Florida and encountered those giant palmetto bugs, that look like cock roaches on steroids, I would step on them three or four times, just to make sure they wouldn't pull a Lazarus on me. Same thing with the paperwork, if in even a little bit of doubt, send it. Each visa officer has their own quirks and there is no way to predict what they will ask for. Over the years I have seen them ask for everything from notarized copies of a letter from an employer, to a video tape of the petitioner speaking Chinese. Again, my two cents say be safe, not sorry. Good luck for much success.

[dnoblett]

Only reason US citizen birth cert would've needed is prove citizen. In this case your wife filed petition not you. Only way you are attached to this is affidavit of support which does not require birth cert.

[MarcRosie]

Thanks everyone for the help! You are all great! One other question (as always huh)...

 

They (GUZ) say she must have all 'originals' of all documents sent as they (NVC) say that everything that they were sent were scanned. All I have are 'copies' of everything i.e. tax papers, etc. as I do everything online. I would assume then that these will suffice?

 

But I was required to send birth certificate, marriage license, employment letter, utility bills, copy of drivers license because I filed the I-864A also.

 

Thanks! All of you have HAPPY FATHER'S DAYS!!!

[dnoblett]

They just want to see the documents that were scanned to verify the scans were acurate, so yes things like tax documents if were print outs etc, will be fine.

[MarcRosie]

Sorry I just need to ask to be sure. I'm not a stupid man (most times) but I have a Chinese wife that if I would make a mistake after they travel to Guangzhou for this, I would never hear the end of it. Plus I want to do what's right and good.

 

I don't want her going into the interview and have the officer say, "This isn't an original!" Question being...my birth cetificate and US marriage license, utility bill, cancelled check. I don't want to take the chance of losing the original birth certificate and marriage license through USPS, so can I send copies of these? Seems like if I send copies then they might say, "These are just copies. We need the originals."

 

I'll send everything I can as you suggested tsap seui, but since I can't be there with them in GUZ, if I can send everything I have here in the US electronically (email) to my wife it will save stress and a lot of time.

 

Thanks!

[Randy W]

Sorry I just need to ask to be sure. I'm not a stupid man (most times) but I have a Chinese wife that if I would make a mistake after they travel to Guangzhou for this, I would never hear the end of it. Plus I want to do what's right and good.

 

I don't want her going into the interview and have the officer say, "This isn't an original!" Question being...my birth cetificate and US marriage license, utility bill, cancelled check. I don't want to take the chance of losing the original birth certificate and marriage license through USPS, so can I send copies of these? Seems like if I send copies then they might say, "These are just copies. We need the originals."

 

I'll send everything I can as you suggested tsap seui, but since I can't be there with them in GUZ, if I can send everything I have here in the US electronically (email) to my wife it will save stress and a lot of time.

 

Thanks!

 

 

EMS allows door-to-door (American door to Chinese door) trackability, through the USPS website, and the Chinese EMS website (http://www.ems.com.cn/english.html?COLLCC=13633944&), with signature verification. Delivery in about 1 week.

 

That being said, you may wish to use discretion and send only required documents or even send certified copies instead of the originals. No actually ORIGINAL documents are needed - certified copies (with the raised and/or official seal) may be sent instead. Photo copies (i.e., copier or scanner) are NOT acceptable - certified copies (from the issuing authority) are.

 

American legal documents are easily replaced, in most cases.

 

To send a package via EMS, use the USPS' Priority Mail Express International or Priority Mail International. The Global Express Guaranteed hooks up to FedEx, which may or may not deliver to your location. China Post/EMS will deliver to any location in China.

[MarcRosie]

Letter they sent us says....

An original I-864 (or I-864EZ, if applicable) signed by the petitioner must be submitted with his or her most recent Federal income tax return. If a petitioner’s or joint sponsor’s tax return was jointly filed with his/her spouse, submit evidence of the petitioner’s or joint sponsor’s individual income (e.g. W-2) or an original I-864A from his/her spouse.

Sounds like the wife has to fill out another I-864 along with our Fed Tax returns to take to the interview? If we have the copies of the tax papers that show her and I filed jointly, will I need to fill out another I-864A?

[dnoblett]

Yes for the I-864 and I-864A, if you had scanned and emailed to NVC, the consulate needs to collect the original forms to add to the immigration record they will send USCIS, the attached tax forms and financial documents can be photo-copies per USCIS, but the I-864 and I-864A need to be the original signed forms.

 

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/ad334/dnoblett/Immigration%20Stuff/I-864copies_zps961abbe6.jpg

 

I-864 Instructions page 2: http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864instr.pdf

[MarcRosie]

One other question as we get ready for the interview. I sent all papers (originals and all others they are requiring) but...wife just told me that the photos that we had sent in showing her and her daughter together throughout her life...were here! Well not all of them but the ones we sent are. Will other photos showing these same things (she has a lot of them there in Chengdu) be acceptable or do they have to be the exact photos?

[dnoblett]

One other question as we get ready for the interview. I sent all papers (originals and all others they are requiring) but...wife just told me that the photos that we had sent in showing her and her daughter together throughout her life...were here! Well not all of them but the ones we sent are. Will other photos showing these same things (she has a lot of them there in Chengdu) be acceptable or do they have to be the exact photos?

Should be fine, photos are secondary evidence and will not be needed at interview, they only want to see any document that are photo copies and scans in the file, just to verify the authenticity of the copies/scans.

 

In this case bonafied relationship is not being questioned, this is a mother/daughter case, I have never heard to read of a visa denial in this case, it is not a spouse visa case which can be a visa fraud case.