Beamer

Has anyone included pictures with their form I-130? Would it be good to send? If so ... How should I represent them? Not many pictures fit on a Word document. Any tips? Thank you.

Noorah101

I don't believe pictures are required, but double check the I-130 instructions.

That said, when I included pictures with some of my husband's immigration paperwork (we did a K-1 visa so needed to prove we met in person), I was able to print 6 photos per page, with a short caption under each one.

Rene

jeffreyhy

I did not. But for applications that did call for photos I printed out four 3x5 photos on a single 8x10 photo sheet, close in size to 8-1/2x11 or A4 paper. These days, with good quality color printers readily available at reasonable prices, I would probably print them on paper at home rather than photo stock.

Regards, JEff

Beamer

Thanks Rene and Jeff.

Rene ... For your captions, how did you identify each person? Did you use real names or "Petitioner and Beneficiary"

Also, what program did you use to print out your pictures?

Noorah101

I used real first names, and relation if not me or my fiance. For example, in a photo of us with other people I put:

Rene, Sadegh, Linda (sister). Istanbul, May 2001.

I did it so long ago I don't recall now whether I inserted them in a Word document, or if I used the Windows Photo printer thingy on my home computer. It's easy enough to insert a photo into a Word document and write a caption underneath, though.

Rene

Beamer

Thanks again, Rene. Good to know I can use real names. I'll play around with Word. I'm just struggling to fit more than 2 pictures per page. I don't want the pictures to be too small in size ... I guess it doesn't matter? Were some of your pictures side to side or only one under the other? I'm not very tech savvy, you see

Noorah101

I don't recall offhand if I printed them portrait style or landscape, but I know I put 2 photos side by side, in 3 rows, on one 8.5 x 11 page. The photos were not very large, but you could still see we were in the photo. LOL

Rene

Edit to Add: The more I think about it, I think I used the Photo Printer program in Windows. It lets you choose how many photos you want per page, and prints it appropriately. I think it lets you type in a caption, too.

Noorah101

AHA! I found it. It was the MS Office Picture Manager.

Go to where you have your photos saved, and hold down the control key while clicking on each picture you want to print.

Then go to File, Print, and a "Photo Printing Wizard" box will pop up.

Click Next, and it will ask you to check mark all the photos you want to print (should be all the ones you selected already).

Click Next, it asks you to choose a printer.

Click Next, it asks you to choose a format (now that I look at the formats, I guess I did 4 pics per page, not 6, sorry).

Click Next, and the photos will print. This does not give you a chance to make a caption, but I know I did on my home computer at some point...maybe it was with a different program, or maybe it was in Word. Either way, you can handwrite whatever info you want on the page after it prints.

Rene

Moxie

In Word make a text box roughly the size you want the picture. Then with the cursor inside the text box-- Insert>picture. Navigate to where the picture is on your computer to select the one you want. It fills the text box. With ipic in a text box, you can select the text box and resize or slide it around on the page or put a little picture overlapping a corner of a bigger one. Make a regular photo essay if you like. Other text boxes can be used for the captions. Again, those can overlap the photo.

Things to experiment with--
Sometimes you select the actual photo edge rather than the text box around it and it doesn't resize or do what you want like move. Be sure a get the outside of the textbox with the Select tool. It looks like a big white arrow icon in the menu or Drawing Toolbar.
The text box may default with a black line around it. Click it and change the line to "none".
If you try to overlap a caption and it ends up under the pic rather than on top of it, select it and find "Arrange" and click "bring to front."

Kinda brief/vague instructions but maybe you can experiment and create a layout that suits you.

Beamer

Thanks a million, Rene and Moxie. You've both helped me immensely. I now have a better idea on how to do this. Makes my life a little easier

S Folinsky

Picassa allows for captions to be added and then printed out.

Beamer

Thanks, Folinsky. I'll be sure to check it out.

I have a question regarding affidavits from friends and family. Must the letter be written by a person who has spent time with me and my wife post marriage? My wife's sister and mom have known me for years and have seen my wife and I together prior our wedding day only. (last summer) Can they still write letters for us? We've been keeping in touch via phone and Internet since our big day. Thank you.

Noorah101

They are supposed to be people who know you "as a married couple". I would say affidavits from people who have spent time with you AFTER you got married would be stronger than people who spent time with you before you were married...but then again, affidavits are not the strongest form of evidence anyway, so you can probably submit whatever you have.

You can certainly have your MIL and SIL write them, and say that they continue to keep in touch with you and your wife via Internet and phone.

Rene

jeffreyhy

If they are the best affiants that you have, they will have to do - if you want to submit affidavits. Keep in mind the purpose of the affidavits - to document that you have established a life together and did not get married soley to gain an immigration benefit for whichever of you is the intending immigrant.

Regards, JEff

Beamer

Thank you. We will only be sending 2 letters - Just in case. One from my mom who is American and another from either my wife's mom or sister who lives abroad. I read on here that the letters don't have to be notarized as long as they include a declaration. Are the declarations the same for the US Citizen and the non-US citizen?

Example:

I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [date]

Would that apply to both my mom (USC) and mother/sister in law (non-USC)?

I'm asking because I read on some site that if executed inside the US it must be written like this:

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on [date]

Thanks for your input.