mavengirl

my fiance in sweden got his checklist and we have been working like mad to get everything in a hurry to so he can get his interview date. well, when he told me that he needed me to send him my divorce papers AGAIN i bout lost it. i already sent these to INS, why do they need this again? and also they need my marriage certificate as well. doesnt the embassy get all the stuff i sent into TSC? that would include the divorce papers. i dont mean to gripe, but how many trees do these people want to kill anyways?? does anyone know why they need 2 sets of divorce papers?
just curious
shannonF

anggraeni

hi snannon..
same thing happened to me with the jakarta embassy. i thought the consulat already got all stuff from TSC but they did ask me again. the same documents. they even had a session called 'documents screening' which was held one day before the interview date. if you cant show the documents they ask, you wont get your interview. hmmm

i dont know exactly why they ask again.. maybe, maybe they want to make sure you and your fiancee are ready. or maybe they dont have anything else to do hahaha.

and to make it more fun to them, they asked my fiance ORIGINAL divorce paper that i didnt have. my fiance had to get it from our lawyer, run to fedex it right away, i got it just 12 hours before the interview!

my suggestion is, keep in touch with the consulat, tell what documents your fiance has in hand and ask whether they still need more so you both can prepare before the interview date. better overprepared than loosing the chance to get the interview, dear.

good luck.
anggraeni

21stcenturylove

Dear Friends,

My humble observations on this issue:

Shannon questions why does the Embassy asks for documents like B.C, M.C or divorce decrees when the US citizen already submits them to BCIS while filing I 129F ? why do they need 2 sets??

Anggraeni is further furious that the embassy needs Originals of them and not just photocopies !!

I believe we can understand these situations in the following way:

When the US citizen files his/her fiance(e) or spouse visa, s/he is given the opportunity to just send a photocopy (front and back) of the birth/marriage certificates /divorce or adoption decree. Remember BCIS wants only copies NOT ORIGINALS. If you send originals, it is entirely upto you. So BCIS takes that everybody sends only copies.

Since these are only photocopies, they can be verified only at the time of interview of your fiance(e). Further, asking the fiance(e) to produce these originals, gives Embassy the key methodology to verify if the person appearing at the interview is really your fiance(e), assuming that only your fiance(e) has access to your vital ORIGINAL documents.

So there is reasonable justifications in the Embassy's requirements. It is upto us, the aspirants, to be well prepared for these eventualities. Of course, dont we have alteast 2 months of waiting time to prepare these documents?

Having said that, we do have some last minute hiccups and bizzare disappearences of certificates (one of our friend unfortunately had to go through this yesterday 4th April). We have to sympathise with those friends. Even then there is a way out, embassies ask you to come back with the originals / certified copies of these certificates to pick up the VISA.

Sleuth

Remember, this process is completed through at least two completely different departments (very large departments) of the US.... The Department of Homeland Security (DHS-BCIS) and the Department of State (consular activities).

Each department likely maintains their own files. Of course, as a matter of checking and cross checking, after the BCIS does their thing, the Department of State and the Consulate do their things.

I guess the bottom line here is.... they want it because they can get it. lol


K

Noorah101

yikes, after reading this post, I better get started getting originals of
documents ready to send to my guy! Thanks for the tip!

angeles73

Ugh, they want marriage certificates from the first marriage??? YIKES...

Can someone please list what the embassy requires document wise. I knew they wanted to see the divorce, but the marriage is a first.

Ange

Rete

Yes, even for Canada, Jim had to bring marriage certificates from his two former marriages. I, as the USC, did not have to send him my MC, only my original divorce decree.

Just to remind everyone if you read the instructions on the I-129F it says you will make originals available upon request. So if the Consulate wants originals, give it to them. Even if they don't specifically ask for them in their instructions, it is always prudent to be cautious and give them to your intended to hand carry to the interview.

Rete

angeles73

My understanding of Maven's post was that they were asking for her marriage decree as well as her fiance's. I sent Oscar all of my paperwork. I'm hoping not to spend $25.00 for my original marriage certificate which seems pretty useless considering they have my divorce decree.

Ange

Linda & Eric

Ack...I hope they wont want my Marriage certificate...I didn't send one to VSC thinking that the divorce decree would suffice....should I expect an RFE?

I did send originals of all of my documents I submitted with the I129F to Eric for the interview.

Rete

The woman's MC is required, I believe, to show change of name from say maiden name to married name. My divorce decree showed that on the last page, last paragaph .... that I was free to use my maiden name again.

Remember every US Consulate many have their own requirements over and above the norm.

It is not a requirement, at least back then, for the I-129F. We are talking US Consulate here, not service center.

Rete

Linda & Eric

I did send my name change form that I got from the courthouse. I suppose it's just me being "anal rententive" about everything.

I'm just the type that has to plan for every possible thing.