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FianceeVisaServices.Com Your Personal Immigration Guide
Hi. My name is Fred Wahl. I am a bonded immigration consultant, with 36 years of experience, and
a 100% success rate.
Todays Topic is: "How to select the right Photographs to a Prove Bone Fide Relationship
The following are the techniques I apply on every Fiancee visa, Spousal
visa and Adjustment of Status petition I prepare.
Before preparing one of my signature "Front Loaded Petitions" for a couple I always give
them a long detailed, personalized, checklist of all the evidences that I know work to help
prove a couple's relationship is "Bone Fide".
The couple works off of this checklist, gathering as many of the items as they can, then finally
sends me a box of documents, forms, messages, bills, tickets, photos and so on.
I call this package The Shoebox. Once I get the shoebox I block off most of a day from
my calendar, so I can quietly spread out, and examine each piece they have sent me.
My plan is to "tell their story", that of a genuine, bone fide couple, who deserves
to be speedily reunited in tbe USA, by picking and choosing those evidences that are most
persuasive and positive.
One of the areas I spend a considerable amount of time on is in going over their photos and
choosing the right ones. Its quite true that a picture IS worth a thousand words. Not only
can the photos prove one of the basic eligibility requirements of a face to face meeting, but
when carefully chosen can go a very long way in generating a solid impression that the
relationship is sincere.
The immigration officer is not your Aunt Bee who would love to spend hours closely examining
each of the 500 photos taken from your engagement party.The consular officer has limited time
or patience. Just pick a very few photos that quickly tell the whole story.Imagine you are
giving a slide show and have ONLY one minute to show your wbole
story.
What photos would you choose? Here is my answer.
First of all, EVERY photo you present MUST have both you and your fianc�e visible in
the photo.
Only choose photos that show positive body language. Look at the couple on the left.
They're both smiling; both leaning towards each other, they are obviously comfortable
with each other.They are obviously a happy couple.
Compare this to the picture on the right. It looks like they just had an argument.
If you have tight close ups on the couple' s faces, like from holding a cell phone camera
at arms lenght. The story is very limited. We see you are together but you are wasting
and missing the opportunity to say much more. Instead move the camera farther out, put more
information into the frame.
Take the photos at a mid range so that we not only recognize the couple but also notice
where you were and what you were doing.
This shows you spent time together and shows that you travelled and you did activities
together and you were happy in each other's presence while you were doing it.
Try to go on more trips to visit your fianc�e Face to Face. If possible go at different
times of the years so that your photos reflect different seasons, or different events or
festivals or holidays that are going on so that it will be very clear when the picture
was taken.
Take photos at different times of the day to show that you spent a lot of time together.
Having your camera automatically insert the month, day and year into each photo is the
simplest and most effective way to demonstrate when your photos were taken and that you spend
more than one day together.
Take some shots with friends or co-workers. If a couple is genuine, one expects the proud
fianc�e to show off and introduce her fianc� to her friends or coworkers or fellow students.
A group photo at her place of study or work or leisure with her peers is a good choice.
A sincere suitor meets his prospecive in-laws and especially tries to meet her parents or
family elders to (in theory) ask for her hand. A photo showing the couple together with her
happy and on-board family is a must.
Don't be repetitive. One of my clients gave me 12 pictures of him and his fianc�e at
dinner one evening at a single restaurant. Of course each one of these pictures was very
precious to him and to his fianc�e but this should be saved for the family album not used
for a visa petition. One, possibly two pictures maximum from a particular event in your time
together is interesting and effective.
A consular office will be reviewing your petition and then sitting down with
your fianc�e to interview her about your relationship. You want to make sure that the
photos he sees keeps him friendly, interested and on your side, that he has a positive feeling
about you and your fianc�e .
The office may have strong moral, racial, religious or cultural biases. Be extra careful
NOT to inavertently offend him.
Do not allow any suggestion of sexuality no matter how subtil, into the hotos you choose.
No kissing hugging, no pictures in bed or even the bedroom.
Avoid looking like King Kong with a tiny Fay Ray. Organize the photos so that you don't
seem to be overwhelming and overpowering your fianc�e. Try midrange shots where both of
you are sitting down together so your heads are side by side.
Avoid negative body language from the other people in each photo. I got one photo of a
couple with her parents. The couple was smiling but the parents were scowling. Perhaps that's
the way the parents always look. But that particular photo made it appear that the parents
were not happy with the engagement. Such a photo should be avoided.
Be sure not to be culturally offensive. I got one photo and the couple were in
front of a statue of a character out of her country's cultural history. The couple were
making hand gestures like the character was wearing horns.
Perhaps the officer would have enjoyed the joke thought that was funny like the couple
did or perhaps he would've been offended.It is not worth it to take the chance.
And finally don't cheat. I've seen many photos where the date stamps on the photos have been
fakes. This always gets caught. Don't even attempt it.
My imaginary ideal timeline, of a genuine romantic engagement would be as follows.
My ideal couple has been corresponding for 6 months or more. The man flies to meet her
for the first time. They spend a week getting to know each other. She shows him her country.
They are in love.
Three to six months later, he can't bear to be apart from her any longer
and flies back to her country. He stays longer this time and he meets her family and her
friends and he gives her a ring and they become formally engaged. She shows him more of her
country. And upon his return to the USA, he submits the fianc� visa petition.
The photos I would like to see from the first trip would be just simple photos of the couple
together on different days wearing different clothing in various
identifiable locations.
From the second trip somewhat the same idea but also be added photos now with her family,
and friends and an engagement party with she wearing the engagement ring.
I make the process sound simple. But its not.
If you want it done right. Guaranteed. I can help.
This is Fred Wahl your Personal Immigration Guide.
For your free copy of one hundred and twenty "Must Have"
visa interview questions, visit FianceeVisaServices.com/free