Prepare reliable birth and relationship information, marital status and any relevant existing immigration filings or notices.
Build a factual timeline
Identify what has actually been submitted and what is only planned, with dates supported by records. Ask counsel which documents and legal milestones matter. A family calendar or sales proposal cannot establish an immigration filing date, and uncertainty should be marked clearly rather than resolved through a convenient assumption.
Build the timeline before the meeting so the consultation is spent on analysis rather than reconstruction. Record what has actually been submitted and what is only planned, with each entry supported by a document and a date, and mark clearly anything the household is unsure of. A family calendar, an adviser email or a sales proposal records an intention and does not establish an immigration filing date, and treating one as though it did is how a household arrives at a confident answer built on nothing.
Prepare reliable birth and relationship information and marital status, together with any existing filings or notices, then ask counsel which documents and legal milestones actually matter here. Keep the uncertain entries marked as uncertain rather than resolving them for tidiness. Bring the timeline to every later meeting so it stays current.