Statement from friends / family

[bec_goe 4]

I couldn't find anything on this but if you have a friend / family member doing a statement, does it have to be witnessed by a solicitor like a Stat Dec or is it only signed by the person preparing the statement?

Many thanks!

[scotinmass 588]

We didn't get them notarized. They were just signed by the person who wrote it.

[Alaska2012 462]

They don't have to be notarized. Also keep in mind, a letter like that is nice and all but as evidence they don't do much.

[bec_goe 4]

They don't have to be notarized. Also keep in mind, a letter like that is nice and all but as evidence they don't do much.

I was thinking a statement from my husband's mum - I am actually wearing her ring that my husband's late father gave her 60 years ago..

And also a statement from my friend that was at our wedding and had travelled to the USA with me twice when I met my husband.

[andy78 178]

I got mine notarized because that adds credibility to the document. Make sure you put all the required contact information in each of them. Obviously, the statements on their own won't do much, but they help as part of a complete application, especially if the evidence is lacking in other areas.

[bec_goe 4]

I think we have a lot of evidence -

Last year, my husband came out for the first time in August, I then came to LA for 3 months last October, we then travelled to Sydney (via Hawaii) together, spent New Years Eve in Sydney and then we travelled to Brisbane (with my daughter) where we met a few days and he met my family.

This year, I met him in LA and we then caught a plane to SF spending a few days there and then we drove down to LA. We spent about 2 weeks in LA together and a few days in Vegas where we got married.

Next month I am going back out to LA with my daughter for 10 days to spend Christmas and New Years with my husband.

We have a lot of flight receipts, gift receipts, hotel receipts, hire car receipt, a lot of photographs, our wedding receipt, social media screenshots etc. We speak and text every single day but I noticed with the iPhone Facetime, it doesn't keep a record of how often you call.

Seeing all this above, do you think we have enough evidence?! I thought maybe a statement from my mother in law stating that we spent a month together in LA and that she gave me such a sentimental family piece, this should also prove a lot?!!

[andy78 178]

So do you and your husband live together? I don't know what type of application you will file, but living together would be very important in something like I-751 application to remove conditions.

Anyway, the letter from your mother in law will help. You should gather as much types of evidence as possible. , but here are some of the things I used

- Drivers license showing same address

- Joint car insurance

- Life insurance

- Joint health insurance

- Joint tax return (if you will have later)

- Documents/letters belonging to husband, and, documents/letters belonging to wife, showing same address. For example: bills, invoices, bank letters, W2 forms, earning statements from employers, etc.

- Copies of stamped letters/cards exchanged before marriage.

- Copies of e-mails or online communication

- I even asked my employer for a letter stating that my spouse has been listed as an emergency contact starting on a specific date before we got married.

Also, if you have any joint bank accounts or credit cards, that would be good. Joint property or loans (car loan, etc.)

[bec_goe 4]

So do you and your husband live together? I don't know what type of application you will file, but living together would be very important in something like I-751 application to remove conditions.

Anyway, the letter from your mother in law will help. You should gather as much types of evidence as possible. , but here are some of the things I used

- Drivers license showing same address

- Joint car insurance

- Life insurance

- Joint health insurance

- Joint tax return (if you will have later)

- Documents/letters belonging to husband, and, documents/letters belonging to wife, showing same address. For example: bills, invoices, bank letters, W2 forms, earning statements from employers, etc.

- Copies of stamped letters/cards exchanged before marriage.

- Copies of e-mails or online communication

- I even asked my employer for a letter stating that my spouse has been listed as an emergency contact starting on a specific date before we got married.

Also, if you have any joint bank accounts or credit cards, that would be good. Joint property or loans (car loan, etc.)

No - I live in Sydney and he lives in Los Angeles.

When I get out there next month, we are going to open up a joint bank account depending on whether or not an Australian citizen can do that in the USA?

[andy78 178]

Yes, you can open a bank account in the US. I think you have to have a local address and valid ID.

[NikLR 13,220]

It took me a while on this website, along with getting notarized documents, to find out that notarizing in the USA does nothing but show that someone watched someone sign a document. So in other places, the notarization makes a statement a "sworn" statement, in the USA it does no such thing so it's unnecessary if you don't want to for whatever reason.

All you need for a bank account normally is an SSN and address. I suggest the USC spouse open the account and you just be added.

[bec_goe 4]

Many thanks for your help!

[Cathi 5,609]

I got mine notarized because that adds credibility to the document. Make sure you put all the required contact information in each of them. Obviously, the statements on their own won't do much, but they help as part of a complete application, especially if the evidence is lacking in other areas.

no it doesn't. A letter is secondary evidence and doesn't hold much weight. We sent letters for removal of conditions, and at the that point in the process they are asked for, we did not have ours notarized and had no problems whatsoever

[andy78 178]

no it doesn't. A letter is secondary evidence and doesn't hold much weight. We sent letters for removal of conditions, and at the that point in the process they are asked for, we did not have ours notarized and had no problems whatsoever

Yes, it does. A notary shows that the person signing the letter is who he or she says they are, rather than the applicant manufacturing it and signing it in someone else's name. That's credibility. And, it wouldn't be an affidavit if it wasn't notarized. Also, those letters do carry weight in many cases, especially in cases where there is a lack in other types of evidence. For example, good faith waiver cases where evidence may be limited due to the short duration of marriage. The affidavits may or may not carry weight depending on the circumstances of each case.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

It sounds like you have more than enough primary evidence to the point where statements would just be redundant at this point. They really don't hold much weight as it is, but you have proof of a bona fide marriage so especially redundant in your case.

Even when notarized, not really an effective means of proof, not that you would need to worry about that. I would honestly just focus on what you have. If it really makes you sleep better at night then yeah, include it, but it's really not necessary. It's not going to make or break your case.

That being said, you might want to look into the bank account thing as other have mentioned. That's going to be much more important than statements from family members.

Edited November 25, 2015 by MorganandMichael

[FabtheFab 67]

Hi, I got approved two weeks ago.

I was more or less in the same situation as you are right now - living in different countries, no financial comingling yet, etc.

My mother-in-law wrote a really sweet letter about me and my daughter. She said she has met us more than once, that all my husband's extended family has met us and really appreciates us, that my daughter gets along well with the other kids even though her English isn't fluent yet, that they can't wait until we're all there, blah blah, etc.

I know it sounds like a lot of fluff, but the CO actually read the letter and asked me about it in the interview. So in my case, I think it was quite positive.

I got it notarized because I thought it wouldn't hurt. Please send me a private message in case you want more details.

Good luck!

PS - I tried getting a joint bank account but my husband's bank wouldn't let me because I had no SSN. I tried getting an ITIN and it turned out to be quite difficult, so we went without it and it was fine.

Edited November 25, 2015 by FabtheFab