Hello everyone...
I'm getting my papers ready to send and I have a Lot of evidence including a birth certificate of our daughter, joint bank accounts, joint utility bills, Joint car insurance, health insurence cards, house Mortgage, Costco memberships and a lot more, but the ONLY thing I don't have is our joint Tax papers(we filed for an extention this year)!!!

My question is, is it necessary to send copies of our tax returns, or can I just send the evidence I have!!!I'm running out of time, my Conditional Green Card expires in less than a month!!!What do you suggest????

Send last year's taxes (as well as any from the years that you were married). When you file for an extension, you get a form with both your names on it, correct? So I would send that as well.

The birth certificate is the strongest evidence you have in my opinion, but you still might be risking an RFE because jointly filed tax returns are apparently one of those checklist items adjudicators look for. If you don't have or can't make copies of your tax returns from the last three years, you can order transcripts of your returns from the last three years from the IRS. You still have plenty of time -- I believe it only takes a week or so. As long as you make sure your I-751 gets to the service center by the day your green card expires, you'll be good to go.

I believe you have suffiecient evidence so you should be fine. although having more evidence never hurts!

Why are you going to risk it and get an RFE? Send your tax transcripts or copies of the federal taxes for the last two or three years you have been married. Do not assume anything, at least that is my opinion.

take care

You guys are right, I do not want to risk it, I hope it doesn't take time to get those papers ready!(I'm gonna keep NAGGING) until my busy husband takes care of this !!!

I agree.....send last year's tax return and a copy of the extension for this year's. If you owed, send in a copy of the check used to pay with the extension.

I think you will get a RFE if you don't.

It is going to take a long time for them to even get to your case.

In the meantime, you may be filing this year's tax return while your application is pending.

Keep a copy of it handy if there is an RFE.

My personal theory is that USCIS is issuing blanket RFEs for current-year tax returns if they are not included, and if enough time has gone by that they may have been filed since the application was submitted. As someone else mentioned, I think it is a "checklist" thing that they just send an RFE without thinking.

So the stupid thing about this process is that the processing of our applications takes so long, that another tax filing date passes, and everyone gets an RFE for their latest tax return.

All you can do if you haven't filed current year taxes is just send in every past year's tax forms where you have filed together jointly. And don't forget to properly file 2007 tax returns before the end of 2008 (even if due a refund) because you have to file in 2008 to get the "stimulus" tax rebate check.

kenk3z

A US tax return is an important US document - it shows that you are being a 'legal' and responsible resident or citizen - so if you do not include that as part of the proof of you living here as 'normal' married people then it could be taken negatively. At the minimum send in the extension copy showing what you paid with the extension). Think of the importance of taxes to the US agencies not as just another piece of proof to be surpassed by pictures or bills or affidavits from family and friends. Good Luck

Thank you,
We finally sent the package WITH the joint Tax returns for the past 3 years, so hopefully everything should be fine.

Tax returns are not neccesary I have learnt that over the years of reading this question.

And I have also read and been told by a lawyer that too much evidence piss's USCIS off they want the facts, not all the little tit bits that go with it because it takes too long to go through it all, and holds them up.

By the same token, the USCIS can and has sent RFE's for NOT enough evidence. We don't plan on risking an RFE...if it upsets the adjudicator then maybe they will get off their arse and adjudicate! We plan on sending tax returns....