Hello Forum, sorry to post a silly question but how much material are people sending in with their I-751 petition? I've begun to organize my stack of papers with section tabs, but they don't fit in a 1-inch file - they may or may not fit in a 1.5-inch file. Does that seem normal or excessive?

For example, is it really necessary to supply a photocopy of every page of telephone bills for the last 2+ years? That alone amounts to more than 1/4 inch, double-sided. It would seem sensible to skip every few months or use just the first page of every bill, but it's surely stupid to be asked for more information for being incomplete the first time around.

I think my attorneys would definitely overprepare me - they would absolutely provide everything (so that may be the safe way to go). Only I'm not using them this time, partly because I figured it would be simple enough. Now I've spent far too much time and energy doing this myself. Whoever said on the I-751 instructions that it takes "50 minutes to assemble and file the petition" must have been positively joking.

Any thoughts?

I would think that every page of telephone bills for 2 years is excessive:

Here's what I sent with mine:

Copy of joint mortgage statement
Copy of joint car title
Copy of joint village taxes
Copy of one phone bill cover sheet showing both names
Copy of joint car insurance, health insurance
Copy of 2005 joint taxes
Copy of greencard, drivers license, and 2 photos.

Probably on the slim end of the range, but worse case they'll call us in for an interview. It probably took me about 15 minutes

I can't help you much since I still have over a year and 1/2 before applying to lift my conditions, but I understand your stress, as I'm already stressing right now just thinking about it!
I have already prepared a box where I'm putting all the stuff that *I think* could be important to have when the time comes for me to apply, but I definitely think it's already a lot, and there's still over a year and 1/2 to go!

For example, I don't think I will mail EVERY page of our bank statements and bills for 2+ years (even though right now I'm saving them all). Plus, a lot of bills (including the phone bill) are paid online directly from our bank, so it's hard to always keep every record.
I think the most important things to have are a joint car(s) registration, joint insurance(s), joint lease (or mortgage/house property), joint tax returns, itineraries and tickets of trips taken together and just *some* bills and bank statements.

So far I have all the above mentioned and, besides the new lease(s), tax returns, mail correspondence and pics, I don't think I will be adding much to it (unless a baby should come along! ).

Good luck and keep us updated!

Oh my Goodness !!! Now I become more and more scaried... so many evidence. I did not prepared at all during these two years. I completely forgot abot all this paper works so did not keep any tickets, etc... I really thought that it is easy step. Now reading here I am really affraid.
I think the only thing we can show is joint home property, taxes, joint account and joint saving account and letters from three or more friends and Ultrasound picture for our baby coming end of july... (Or maybe I can ask my Ob/gyn give us an attestion, I don;t know...),


What phone bills could we send...
Health insurance ? we are working in the same company, so we have two different insurances...
We don't have joint car title, we are leasing my car, and for make it cheaper my car is on my hubby name and the insurance in on my name...

What esle can we send?

All we sent was one copy of each bill for each 6 month period. I would say you have way to much. The packet shouldn't take two people to lift it. LOL

This is the highlights of what we sent

-- Copy of the 1099 statements for 2002 and 2003 for our savings acount
-- A copy of our 2002 and 2003 joint US Federal tax returns.
-- Letters designating spouse the beneficiary of my Federal government retirement plans.
-- Copies of various insurance notices, utility bills, bank statements and car purchase and loan papers
-- Copy of the title and registration of our cars showing joint ownership.
-- Copies of credit card statements showing a joint account.
-- Copy of our health insurance cards showing a family policy.

Thanks to those who offered advice. I'm getting better ideas on how to proceed.



This would make perfect common sense, but part of my dilemma was the I-751 instruction "...The document should cover the period from the date of your marriage to the filing of this petition." Curious some people don't seem to take this literally.



Well, my aim is to avoid an interview, or even a request for more information, at all cost. I just want to do this once and get it over with. To that end, I'd probably lean towards the cautious side (but without looking ridiculously redundant).

Well we were approved without an interview and I looked at the copy of our packet and it's around 3/4 of an inch thick. If throwing everything in there makes you feel better go right ahead, but there is no magic bullet to avoid an interview. They randomly pick a certain number of people for interviews no matter what. If you pull the short straw you will be interviewed no matter what you send.

I would thin it out to one phone bill for every 6 month period, i.e. June and December's bill Same thing with credit card and bank statements.

All your first quote means is that they want documentes dated since the time your PR was approved. They don't want anything dated before that time.

All they want is some differing forms of evidence that you have a shared life during the period since you were approved for PR. Phone bills in both your name every six months shows that. It shows that you continued to have that shared account during the time period. Same with a credit card.

Each person will have a different types of documents to provide... it is truly unique.. But the documents that they love the most are the following

1) Proof of joint ownership or leasing of property (real or personal) such as house deeds, property tax statements, car titles, car registration documents, etc.

2) Proof of joint financial information (bank statements in both your names, joint credit card accounts, etc)

3) Proof of beneficiary status (having each as a beneficiary on life insurance, 401k's etc. Wills made naming each as executor, medical and financial powers of attorney for each other, etc.)

4) Tax returns filed as married (seperately or jointly) If separately, they both should have the same address.



If you have a few things from each of the first three categories plus the tax returns, you will have little problem being approved either at the SC or during an interview (if you are randomly selected)

I vote for zyggy's approach. Seems to me that too many bils and statements from each month and all kinds of documents are an overkill and don't necessarily help the process. I am going to save zyggy's list and use that as a guideline when we go for ours. That's the same approach I have used in the K1 and AOS - as little as possible (or just a tiny bit more but not too much!)

Hello,
I have read all documents you sent... what can we do... during these two years almost everything was on my husband name...

"1) Proof of joint ownership or leasing of property (real or personal) such as house deeds, property tax statements, car titles, car registration documents, etc."

Our ownership title for our house is on our both names, but our mortgage is on his name
We lease the car but on my husband name (the price difference was very big, if my name was on the lease, as I did not have any vredit story here...). We have only car insurance on our both names...

"2) Proof of joint financial information (bank statements in both your names, joint credit card accounts, etc)"

We have joint bank account, joint small savings account, but different credit card (i was done because again I needed to built my own credit history)

"3) Proof of beneficiary status (having each as a beneficiary on life insurance, 401k's etc. Wills made naming each as executor, medical and financial powers of attorney for each other, etc.)"

We don't have it at all

"4) Tax returns filed as married (seperately or jointly) If separately, they both should have the same address"
We have it for last year and will do now too

BUT THIS IS ALL WE HAVE ... (EXCEPT THAT I AM PREGNANT NOW) WHAT SHOULD WE DO ? I AM VERY NERVIOUS....

I've posted some example packets in this forum; if you read back you can see how others handled it.

To cover the period of the past two years, I did not interpret that as 'document every day'. I sent samples from about each 6 month period of the different types of evidence.
EX: Bank statements--2 from each year, six months apart. Same account, so obviously nothing changed in between times.

Same went for insurance statements, utilities or other on-going accounts.

Successfully approved with no interview. Full list posted to the forum.

Hi meauxna,
Where did you post example of packets...? In this topic or in others?
Is it a big problem that we don't have cars registration, phones etc on the same name.. We can change now, and add me everywhere but it will not be for 2 years period?
Please help

The posts that are "pinned" to the top of a forum often have information that is useful to all:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=310
What to Include With Your I-751
Several people have posted their successful I-751 application lists to detail what evidence was included. If you are getting your I-751 ready now, or just planning ahead, please read the following threads:
Where do i begin?
http://www.visajourney.com/forums2/index.php?showtopic=64439
What Documents to attach to 751?, Is there a standard list?
http://www.visajourney.com/forums2/index.php?showtopic=45767

Hello,
I have read all documents you sent... what can we do... during these two years almost everything was on my husband name...

"1) Proof of joint ownership or leasing of property (real or personal) such as house deeds, property tax statements, car titles, car registration documents, etc."

Our ownership title for our house is on our both names, but our mortgage is on his name
We lease the car but on my husband name (the price difference was very big, if my name was on the lease, as I did not have any vredit story here...). We have only car insurance on our both names...

What you have sounds like excellent evidence to me in this category

"2) Proof of joint financial information (bank statements in both your names, joint credit card accounts, etc)"

We have joint bank account, joint small savings account, but different credit card (i was done because again I needed to built my own credit history)

Again... this shows that you have a shared financial life... Are you an authorized user on each others cards... you can make a photocopy of the cards with all but the last four numbers blacked out, this would be good evidence as well.

"3) Proof of beneficiary status (having each as a beneficiary on life insurance, 401k's etc. Wills made naming each as executor, medical and financial powers of attorney for each other, etc.)"

We don't have it at all

With a child on the way.. this portion is crucial. You both should at least have wills done up and have medical powers of attorney for each other, not just for yourselves, but this is very important for your children to name thier guardians at this time.... This is worth the few hundred dollars or so that it costs.. now that you have children, you should both be thinking about life insurance as well. I have a significant amount of money in life insurance for less than $75 a month.

"4) Tax returns filed as married (seperately or jointly) If separately, they both should have the same address"
We have it for last year and will do now too

BUT THIS IS ALL WE HAVE ... (EXCEPT THAT I AM PREGNANT NOW) WHAT SHOULD WE DO ? I AM VERY NERVIOUS....


The key is to give the adjudicator as complete a picture as possible.. that you both have a shared life... There is no one way to go about this as each couple has their own way of going about it. You just want to build a picture to an outsider that you indeed have a shared life...
And I forgot the best evidence of all.. a copy of your child birth certificate naming you both as parents...

First, take a deep breath and relax. The worst that will happen if they find your evidence inadequate is that they'll call you in for an interview. They won't reject the thing outright without giving you plenty of opportunity to explain.

Second, they know that not every couple has every type of evidence. It's not essential to have every single type of thing they list; it's only necessary to paint a broad picture consistent with a genuine married couple sharing life together.

Third, your pregnancy is no small thing, both for your life in general and for immigration. Congrats! If the due date is well past the date when you'll have to file the I-751, can you at least get a written statement from your doctor saying that you are pregnant? If your husband is attending prenatal doctors appointments with you, that fact can also be noted.

Finally, consider getting affidavits from friends and neighbors who see you frequently and can attest that you seem to be conducting yourselves as a married couple would.

Thank you a lot Lucyrich...
Oufff, I will take a deep breath :-)... You wrote that
"If your husband is attending prenatal doctors appointments with you, that fact can also be noted."
How it could be noted. Of course my husband is so excited and wait with me every monthly appt. And especially Ultrasound, when the doctor told us that it is a boy... :-) and the due date is a month after you :-), end of july...

Just write up a letter something like this:


To whom it may concern,

I certify that I am Mary Smith's physician, and that Mary is pregant, with an estimated due date of ?? July, 2006. Her husband, John Smith, has been coming to her prenatal appointments with her.

Dated this ?? day of mmm, 2006

Dr. Marcus Welby, MD


Change the details as appropriate, and ask your doctor to sign it. Offer to show your husband's ID and your marriage license to the doctor if he/she is uncomfortable attesting to the identity of the guy who's been coming to your appointments with you.

Also, take a photo of you and your husband together, with a big belly showing.

Oh, and enclose a copy of an ultrasound picture, too. It probably doesn't prove too much, but you've been showing it to everyone else, right? And I suspect it probably has your name and the date on it, to help confirm the details of the pregnancy.

May i just throw in my 2 cents....

Ive been keeping ALL of my and my wife's cell / house phone bills.

I was thinking that when it came time to submit my own I-751 that i would include just the cover sheets with the front page of some of the bills.

If i / we got a RFE or interview then you can always produce the itemised records and highlight all off the calls that you have made to each other over the last year or two....

What better way to prove that you are actually in contact with each other than proof of all those thousands of calls youve made to each other over the years....

Obviously if you werent a legit couple and it was a sham marriage you wouldnt have such records.

Im not saying send them all 1st time round, but maybe some of them and be sure to keep the rest in case of a RFE or interview.

if anyone else thinks this is stupid, remember that such cell phone records are proof enough to prove associations and convict people of certain crimes in court - so why not let it work the other way for you?

Oops, your age is showing!



Double Oops! Now mine is, too!

Don't think it's stupid, just don't think phone records of much value for removal of conditions. She could be selling drugs and you are the supplier. I don't think photos worth much either.

I believe they look for things that you have invested in together or co-own. Joint tax returns, joint credit card accounts, joint bank accounts, both names on a lease, mortgage, car registation or loan.

And whay would would need to show records that they phone each other all the time.. they're living together right... shouldn't most of their communication take place at home? Agree... phone records show little and could actually hurt you..

hmmm, how could we prove our calls phone??????? We calls each other ten times a day or more, but when we bought our cells (last year), we have had a great deal to buy all them on the same name. So my cell phone is on my husband name (and franckly I did not remember that Lifting conditions to ask to put it on my name) so we have two phone on my husband name... our home phone, electricity etc also on his name. we can change it now, and add it but it will be only since this month and not for two years... same thing with my car...

Mortgage is on my husband name, of corse, with my "no credit story" we could not buy anything in California, but the title is on our both names of corse.

Magazine subscriptions in both names. Make a copy of the cover that shows the address label. Have your husband submit a letter to his work on their letterhead making you the emergency contact and submit a copy of that. If you take a vacation together, copies of the plane tickets which I would assume are on the same day and next to each other. Get the hotel reservation/bill in both names. Get a couple statements from friends or family to attest to you being happily married and living at the same address. You just have to be creative if you lack solid evidence in other areas.

Thank you ... but the problem is that we can do everything but right now... We don't have a lot to prove two last years... As I said, we totally forgot this step, and lived happyly :-), but without evidence stuff :-)... Of corse, we have a lot of friends who can attest it.
And we are working in the same company... So maybe I can show our pay rolls coming on the same address?

How on earth could they hurt you????, i mean unless both parties live, work, socialize and spend completely all thier time with each other and are never away from each other they its only logical that one party will call the other throughout the day - as would any normal couple.

I think that NOT having such proof could hurt you - our AOS officer wanted itemised phone records and asked us to point out on the bill where we had called each other - which we obviously did!

I have a question to all about affidavits.
Do any of you guys know what sort of statement this affidavit should contain?
Something like, " I certify that i've known this couple for x years and it is obvious to me that they entered marriage in good faith"? Or something more official? less official?
Is there anybody out there who has done this type of affidavit has some good text suggestions?
My husband and I have 4 people who will be happy to affirm these affidavits, but we want to provide them with some stadard text, so they are not burdened by having to create it and that the statement is short and to the point enough.
Thank you!
Great discussion, really helps me in deciding what docs to send along with my 751 form...

Thanks all I'll go for meuxna's list hehe but i saved some in case i forgot something better to be safe than sorry althoug it's waaaaay too early for me. That's how we got through our AOS process by reading every post's here and i really knew better than my husband USC when it come's to dealing with uscis. All because of VJourney.

IMO (and we did not send any affidavits), your letters will be more powerful if they are individual and specific. See lucyrich's post earlier in this thread as an example.
Your friends can talk about meeting you weekly for dinner or spending a certain event at your home or something else specific to them that shows their observation of your relationship. They don't have to swear on how you entered into the marriage, just what they have personally observed

There are also some specific facts that they must include on the affidavit. I don't know them by heart, but unique identifiers like name, address and SS# are required. The info is on uscis.gov (maybe in the I-75 application procedures?).


Thender, haha! Don't limit yourself to my list.. you'll miss a lot of good evidence that YOU have that WE didn't!

My best advice is to start saving things right away. It really made it easy to sift through a pile of things we'd already deemed useful, instead of going through mountains of paper at application time.

Don't forget that the application procedure has changed since we filed, and there may be new or different requirements since our list.
m

The email we sent to people who were writing ours said (we had my mom and our roommate do them for our AOS interview just in case, since we hadn't done K-1 and had never had to present any evidence the relationship was real before then):


This is the basic gist of what they want—the main points are:

1. that you're a US citizen (w/ enough info to verify that): name,
birth name if different, current address, place of birth. If born
outside the US, how you got citizenship (your parents were US
citizens, or the date and place you were naturalized, or whatever).
2. How and when you met each of us.
3. How often you see us and when the last time you saw us together
was. (This is why it should be done as late as possible.)
4. Statement to the effect that we give every appearance of really
being married, with examples if you can think of any.
5. Your contact info (address and phone).
6. "I certify under penalty of perjury that the above is true and correct."
7. The letter must be signed in front of a notary.

Both letters ran to about half a page, single-spaced.

Hello,

Should our friends send us the letter by email? Or by mail?
Thanks

Seeing as how they need to print it out and sign it in front of a notary, I don't think email would work very well.

I think they can go either way, but they will have to sign the letter (Unless I am totally mistaken).
So, probably, it is best to have your friends write a letter, sign it and mail it to you or give to you...

I still did not get our friends to do the affidavits for us. Thank you everybody who replied for your input!

We have to do my husband's change of status in May and I plan on going to my utility, telephone, etc. and just get a "client history" which will show the billing and payments for the last year. I'm pretty sure I can get the ones for the year before also. That cuts down on a lot of paper. Good luck to all changing status!

We have to do my husband's change of status in May and I plan on going to my utility, telephone, etc. and just get a "client history" which will show the billing and payments for the last year. I'm pretty sure I can get the ones for the year before also. That cuts down on a lot of paper. Good luck to all changing status!

well I sent in....

copy of baby's hospital certificate
copy of baby's death certificate
copy of rental agreement
copy of car insurance
copy of 401K that states that I am the primary beneficiary
copy of health care showing that I am covered under hubby's health care insurance
copy of one gas bill
copy of one phone bill
copy of one electric bill
copy of one cable bill
copy of bank statements
copy of paper showing that hubby added me to his bank account
Some envelopes with both our names and addresses...

for the utilities etc.. I just copied the first page that had both of our names on it....