HELP! LOL

I have noticed that on the I-130 that it is requesting Additional Information (New policy) to show that bona fides your marriage


''NOTE: In addition to the required documentation listed in1) through 4) above, you should submit one or more of thefollowing types of documentation that may evidence thatbona fides of your marriage:1) Documentation showing joint ownership or property; or2) A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence; or3) Documentation showing co-mingling of financial resources; or4) Birth certificate(s) of child(ren) born to you, the petitioner,and your spouse together; or 5) Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties havingpersonal knowledge of the bona fides of the maritalrelationship (Each affidavit must contain the full name andaddress, date and place of birth of the person making theaffidavit, his or her relationship to the petitioner ofbeneficiary, if any, and complete information and detailsexplaining how the person acquired his or her knowledge ofyour marriage); or6) Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is anongoing marital union.''

I have been living in the UK for 4 years, when I moved here everything was already in my husbands name and we didn't change anything. I opened my own bank account in my own name (even though I had access to his funds via his bank cards/pin numbers) I never thought about being added to his financial statements.

Is this going to be a problem??? Do I have to enclose this information? It wasn't listed on the checklist for petition for alien spouse that I downloaded from www.uscis.gov?

Just when I thought things were getting easier, now this! ugh!

Anyone know anything about this or has filed without this information?

Thanks.

Lisa

Bank statements and lease agreements are just examples of the things you may show as evidence. Try to think of anything that can show both your names as husband and wife, maybe health insurance, car insurance, etc. You can also submit affidavits from people who can testify that your marriage is in good standing and legit.

Thanks for your reply, its much appreciated. I had to laugh at your list because I sat here going ''Nope, dont have that'' - There isn't one single thing that with our names on it together and I never really gave it any thought! LOL

So, if we run out and open a bank account together that probably isn't going to be helpful cause we just did it and not have a history, right?

As for affidavits of people, well the only people would be family members because we live out in country and I dont have any friends, except my dogs!LOL

Gee four years in this country living an incredible life with my hubby and now I have to prove that we have a bonafide marriage. Like I said, when I moved here everything was in hubby names and it was never an issue about having things jointly. Oh wait, hubby gave me his car so it was transferred to me, would that be considered a form then??

It doesn't state this on the checklist form that you have to send with the I-130, so if I dont send it would they reject the application and send it back for further information?

Has anyone who has filed recently had this happen to them?

Help, I just wanted to post these this week, but now who knows.

Thanks all,

Lisa

What about your council tax statements? I believe your name is supposed to appear on that as you're living at the address and you have to report everyone who's resident.

hi!

OHHHH, that is a good point! Now I need to find out how to get a copy of the council tax statement and see what it says. THANK YOU

No problem! If that doesn't work, you can have signed statements from family and friends as an alternative. If I were you, I would still start the process of getting some joint accounts and having my name added to things. It might look a little fishy for this petition, but it will help later on, like at the interview.

Do NOT send in any other information unless specifically requested by USCIS.

If you downloaded the form from uscis.gov, those instructions are in the new form. I don't understand why you say it didn't?

Hi Lisa,
I did not submit any evidence of our marriage as bonafide when I first submitted the I-130 on behalf of my husband. However, we then received a letter in the mail asking us to send some in. It didn't change anything, just added on a little time to our I-130 approval. We submitted letters from my family to him, letters from his family to me, emails we'd sent one another over the past eleven years, photographs, and joint bank statements. I don't think you absolutely have to have the bank statements, but even cards from one of you to the other one--copies of these--might help.

Good luck!

Mary

HI there,

Thanks for your answers. I'm going to add my husband to my bank account this week and see what happens.

I do have four years of CAR Insurance Certificates that show my name and address and on it I have my husband listed as an ''additional driver'' Would that be something that I could use then?

I dont want to send my form now and delay the I-130 process, so I see what I can find.

Thanks again.




[quote name='Mary G.' date='Mar 13 2007, 01:26 PM' post='774895']
Hi Lisa,
I did not submit any evidence of our marriage as bonafide when I first submitted the I-130 on behalf of my husband. However, we then received a letter in the mail asking us to send some in. It didn't change anything, just added on a little time to our I-130 approval. We submitted letters from my family to him, letters from his family to me, emails we'd sent one another over the past eleven years, photographs, and joint bank statements. I don't think you absolutely have to have the bank statements, but even cards from one of you to the other one--copies of these--might help.

Good luck!

Mary

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Now I'm confused. Have you already submitted I-130? If so, don't add anything until instructed.
If you have not yet mailed it in, add the required information with your original submission.

No, I haven't filed yet. I was planning out sending out my papers this week but then came across that you are also suppose to send evidence of bonafide marriage.

I didn't want to send this out and then have there be a delay. So, if they do ask for evidence, would my Car Insurance forms work then? Thanks

I've been trying to read so much and have waited over a month to start posting but there are just some things that I seem that I can't find or doesn't seem to apply to my situation. I swear the more you read the more your head seems like its going to explode HAHA.



thanks for your help.

ha ha, I can relate to the head explody thing.

So, sorry for my earlier comment then---definitely DO add these items to your submission before filing it.
What you will include as evidence will depend on how what you've got--look around and you will find things that demonstrate that you live in the same home and share some financial co-mingling. Auto insurance could be one such thing.

UK UK, do not send anything else that is not required on the I-130 checklist provided by USCIS London. You do not need to send any evidence in your initial packet apart from the major stuff. I get the impression that USCIS London is not interested in being buried under paperwork. For example, they request only 1 page of the G-325A when the normal requirement is 4.

If they need evidence to bona fide marriage, they will ask you at a later stage. Having said that, it is a very good idea to now start adding your husband's name and you to his to things link bank statements, utility bills, and any other piece of paper you can think of to allow time for at least 3 statement/billing periods to show both names in joint accounts.

Good luck.

This is no longer true. The revised instructions from January require evidence of ongoing marriage, such as proof of living together.

Ok, now I'm confused. Where are you getting the information that additional evidence is required? The London USCIS checklist dated March 2, 2007 specifically states "do not submit extraneous documentation, photos, bank statements, etc."

I just followed the instructions on the I-130 itself. I submitted copies of our joint lease agreements and council tax statements. It certainly didn't our hinder our application. And now I'm a little confused too!

EDITED: Can you post the link to the checklist? I've tried looking around the USCIS London site for it but can't find it.

Oh crap! I see the checklist now. I can't believe I missed it before. And even though they already sent me the post card with my receipt date, I'm going to go a little nuts now worrying about how I didn't send the checklist! Crap.

Has anyone figured out yet what London wants vis-a-vis proof of relationship at the I-130 stage? I followed the checklist and didn't submit any "proof" as it wasn't mentioned on the list... Just getting nervous as it looks like ours is going to be processed next week if the Embassy website is to be believed! I will be seriously bummed out if we're going to be delayed by this, when the I-130 and checklist are contradictory (apparently).

I wouldn't worry. I am sure that the checklist from the London USCIS is what they're actually looking for, despite the contradiction in the I-130 instructions.

Ta for that! Sometimes just having someone tell me to shut up and stop worrying is what I need!

No problem. It's all I need sometimes too!

We're not in the UK, but my 2 cents are: call your consulate directly and ask before filing. Avoid surprises - specially now that rules for DCF have changed. In the meanwhile, add each other to the bank accounts, health insurance and all that you can do - it will help you in the long run - for this or other purposes!
Best of luck, L.

I would totally call the consulate but the number they redirect you to for such info a) costs £1.20/minute and isn't known as the "mis"information line for nothing! Anyway, in my case it's too late as the I-130 should be processed any day now and if something is missing we'll now sooner rather than later...

In the UK, we're talking about filing at the London USCIS office, so the DCF craziness didn't effect us.