Preparing I-715

[Eli 0]

Hello All!

After 2-years freedom from the USCIS, it's back to paperwork for me. I'm getting the documents ready for my application and I'm wondering how critical it is to have the statements from friends notarized. The sample forms here on VJ certainly indicate that being notarized is appropriate, but it's not explicitly stated on the I-751 instructions that I saw. I'd hate to inconvenience my friends if it's not necessary (only notaries here are at the banks which are only open 9-5), but if it is I'm gonna have to start inconveniencing them real quick (I know the guide says the friend's statements are optional, but it's listed on the I-751 instructions so I'm going to include them). Also, for the check, do I write one combined check for the fee and biometrics, or a separate check for each one? I can't remember what we did before.

I'm also curious as to how your status exists while your case is pending - I understand that the NOA extends your resident/employment eligibility, is that correct? What about travel - leaving the US is out of the question while it's pending, or does NOA+expired green card still give you the ability to leave the US and return?

Thanks a bunch!

Eli

[NickD 202]

Hello All!

After 2-years freedom from the USCIS, it's back to paperwork for me. I'm getting the documents ready for my application and I'm wondering how critical it is to have the statements from friends notarized. The sample forms here on VJ certainly indicate that being notarized is appropriate, but it's not explicitly stated on the I-751 instructions that I saw. I'd hate to inconvenience my friends if it's not necessary (only notaries here are at the banks which are only open 9-5), but if it is I'm gonna have to start inconveniencing them real quick (I know the guide says the friend's statements are optional, but it's listed on the I-751 instructions so I'm going to include them). Also, for the check, do I write one combined check for the fee and biometrics, or a separate check for each one? I can't remember what we did before.

I'm also curious as to how your status exists while your case is pending - I understand that the NOA extends your resident/employment eligibility, is that correct? What about travel - leaving the US is out of the question while it's pending, or does NOA+expired green card still give you the ability to leave the US and return?

Thanks a bunch!

Eli

You can't send enough evidence to the USCIS, they wanted two letters of affidavits we sent four, two from relatives, two from friends. Had friends rejected because they didn't include joint utility bills even with the joint tax returns, insurance, joint ownership of their homes and auto, and a baby born to their marriage. How can you predict what the USCIS will say about your application?

Made a copy of the one year extension for my wife and daughter to carry, too valuable of a piece of paper to get lost, but they never had to show it. But did bring the original along when leaving the country. Figured is they got tossed in jail, could come over with the original, but fortunately that never happened. Nobody knows what the hell that I-797c with that statement on it is anyway except the IO coming back in the country, need both your expired green card and that piece of paper that had to be dragged with them for 11 months and one week, that is less the three months roughly when we applied 90 days in advance when their conditional green cards were still good.

We send in a personal check for the full amount, the fee, and 80 bucks each for my wife and daughter from our joint checking account with both my wife and me signing it. With out interent banking, printed out both sides of that check along with the overnight return receipt as two pieces of evidence that we filed the I-751. We had friends where the USCIS claimed the I-751 was never sent it and if you don't have proof, you are screwed blue, your spouse and daughter can be deported. Also made complete backup copies of everything we sent in, not because we are paranoid, but learned from experiences from our friends that were ahead of us.

We were lucky to receive our ten years cards three weeks before the one year extension ended, but that was with help from our senators office, they misplaced our application. But also had friends that had to make infopass appointments, a 430 mile round trip drive for us to either get a I-551 stamp or an I-94 extension. Again depending on who you talk to, may give you 30 days or six months extension, one with 30 days had to go back again.

I see from reading this site, not much has changed with the I-751, they are still playing around, but do understand, as long as you have that expired green card and one year extension, they cannot deport your loved ones. But they cannot go to school, work, or travel either. Those were very stressful times for us, as the USC, voiced my concerns, hey, you are screwing around with my family.

[Eli 0]

Thanks for your experience, Nick. Sounds like people are still getting jerked around by the USCIS plenty. My question still stands as to having the affidavits notarized.

I see from reading this site, not much has changed with the I-751, they are still playing around, but do understand, as long as you have that expired green card and one year extension, they cannot deport your loved ones. But they cannot go to school, work, or travel either.

So you are saying that while the application is processing and I have the NOA I can't work or go to school? That's going to cause some serious hardship - I'm in the middle of my college degree, I can't just stop going to classes, not to mention to mention how much financial trouble that will cause. Can anyone else weigh in, please?

Eli

[motu 5]

Your LPR status is extended while waiting for removal of conditions. You are the same as you were with the greencard - you can travel, work etc. as before - just use your NOA and the expired greencard - (e.g. when traveling). As for affidavits - I consider them extremely weak evidence and didn't use them ever. If you have enough evidence of co-mingled lives like bank statements, credit card statements, utility bills etc. - then you don't need the affidavits (I too hate to inconvenience my friends or relatives for this). Good Luck

[wannabe_texan 0]

We chose to include affidavits in our package, mainly because we have a large age difference, and I wanted to try to eliminate any potential roadblocks up front. We also included taxes, purchase of new home, credit cards, insurance, wills, utility bills and phone bills, and about 12 pictures. We had 3 friends (2 of my hubby's long time friends and my boss at the office) do affidavits. We had them notarized, it's a little inconvenient, but basically my husband took our friends over to the bank one lunchtime, and notarized the papers and then they had lunch together, any excuse to go eat BBQ together Looking back at the big packet we sent, I think we might have over-done it though we could have provided much more. If you have lots of other stuff, you probably don't need the affidavits.

[Emancipation 2]

I had one notarized (a friend has a coworker who is a notary), and one that wasn't. Of course I'm too early in the process to really know whether they will RFE for it, but my hunch is no, if they wanted notarized letters they would have explicitly stated they wanted them. It's probably not where they place the burden of proof anyway, the leases, insurance, wills etc. evidence you provide probably gives them more than enough to go on. I look at the letters as supplemental evidence not primary evidence, so I didn't sweat the notary.

[~krakatoa~ 27]

We chose to inconvenience our friends and landlord a month ago and had them swear before a notary officer. Don't get us wrong, no reasons out of the ordinary. Ours is one of those straightfoward cases and we have a comprehensive set of primary evidence that we collected over the years from the day we got married up to now, but we just want to add the affidavits as they are suggested examples of evidence in the I-751 instructions (no matter how "weak" of an evidence they are to other people) and our friends and landlord didn't mind.

Other people didn't have their friends/family's affidavits notarized and they were approved fine. Whether you have the affidavits notarized or not, or include them or not in your set of evidence, I wish you good luck.

Edited April 20, 2009 by ~krakatoa~

[Eli 0]

Thank you so much for your advice guys Not notarizing will help me get this all out quicker. I'm starting to feel a little anxious because all we have is a joint lease, joint bank account, joint tax returns, and health insurance, in addition to other evidence like the affidavits by friends and photos. *Sigh* - I hate how much stress this puts on us to meet their idea of proving our marriage. We don't have much as college students, and it makes me feel like we're insufficiently married in the USCIS's eyes.

Eli