mc962

If you go to the IRS.gov website and navigate to where the tax documents are, there is a question about what kind of document you want. One of the options is "Immigration", and if you select that I believe it will give you the Tax Return Transcript for the years you select. This is different than other documents the IRS provides such as the the Tax Account Transcript, which while might be OK for some stages of immigration (the embassy for the K-1 visa might allow it), this will not have all the information that they want to see. I didn't realize that originally and so we got an RFIE for submitting the wrong tax documents for the I-485 😅. So in summary, download the Tax Return Transcripts for the years needed for your I-751 (at least 3 years of whatever has been filed if I remember correctly). While you could submit the actual return packet that you filed, the IRS documents are much more concise and easier to just print out and submit.

Looking back at what we did, I wrote about 2 pages, split into 2 sections. I think I detailed a rough timeline of the past 2 years (which is the period that they care about in K1 for the most part). As we lived in different countries at the time, I basically detailed all the times we met since then (e.g. last time we met I proposed, before that we met to travel around country X, before that we met to travel around country Y, etc). I wrote where we went, the approximate dates (based on passport entry stamps), and roughly what we did/why we went (generally tourism and to see family), but didn't go into much more detail than that. I think I also had like 1 or 2 pictures from each trip I mentioned, but not a ton. I'd fit at least 2 pictures per page, 3 might fit as well (just pasted them into the Word document with a small caption). Additionally, I had a paragraph about how we met and how long we've been together. Then, if they still cared to read, I had another section briefly summarizing our relationship between 2 years prior and the X years prior to that since we first met. In short, I tried to keep it brief, and so it was about 2 pages of text, 1 page for 2 years prior to the I-129F, 1 page for beyond 2 years if they cared, and then separately photos from any trips I cared to document. I think it was probably a bit much for the consulate we went through (not Vietnam), but I think something like this would be a good balance between focusing on what they care about but giving a bit more background if they want it, as I felt in general Immigration wants to understand the overall facts and story of your relationship, not every minute detail. I'd bring it to the interview unless there are rules not to bring extra stuff for some reason, but maybe condense it a bit as I agree with others that no one wants to read 40 pages. Unless you have been in a really long and complicated relationship they don't need to see everything, just enough to get the sense that the relationship is real / valid for the immigration benefit that you are applying for (although I also agree, cross-post it in Vietnam sections to see if there is country-specific advice on quantity/quality of materials that you need to bring/submit).

I'd often check it weekly from my phone 😅, but you probably don't need to do it that much. Every two weeks, or even maybe once a month would probably be OK as well. While we always got the notices in the mail within a week or two of any online updates, I agree that stuff can get lost in the mail. Therefore it's a lot better to be aware of things that have happened and know when to follow up if things don't arrive than to miss some mail and several months later be in a worse situation with USCIS because they thought they mailed something to you and you never got it.

Also, both bank accounts would still be in your name I think? I think that advice is probably better if for example, John Smith has a bank account with $100,000 at the time of filling out the I-134, and then a month after that John Smith sent $50,000 to Jack Doe. It might be a legitimate transaction, but that case might have immigration wondering if you have the necessary assets yourself. But if both accounts are owned by John Smith, with the same SSN/etc. number attached to it and everything, then John Smith still has $100,000 in assets, just across 2 bank accounts instead of 1. So the worst-case scenario is that statements from both accounts would need to be shown at the interview (if, as others have said, you need to show them at all).

I-751 can be tracked with the https://my.uscis.gov/ site, with the number given on your Notice Of Action after they receive your case (which I think is what you were saying above). You can add it to the account and it will be tracked. I never quite understood what the USCIS Account Number was for and never put it on the form and they didn't seem to have a problem with it. From what I understood, the USCIS Account Number is not the same thing as the Notice of Action number, but I could never find a straight answer explaining how to get one.

I thought they just opened up for tourists again at the beginning of the month? It's not entirely clear to me how strict your itinerary needs to be, but I think you can come as long as you go through a travel agency (and get a proper tourist visa instead of visa exemption). https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/japans-new-covid-19-border-rules-explained-022522 Before Pandemic at least, I felt Tokyo was fairly quick/efficient. Not the quickest, but it didn't take as long as some others had taken from what I remember.

Theoretically USCIS would have everything submitted with the I-751, but it can't hurt to resubmit some stuff, especially if it's all online anyway. I've read some people submit everything from full I-751/everything from arrival, to just any updates since the I-751 was submitted. We went with the advice to submit an abbreviated version of the I-751 stuff. So for example joint bank statements were submitted, but less of them / larger intervals in between, less of various bills and other extra "proof of relationship" documents (but making sure to submit some stuff from after I-751 was submitted). My understanding with the 3-year N-400 is that they basically want you to be a permanent resident for 3 years, married to your spouse, and living with them in the same place in the U.S. (along with the other requirements), and so the documents that you submit should give the Immigration Officer a good sense of "yes, this person fulfills those requirements".

It was transferred like a week or two after the N-400 was received. No movement on the I-751 for over a year and then it got moved shortly after the N-400 was received (online), so I feel like it probably pushed things a bit. But that's just my guess at what happens behind the scenes at USCIS 😅.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/get-fast.html ^I assume you already found this. As you mentioned, if it's not urgent enough, it seems unlikely that they'll move faster (although it can't hurt to call and explain and see what they can do). Have you tried reaching out to the program and explaining your situation? They may have just asked for passports as a universal/translated identification, and may be willing to use something like a state ID as a placeholder identification in the meantime 🤷‍♂️. Unless they're sending out visa paperwork imminently and need a passport photocopy or something like that, then maybe they don't need a passport specifically until you get in and need to start applying for a visa.

My wife is filling it out the N-400. She is applying under the "3 Year Rule" based on her marriage to me (U.S. citizen), and is applying within the the 90 days before 3 years since she became a Permanent Resident (beginning of August will be the actual 3 year point). For Part 1, Question 1, should she select B. Have been a lawful Permanent Resident of the United States for the last three years, or should she write into Other and explain that she is within the allowed 90 day window of the 3 years since she became a Permanent Resident (90-Day Early Filing Provision (INA 334) I think is what it's technically called)? My assumption is that B is still acceptable and that they won't have trouble with that, but I could see a small argument that Other might technically be more correct. I imagine the Immigration Officer would sort it out anyway and it wouldn't be an issue, but I'm curious if others felt differently.