Remove condition, I am not in the lease!Help!

[ACINLOVE 2]

Hi,

Here is the situation. I still have more than 1 year before removing my conditions but I am already in panic!

We got married in September 2009 and we have been so busy that we didn't include my name in any paperwork. We will take care of it this week. I will add my name in the utilities bill and I will put my name in the bank account and we will be each other beneficiary in the life insurance.

Now the problem: he got the apartment where we are living before we even know each other and his leasing allows to have only 1 person in the lease. We tried to talk to the landlord saying that we need to add my name but the guy said he couldn't do it because the studio has that price because only 1 person may live there (even if he knows I live there too).

How will I prove that we are living together? Will it be a problem. We don't want to move because the rent is amazingly low to be in NYC and we cannot afford a more expansive place.

Please help!!!

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

You receive mail at that address, right?

[ACINLOVE 2]

Yes, like my parents mail and, magazine subscription, health insurance papers, paystubs (not by mail though...but the address is our apartment).

I thought that one of the most important thing was to be on the lease or own the place together. Help!

[v333k 59]

Hi,

Here is the situation. I still have more than 1 year before removing my conditions but I am already in panic!

We got married in September 2009 and we have been so busy that we didn't include my name in any paperwork. We will take care of it this week. I will add my name in the utilities bill and I will put my name in the bank account and we will be each other beneficiary in the life insurance.

Now the problem: he got the apartment where we are living before we even know each other and his leasing allows to have only 1 person in the lease. We tried to talk to the landlord saying that we need to add my name but the guy said he couldn't do it because the studio has that price because only 1 person may live there (even if he knows I live there too).

How will I prove that we are living together? Will it be a problem. We don't want to move because the rent is amazingly low to be in NYC and we cannot afford a more expansive place.

Please help!!!

Ask the landlord if he is willing to write a letter attesting to both of you living together in the apt. Usually, USCIS accepts such letters - which would serve as an affidavit. Make sure you mention to the landlord that this will not go to any agency that will check if the apartment allows 2 occupants so there won't be checking on the details - usually they panic when they have things written. That should serve as your best evidence, in addition to mail that arrives at your place as Bob 4 Anna mentioned.

When we sent in our evidence, my name was not on the apartment lease but we included many bills and utilities, to show that we both lived there.

What USCIS might question is the first year since there aren't any joint accounts (this is what I am understanding from the OPs post) so you need to focus on that. You can always ask bank managers, credit card companies, and utilities to send you a letter stating that the account has been active since xx/2009 (or whenever established) up to this date and both of you are joint owners.... if they do not know what you are talking about, insist (you are the customer) and talk to a manager if you have to. Don't take their NO for an answer... I even recommend you call now and see if they are willing to provide such letters.

Hope this helps!

[v333k 59]

Yes, like my parents mail and, magazine subscription, health insurance papers, paystubs (not by mail though...but the address is our apartment).

I thought that one of the most important thing was to be on the lease or own the place together. Help!

This is great evidence... although not through mail, but your employer has that address on file so this is a great piece of evidence.

Looks like you are in good shape, just focus on getting all the account joint (at least authorized users with both names appearing) and you should be all set.

[ACINLOVE 2]

Thank you v333k!

May I ask you what do you mean by go to the bank and ask for a letter saying the joint account starts in xx/09?

Do you think we can go tomorrow to the bank and ask for a letter that states the account is valid since September 2009 when we got married?

About the landlord....we already tried to talk and his answer was to move to some other places if we kept asking to add me in the lease!

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

Yes, like my parents mail and, magazine subscription, health insurance papers, paystubs (not by mail though...but the address is our apartment).

I thought that one of the most important thing was to be on the lease or own the place together. Help!

Magazines are not good proof of domicile as they are sent bulk rate (library/book rate) and can't be forwarded.

Bank statements & utility bills are good as is anything that is send first class.

[ACINLOVE 2]

Thank you Bob 4 Anna,

Is it enough to show that we are living together?

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

Tens of thousands of people have removed conditions successfully without a lease or mortgage contract in the package, and I'm one of them.

I got my house many years before I even met my wife and noted this en passe in my I-751 cover letter ("We still live in the same house in Ventura and . . ."). It's a non issue.

For a successful ROC you need to show that you and your wife are still living together in harmony. There are many ways to show this, and the list of possible documents to submit is not written in stone. You send them what you have, and that's it.

The only problem you would encounter is if your marriage is a fraud, you don't live together with your wife, you don't share any finances, and you would have to really try to figure out how to pull this off. That's not the case with you. It's virtually impossible for somebody who is genuinely married and living with their spouse not to get approved. Don't waste another thought or breath on the lease.

[ACINLOVE 2]

Thank you Just Bob!!!

Perfect! I am happy that's not essential...we really don't want to move from that apartment!

[Jimmy n Regine 0]

This is from our cover letter. Shirley got her 10 year green card exactly 3 months after we mailed our package.

Enclosed also please find the following documents in support of this petition. We have not included a lease or rental agreement. Nor, have we included a joint mortgage document, as I purchased our current home long ago. And, there is no mortgage on our house.

[v333k 59]

Thank you v333k!

May I ask you what do you mean by go to the bank and ask for a letter saying the joint account starts in xx/09?

Do you think we can go tomorrow to the bank and ask for a letter that states the account is valid since September 2009 when we got married?

About the landlord....we already tried to talk and his answer was to move to some other places if we kept asking to add me in the lease!

Usually, banks can produce a simple letter stating on it the dates the account(s) were opened and are still valid, and the current authorized users on the account or the owners on the account. You can ask not to mention when the spouse was added as an authorized user and I think they will agree to it. I would probably call the bank and see if they need time and if they are willing to produce this letter in such a short notice. I think they have a template so they have to type in your account number, info and should be good to go.

You can ignore the apartment lease for now since many people were and are in similar situations as you. As I mentioned before, our apartment lease is in my wife's name only, but we sent in many different bills, utilities, bank statements, credit cards that are all addressed to our apartment and they didn't ask for lease agreements or anything of that sort.

Hope this helps.