Shared bank account, cell phone account, lease etc?

[nychelp 0]

Hello,

My fiance (I'm a US citizen, she is not) is pressing me to open a joint bank account with her and get her a cell phone in both of our names and add her name to our apartment lease as she thinks this will make a stronger case when we apply for her Green Card. I have no problem adding her name to our lease, but I'm concerned about a joint bank account and cell phone as she tends to spend irresponsibly (as in way beyond her means). How much of a necessity are these shared accounts in proving that we have a real relationship and in her ultimately getting her green card, etc?

Thanks!!!

[Inky 1,111]

could you not open a joint account but have her as the main owner and she can manage it as her own account even tho it is joint? Meaning its up to her to put money in it to be able to use it etc? Also you can get a cellphone plan with pay as you go so she has to pay for the cards to be able to use it. Or a plan that has a limit on how many minutes a month.

Either way the whole process is about marriage and relationship and commingling your finances etc. Joint bank account, joint credit cards, shared phone plans, life insurance, medical insurance, driving insurance etc. All used as proof. It doesn't just end at AOS. There is ROC too that is 2 years of proof from commingling etc.

[sera77 35]

Hello,

My fiance (I'm a US citizen, she is not) is pressing me to open a joint bank account with her and get her a cell phone in both of our names and add her name to our apartment lease as she thinks this will make a stronger case when we apply for her Green Card. I have no problem adding her name to our lease, but I'm concerned about a joint bank account and cell phone as she tends to spend irresponsibly (as in way beyond her means). How much of a necessity are these shared accounts in proving that we have a real relationship and in her ultimately getting her green card, etc?

Thanks!!!

--------------------

My fiance entered on a K1 visa, we married and I added him to the apartment lease. He wasn't even on the utility bills. We had no problem getting the AoS/green card approval- we didn't even have to go to an interview. We just had the apartment lease and marriage pics and all our AoS paperwork in order. He was not added to my checking account until a couple months after the AoS approval.

You could open a second checking account with a small amount of money that is in both your names, see how it goes and how financially responsible she proves herself to be.

Good Luck,

S.

[Little_My 464]

K1 is a special process in this sense, though - if the OPs fiance is here on a non-immigrant visa, such as a student visa, and they plan to AOS from that, then proof of bona fide marriage is required as a part of the application package, and co-mingling of finances, lease, insurance, phone plan etc. are the most recommended ones..You will also have an interview, and not having shared accounts, cards, insurance, phone plan etc. might make the IO suspicious. Having those things shows you are merging your lives together, which is what married couples tend to do. If you have no joint credit cards and bank accounts, it might be seen as suspicious - or not. Who knows. From your post I got the feeling that you don't have a wedding date yet, which makes me think she is not here on a K1 visa.

And, realistically, if you do plan to marry her you will eventually have to put your finances together (or I guess you won't HAVE to...). Might as well do it now in preparation for your AOS process.

Edited March 24, 2011 by Mrs.Finland-USA

[VanessaTony 3,567]

My fiance (I'm a US citizen, she is not) is pressing me to open a joint bank account with her and get her a cell phone in both of our names and add her name to our apartment lease as she thinks this will make a stronger case when we apply for her Green Card. I have no problem adding her name to our lease, but I'm concerned about a joint bank account and cell phone as she tends to spend irresponsibly (as in way beyond her means). How much of a necessity are these shared accounts in proving that we have a real relationship and in her ultimately getting her green card, etc?

It really depends on your relationship.. how you met and all that stuff.

The cell phone isn't an issue. We're with Verizon and while I'm listed on the bill in the "mail to" section. So the mail comes to Vanessa & Tony but technically the account is only in Tony's name. I have a phone on the same contract obviously.

The joint account doesn't mean she needs to be on YOUR joint account but that you have a joint account. In the beginning Tony had a separate account and I had a separate account. Then as the wedding got closer it was easier to add him to my account so that he could take out money that we needed for the wedding. He still had a separate account and I was recently added to that as well (again just to make life easier but I don't spend money in that account unless he tells me to.. I still consider it "his"). So as she probably needs an account (eventually she'll get a job and you might give her money now) you could make a joint account that you can put her "allowance" in (or however you do it).

Not EVERY relationship has a joint account but I can tell you that one couple WAS close to being denied because they didn't have a joint account. They showed no proof of co-mingling finances and were RFE'd at the interview and had to run around and get together more proof of life together. Just as many haven't had any issues though.. like I said, really depends on the relationship