Questions for the CR-1 visa

[Angel Eyes Yuseef 5]

To be really honest I am getting really nervous about having the right evidence, and there is no hard and set right evidence. So I have 2 questions:

1.I know that when you get married they want bank statements 2 months before and after to show you was not paid to get married. But do they want the same thing for each trip or just proof showing how you paid for that trip??

2.Do I send in the letter from my employer with the orignal petition or is the step for NVC or the interview part? And when are the tax returns/transcripts needed?

I am a bundle of nerves, I really want to get this right the first time.Thanks for any and all help!

[msheesha 548]

1. I've never heard of them requesting bank statements to show you haven't been paid to get married. We didn't do that.

2. As far as I remember, I only needed a letter from my employer for our marriage in Morocco, never for the visa process itself. And, sorry, I can't remember when the taxes were needed...

Edited April 26, 2011 by msheesha

[Mithra 1,185]

USCIS doesn't check your account to see if you've been paid to immigrate your husband. They also don't care who pays for your trip. They want bank statements/tax returns for the I864. I had an employment letter only because at the time I had just started my job. I wanted to show my potential income since it wasn't reflected on my tax return from the year before. The instructions for the I-130 and I-864 should detail what is needed from you. The I-864 will require the income stuff. Read the instructions carefully then ask more questions if the instructions are too difficult for you to understand. Asking random questions before reading the instructions will only confuse you.

[Angel Eyes Yuseef 5]

I think i ask these questions, because I have been on VJ for a long time and over time i remember what ppl have had requested in RFE's and things like that. And I have read over the instructions and the guidlines here. So when I see ppl say they needed this or that, it makes me nervous. But thank you so much.

[Angel Eyes Yuseef 5]

I re-visited the forms again, so let see, just keep it simple from what I see. And let me see if I have this straight.

I need to provide:

1.marriage document and translation

2. divorce decree

3.Passport photo, within the last 30 days from petition date

4. G-325a for both of us, signed and dated

Proofs-

a. any jointownership

b. or joint lease at same residency

c. co-mingling of financial resources

d. Affidavits by third parties that know me or my husband and our relationship and marriage, given details to support this.

e. any other documents that can show on-going marriage, such as chats, phone records, emails, passports stamps of trips, bank stamentments if wanted to show proof of buying ticket, and broading passes,

What I did not see was me showing proof I was a u.s citizen, like birth certificate or copy of passport...hmmmm.

If any would like to add to other useful suggesstions for (e) other documents to show on-going marriage, that would be useful. But I am going to to try to keep it simple, and if I get a RFE then I will deal with it. But would like to advoid that.

[Mithra 1,185]

I wouldn't really pay much attention to what ppl did in the past or what they got RFEs for. Your case is special to you. It's nice to compare notes and all but no two cases are alike. As for ongoing proof of marriage, that is more things to take to the interview than for the initial app. I know some ppl do "front load" with pics and chat logs and stuff. I guess that's up to you if you want to include those things. I didn't. I followed the USCIS directions only. The only RFE I got was some weird thing they were doing regarding marriage brokers that most ppl got during that time. It wasn't anything I forgot to include in my initial app.

ETA - I just read the instructions for the I130 and it states - What documents do you need to show that you are a US citizen? It lists the choices which includes a birth certificate, unexpired US passport, naturalization certificate, etc. They do want proof, it is in the instructions.

Edited April 26, 2011 by Mithra

[And_Sam 44]

To be really honest I am getting really nervous about having the right evidence, and there is no hard and set right evidence. So I have 2 questions:

1.I know that when you get married they want bank statements 2 months before and after to show you was not paid to get married. But do they want the same thing for each trip or just proof showing how you paid for that trip??

2.Do I send in the letter from my employer with the orignal petition or is the step for NVC or the interview part? And when are the tax returns/transcripts needed?

I am a bundle of nerves, I really want to get this right the first time.Thanks for any and all help!

No reason to be nervous!

You don't need to show any bank statements to show proof you were not paid to get married!!

When I sent in the I-130 form I went by the guide that is here on VJ for the CR-1 visa. I made sure to have proof of notarized affidavits that shows proof of a bonifide relationship.

Plus I had put pictures galore in there.

Once your application gets to the NVC and you have to send in the I-864 is when you will need to show proof of your wages and letter of your employer to show you are in good standing with your job.

Also that is when you need the transcipts of your income tax return.

Let me know if there is anything else I can answer for you.

Good luck!!

[Angel Eyes Yuseef 5]

Thanks everyone. Now waiting on the husband to get the affidavits from a few friends that know me. They need to be notirized, with his will they need to be notirized there or can i get that done here??

[Aly174 9]

To be really honest I am getting really nervous about having the right evidence, and there is no hard and set right evidence. So I have 2 questions:

1.I know that when you get married they want bank statements 2 months before and after to show you was not paid to get married. But do they want the same thing for each trip or just proof showing how you paid for that trip??

2.Do I send in the letter from my employer with the orignal petition or is the step for NVC or the interview part? And when are the tax returns/transcripts needed?

I am a bundle of nerves, I really want to get this right the first time.Thanks for any and all help!

Don't be nervous...as others have said here, you don't need to have these items with or available for your I130...they will be sent with your 864 at the NVC stage...the only thing from this list I would include with the petition is proof of your previous trips and that can just be copies of your tickets, etc, doesn't have to be your receipts or proof of payment.

I feel bad now and hope that I overwhelm you with my RFE experience which did request these items you mentioned along with others just for our I130, that wasn't my intention at all I was just sharing my personal experience...we just happened to have a situation outside of the norm, in which they for whatever reason believed my husband had been here before and we failed to disclose it..thus a myriad of questions ensued that they wanted resolved with proof....even then it was more a nuisance than anything and once they received my response they approved the petition in less than a week....

So just take a deep breath and relax, as long as you have the exact items they specify in the instructions at this point then you should be fine.

[msheesha 548]

Thanks everyone. Now waiting on the husband to get the affidavits from a few friends that know me. They need to be notirized, with his will they need to be notirized there or can i get that done here??

What is the purpose of affidavits from husband's friends? I've not heard of that before.

If your worry is the consulate will believe you were paid to marry your husband and have him immigrate to the U.S., how will affidavits from friends help?

And, where did the idea of the US citizen getting paid for the marriage come from? Is that common in Egypt? Is that something the consulate in Egypt looks out for?

[Staashi 371]

What is the purpose of affidavits from husband's friends? I've not heard of that before.

If your worry is the consulate will believe you were paid to marry your husband and have him immigrate to the U.S., how will affidavits from friends help?

And, where did the idea of the US citizen getting paid for the marriage come from? Is that common in Egypt? Is that something the consulate in Egypt looks out for?

Actually, most immigration beneficiaries are asked if they have paid the petitioner. This can be asked during the consular or AOS interviews.

[Mithra 1,185]

The suggestion of sending in affidavits from 3rd parties is on the instructions for the I-130.

I would think the affidavit would have to be notarized whereever the person writing the affidavit lives. Don't you have to sign the affidavit in front of the notary?

As far as getting paid for marriage - I don't personally know anyone who has gotten paid for this but I have heard of it happening. I don't think it's any more common in Egypt as anywhere else in the Middle East or elsewhere. I'm not sure why the OP is so worried about being perceived as being paid for marriage. It's an odd thing to be worried about. As far as I know, the Cairo consulate doesn't check that sort of thing out unless they see something suspicious. Not to be mean or anything but Egyptian or other MENA men don't seem to have a hard time finding American women to fraud without paying them. Not only that - the men usually get compensated not the other way around. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

[Mithra 1,185]

I've never personally heard of this happening. It certainly was never asked of my husband either in Cairo or at our AOS interview.

Actually, most immigration beneficiaries are asked if they have paid the petitioner. This can be asked during the consular or AOS interviews.

[msheesha 548]

The suggestion of sending in affidavits from 3rd parties is on the instructions for the I-130.

I would think the affidavit would have to be notarized whereever the person writing the affidavit lives. Don't you have to sign the affidavit in front of the notary?

As far as getting paid for marriage - I don't personally know anyone who has gotten paid for this but I have heard of it happening. I don't think it's any more common in Egypt as anywhere else in the Middle East or elsewhere. I'm not sure why the OP is so worried about being perceived as being paid for marriage. It's an odd thing to be worried about. As far as I know, the Cairo consulate doesn't check that sort of thing out unless they see something suspicious. Not to be mean or anything but Egyptian or other MENA men don't seem to have a hard time finding American women to fraud without paying them. Not only that - the men usually get compensated not the other way around. Talk about having your cake and eating it too.

Oh, thanks for that info. Didn't know it was on the instruction for the I-130. We didn't do that.

I agree about it being an odd thing to worry about, which is why I was asking if it was common in Egypt and/or a common question from the consulate there.

[Mithra 1,185]

We didn't send in any affidavits either. It's a suggested way of showing marital ties but it's not mandatory. Honestly, if I worked for USCIS I wouldn't take affidavits into consideration. Anyone can sign a piece of paper saying they know two people are a married couple. I esp. wouldn't trust anyone on the beneficiary's side.