Questions -- Evidence of a Bonafide Marriage

[lasbotellas 0]

The step-by-step guide has this:

The USCIS now requires that when filing an I-130 for a spouse that you include evidence of a bonifide marriage. They list examples of acceptable evidence as:

• Documentation showing joint ownership or property; or
  
• A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence; or
  
• Documentation showing co-mingling of financialresources; or
  
• Birth certificate(s) of child(ren) born to you, thepetitioner, and your spouse together; or
  
• Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties havingpersonal knowledge of the bona fides of the maritalrelationship (Each affidavit must contain the full nameand address, date and place of birth of the person makingthe affidavit, his or her relationship to the petitioner ofbeneficiary, if any, and complete information and detailsexplaining how the person acquired his or herknowledge of your marriage); or
  
• Any other relevant documentation to establish that thereis an ongoing marital union.
  

My guy and I may be complicating things, but here's a bit of background-- we're getting legally married in Mexico in April because we wanted to start the immigration process sooner. The ceremony and family-gathering hullabaloo is set to be during the summer (also in Mexico). Neither of us own any property or have any children.

We're going to open a joint bank account in April while I'm in Mexico, just because it'll be easier for him to use our combined funds from that account for (mostly) wedding-related stuff, since I won't be back in Mexico till summer. Other than that, we don't have much to co-mingle financially. He has a job and I have a decent savings.

So our questions are like this:

Will it be weird/suspicious/bad that we open a joint account and get married just before filing with immigration?

I plan to include affidavits from family members and possibly friends, but who is best to ask to write those? I've heard that I shouldn't include too many. Is it better to have them written by parents and friends from each side (and thus each country)?

Will it be weird/bad that we only have those two types of evidence from the list (even though it says "or")?

I also plan to include a short letter explaining that we plan to have the ceremony in the summer. I can also include copies of plane tickets and photos of us together (from a while ago as well as engagement photos), and receipts from deposits for the wedding--will that help, or am I starting to venture into TMI territory?

Thanks!

[amyandjorge 76]

Personally, we had nothing on that list (I had visited him A LOT though). We started the process about 4 months after we got married, because of logistics or would have filed sooner. I live in US and he was living in Honduras, we got married at the municipalidad (nothing fancy). I think they consider that fact that you maintain residence in two separate countries, there are other ways to prove you are bonafide

Congratulations and good luck!

Edited February 27, 2012 by amyandjorge

[BocaChicaBabe 6]

So our questions are like this:

Will it be weird/suspicious/bad that we open a joint account and get married just before filing with immigration?

No. I filed the petition about a month after I was married.

I plan to include affidavits from family members and possibly friends, but who is best to ask to write those? I've heard that I shouldn't include too many. Is it better to have them written by parents and friends from each side (and thus each country)?

I didn’t include affidavits, but I would imagine the best people to ask are the people that know you two and your relationship the best, regardless of which country/side. From what I read, it’s not suggested that you send too much with your petition because the more you send, the longer it could take for your approval.

Will it be weird/bad that we only have those two types of evidence from the list (even though it says "or")?

It also says “Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union”, which doesn’t limit you to only what is listed. My friend only filed with 4 affidavits and she was approved with no issues. I filed my petition with “other relevant documentation” such as photos of us together, phone records, and copies of my passport stamps as proof of my visits and I was approved with no issues.

I also plan to include a short letter explaining that we plan to have the ceremony in the summer. I can also include copies of plane tickets and photos of us together (from a while ago as well as engagement photos), and receipts from deposits for the wedding--will that help, or am I starting to venture into TMI territory?

That letter isn’t necessary. The marriage certificate from April is enough to prove you’re married. I got married in an office and didn’t follow up with a huge celebration later and I had no issues.

[lasbotellas 0]

Thanks for your replies! I am feeling much less anxious about this now.