Explanation letter

[Ari25 0]

Hi, I'm attaching an explanation letter to my ROC packet. I would like you could take a look at the content first, and let me know if there´s something I should omit, or if it's quite enough ... Comments and opinions are very welcome!

To whom it may concern:

My name is XXX, A# 123- 456- 789. I’m applying for Removal of Conditions of Permanent Resident status.

There are certain documents of co-mingling finances that we don´t own. I want to make clear in this letter the reasons why we don´t have them ; and, therefore, we couldn´t include them in our ROC package:

We are renting a room and the bills are included in the rent. That´s the reason why we don´t have any bills in our names, because those are entirely paid by the landlord.

We don´t have credit cards because my husband has been paying a XXX bank credit card bill for four years, this debt will be paid off in full in early October. After that, we are not planning on getting credit cards for both of us.

My husband can´t afford the payment for life insurance. He has medical insurance through his employer, but the cost for adding me is high. That’s why he hasn´t added me to his plan.

In addition, since we started our relationship, we talked about not having kids. After getting married, we haven´t changed our mind about it.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the Law of the United States of America that the foregoing is true and correct.

Sincerely,

Name

Address

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

I would make this an affidavit and have signature witness by notarty. Free notary at your bank.

You do need healthe insurance so say you are looking into the Obama Care program.

format for doing an affidavit is online. If you need help and can't find one, let me know. I can help

Edited October 1, 2013 by Adil & Jeanne

[magdasal 19]

I think this should simply be included in a 'cover letter'. I did one with some success. I included a bullet list of what evidence I included in the package. This gives the reviewing officer a quick 'at-a-glance' view of what the package contains so he can immediately evaluate whether you have covered the basics (financial co-mingling, joint asset ownership/taxes and evidence you've been living together the entire time).

This type of stuff if exactly what a cover letter is for. It's your way of making the reviewing officer's job easy...he or she wants to approve you, but the boxes have to be checked. Notarizing, etc. is completely unnecessary...and the assumption about perjury or legal jeopardy is already baked into the cake...so no need to make such statements in the letter. Everything you send to them carries that assumption. It looks a little bit too defensive, I think.

Just my opinion, but it worked for us.

[Christi85 86]

It loooks fine to me.

Personally, I would omit the section about not having children. Purely having a child with someone doesn't mean you are in an ongoing relationship (they would want to see proof that both parents are equally engaged in the child's life etc.), plus it sounds a bit overly apologetic and it's about an issue/decision that is strictly personal and frankly, none of USCIS' business. If I was writing this, I would keep it strictly focused on the financial co-mingling part.

But that's just my personal opinion and if you really want to leave it in, it's not going to hurt your case.

For what it's worth, our ROC was approved in 3.5 months without an RFE and some of our evidence was less than perfect, but we were approved without problems. My husband and I have been married for over 3 years now, we don't have any kids as of yet, and this was never an issue with USCIS, there were no questions or RFEs about it etc. For what it's worth.

Best of luck!

Edited October 2, 2013 by Christi85

[usagirl12 3]

What are you including in the packet? I would list the items which you are including in the packet. If I was an officer looking at your packet, I'll probably get a negative feeling. Tell them, even though you don't have ALL the required stuff , you do have ......

You can include pictures, hotel reservations, plane tickets, gym membership etc. Just try to include whatever have both of your

names on it. if you are renting a room, add lease or letter from landlord. If you don't have credit card, do you have savings/checking account? you can include statements of those. So you can say, my husband is paying off credit card debt so we don't have any credit card under both of our names but we do have a checking account. Also, I would take off the part about kids.

This letter is telling them all the things you don't have so you are making your case look weak. Try to make it look strong by

telling them about the things you do have.

[Ari25 0]

In fact, I'm attaching a cover letter, based on VJ example. These are the items I'm including in my packet:

•Photocopy of 2011 federal tax transcripts.

•Photocopy of 2012 federal tax transcripts.

•Photocopy of 2011 State taxes .

•Photocopy of 2012 State taxes .

•Photocopies of bank statements, showing a joint account(2011, 2012, 2013)

• Photocopy of refund check ( Federal taxes )for 2011.
• Photocopy of refund check (Federal taxes )for 2012.
• Photocopy of refund check (State taxes )for 2011
• Photocopy of refund check (State taxes ) for 2012.

•Photocopy of petitioner's state ID.

• Photocopy of US citizen's driver license
• •Photocopies of Social Security cards.

•Two sworn affidavits by U.S. citizens (our landlord and another tenant).

•Photocopies of envelopes addressed to both of us, showing shared residence.

. Receipts of parcels sent to our address.

. Receipts of the school , as proof of address.

. Hotel receipts.

•Photocopies of greeting cards sent to each other.

•Photos.

I decided to write the explanation letter because we don´t have many documents. Nothing about car registration and insurance, loans, deeds, wills, utility bills, etc., etc. I thought a brief explanation would be needed , after reading several post in which VJ members have received a RFE, requesting those kind of documents...Ufffff...

[Christi85 86]

In fact, I'm attaching a cover letter, based on VJ example. These are the items I'm including in my packet:

•Photocopy of 2011 federal tax transcripts.

•Photocopy of 2012 federal tax transcripts.

•Photocopy of 2011 State taxes .

•Photocopy of 2012 State taxes .

•Photocopies of bank statements, showing a joint account(2011, 2012, 2013)

• Photocopy of refund check ( Federal taxes )for 2011.
• Photocopy of refund check (Federal taxes )for 2012.
• Photocopy of refund check (State taxes )for 2011
• Photocopy of refund check (State taxes ) for 2012.

•Photocopy of petitioner's state ID.

• Photocopy of US citizen's driver license
• •Photocopies of Social Security cards.

•Two sworn affidavits by U.S. citizens (our landlord and another tenant).

•Photocopies of envelopes addressed to both of us, showing shared residence.

. Receipts of parcels sent to our address.

. Receipts of the school , as proof of address.

. Hotel receipts.

•Photocopies of greeting cards sent to each other.

•Photos.

I decided to write the explanation letter because we don´t have many documents. Nothing about car registration and insurance, loans, deeds, wills, utility bills, etc., etc. I thought a brief explanation would be needed , after reading several post in which VJ members have received a RFE, requesting those kind of documents...Ufffff...

These all seem fine together with the explanation letter. It may also be a good idea to include your lease agreement if it has both names in it, or alternatively a letter from your landlord confirming that you are leasing a room from them.

Re a car registration: does one of you own a car in the first place? If so, even if it's not in both names and only one of you is insured as the driver, wouldn't the other one have to be listed on the insurance documents as a household member (even if they are not a driver)? At least that's what was required of us in the beginning before I got my driver's license and was added to the car insurance. That could provide some extra evidence.

[Ari25 0]

Ahh! The rental agreement, you're right! I asked him a photocopy already. I will omit the kids section, thanks for your suggestion!

My husband has a car, but he has never been interested in adding my name in both car registration and insurance policy...oh well...