Bona Fide evidence OBLIGATORY in I-130 package?

[alebrije 15]

Hello all!

I sent my package for AOS from marriage in late April. We used the service of an agency that will help you fill out all your paperwork to send it in to USCIS for an affordable amount. It included all the needed forms with supporting documents, EXCEPT proof of bona fide marriage (such as accounts together, pictures, bills etc), since I was told that was going to be asked for during the actual interview.

Now I am reading on the USCIS webpage that:

The USCIS now requires that when filing an I-130 for a spouse that you include evidence of a bonifide marriage.

What will happen now? Will I be rejected before the interview for failing to submit the evidence along with the packet, or will an RFE be sent? The only document I can think of being sent that will serve as evidence of comingled finances would be the 2013 tax filed jointly. Was this a HUGE mistake?

[apple21 953]

Most likely you'll get an RFE so better to prepare the evidences now.

In my case, we submitted the birth certificates of our 3 children as evidence along with our marriage certificate in the i130 package.

Some prefer to over-load the evidences because some embassies make the decision ahead of the interview based on the evidences submitted to USCIS and NVC.

Edited May 22, 2014 by apple21

[alebrije 15]

Thanks apple! We have no kids so that was not an option for us. I hope the marriage certificate + joint tax return are enough for an initial evidence, and we can show further evidence at the time of the interview (lease together, joint bank account, plane tickets, and pictures). I got really nervous reading about everything other couples were sending in initially!

If anyone sent JUST THAT initially and had no problems, please let me know so I can sleep tonight!!!!