Cover Letter Review - Input/Advice Greatly Appreciated! :-)

[primus_dinners 0]

Hi everyone!

I'm extremely grateful for these forums and everyone's wonderful community spirit. I hope that once I begin my own visa journey I will be in a position to help out with advice of my own.

We've just put together our application and intend to send it early next week. We are concurrently filing AOS I-130, I-485, I-131 and I-765, and would be grateful for any suggestions the VJ community may have for our cover letter, below. Also, how do you feel about our evidence of a bona-fide relationship? We're both young (been together 8 years) so have no investments or real financial obligations thus far.

PS - some of the formatting turned out weird when I pasted into the forum.

Thanks everyone!

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

Dear Sir/ Madam:

Please kindly find enclosed concurrent filing of forms:

Concurrent Filing of I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for my husband, I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), I-131 (Application for Travel Document) and supporting documents.

Petitioner (U.S. Citizen): Zoe

Beneficiary (Alien Spouse/Intending Immigrant): Zac

Contents include:

Package for I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative)

1. Cover Letter
2. $420 Money Order made payable to U.S Department of Homeland Security

3. Form G1145 E-Notification of application/petition acceptance

4. I-130 Petition For Alien Relative

• US Citizen’s birth certificate

• US Citizen’s passport (including biographical and stamp pages)
• Intending immigrant’s birth certificate

• Intending immigrant’s passport (including biographical and stamp pages)

• Copy of marriage certificate

• G325A signed and dated by US Citizen

• G325A signed and dated by intending immigrant

• TWO Passport Photo of US Citizen with full name on back and name on plastic bag

• Two passport-type pictures of intending immigrant (placed in a small plastic bag, labeled with full name of intending immigrant & alien #)

5. Evidence of Bona fide Marriage

• Information about US Citizen’s Australian De Facto Spouse Visa issued on basis of relationship with intending immigrant
• Dated receipt from Australian Department of Immigration showing details of US Citizen’s De Facto Spouse Visa application
• Notification of approval from Australian Department of Immigration for US Citizen’s Australian De Facto Spouse Visa issued on basis of relationship with intending immigrant
• US Citizen’s Certificate of Evidence of Resident Status issued by Australian Department of Immigration
• Email from US Citizen to intending immigrant discussing 2008 Australian De Facto Spouse Visa application
• Email from intending immigrant to US Citizen discussing 2008 their future together
• Statutory Declaration written in 2008 by intending immigrant’s mother, in support of US Citizen’s 2008 application for Australian De Facto Spouse Visa
• Intending Immigrant’s 2014 Australian Health Care Card, showing US Citizen as spouse
• Selection of annotated photographs (58 in total) documenting the relationship
• Notes exchanged between US Citizen and Intending immigrant, including:
  - Valentines Day card
  - 2 romantic letters
  - Explanation of “The Daily Face - 2012” tradition
  - 5 emails sent from US Citizen to Intending Immigrant
• Evidence of shared US address, including:
  - 2009 Teleflora receipt
  - 2009 Griffith University shipping notice
  - 2008 Wells Fargo bank statement
  - 2009 Amazon shipping confirmation
• Evidence of travel together and to each other, including:
  - 2007 Itinerary showing Intending Immigrant’s travel from Los Angeles to Brisbane
  - 2009 Itinerary showing Intending Immigrant’s travel from Brisbane to Los Angeles
  - 2009 Itinerary showing Intending Immigrant’s travel to Prague
  - 2010 Itinerary showing US Citizen’s travel from Los Angeles to Brisbane
  - 2010 Itinerary showing US Citizen’s travel from Brisbane to Los Angeles
  - 2012 Itinerary showing US Citizen’s travel from Los Angeles to Brisbane
  - 2011 Itinerary showing joint ticketing for travel from Los Angeles to San Francisco
  - 2011 Itinerary showing joint ticketing for travel from Brisbane to Bangkok
• Evidence of financial co-mingling, including:
  - Explanation of financial co-mingling
  - Bank statement showing US Citizen transferring money to Intending Immigrant
  - Proof of joint bank account

Package for I-485 (Application To Register Permanent Residence Or Adjust Status)

1. Cover Letter
2. $1070 (including $85 biometrics fee) Money Order made payable to U.S Department of Homeland Security

4. I-485 Application To Register Permanent Residence Or Adjust Status

• Copy of passport page with biographical information
• Copy of passport page with non-immigrant B2 visa and entry stamp
• Full copy of passport

• Copy of valid electronic I-94

• Copy of Birth Certificate
• Copy of marriage certificate

• G325A signed and dated

• Two passport-type pictures of intending immigrant (placed in a small plastic bag, labeled with full name of intending immigrant)

• I-693 Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status (Completed by a Civil Surgeon sealed in an envelope)

5. I-864 Affidavit Of Support

• Written explanation regarding absence of tax returns
  - Supporting medical document showing diagnosis
  - Supporting correspondence from medical clinic
• Letter confirming employment of US Citizen, signed and dated by employer

6. I-765 Application For Employment Document

• Copy of passport’s biographical page

• Copy of passport page with non-immigrant F1 visa

• Copy of Form I-94 form (front & back)

• Two (2) Passport-type photos

7. I-131 Application For Travel Document

• Explanation for Eligibility on a separate sheet dated & signed

• Copy of passport’s biographical page

• Copy of passport page with non-immigrant F1 visa

• Copy of Form I-94 form (front & back)

• Two (2) Passport-type photos

Signature

Date

[primus_dinners 0]

Aaah I put this in the wrong forum by mistake. Mods, could you please move this thread into the correct forum? AOS from tourist visa.

[KayDeeCee 4,891]

~ Moved from AOS from Family Based Visas to AOS from Work, Student & Tourist Visas ~

[Leo7777 243]

WOW . . . quite an exhaustingly thorough cover letter.

Thanks for laying it all out !!

I haven't done this submission yet, so I will let those experienced comment on the contents, etc.

But, 20 years ago in an English composition course we were discouraged from writing this:

"Please kindly find enclosed concurrent filing of forms:"

The professor noted it is like asking your recipient to go on a search to 'find' items you have hidden in your packet.

Simpler . . . Enclosed are the following items/documents:

[maxxnys 0]

You have done an excellent job with the requirements based on my research. I just filed for my wife and got notice from FedEx that our I-130, I-485, and I-765 were delivered. Now waiting on the NOA1.

Reading your list I notice I did not put any photographs - which I'm not too worried about. If they want to see us physically together they can send an RFE and I will send them photos.

I believe you have plenty of evidence and everything required. My comments would be you don't need to send them that many photos. I think a few per year you have been together would do just fine.

One important piece you did not list is the actual boarding passes for your itnierary. While I doubt they will not consider your submitted itinerary's I have read elsewhere that the only real evidence considered for travel is a boarding pass. I'm not sure how true that is however if you did save the boarding passes you should add a copy.

Another thing that I read here in the forum guides is a lot of certifying of copies. Instructions directly from USCIS clearly go out of the way to state there is no need for certified copies unless specifically requested. I sent them regular photocopies of everything except the actual forms that needed to be signed by myself.

Good job, good luck.

- maxx

[primus_dinners 0]

Leo7777, I think you're right on that one. It's probably better to just get down to business :-)

Thanks Maxxnys! For sure boarding passes would be better, but they've either all been thrown out by now or are hiding in a draw somewhere back home in Australia, inaccessible from here in the US. I'm hoping that they will see the corresponding entry stamps in our passports/i94 record.

We held back on getting our copies certified because of the cost, and we do have the originals should they request to see them.

Congrats on your delivered AOS, I bet just having sent it is a huge weight off your shoulders!

[Leo7777 243]

Another thing that I read here in the forum guides is a lot of certifying of copies. Instructions directly from USCIS clearly go out of the way to state there is no need for certified copies unless specifically requested. I sent them regular photocopies of everything except the actual forms that needed to be signed by myself.

- maxx

Maxx, would you please post a URL here that shows the USCIS position on copies as you have stated? Thanks, Leo

[CdnRN 40]

It is found in the instructions that accompany the forms. Read them closely and you will see what is needed.

[seth2013 39]

In addition to boarding passes, they accept immigration stamps in passports for international travel (which I see you included, so that will go nicely with your itineraries). You might want to spell that out for them in the cover letter, in case your officer skips over it.

[primus_dinners 0]

In addition to boarding passes, they accept immigration stamps in passports for international travel (which I see you included, so that will go nicely with your itineraries). You might want to spell that out for them in the cover letter, in case your officer skips over it.

Good idea, I'll include that too. Thanks!

[primus_dinners 0]

Maxx, would you please post a URL here that shows the USCIS position on copies as you have stated? Thanks, Leo

Hey Leo7777, I tried to cut and paste the excerpt from the I-130 instructions for you, but it seems the document format won't even allow that. But here's the link, and the section appears on page 7:

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-131instr.pdf

[rockstar 0]

Hi! All looks well, but I would include some more items such as lease or house deed in both your names, life insurance beneficiaries, retirement beneficiaries, utility bills in both your names, etc.

[primus_dinners 0]

Hi! All looks well, but I would include some more items such as lease or house deed in both your names, life insurance beneficiaries, retirement beneficiaries, utility bills in both your names, etc.

Thanks!

Unfortunately we don't have any joint investments or payments etc as we've both lived with each other's families on and off for the length of our relationship. And until recently we've both been either broke students or broke travelers.