Evidence for ROC?

[yvy23 11]

So, after close to a 2 year break since the last lot of paperwork, I'm due to file for ROC in July (GC expires mid-October). I'm trying to get all the evidence together now so it's not a scramble at the last minute. We've never had a joint bank account (we've both got caught out that way before with exes who were stupid with money so we just prefer not to). We also do not have a joint mortgage or utility bills as my husband was already close to the end of his mortgage when I moved here. However, what we do have is:-

I am on my husband's medical insurance and auto insurance policies.

I am a card holder on 2 of his credit card accounts.

My car is registered in joint names (initially we had to do this as I had no credit history, but we decided it was best left with both names on the registration because of ROC).

Drivers licenses for both of us registered to the same address.

We also have a couple of joint memberships to local museums etc.

I am authorized to deal with his son's school, doctors etc.

Records of various trips, including photographs from several band meet & greets so the dates they were taken can be proved.

Joint filed taxes for 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Is there anything else we should put in place now to add to the evidence, or will what we have be sufficient? I know a joint bank account is one of the preferred evidences, but even if we did set one up now it wouldn't have been running for anything like the 2 years by the time I send in the packet.

[RoJ10 18]

As what I understand, joint bank account is highly optional but advisable since it's putting "trust" is the key of bonafide marriage.

But. there are still a tons of ways to prove your marriage, and I guess you being authorized to deal with his son's parenting is a good evidence already "i think".

If you can also provide receipts like when you're having vacation "hotels, restaurants etc." you can include that as evidence as it was advised to us from the USCIS when we had AOS interview.

Just put in as many evidence as you can to prove your marriage is for real.

[Pitaya 2,577]

Consider obtaining Wills, DPOAs, and Living Wills.

[yvy23 11]

Thank you both.

@RoJ10 - we do have a ton of receipts from various hotels, restaurants etc - we also have concert tickets, flight information and passport stamps. I'm hoping that having authority in place to deal with parenting stuff for my husband's son will prove to be good evidence too. For me, it would be - how many people does anyone trust to that extent with their kids - but I just hope that whoever ends up reviewing our case sees it that way too.

@Pitaya - good idea thank you. We have time to get those in place at this point before I need to send in the packet. One of the reasons I wanted to have everything together early is so we have time for this sort of thing before we find ourselves dealing with an RFE further into the process. My plan is to have everything ready ahead of time so all we need to do is sign and date the forms when it comes to the day for sending everything in - I'm not good at doing things at the last minute at the best of times, and certainly not when it's something as important as this.

[yvy23 11]

I wasn't really planning to explain the lack of joint bank account at all - except to state that we don't have one, but we have credit cards instead. There reasoning behind the lack of joint bank account was only for here so that I didn't get a ton of questions about it. Actually, we do trust each other completely - otherwise we wouldn't have joint credit cards...we just both have a mental block about the joint bank account thing.

The memberships, I was thinking to include because they do prove joint residence - the newsletters we are sent come through to both of our names at the same address so I figured it was worth including them for that as we don't have a mortgage that would show us both listed at the same address. Would TSA Pre-check known traveller numbers count for that too if we both have a number and those are, of course, registered to the same address? No joint cell phone plan either unfortunately - we're on different networks deliberately so that if we're traveling and lose signal coverage on one, the other one is likely to still work!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

I would go with everything you listed including the joint memberships. Why not? It's joint.

We survived ROC without the usual mortgage, utility bills, children, joint health insurance, different mobile phone carriers and even different last names. We did have a joint bank account plus most of the other things you listed, which are all solid evidence. I can't think the bank account helped that much over what you have--kid and health insurance which we did not share. We share a cat You may be better off than you think.

On your bank account, do you have beneficiary designations? Get a copy from the bank. His account goes to you and vice versa in case of death??

Are there, at either work place, pensions where the spouse is listed as beneficiary? We didn't have that either, but it's a thought.

Edited May 4, 2016 by Nich-Nick

[yvy23 11]

Well, we do share 3 cats as well as the kid - and they're on a joint account with 3 different vets (regular, boarding and ER)!

We don't have beneficiary designations on our bank accounts at the moment, though we really should do - those we can set up and get copies of really easily. Great idea - thank you.

Based on your experience, it does seem as though we should be OK - we might not have the bank account, but we do have a number of other things (I'm so glad we left my car registered in joint names as it's one more thing we can add)!

I'll be so glad when I can do citizenship next year and all this paperwork will finally be done with - I understand it's necessary, but it will be nice not to ever have to think about collecting this sort of evidence again.