Getting ready to submit I-751 package!

[D R C 2]

Hi All-

Almost two years have flown by since my wife was granted CR status, and it's time to submit our I-751 package to get those conditions removed. How time flies when you're having fun!

We have no children (yet), but we have quite a bit of evidence we can submit:

* Paying USCIS fees with a check from our joint account (we're including a copy of the check that shows both names).

* Joint IRS tax transcripts from last 2 years.

* Joint checking account statements, last 2 years, every three months.

* Copy of her bank statements showing our new home address

* Copy of our HUD-1 showing recent home purchase in late 2015, both names

* Copy of mortgage loan statements in my name (better credit score, better loan terms)

* Copy of property maintenance fee statements, both names, showing mailing and physical address

* Copy of cable bills (service started 3 months ago), showing mailing and physical address, my name only

* Copy of joint insurance cards (medical, prescription, dental), both names

* Copy of most recent vehicle title and registration (last 2 years) showing length of time vehicle was in both of our names

* Copies of passport bio page & entry/exit stamps, boarding passes (some were lost), itineraries for trips taken over last two years.

(For trips we've taken to the U.S. mainland, I have more itineraries than receipts that shows we've completed travel, but have pictures to document)

* We have lots of pics together, and very few with family (to include, or not include?)

Is this too much info, or just about right? Thoughts?

[SM & EF 41]

Are you sending all bank and credit card statements dating back to when you got married (including all the transaction pages)?

We got an RFE after only sending the summary pages and a sample of the transactions.

We sent several hundred additional pages with our RFE response and got approved about a month later.

Best wishes!

[NikLR 13,220]

I dont suggest items that only show one person or the other. Our mortgage is only in my husband's name but the title is in both, so I sent that. (For example)

Include pics and omit single name items. Make sure your driver's licenses have matching addresses. Get wills or mpoa too.

[Sukie 1,440]

OP, your list looks great. To be on the safe side, I suggest you write a paragraph to explain why only you are on the mortgage. Just explain exactly what you've said here - that the mortgage is in your name only because the lack of credit on your spouse's part would have meant more difficulty in securing a loan, and a higher interest rate.

How about getting some wills and medical powers of attorney? Easy, and a critical document for a couple - especially with joint assets!

Sukie in NY

[D R C 2]

Yes, for our joint bank account, we're sending in all pages that shows transaction history.

Statements in our packet reflect the end of each quarter: March, June, Sept, Dec, plus the most recent (May 2016)

There were no transactions on some months, but there are changes in the overall balance due to deposits made in the "in between" months.

Joint account was used primarily to build up funds for our home purchase. We don't use the account unless absolutely necessary.

Are you sending all bank and credit card statements dating back to when you got married (including all the transaction pages)?

We got an RFE after only sending the summary pages and a sample of the transactions.

We sent several hundred additional pages with our RFE response and got approved about a month later.

Best wishes!

[andromeda1 7]

I dont suggest items that only show one person or the other. Our mortgage is only in my husband's name but the title is in both, so I sent that. (For example)

Include pics and omit single name items. Make sure your driver's licenses have matching addresses. Get wills or mpoa too.

The only single name items that I would say is okay are utility bills since they can have only one name. But make sure the address is the same in the utility bills. Example our internet bill is in my name and electricity in my wife's name but both have same address. For the rest, NLR is right, include only documents that have both names and/ or signatures.

[D R C 2]

Thank you andromeda1 and NLR for the clarification on best "single name items" to submit.

I'll just take out the mortgage statement (no big deal since the HUD-1, maint statements already have both names as well as physical & PO Box mailing addresses) on them. Cable bill has both addresses, but just my name.

We have very little documents (except the ones that count!) with our physical address. Extremely protective keeping the physical address secure. I'm mindful that ID and mail theft are rampant, so everything goes to a PO Box for peace of mind.

Can't use DLs since they have different addresses - won't get it updated until it is up for renewal.

The only single name items that I would say is okay are utility bills since they can have only one name. But make sure the address is the same in the utility bills. Example our internet bill is in my name and electricity in my wife's name but both have same address. For the rest, NLR is right, include only documents that have both names and/ or signatures.

[NikLR 13,220]

You're not trying to prove you live in the same spot, you're trying to prove you depend on each other financially.

Check your DMV to see if you can wait until you get a new address on it. We had to update the addresses just to register our vehicles. Maybe it was only because we changed counties though? They gave us a sticker for the back to write new addresses.

[EM_Vandaveer 2,370]

You're not trying to prove you live in the same spot, you're trying to prove you depend on each other financially.

Check your DMV to see if you can wait until you get a new address on it. We had to update the addresses just to register our vehicles. Maybe it was only because we changed counties though? They gave us a sticker for the back to write new addresses.

They are proving both (co-habitation and financial co-mingling).

[NikLR 13,220]

What i meant to say was youre not JUST trying to prove you cohabitate, youre mostly trying to prove you financially co-mingle. So if something only proves one thing vs both, its lower on the evidence scale, from everything ive read.

Edited June 18, 2016 by NLR

[3rd 84]

Joint account was used primarily to build up funds for our home purchase. We don't use the account unless absolutely necessary.

I wonder about this. Our joint account it the account my wages will start going into from Friday, and my husband has put money into it every now and again for me in the meantime. Is it a problem if the account isn't used so much by us both? I'm hoping not as my husband has to have his business account for taxes, hence why his 'wages' don't go into our joint account. I'm trying to prepare myself for when ROC comes now rather than be told we should have been using the same bank account for both our incomes. Just want to see if DRC will be okay here, then it will put my own mind at ease.

[Sukie 1,440]

In order to prove that a couple co-mingles funds, USCIS want to see where paychecks go, and how bills are paid. For example, my Dad always put his paycheck into one account, but then he wrote my Mom a check for the monthly expenses such as utility bills and groceries and clothing. If they were doing ROC, I would advise them to show statements from both accounts - the money comes in here, and the goes out there, and the bills get paid here. This would show how they take care of their daily living.

In our household, my retirement check goes into my account (because then I get free checking, and I've had that account for nearly 30 years). I then transfer most of the money to our joint household account. Most of our bills are paid using the bank's online service, so they show up on the bank statement of the joint account. The fact that *I* am the one that goes online to generate the payments is irrelevant (and cannot be seen by the bank or by anyone else).

I have a credit card with my spouse as secondary, and my spouse has a credit card with me as secondary. Both credit cards are automatically paid each month through our joint checking account - so that proves that we co-mingle funds. Plus, both of our names are on the joint bank statement.

USCIS wants to see your story, and how you prove it.

Sukie in NY

[TBoneTX 43,195]

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