ROC requirements

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

Hello everyone,

 

I have about a year before my ROC, and I am trying to gather evidence. I just don't know what evidence to show. Can they actually refuse to remove your conditions? If so what would be the way to ensure I have no issue?

 

Also, what are the best series of evidence I should start gathering? Is the employment of the USC still relevant for this stage, as in do we need to submit financial evidence again, like we did for the AOS?  Thanks so much in advance! I feel so confused ?

[nightingalejules 678]

Hi! 

Take a look at the pinned topics at the beginning of the "Removing Conditions on Residency" Forum. Read through them and they should give you all the answers you need about what evidence to collect. Then, if something's not making sense, you can ask more specific questions and people will be better able to help you. 

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

Thank you! I just have one specific question after reading one of the threads: did you all register your marriage in your country of origin? Is that a requirement for ROC? Thanks!

[S. & A. 159]

No, it's absolutely not required. You don't even have to send a copy of the marriage certificate. That post is a great example to get ideas of "everything you could possibly send", but by no means something you have to follow. Much less is actually required and people regularly submit and get approved with much less.

 

Employment of the USC is not relevant at this point. At this stage you primarily need official documents that show that you are a real married couple, and in their eyes that is people that live together, possibly own things together, pay bills together, set each other as beneficiaries for insurance/etc and just join their finances in general.

 

There's not much you need to do a year in advance, just make sure you do things you'd usually do like get the other person on your bank accounts or get your name on the lease if you rent or any joint purchases. I suggest you read the actual I-751 instructions at https://www.uscis.gov/i-751

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

Thanks ever so much S&A, I truly appreciate your response and time to write it !

 

I will follow those actual I - 751 instructions. Also, did you register your marriage in your home country at all? I was never told to do so and had no idea I could do it. 

Edited March 9, 2017 by ParabolaEulogy

[Sukie 1,464]

I'm not sure I agree with the "there's not much you can do right now" line.  As soon we got married, and especially after my spouse came to the US, we created a file folder (well, a box) and we collected all sorts of paperwork as we went along.  If we got mail addressed to both of us, that went into the box (like Christmas cards and wedding invitations, for example).  We put our bank statements and credit card statements in the box.  We put our medical insurance statements and claims in the box.  When we travelled together, we put the hotel reservations/bills (with both of our names), the boarding passes, pictures of us with friends - all of that - we put into the box.  When our AAA cards were renewed each year, we copied them and put the copy in the box.  When we joined a gym, we copied our cards and put them into the box.  We really tried to collect data all along the way.

 

Then, last year, when it was time for ROC paperwork, we just organized the box!  It was soooo much easier than trying to create a bunch of paperwork from scratch.

 

So I firmly suggest that you "collect along the way" - as I think it makes it easier!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[S. & A. 159]

Oh, I think we agree but it's just a difference in the way we do things.

 

For cards and wedding invitations we would have kept them regardless. Insurance cards, state IDs and driver licenses will be in our wallet. Old state IDs and driver licenses we would also have kept regardless, but you're right some people don't. For bank statements we have gone paperless a long time ago, so there's nothing to save there and it's just a matter of logging in and retrieving them when the time comes. Same for bills. Hotels, car rentals, plane tickets, event tickets and all kinds of other travel details are also all electronic and we just printed everything when the time came. Our pictures are also all digital.

 

I guess I assumed that everyone did it this way, but you're right. It's NEVER bad to be extra diligent or careful. I haven't been on VJ in a while and see a certain level of paranoia in here that I think it's sometimes unwarranted, particularly for ROC. Little things like people sending their applications before the 90 day window (and getting rejected) or thinking it's the end of the world to not send it the first day or not sending 500 pages of evidence and giving that impression to other people. The CR-1 process and separation involved was extremely stressful for me, and hope to never have to go through something like that again. We're living with our spouses now and as much as we all want to be done with this, I just think we sometimes get too absorbed in things and could take a deep breath and take it a little easier.

 

OP, do gather all the stuff Sukie mentioned if it's not all electronic for you, though.

Edited March 9, 2017 by S. & A.

[QueenComley 295]

2 hours ago, Sukie said:

I'm not sure I agree with the "there's not much you can do right now" line.  As soon we got married, and especially after my spouse came to the US, we created a file folder (well, a box) and we collected all sorts of paperwork as we went along.  If we got mail addressed to both of us, that went into the box (like Christmas cards and wedding invitations, for example).  We put our bank statements and credit card statements in the box.  We put our medical insurance statements and claims in the box.  When we travelled together, we put the hotel reservations/bills (with both of our names), the boarding passes, pictures of us with friends - all of that - we put into the box.  When our AAA cards were renewed each year, we copied them and put the copy in the box.  When we joined a gym, we copied our cards and put them into the box.  We really tried to collect data all along the way.

 

Then, last year, when it was time for ROC paperwork, we just organized the box!  It was soooo much easier than trying to create a bunch of paperwork from scratch.

 

So I firmly suggest that you "collect along the way" - as I think it makes it easier!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

Suki is absolutely spot on here. From the day we created a home and a life together we created a file for every single bill. We have a separate file for utility bills, credit cards, store cards, car note, taxes... you name it. I was approved for my removal of conditions today and this is what I sent:

• A copy of both our driving licenses showing the same address
• Every (joint) bank account statement from the day we got married
• Joint tax returns
• Joint rental lease agreements
• Joint utility bills
• Joint credit card bill
• Life insurance policies
• Joint car insurance
• Joint car note
• A letter from both places of employment listing us as emergency contacts for each other
• A letter from my step-childrens school listing me as a parent and emergency contact
• Joint vet bills for our pets
• Although considered secondary evidence I threw in some affidavits of support for good measure

Photos, cards, letters etc and of no use at this point - all that is required is proof of co-mingling finances. Hope this helps.

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

Congrats Queen!! and Thanks so much everyone! Going to gather all that evidence, I will call the utility companies and ask them to send our bills in the mail, as opposed to online.

 

Can y'all confirm that you did not have to register your marriage in your home countries? If so how did you do it?

And did you have to change your passports for the sake of ROC? as there is a page that states our current address - did you change this to your US address?

Cheers

Edited March 10, 2017 by ParabolaEulogy

[QueenComley 295]

2 minutes ago, ParabolaEulogy said:

Congrats Queen!! and Thanks so much everyone! Going to gather all that evidence, I will call the utility companies and ask them to send our bills in the mail, as opposed to online.

 

Can y'all confirm that you did not have to register your marriage in your home countries? If so how did you do it?

And did you have to change your passports for the sake of ROC? as there is a page that states our current address - did you change this to your US address?

Cheers

No I have never registered my marriage in the UK... I live in America now . I also never changed my passport. In fact, I never sent a copy of my passport for removal of conditions.... its not a requirement and not needed at all. All they require is proof of co-mingling finances. Nothing more, nothing less. 

[JoannaV 174]

I'm guessing that there are countries which like their citizens to register overseas marriages, and so that could be an additional proof for ROC. But the UK is not one of them.

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

Cheers Queen - way to go!

 

Thank you as well Joanna  where can we find a list of countries requiring this? I am asking for one of my best friends who is from France and also married a USC here in the U.S. Should I tell her to register her marriage in France? Her ROC is sooner than mine.

 

 

 

[ParabolaEulogy 21]

3 hours ago, QueenComley said:

Suki is absolutely spot on here. From the day we created a home and a life together we created a file for every single bill. We have a separate file for utility bills, credit cards, store cards, car note, taxes... you name it. I was approved for my removal of conditions today and this is what I sent:

• A copy of both our driving licenses showing the same address
• Every (joint) bank account statement from the day we got married
• Joint tax returns
• Joint rental lease agreements
• Joint utility bills
• Joint credit card bill
• Life insurance policies
• Joint car insurance
• Joint car note
• A letter from both places of employment listing us as emergency contacts for each other
• A letter from my step-childrens school listing me as a parent and emergency contact
• Joint vet bills for our pets
• Although considered secondary evidence I threw in some affidavits of support for good measure

Photos, cards, letters etc and of no use at this point - all that is required is proof of co-mingling finances. Hope this helps.

Also Queen, who can write the affidavits of support? Can they be from relatives and siblings?

[S. & A. 159]

6 hours ago, ParabolaEulogy said:

Thanks ever so much S&A, I truly appreciate your response and time to write it !

 

I will follow those actual I - 751 instructions. Also, did you register your marriage in your home country at all? I was never told to do so and had no idea I could do it. 

Sorry Parabola, I somehow missed your last post while I was typing another one. 

 

Last time I looked it up, Argentina required people to do a ridiculous amount of paperwork in order to register marriages. I'm not sure it's even possible from abroad. I'm sure this is easier in your country.

 

We live in America, have no plans to move to Argentina and I don't own any property or anything over there so we haven't felt the need to do it. Will do it if the need ever arises. It's certainly not necessary for anyone for ROC. 

 

Best of luck!

[TBoneTX 45,498]

Sukie's post is excellent.  Our process occurred before hers, but we too had adopted the approach of "along the way, take anything that might remotely help and throw it into a box."

 

The last thing that we attached in Mrs. T-B.'s package was a photo of two exhausted brand-new parents holding one-day-old Mini-Bone, who'd been born just days before we filed for ROC.  Our caption was, "Made of genuine U.S. & Ecuadorian parts!"

 

Something else that you can do right now:  Consider drafting wills, medical powers of attorney, and similar documents.  These make excellent evidence for ROC, and they're even more crucial to have in "life."