ROC Evidence - Any Advice?

[millefleur 5,035]

5 minutes ago, luckylady said:

We do not have the same phone bill. I have the same super-cheap mobile network that I got when I came here as a student, the ones you just get the sim card and have your own phone, not the plans. I never bothered to change to anything fancier, so we still have separate phone bills. 

My husband and I have completely different phone situations...he's on Google Fi now, I'm on my mother's Verizon family plan because it was cheaper at the time. I didn't send anything phone related at all. Figured it wasn't necessary as long as I had other evidence of co-mingling.

Edited April 2, 2019 by millefleur

[LionessDeon 2,060]

5 minutes ago, luckylady said:

We do not have the same phone bill. I have the same super-cheap mobile network that I got when I came here as a student, the ones you just get the sim card and have your own phone, not the plans. I never bothered to change to anything fancier, so we still have separate phone bills. 

Oh. Just trying to help you think of things. Gotta get creative lol

[luckylady 6]

7 minutes ago, millefleur said:

The recent word on the street is: send in all bank statements from every month if you want to avoid an RFE. Bank statements are endemically faked in the immigration process and it could be that USCIS is catching on...hence issuing RFE's to double check that the statements are not faked.

 

I sent in all bank statements from every month, but only quarterly statements for credit cards.

I am sending monthly statements for the joint checking account we have, but its only MY direct deposit thats been going into the joint checking. (I am an authorized user on husband's credit card and we'll be sending the statements from that and copies of the cards.) I am thinking to press husband to add me to his checking account which pays the mortgage and utilities. And my question is, if he adds me now in April 2019 as authorized user, and we send the ROC package this April, would we send statements from his checking account that date back from start of the marriage (end 2016) or just the April 2019 statement when he just added me?

 

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

Just now, LionessDeon said:

Gotta get creative

Agree 100%.......Anything that ties both people to common finances or to a common address is good, imo.

[LionessDeon 2,060]

2 minutes ago, luckylady said:

I am sending monthly statements for the joint checking account we have, but its only MY direct deposit thats been going into the joint checking. (I am an authorized user on husband's credit card and we'll be sending the statements from that and copies of the cards.) I am thinking to press husband to add me to his checking account which pays the mortgage and utilities. And my question is, if he adds me now in April 2019 as authorized user, and we send the ROC package this April, would we send statements from his checking account that date back from start of the marriage (end 2016) or just the April 2019 statement when he just added me?

 

Well all you can do is what you can do. It’s something but it will kinda  look like it was just done for immigration purposes. 

[LionessDeon 2,060]

17 minutes ago, millefleur said:

The recent word on the street is: send in all bank statements from every month if you want to avoid an RFE. Bank statements are endemically faked in the immigration process and it could be that USCIS is catching on...hence issuing RFE's to double check that the statements are not faked.

 

I sent in all bank statements from every month, but only quarterly statements for credit cards.

Interesting I only sent about 5 statements for the two years. Let’s see what happens lol

[Sukie 1,439]

The important thing to remember is that one piece of documentation (its presence OR its absence) does not tell a story - it is the combination of what you send that tells your marital story.  Every packet is different.  Some send pounds and inches of paper, some send the basics.  The answer to every question is "it depends".

 

OP - my spouse is not on my deed for various reasons. I owned the house 6 years before we married.  First of all, changing a deed is expensive, and wills can take care of real estate.  Secondly, my spouse comes from a country that taxes based on assets owned - so we have kept me as the primary SSN on all accounts in the US, and I remain the sole owner of the house.

 

BUT!!! I do not understand the answer you got from your insurance agent, and I believe it is incorrect.  A homeowner's policy needs to list all adults who are allowed to file a claim.  They don't "own" the policy - but they are allowed to file a claim.  This is important and here is an example.  Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 and 2 kids live in a house.  Spouse 1 is coming home from work, opens the garage, suffers a massive stroke and dies and runs the car right through the back of the garage into the kitchen.  If Spouse 2 is not on the policy as a valid claimant, then Spouse 2 cannot file an insurance claim to get the house repaired.  So here Spouse 2 is, 2 kids, dead partner, and a broken house.  Dire, but it can happen.

 

So check with your insurance company again, and make sure YOU are on that policy as a valid claimant and that you have a right to file a claim.  Your name may not be on the policy itself (as my spouse's name is not), but be sure your name goes down as a valid claimant.  And then attach your policy to your paperwork - as your name will be listed somewhere on the printout.

 

Now, I live in New York, and you live in Massachusetts - and insurance is administered on a state-by-state basis.  But I think it is worth a follow-up call - perhaps by your spouse.

 

Good luck.

 

Sukie in NY

[luckylady 6]

1 hour ago, Sukie said:

The important thing to remember is that one piece of documentation (its presence OR its absence) does not tell a story - it is the combination of what you send that tells your marital story.  Every packet is different.  Some send pounds and inches of paper, some send the basics.  The answer to every question is "it depends".

 

OP - my spouse is not on my deed for various reasons. I owned the house 6 years before we married.  First of all, changing a deed is expensive, and wills can take care of real estate.  Secondly, my spouse comes from a country that taxes based on assets owned - so we have kept me as the primary SSN on all accounts in the US, and I remain the sole owner of the house.

 

BUT!!! I do not understand the answer you got from your insurance agent, and I believe it is incorrect.  A homeowner's policy needs to list all adults who are allowed to file a claim.  They don't "own" the policy - but they are allowed to file a claim.  This is important and here is an example.  Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 and 2 kids live in a house.  Spouse 1 is coming home from work, opens the garage, suffers a massive stroke and dies and runs the car right through the back of the garage into the kitchen.  If Spouse 2 is not on the policy as a valid claimant, then Spouse 2 cannot file an insurance claim to get the house repaired.  So here Spouse 2 is, 2 kids, dead partner, and a broken house.  Dire, but it can happen.

 

So check with your insurance company again, and make sure YOU are on that policy as a valid claimant and that you have a right to file a claim.  Your name may not be on the policy itself (as my spouse's name is not), but be sure your name goes down as a valid claimant.  And then attach your policy to your paperwork - as your name will be listed somewhere on the printout.

 

Now, I live in New York, and you live in Massachusetts - and insurance is administered on a state-by-state basis.  But I think it is worth a follow-up call - perhaps by your spouse.

 

Good luck.

 

Sukie in NY

Thank you for your detailed response Sukie, I really appreciate it. I have shared your response with my husband and he will call them again tomorrow to ask about adding me on the policy as a valid claimant. It will be great to be added as a valid claimant so that I can attach the policy to my paperwork with my name listed somewhere on there. Thanks again. 

[Diane and Chris 651]

5 hours ago, luckylady said:

We do not have the same phone bill. I have the same super-cheap mobile network that I got when I came here as a student, the ones you just get the sim card and have your own phone, not the plans. I never bothered to change to anything fancier, so we still have separate phone bills. 

Well then, get a plan together in both your names. That’s a good piece of evidence. 

[SalishSea 16,774]

7 hours ago, missileman said:

Our car insurance rates actually went down by $10.00 a month when I added my wife (no other changes).....LOL.

Ours went down by $20!  May have been in part because the rates are cheaper for married people.

[Loren Y 2,732]

11 hours ago, missileman said:

Our car insurance rates actually went down by $10.00 a month when I added my wife (no other changes).....LOL.

Mine went down 6.03 a month ( I pay every 6 months, and I just noticed the savings yesterday when I renewed)when I added her. She doesn't drive or even have a license to, but I'm all about the marriage discount. LOL

[leisli 15]

we have a similar dilemma. when I filed i had few financial evidences. 

what i had are just: 
-health insurance, dental, eye 

-a joint account that we rarely use, I put money into it but not too much.
  we have separate bank accounts because it's silly to ask for your husbands' permission to buy things ( i explained this in the cover letter)

-a lot of travel photos and photos of our weddings (us and in the philippines)

-letter submitted to the church indicating we want to get married in catholic church- i dont know if this has bearing

- testimony from friends 

- tax transcripts since we filed jointly

- a copy of a check address to the both us. 

- bank statements from the joint account

 

I was advise to put a will, but end up not doing that. 

------

my ROC got approved today-- But i know this these are case to case basis. 

maybe you could get passenger's insurance instead of an actual car insurance? 

or get a joint credit card? that's what im planning to do when I file citizenship >soon<

 

 

 

Edited April 3, 2019 by leisli

[dwheels76 5,462]

20 hours ago, missileman said:

There were some posts regarding this very question a couple weeks ago.  Someone reported that they received an RFE for not including all their bank statements........I opted to include all ours (21 total)...about 60 pages.

That's what I did every month from July 2016 to May2018. That car insurance, furniture loan. Leaving nothing to chance and praying for no RFE.

[luckylady 6]

On 4/3/2019 at 1:20 PM, leisli said:

we have a similar dilemma. when I filed i had few financial evidences. 

what i had are just: 
-health insurance, dental, eye 

-a joint account that we rarely use, I put money into it but not too much.
  we have separate bank accounts because it's silly to ask for your husbands' permission to buy things ( i explained this in the cover letter)

-a lot of travel photos and photos of our weddings (us and in the philippines)

-letter submitted to the church indicating we want to get married in catholic church- i dont know if this has bearing

- testimony from friends 

- tax transcripts since we filed jointly

- a copy of a check address to the both us. 

- bank statements from the joint account

 

I was advise to put a will, but end up not doing that. 

------

my ROC got approved today-- But i know this these are case to case basis. 

maybe you could get passenger's insurance instead of an actual car insurance? 

or get a joint credit card? that's what im planning to do when I file citizenship >soon<

 

 

 

Thank you for your response, and Congratulations on getting approved. I imagine the photos of wedding in US and the Philippines were great for your case.

 

I am an authorized user on my husbands credit card and we have both cards which we will send copies of together with the statements. Hopefully that and the joint checking will help.

 

[luckylady 6]

On 4/2/2019 at 7:11 PM, Sukie said:

The important thing to remember is that one piece of documentation (its presence OR its absence) does not tell a story - it is the combination of what you send that tells your marital story.  Every packet is different.  Some send pounds and inches of paper, some send the basics.  The answer to every question is "it depends".

 

OP - my spouse is not on my deed for various reasons. I owned the house 6 years before we married.  First of all, changing a deed is expensive, and wills can take care of real estate.  Secondly, my spouse comes from a country that taxes based on assets owned - so we have kept me as the primary SSN on all accounts in the US, and I remain the sole owner of the house.

 

BUT!!! I do not understand the answer you got from your insurance agent, and I believe it is incorrect.  A homeowner's policy needs to list all adults who are allowed to file a claim.  They don't "own" the policy - but they are allowed to file a claim.  This is important and here is an example.  Spouse 1 and Spouse 2 and 2 kids live in a house.  Spouse 1 is coming home from work, opens the garage, suffers a massive stroke and dies and runs the car right through the back of the garage into the kitchen.  If Spouse 2 is not on the policy as a valid claimant, then Spouse 2 cannot file an insurance claim to get the house repaired.  So here Spouse 2 is, 2 kids, dead partner, and a broken house.  Dire, but it can happen.

 

So check with your insurance company again, and make sure YOU are on that policy as a valid claimant and that you have a right to file a claim.  Your name may not be on the policy itself (as my spouse's name is not), but be sure your name goes down as a valid claimant.  And then attach your policy to your paperwork - as your name will be listed somewhere on the printout.

 

Now, I live in New York, and you live in Massachusetts - and insurance is administered on a state-by-state basis.  But I think it is worth a follow-up call - perhaps by your spouse.

 

Good luck.

 

Sukie in NY

 

Thanks again Sukie, for your advice. He called back and asked again about adding me on the policy and they agreed, he didn't even have to ask about adding me as a valid claimant. Yay! The changes to the policy are dated 4/3/19 and the policy term is 2/17/19 to 2/17/20, so hopefully it doesn't raise alarm, and it doesn't state when exactly I was added, just states our names as the insured. So hopefully they won't catch on that I was just added. This policy term started in Feb 2019 though he bought the house in 2010, because of the home renovations which just concluded, hopefully it doesn't raise suspicion.

 

We will say that I am not on the mortgage because it would need a refinance (I dont know if this is actually correct, I saw it on this site- I hope this is standard practice for most mortgages?) but I am on the home insurance policy. And we will include the settlement documents to show that he purchased the house years before we married thats why utilities are in his name and he is the one that pays them since I work part time anyway (plus utility companies refused to have more than 1 name on the bill).

 

I am wondering if it would be beneficial for him to add me to his checking account now as an authorized user, then we can send quarterly statements from that account too, from 2017 or so, to show that its the account which pays the bills?! Or would it be suspect coz he would be adding me in April 2019 the same month as we are filing? But then again, the statements wouldn't show my name since I would be an authorized user, not a joint owner of the account. And we'd just print the account details from a web page showing me listed as authorized user. So the immigration officer may not catch on to the fact that I was just added on this April. Any thoughts anyone? Or best to only send the joint checking account statements which show just my income deposited into the account (and no utilities or mortgage paid from this account), and statements from his credit card to which I am an authorized user plus copies of both our cards?