To explain or not to explain?

[EvieMN 105]

Hello, VJ community! 

Been a long time since I’ve been around. It’s almost my time to file for ROC. Actually I’m a little late in starting to gather everything but it’s been a busy summer. Anyways, I’m in a bit of a pickle trying to decide how to handle (lack of) evidence. Do I explain all of the issues below or do I just omit all that and submit what I do have?

1. Lack of joint lease/utilities - ever since we got married 2 years ago, we have been living in employee provided housing with the exception of 6 months. We have a lease for those 6 months but even then, we weren’t paying utilities so no bills in both of our names. 
2. Lack of healthcare insurance - truly, we haven’t been able to comfortably spend that much money each month so far so we have gone without. We’re young adults still trying to figure things out. 🤷‍♀️
3. Lack of retirement accounts - we both have only worked service industry jobs so far hence no retirement accounts whatsoever. 
4. We both had different phone service providers at time of marriage (I was in the United States on a work visa) so we just kept them separate. 
5. We had a joint bank account for a while but since we don’t have any joint bills each month and I didn’t like that bank anymore (he was on my account) I closed it. He can add me to his current account but obviously that will be very recent. 
6. Husband’s DL still lists his address as his parents house as he never changed it when he moved to the city where we met and currently live. His DL didn’t expire yet so he hasn’t bothered to change it. 
7. And one last thing for the nice person still reading this - I lost my green card in May and got the stamp in my passport instead. 

 

I know that’s a lot of information and a lot of explaining to do. I’m not sure if it would be beneficial bringing up all of that myself. 

I can provide evidence such:

1. tax documents showing we filed jointly
2. lease for 6 months from last winter
3. w2s from same company
4. note from company stating we have lived together on their property 
5. joint car insurance
6. trip he took to my home country
7. trip we took to Vegas with friends
8. wedding we were invited to together
9. plenty of photos
10. affidavits from mutual friends 

[geowrian 22,335]

I always say focus on what you do have, not what you don’t. The reason for not having some evidence is irrelevant IMO, so there’s no reason to mention it.

[Cryssiekins 976]

5 minutes ago, EvieMN said:

Hello, VJ community! 

Been a long time since I’ve been around. It’s almost my time to file for ROC. Actually I’m a little late in starting to gather everything but it’s been a busy summer. Anyways, I’m in a bit of a pickle trying to decide how to handle (lack of) evidence. Do I explain all of the issues below or do I just omit all that and submit what I do have?

1. Lack of joint lease/utilities - ever since we got married 2 years ago, we have been living in employee provided housing with the exception of 6 months. We have a lease for those 6 months but even then, we weren’t paying utilities so no bills in both of our names. 
2. Lack of healthcare insurance - truly, we haven’t been able to comfortably spend that much money each month so far so we have gone without. We’re young adults still trying to figure things out. 🤷‍♀️
3. Lack of retirement accounts - we both have only worked service industry jobs so far hence no retirement accounts whatsoever. 
4. We both had different phone service providers at time of marriage (I was in the United States on a work visa) so we just kept them separate. 
5. We had a joint bank account for a while but since we don’t have any joint bills each month and I didn’t like that bank anymore (he was on my account) I closed it. He can add me to his current account but obviously that will be very recent. 
6. Husband’s DL still lists his address as his parents house as he never changed it when he moved to the city where we met and currently live. His DL didn’t expire yet so he hasn’t bothered to change it. 
7. And one last thing for the nice person still reading this - I lost my green card in May and got the stamp in my passport instead. 

 

I know that’s a lot of information and a lot of explaining to do. I’m not sure if it would be beneficial bringing up all of that myself. 

I can provide evidence such:

1. tax documents showing we filed jointly
2. lease for 6 months from last winter
3. w2s from same company
4. note from company stating we have lived together on their property 
5. joint car insurance
6. trip he took to my home country
7. trip we took to Vegas with friends
8. wedding we were invited to together
9. plenty of photos
10. affidavits from mutual friends 

I used my cover letter to explain why my evidence was the way it was.  We had separate car insurance bc I had trouble finding a company to take me, and he had 2 dui’s, so we had to wait until literally just before we submitted ROC to get a joint plan.  
 

Show the bank statements from when you did have an account together, and explain why you no longer do.

 

Honestly, it’s better to preemptively explain any deficiencies at the get home than wait for an rfe or for it to come up in the interview.

 

The purpose is to show a shared life - not everyone is going to have everything, but it looks like USCIS places heavy emphasis on financials.  So have a joint account now and come interview time, you’ll have roughly a year worth of statements.  Add an authorized user to credit cards.

 

I used some affidavits as well.  Sure, they don’t offer much in the way of probative evidence, but they certainly don’t hurt.  
 

Stick to maybe 10-15 photos, as those aren’t strong either.  
 

You can only send what you have, so use that covering letter to present your case in the best way. 

[EvieMN 105]

On 10/18/2019 at 7:07 PM, Cryssiekins said:

I used my cover letter to explain why my evidence was the way it was.  We had separate car insurance bc I had trouble finding a company to take me, and he had 2 dui’s, so we had to wait until literally just before we submitted ROC to get a joint plan.  
 

Show the bank statements from when you did have an account together, and explain why you no longer do.

 

Honestly, it’s better to preemptively explain any deficiencies at the get home than wait for an rfe or for it to come up in the interview.

 

The purpose is to show a shared life - not everyone is going to have everything, but it looks like USCIS places heavy emphasis on financials.  So have a joint account now and come interview time, you’ll have roughly a year worth of statements.  Add an authorized user to credit cards.

 

I used some affidavits as well.  Sure, they don’t offer much in the way of probative evidence, but they certainly don’t hurt.  
 

Stick to maybe 10-15 photos, as those aren’t strong either.  
 

You can only send what you have, so use that covering letter to present your case in the best way. 

Thank you! I’m worried because I’m not sure what is “appropriate” in a cover letter like that. I think I’m gonna end up mentioning a few things but not all of them. 

On 10/18/2019 at 7:07 PM, geowrian said:

I always say focus on what you do have, not what you don’t. The reason for not having some evidence is irrelevant IMO, so there’s no reason to mention it.

Thank you for your reply! I definitely like the sound of that. Just worried that I may not have enough due to our unconventional lifestyle