F1 visa AoS sanity check

[usimmiisamess 0]

Hi,

 

Fiancee is beneficiary (from India) here on an F1 visa and I am a citizen.  We're planning on getting married in summer once she graduates.  We are a bit confused about the documents and wonder if we should include more proof.  

 

We've been dating for 6 years and have known each other for 7 years. 

 

We are planning to include

 

I130 package

 

1. Check
2. Cover letter
3. Form i130
4. Certified copy of my us birth certificate
5. Certified Marriage certificate copy
6.  2 passport photos of me
7.  2 passport photos of her
8. Current lease with both our names
9. Past 5 lease agreements with both our names
10. 5 years of joint bank account statements
11. Documents showing each other as beneficiaries on our personal individual bank accounts and brokerage accounts
12. 10 affidavits from friends and family
13. 25 photos of us during the relationship
14. 10 photos during wedding
15. Receipts of wedding vendors
16. Form 130a

 

**I485 package**

 

1.  Check
2. Cover letter
3. Form i485
4.  Wife's passport bio page and stamps and f1 visa
5. I-94
6. Certified copy of marriage certificate
7. 2 passport photos of her
8. I-693
9. I864
10. Tax transcripts
11.  I765
12. I131

 

I have some simple yes/no questions.

 

1. I know you need wife's passport and birth cert in I-485. Do I need to have them in i130 package as well because instructions didn't say to put them but people are putting it in there?

 

2. Do we need all I-94 of when entered the country?

 

3. Do we need to put I-20 in i485 package?

 

4. Do we need the affidavits from friends and family notarized?

 

5. We lived and currently live with roommates. Is that going to be a problem? 

 

6. 2 of the affidavits are from our roommates/friends who think it is a wise idea to include the fact that we live in the same bedroom. Is this a wise idea?

 

Other more involved questions are:

 

1. Do we need to put the entire 40 page lease (so that would be 240 pages) or just the parts with our names and addresses?

 

2. Is it okay if the lease contains our roommates names as well?

 

3. Finally, am I overthinking this and going overboard with this?

 

4. Are there any other documents we include to prove BF marriage? Especially since she is from India and cohabitation isn't particular common with Indians.

Edited May 15, 2022 by usimmiisamess
capitalization in title

[Rocio0010 5,579]

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

1. I know you need wife's passport and birth cert in I-485. Do I need to have them in i130 package as well because instructions didn't say to put them but people are putting it in there?

Go by the instructions, not by what other people do. 
 

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

2. Do we need all I-94 of when entered the country?

The last one. 

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

3. Do we need to put I-20 in i485 package?

I don’t remember. Again, read the guides here in VJ.

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

Do we need the affidavits from friends and family notarized?

Affidavits are not the strongest evidence, but if you do include them, then yes, have them notarized. Otherwise they lack value.

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

5. We lived and currently live with roommates. Is that going to be a problem? 

It is what it is. 

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

1. Do we need to put the entire 40 page lease (so that would be 240 pages) or just the parts with our names and addresses?

You don’t need to send five leases. Just send the last two, complete copies.

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

Is it okay if the lease contains our roommates names as well?

Again, it is what it is. 

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

10. 5 years of joint bank account statements

What?!  No!!! That’s an overkill. Just send the last year. 

 

1 hour ago, usimmiisamess said:

Finally, am I overthinking this and going overboard with this?

With the five years of bank statements and leases, yes.

[dwheels76 5,468]

1 hour ago, Rocio0010 said:

Affidavits are not the strongest evidence, but if you do include them, then yes, have them notarized. Otherwise they lack value.

 

 

Having Affidavits notarized adds absolutely no value. All notarization does is notarize who is signing not what they are saying. No one EVA submits a negative affidavit. That's why they aren't that great of evidence.

@usimmiisamessSave your time and trouble and skip the notary. And 10 is very excessive (1 to 3 will suffice). No one needs that many to speak to the bonafides of a relationship where you have lived together for so long.

[Ontarkie 14,280]

~~MOved to AOS from Work, Student and Tourist Visas, from IR1/CR1 P&P - the OP is looking at AOS~~