I-751 ROC Filers - January 2023

[Rearviewmirror 380]

10 hours ago, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Our table of contents

Please let me know if you think I am missing anything or feedback! I'm debating writing out each photo description on here instead of just labeling the photos but it will take a few hours...

                 TABLE OF CONTENTS: EXHIBITS A-E...

It's up to you, but a lot of folks have told me not to include passport biographic page/birth certificates as all of that would have been ascertained prior to the original green card (i.e. your identities/citizenship). 

 

One of the forum regulars asked the question of "what story are you trying to tell with each piece of evidence in your packet?" and if you feel good about all of the evidence and how it will be interpreted I think you're good to go. I decided not to include much "wedding" stuff at all as we've been legally married for 2+ years, despite only having our wedding celebration/ceremony last year. So I'm only including wedding photos and nothing with the dates on it as I feel it might be confusing for them (who knows if they care/understand getting married in the times of COVID).

 

For your taxes - make sure you include the tax transcript from the IRS website, not just a copy of the filing form, as it is viewed as more "official". I'm not sure of the purpose of the promotion letter/business card? I'd also maybe rename the honeymoon trip section to just be "future trip together" as again, you don't want them to be confused by when you got married etc.

 

Your cover letter looks good - you may want to include your husband's alien number as well, and I'd update the date to the date that you plan to mail your packet so that some paper pusher doesn't accidentally reject it for filing too early.

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

3 hours ago, Rearviewmirror said:

thank you for the feedback! see my notes below

 

It's up to you, but a lot of folks have told me not to include passport biographic page/birth certificates as all of that would have been ascertained prior to the original green card (i.e. your identities/citizenship). yeah me too, but i felt better putting it in there. never know.

 

One of the forum regulars asked the question of "what story are you trying to tell with each piece of evidence in your packet?" and if you feel good about all of the evidence and how it will be interpreted I think you're good to go. I decided not to include much "wedding" stuff at all as we've been legally married for 2+ years, despite only having our wedding celebration/ceremony last year. So I'm only including wedding photos and nothing with the dates on it as I feel it might be confusing for them (who knows if they care/understand getting married in the times of COVID). Yeah, its tricky, same here. it was the biggest event of our life since our green card, so we felt like its pretty important, but i see both sides. i may add clarity of we had our proper wedding now. i feel like its pretty common for people (even before covid) to have a courthouse wedding and then a proper wedding a year later.

 

For your taxes - make sure you include the tax transcript from the IRS website, not just a copy of the filing form, as it is viewed as more "official". yeah we have the entire form we sent to government. I'm not sure of the purpose of the promotion letter/business card? to show my husbands productive life in chicago and contribution to us as a couple finanically, they asked about his job during the AOS interview so a continuation of that. I'd also maybe rename the honeymoon trip section to just be "future trip together" as again, you don't want them to be confused by when you got married etc. good to note.

 

Your cover letter looks good - you may want to include your husband's alien number as well, and I'd update the date to the date that you plan to mail your packet so that some paper pusher doesn't accidentally reject it for filing too early. our 90 day window actually opened the 23rd of december, but it put our info in here as we may not send until next week/didnt want to mess with christmas mail.

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by Caitlin Kennedy

[Rearviewmirror 380]

16 minutes ago, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Tax transcript

This is where you go to get a tax transcript - that is what you want to submit, not your actual tax filing form. 

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

1 minute ago, Rearviewmirror said:

This is where you go to get a tax transcript - that is what you want to submit, not your actual tax filing form. 

I will look, I did the previous way for our AOS and they didnt say a word.

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

2 hours ago, Rearviewmirror said:

This is where you go to get a tax transcript - that is what you want to submit, not your actual tax filing form. 

So I am submitting the 1040 and all accompanying documentation which is our tax return? Let me know if I am missing something

Just now, Caitlin Kennedy said:

So I am submitting the 1040 and all accompanying documentation which is our tax return? Let me know if I am missing something

it says on the instructions "complete joint Federal and State tax returns"

[Rearviewmirror 380]

@Caitlin Kennedy Yes - you are missing the tax transcript which I linked to above.

Edited December 28, 2022 by Rearviewmirror

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

3 minutes ago, Rearviewmirror said:

@Caitlin Kennedy Yes - you are missing the tax transcript which I linked to above.

where does it say that in the instructions?

[Rearviewmirror 380]

11 minutes ago, Caitlin Kennedy said:

where does it say that in the instructions?

The transcript is what was received by the IRS so is typically considered more “official” than the 1040. If you search the forum for “tax transcript” you will see discussion of this. It’s free so there’s really no reason not to send it. 

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

17 minutes ago, Rearviewmirror said:

The transcript is what was received by the IRS so is typically considered more “official” than the 1040. If you search the forum for “tax transcript” you will see discussion of this. It’s free so there’s really no reason not to send it. 

thanks!

[Rocio0010 5,577]

On 12/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Copy x birth certificate

10. Copy of x birth certificate

11. Copy of x passport biographic page

12. Copy of x passport biographic page

13. Copy of x Global Entry Card  

14. Copy of x Social Security Card

Not needed. Don’t send stuff just to send. They already have your passports and birth certificates. The global entry card and SS card are not needed.

 

On 12/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Copy of Church Wedding Certificate

2.    Wedding Save the Date

3.    Wedding Suite: Invitation, Details, RSVP Card and two outer envelopes addressed to couple

4.    Copy of Wedding Program at St. x

5.    Copy of addressed wedding thank you card and card example

6.    Copy of insurance for our joint wedding bands

7.    Copy of wedding cards from family and friends (two)

8.    Copy of memory cards guests wrote to us at wedding

9.    Wedding Blessing Speech written and given at reception by x’s cousin, x

Not needed . Hopefully you sent that with the AOS package.

 

On 12/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Copy examples of Christmas cards from family and friends since marriage (4)

6.    Copy of x and x’s 2022 Christmas card sent to family and friends

7.    Copy of addressed Christmas and Wedding cards to our apartment from family and friends (5)

Redundant. Just pick one.

 

On 12/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, Caitlin Kennedy said:

x’s proof of employment August promotion offer letter and business card as x at The x

Irrelevant. Does not prove cohabitation or relationship.

 

On 12/27/2022 at 9:28 PM, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Copy of Jointly Filed Federal Tax Return for 2021

Send IRS tax returns instead 

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

14 hours ago, Rocio0010 said:

Not needed. Don’t send stuff just to send. They already have your passports and birth certificates. The global entry card and SS card are not needed. ok

 

Not needed . Hopefully you sent that with the AOS package. No, because we didnt have our wedding until this year due to Covid as i noted so they would know. we had our "marriage" day within the 90 days, but not our proper wedding.

 

Redundant. Just pick one. well one has our address's and one has actual writing/cards with our names on it so wasnt sure

 

Irrelevant. Does not prove cohabitation or relationship. they asked about it during our AOS interview so it was meant as a continuation of that and it shows he is contributing to us as a couple and a productive permanent resident 

 

Send IRS tax returns instead ok, i sent the forms last time in the AOS and didnt say anything nor does it say it in the instructions.

 

[Rocio0010 5,577]

3 minutes ago, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Irrelevant. Does not prove cohabitation or relationship. they asked about it during our AOS interview so it was meant as a continuation of that and it shows he is contributing to us as a couple and a productive permanent resident 

 

You do you. But the officer adjudicating your case is not going to be the same one that did your AOS most likely, so will probably not know what this is about. Plus, some permanent residents don’t work and still get approved. That’s why they don’t even ask about employment history in the 751. Save that for the N400

 

5 minutes ago, Caitlin Kennedy said:

Send IRS tax returns instead ok, i sent the forms last time in the AOS and didnt say anything nor does it say it in the instructions.

IRS tax returns= way less paper

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

1 minute ago, Rocio0010 said:

You do you. But the officer adjudicating your case is not going to be the same one that did your AOS most likely, so will probably not know what this is about. Plus, some permanent residents don’t work and still get approved. That’s why they don’t even ask about employment history in the 751. Save that for the N400

 

IRS tax returns= way less paper

got it, thanks for your time!

[Timona 3,985]

@Caitlin Kennedy I'd get rid of Exhibit B. It's overkill. You already submitted all these detailed wedding stuff during AOS. I-751 is to show continuation. To some extent, you can resubmit stuff, but not overkill it by sending same detailed stuff you sent 2 years or so ago.

 

You need:

1. IRS transcript OR

2. Returns + W2s 

 

You cannot mix and match. Read the instructions. And BTW, USCIS doesn't care if your partner is stay at home. None of their business, provided you live happily and are financially making it. So, no need to prove "productivity."

Edited December 29, 2022 by Timona

[Caitlin Kennedy 63]

27 minutes ago, Timona said:

@Caitlin Kennedy I'd get rid of Exhibit B. It's overkill. You already submitted all these detailed wedding stuff during AOS. I-751 is to show continuation. To some extent, you can resubmit stuff, but not overkill it by sending same detailed stuff you sent 2 years or so ago.

@Timona thanks, but we didnt submit that because we didnt have our wedding. we got married in the 90 days obviously, but it wasnt our wedding. it was the biggest event since our green card so its proof we are continuing our lives together with all our family and friends. we had our wedding on september 10, 2022 as i noted.

You need:

1. IRS transcript OR

2. Returns + W2s 

 

You cannot mix and match. Read the instructions. And BTW, USCIS doesn't care if your partner is stay at home. None of their business, provided you live happily and are financially making it. So, no need to prove "productivity." i am not mixing and matching, i read the instructions and it said nothing about a transcript so that is why i am asking. thanks!

 

Edited December 29, 2022 by Caitlin Kennedy