Just planning ahead

[Oko Vicki 55]

Good day my VJ people!

 

I've been going through the ROC forum this morning and I found some interesting things. I created this post to avoid hijacking other people's post. Most of you know my story  My questions have to do finances and proof of living together.

 

When we lived at my wife's house, both of our DLs carried that address. However, my wife had just renewed her license when I moved out, so we updated her address records with DMV online (we have a confirmation printout for this) without having a new DL issued with our new address on it while my own DL shows our new address. Do you think this will be an issue with USCIS?? I mean, USCIS can just run her DL #, right? or must we get a new DL for her with the new address on it??

 

As for joint account; I had stopped putting money in our joint account before I decided to move out so there is a gap. Then when she moved in with me, I didn't put her on the lease until I was sure she's truly back (a few months). We opened a new joint account where we put money for bills... Please note, I put all my checks (I get paid weekly) in the account, she contributes a fixed amount monthly, then I take out my balance at month's end. Will this also be an issue? the 3 months gap in joint account and the time elapsed before I added her to the lease? If so, what can we do??

 

In addition, my wife just recently agreed to put her social security check in the new joint account (first check is November), then we move out the balance to our individual accounts by month's end. If you were a USCIS officer, how would you feel about this??

 

Please be brutal! I need total honesty! I also need suggestions on anything that needs to be fixed.

 

Thank you guys! Happy Thanksgiving! 

[Crazy Cat 41,978]

2 hours ago, Oko Vicki said:

I mean, USCIS can just run her DL #, right? or must we get a new DL for her with the new address on it??

In most states, you are required to have your current address on your driver license.  USCIS will not "run" your license.  

 

2 hours ago, Oko Vicki said:

then we move out the balance to our individual accounts by month's end. If you were a USCIS officer, how would you feel about this??

I would have questions.  Why not just pay normal household expenses from the joint account? 

[Oko Vicki 55]

1 hour ago, Crazy Cat said:

In most states, you are required to have your current address on your driver license.  USCIS will not "run" your license.  

 

I would have questions.  Why not just pay normal household expenses from the joint account? 

I tried but couldn't find where it says to have current address on DL in AL. I guess we have to give them another $30 to print another card. 

 

I think you may have misunderstood me. She kept our previous joint account since it was hers originally anyways, I have a separate account myself and then we have a separate joint account (newly opened after she moved in with me). Say monthly bills (rent, car note, insurance etc) is 500, my wife transfers 250 (fixed amount) into our new joint account, I cover the other 250 plus food, gas for cars, credit card payments and other daily expenses for the month. First of the next month, I transfer whatever is left from my checks the previous month to my personal account. Hope this is clear now, so what do you think?? 

PS: This was the best I could come up with since money was the root cause of our problems to begin with. 

Edited November 23, 2023 by Oko Vicki

[ShazShaz 34]

Curious, will USCIS be interested in the actual deposits and withdrawals of an account? That seems intrusive. I would assume when it’s my turn, I would provide them the confirmation letter of joint bank account opening, and a few recent monthly bank statements bearing both spouses name, with the numbers blackened out. The idea is to prove a bonafide marriage, and not scrutinize how a relationship manage their money?

 

Will be following this thread for insights when I get to ROC in 2yrs. 

[OldUser 6,857]

58 minutes ago, ShazShaz said:

Curious, will USCIS be interested in the actual deposits and withdrawals of an account? That seems intrusive. I would assume when it’s my turn, I would provide them the confirmation letter of joint bank account opening, and a few recent monthly bank statements bearing both spouses name, with the numbers blackened out. The idea is to prove a bonafide marriage, and not scrutinize how a relationship manage their money?

 

 

Financial comingling is one sign of a bonafide marriage. To prove comingling you can provide joint tax return transcripts and bank statements from joint accounts. Failure to satisfy USCIS by providing evidence sometimes results in even more intrusion. You and your spouse can be called into interview and interviewed separatly. Questions asked may be about your finances and even intimate life, which is super intrusive. USCIS may visit your home and go through your rooms, ensuring you're living together. I feel like providing bank statements is the lesser evil.

 

Anybody can open a joint bank account and never use it. Bank statements show you put your mouth where your money is. It demonstrates that you actually comingle finances.

Edited November 24, 2023 by OldUser

[OldUser 6,857]

59 minutes ago, ShazShaz said:

with the numbers blackened out.

 

People actually get RFEs and NOIDs for redacting supporting documents. It makes USCIS think you're hiding stuff from them and raises suspicion. I wouldn't do it.

[OldUser 6,857]

1 hour ago, ShazShaz said:

 and a few recent monthly bank statements bearing both spouses name

The evidence should be covering the period of time from start of marriage until filing. Few recent statements is poor evidence.

[Oko Vicki 55]

My VJ people busy with Thanksgiving yesterday. Hopefully I get more responses today. 

[powerpuff 6,725]

*** Hijack post removed. If you have questions, please start your own thread ***

[Sukie 1,464]

The most important thing about your evidence is that it should be self-explanatory - meaning an officer can infer what he or she needs to know from what is in front of them.  Should there be gaps, or if things aren't clear, that can lead to suspicion and/or RFEs. 

 

The best thing to do is to simply explain how you do it in a cover letter - meaning you say something like xxx account was originally <owner> and in <month, year> we added <second owner> to the account.  We each contribute $$$ to a joint account from which we cover <list expenses here> .  We also each maintain separate accounts.  Our relationship suffered a rough patch from <date> to <date>, where we did not agree on how our money was spent.  We have since moved through that patch, and are back on track.

 

Whatever YOU say needs to be the truth.  Just state the facts - don't try to either hide anything or use pretty language.  Just state the facts so that the officer can look at your evidence and see what is happening instead of trying to guess what goes on.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

[Scandi 4,168]

Not sure I understood it correctly, but here goes.. So with your current joint bank account situation, your wife doesn't appear to be using it other than to transfer a fixed amount into it every month? IF that's the case, even if both of your names are on it (are they?), that's not considered a joint bank account in regards to what USCIS wants to see and won't help anything in regards to proving co-mingled finances. With joint checking bank accounts they want to see both of you actively using it, spending money via it etc. If her only relation to that account is putting a fixed amount of money into it every month, and not using it in any other way, that doesn't really prove anything. To USCIS, that could be her just paying off a personal loan she got from you, or her being your room mate and paying her part of the rent that way, or whatever. It doesn't help proving a bonafide marriage.

 

Do you have savings accounts, money markets or other financial "savings" in both of your names? If you do, send proof of that. 

 

Just now, Scandi said:

Not sure I understood it correctly, but here goes.. So with your current joint bank account situation, your wife doesn't appear to be using it other than to transfer a fixed amount into it every month? IF that's the case, even if both of your names are on it (are they?), that's not considered a joint bank account in regards to what USCIS wants to see and won't help anything in regards to proving co-mingled finances. With joint checking bank accounts they want to see both of you actively using it, spending money via it etc. If her only relation to that account is putting a fixed amount of money into it every month, and not using it in any other way, that doesn't really prove anything. To USCIS, that could be her just paying off a personal loan she got from you, or her being your room mate and paying her part of the rent that way, or whatever. It doesn't help proving a bonafide marriage.

 

Do you have savings accounts, money markets or other financial "savings" in both of your names? If you do, send proof of that. 

USCIS doesn't "run" anything in regards to DMV. You send copies of both of your drivers licenses or IDs showing the same address. 

 

 

[Sweetdreaming 397]

8 hours ago, Scandi said:

 To USCIS, that could be her just paying off a personal loan she got from you, or her being your room mate and paying her part of the rent that way, or whatever. It doesn't help proving a bonafide marriage.

 

 

 

 Very much as the above, I wouldn't say it was zero evidence and would include it as it's part of the picture of your married life but it won't be good evidence of co mingling of finances. They'll be asking why you did do it this way and not use a joint account with deposits and withdrawals made by both of you.

[Oko Vicki 55]

10 hours ago, Sukie said:

The most important thing about your evidence is that it should be self-explanatory - meaning an officer can infer what he or she needs to know from what is in front of them.  Should there be gaps, or if things aren't clear, that can lead to suspicion and/or RFEs. 

 

The best thing to do is to simply explain how you do it in a cover letter - meaning you say something like xxx account was originally <owner> and in <month, year> we added <second owner> to the account.  We each contribute $$$ to a joint account from which we cover <list expenses here> .  We also each maintain separate accounts.  Our relationship suffered a rough patch from <date> to <date>, where we did not agree on how our money was spent.  We have since moved through that patch, and are back on track.

 

Whatever YOU say needs to be the truth.  Just state the facts - don't try to either hide anything or use pretty language.  Just state the facts so that the officer can look at your evidence and see what is happening instead of trying to guess what goes on.

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

Thank you, Sukie, for your contribution. I will be sure to ask for even more help when it is time to file. 

[Oko Vicki 55]

9 hours ago, Scandi said:

Not sure I understood it correctly, but here goes.. So with your current joint bank account situation, your wife doesn't appear to be using it other than to transfer a fixed amount into it every month? IF that's the case, even if both of your names are on it (are they?), that's not considered a joint bank account in regards to what USCIS wants to see and won't help anything in regards to proving co-mingled finances. With joint checking bank accounts they want to see both of you actively using it, spending money via it etc. If her only relation to that account is putting a fixed amount of money into it every month, and not using it in any other way, that doesn't really prove anything. To USCIS, that could be her just paying off a personal loan she got from you, or her being your room mate and paying her part of the rent that way, or whatever. It doesn't help proving a bonafide marriage.

 

Do you have savings accounts, money markets or other financial "savings" in both of your names? If you do, send proof of that. 

 

 

You still did not understand me correctly. We have a genuine joint account; matter of fact, we have at least 5 pages of account statement each month and the good thing is each transaction shows the last 4 of card used. The transfer is how she gets her own contribution into the joint account while my contribution is my direct deposits from work.

 

In my illustration, when I said I cover the other 250 and daily expenses for the month, that just meant that I contribute more to our expenses. I guess what I really wanted to know is whether it would be an issue that I move money out to my personal account. 

 

Besides this joint bank account, we have plenty other evidences. 

Joint lease. 

Joint car ownership 

Auto insurance showing both names as insured drivers. 

Rental insurance 

She's on my health, dental and life insurance I got from work. 

She's designated beneficiary of my IRA

Joint deed/home ownership  

Vacation together 

Pics at different restaurants 

Pics with her grandkids at Thanksgiving just yesterday. 

3 joint credit cards - I am an authorized user on her 2 cards, she is the same on my only one. 

That's all I can think of right now. We should be fine even with these alone. 

 

Thank you for your contribution. Thank you! 😊 

[Oko Vicki 55]

2 hours ago, Sweetdreaming said:

 Very much as the above, I wouldn't say it was zero evidence and would include it as it's part of the picture of your married life but it won't be good evidence of co mingling of finances. They'll be asking why you did do it this way and not use a joint account with deposits and withdrawals made by both of you.

I just explained in my last post. Our account statement shows deposits and withdrawals. In fact, my wife's card appears even more than mine cos she's the one who does all the Walmart and Kroger orders,