Maria P.

Fellas, I have an update -> got my NOA letter(24 month extension) in the mailbox yesterday!
 
So my up to date ROC timeline is:
 
08/05 - sent package via USPS to Elgin PO Box (Carol Stream, IL) 
08/08 - package delivered
08/11 - got a text message around 5 pm, with receipt number (no email)
08/18 - got a mail/I-797 NOA, "Receipt Notice" that states application received date: 08/08, notice date 08/11
 
P.S. My receipt number starts with YSC 🥴 , i.e. Potomac Service Center.... unfortunately  
 

Fellas, I have an update -> got my NOA letter(24 month extension) in the mailbox yesterday!
 
So my up to date ROC timeline is:
 
08/05 - sent package via USPS to Elgin PO Box (Carol Stream, IL) 
08/08 - package delivered
08/11 - got a text message around 5 pm, with receipt number (no email)
08/18 - got a mail/I-797 NOA, "Receipt Notice" that states application received date: 08/08, notice date 08/11
 
P.S. My receipt number starts with YSC 🥴 , i.e. Potomac Service Center.... unfortunately  
 

Fellas, I have an update -> got my NOA letter(24 month extension) in the mailbox yesterday!
 
So my up to date ROC timeline is:
 
08/05 - sent package via USPS to Elgin PO Box (Carol Stream, IL) 
08/08 - package delivered
08/11 - got a text message around 5 pm, with receipt number (no email)
08/18 - got a mail/I-797 NOA, "Receipt Notice" that states application received date: 08/08, notice date 08/11
 
P.S. My receipt number starts with YSC 🥴 , i.e. Potomac Service Center.... unfortunately  
 

Hey July filers! Well, the time has finally come for us to return to Visajourney. We sent our form off via Fed Ex on 7/20 and received notification they delivered it on Monday. Hubs just got a text about half an hour ago confirming USCIS has received the form and there is a pending credit card transaction. We were freaking out because we just moved last month, but the address change didn't go through on my credit card (very long story). I spent the past hour hounding my credit card company to confirm that they were going to process the charge. Now we just await the NOA to find out where we will be headed. Step 1 completed, I guess. 

Sent my package via USPS express mail on 7/5 and was delivered on 7/6. Received case SRC # text on 7/8 that package was received and put in the system on 7/6. Still waiting NOA1 mail. Waiting game begins!!!😊

~~Duplicate monthly filer threads have been merged. Please do not start a monthly filer thread until that month arrives. This helps keep a second thread being made as the first will be on the first page.~~

submitted i751 last week. It arrived at Phoenex lockbox on 8/5. Hopefully the check will be cashed soon

The normal course of action is to get an RFE. However, when we mailed our package, we also forgot to include the W2s and we got approved without an RFE. If your evidence is sufficient, then they might over look this minor missing document.
In the meantime, why don't you go ahead and request your tax transcripts - they are free. It takes them a couple of weeks to arrive, and if you do end up receiving an RFE due to missing or incomplete tax transcripts/returns, then they are there and ready for you to copy and mail back. If you don't get an RFE, well then you can keep them for naturalization... if you want to apply for naturalization when you become eligible, then you need to submit tax transcripts again so they will be there and ready for that phase as well.
hope this helps

The best example I heard is to compare it with a supermarket.
 
One cashier can be faster than the other. One customer might have a cart full of groceries, the other might have only a small basket. So if two people arrive at different lines at the same time, there's no guarantee they will leave at the same time.

You are overthinking.

Hi everybody! Just dropped off my I-751 package at UPS this morning. Best of luck to us all!

👋 HELLO everyone! Gosh, I've just discovered this website and what a wonderful place it is - it's like a private members club of fellow stressed out and waiting comrades , bound by hope, drop of 'freaking out', tiny despair, wild west waiting times & information exchange 🤣 I don't know anybody personally, but I feel like I am sailing that same boat under very same sails and wind conditions and Oy, I hope we all make it )))) 
_________________
Soooo....  A bit of my pre-story: relevant for anybody who haven't sent the package yet (if you already mailed it, feel free to skip this). I have paid two services (RapidVisa & CitizensPath) to help to assemble i-751 petition(big mistake) , and they both been rubbish, and cutting LONG STORY short -> after losing precious time going back and forth with them (and money), I ultimately  "lost my "/ patience, and took matters into my own hands and assembled the package myself, because both companies made mistakes in form filling and have been really bad in terms of communications. They did offer some document advise, and I kinda researched their stuff, USCIS official stuff, dozens of Youtubes and talked to friends who got their stuff approved and consensus was the following:  (listed in order of diminishing importance to USCIS)
 
1) Children born in marriage (strongest bona fide marriage evidence) 
2) Living Together (same address on govt. issued IDs/DL, on bank statements, shared bills, mortgage or lease agreements, letters in both names showing residency together, etc.)
3) Joint Financial Responsibilities (TAXES No.1, and JOINT ownership No.2 :  physical assets // be it house, cars, scooters, etc. or financial assets // bank accounts, trading accounts, savings, retirement funds, insurances, medical, etc. ) 
4) All other evidence ~ the "weak sauce" (or as USCIS classifies it: secondary evidence) / pet ownership, photos, travel together, affidavits, gifts, etc.
 
So far ^ this was the consensus. As far as diving into details, I have heard different sentiments, e.g.  "over supplying" vs. "undersupplying" evidence vs. "no such thing as too much evidence for USCIS" and I believe it is individual case/should be evaluated how much of strong evidence you have vs. weak sauce:
EXAMPLE: if you don't have mortgage or lease agreement proving u live together, don't have bank accounts together and did not file taxes together, - I guess I would supply all I got, from pictures, to gifts, Christmas cards, concerts together, Facebook posts, affidavits, etc. .... but If the case is strong: u have taxes, accounts, joint property and savings, I would provide less of a "weak sauce", e.g. 10-20 pictures from beginning of marriage and some travels. Affidavits seem to be most hated from what I hear - and they are the last resort when there is not much strong evidence available....   
 
You can check attached PDFs for ideas (this is what RapidVisa and CitizenPath sent me, pretty much you will find same info from USCIS directly, just in different words). Also, this is some good info here: https://citizenpath.com/proving-a-bona-fide-marriage/ 
_________
 
I was supposed to file on 21st July (90th day before expiry of GreenCard), but because I lost some time ping-ponging evidence related questions with RapidVisa - I have sent my package ultimately last Friday: August 5th, 2022 via USPS . It got delivered to USCIS Elgin Lockbox box today at 6 am , no text/email yet (we did file with G-1145 form)
 
Hope this info helps and I will share updates. 
 
 
Bona Fide evidence.pdf i751-Filing-Instructions.pdf

OMG @beloved_dingo, I think your package just triggered my inner perfectionist climax 🥰🤩
 
This looks super neat. like MEGA neat. So beautiful. If I could redo my package, or make it better - I would change 2 things ->  (1)  putting Money Check - FIRST thing on top (I attached it to the top of my I751 form, but I have Cover letter as first thing in the package*) and (2) Getting ACCO fasteners. I was in such rush trying to get it done asap (because of filing later than I could have) that I went with paper clips, but I did see USCIS mentioning that fasteners via two holes on top is highly appreciated.  Great job, really. This looks stellar. 
 
*As I later researched (already after sending the package) -> Elgin LockBox where I had to mail my package - > is sort of a processing center - where they just open parcels, check if u have correct money & signed form, they process money and then distribute it to appropriate regional center. So giving them money as first thing on top of entire package makes most sense. 

We used ACCO fasteners. Picture attached. 
 
The credit card form was on top, then cover letter, e-notification form, the completed I-751, etc. 
 
Everything else was divided up into Exhibits, which is why there are tabs labeled A, B, C, etc. 
 
We divided up the documentation in the exhibits like this:
 
EXHIBIT A – BANK ACCOUNTS
Documentation of joint checking & savings accounts
EXHIBIT B – OTHER FINANCIALS
This included tax transcripts, credit cards, beneficiary on IRA, joint loan
EXHIBIT C – SHARED ADDRESS & COHABITATION
Leases, utility bills, letters addressed to us both
EXHIBIT D – SHARED INSURANCE & BILLS
Car insurance with both names/vehicles, gym membership, phone bill with both names/numbers
EXHIBIT E – MISCELLANEOUS
Photos, Healthcare POAs, documentation of trips taken together

Wow! Thank you so much. I really really appreciate you sharing your process. You remind of why the community here is the best on the internet. Good luck to you!

Mine was probably something 200+ too, I got this file folder from Walmart, and then put all paperwork inside. I printed USCIS # and petition subject/basic info: on top front flap of that folder  (my walmart folder had some nice clear pocket for that, otherwise I would just write it using fat permanent marker or print & stick it onto front page of the folder).  
 
Inside -> I had printed table of contents (sticked it to the back of that front folder flap, meaning person opening it will see it on the left side and on the right side will be a pile of papers/application). Table of Content had listed document sections (and brief list of documents attached in bullet points) in order  that they are put in the package.  I used sticky tabs for each section AT THE BOTTOM (USCIS asks specifically not to put them on the side).  
I used a rule of thumb and general logic, e.g. I had separate sticky tabs for FORM I 751, COPY OF GREEN CARD, Copies of DRIVING LICENSES, but for bulky taxes - i just had one tab TAXES, (not: Taxes 2019, Taxes 2020, Taxes 2021, W2s 2021, W2s 2020, etc.) 
 
USCIS specifically asks not to use heavy staples -> I have used small metal clips to clip documents together, as well as Jumbo metal clips to join several similar documents in one section. Example: I printed every other month bank statement from beginning of marriage:  each 3 pages of individual monthly statement were clipped with tiny paper clip on top + all of them together (18 statements total) with big jumbo ones from middle of both sides (so they stay together). For mega big sections (e.g. several "blocks of documents"  that are related to one another) -> like bank statements, trading account beneficiary disclosures,  bank "trustee" disclosures -> I used a rubber band to make sure nothing is displaced. just one thin rubber band holding entire section -> nothing crazy, and nothing that is hard to disassemble or might add irritation/more work to USCIS officer.
 
I  did spread out paper clips in different locations, so that package is uniform and not bigger /skewed on one corner/side. 
 
I mailed it via USPS.  Just brought my folder (I put rubber band around it) to the office and asked for envelope or box that would fit it and they got me some plastic envelope. Shoved it in and sent for a bon voyage hoping for the best...
 
P.S. Please refer to official filing recommendations from USCIS if in doubt: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/form-filing-tips . 
 
M.