Sukie

You are fine. The "90 days" date was March 10th, and your package was delivered on March 11th. Breathe! Sukie in NY

It's hard to predict what a Border Officer will do - and you might catch one on a good day, and one on a bad day. Prior to our marriage and subsequent immigration journey, my partner did get a warning when she came through one time. Scared her to death. And we were visiting for MUCH longer times than you were. And we got through ok. The suggestions above are good. Bring the letters, etc. with you, just in case. Best of luck! Sukie in NY

If you have a couple of utility bills with both your names on them, then just submit those. If you don't, then submit one with your name and one with your partner's name showing THE SAME ADDRESS. The reason for having these particular docs is yes, to prove financial togetherness, but even more important, to show you live together. Having an explanation of your maiden name in a cover letter will not hurt. Sukie in NY

Here's another vote for including the tax transcript only. The transcript proves that you filed. A signed 1040 package does not. Plus, they prefer the transcripts! Sukie in NY

Print all the pages, but just choose one statement per quarter instead of all monthly statements. We just did quarterly for our process, but we also had LOADS of other financial mingling data. The only thing we were asked for were updated taxes (we applied just before April 15th, so by the time the interview came along, we had another transcript to submit). Best of luck. Sukie in NY

New York takes voter registration from the Driver's License roll. Send the card back with "Not a Citizen" checked. Make a COPY of the card (filled out) before you send it back. My spouse got called for Jury Duty TWICE before she became a citizen. Cover your backside, and send it back in. Sukie in NY

I owned our home before we married. We merely added a note about this to our cover letter, showed that my spouse was listed on our Homeowners Insurance, and submitted our NY Driver's Licenses - both with our home address. We had no issues. Sukie in NY

Oh, Jeez. What a &*$%storm. So very sorry to hear this. You are one of the most organized people on this list. Surely there is a way through. Do you live in a state with a sympathetic senator? Sukie in NY

Keep the envelope, too! Sukie in NY

Shin, it is your documentation that will speak for you. Make it EASY to see that you "do life" together, even when you are apart. We were also a same-sex couple (one of the first to file when DOMA fell. You'll get through it! When you submit your documentation, write a cover letter explaning your live/work situation. Don't make USCIS "guess" at how the two of you do life. USCIS does understand job markets and new grads! Sukie in NY

There are often couples who have to be separated due to work - medical residents, academics, etc. Your job,, as OldUser says, is to document your trips to visit each other. Keep ALL airline tickets, bus tickets, receipts for gas, hotels, if applicable, plus records of how often you speak to each other online or on the phone. It is not insurmountable. It's just a little different. Also document your time with the relatives who are supportive of you. Best of luck on your journey!!! Sukie in NY

If you have sent evidence - like a bank statement or credit card statement or a copy of a lease - make sure you send ALL the pages! Don't just send the summary! Good luck! Sukie in NY

As two others have said, get in front of any questions with a letter of explanation of your lifestyle. Pictures of the van, documentation of where the van has been, and where you park it. Vive le difference! In Australia they have a name for retired people who sell up and travel in their camper vans - "Grey Nomads"!!! Sukie in NY

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

I had to remember my high school Latin for that one, VinnyH. That was over 50 years ago..... Sukie in NY

Sounds like someone got caught NOT knowing this, and just wants to post a cautionary tale. Thanks, OP, for reminding this community. Sukie in NY

I just entered Japan 3 weeks ago as a tourist - I did not need to "register" with a touring company. That WAS a rule as the COVID shutdown was loosening, but it is not a requirement (for a US Citizen, anyway) now. Also - Timona, I like the start of the discussion. However, the turn-around time for a US Citizen/GC holder to locate a notary public (especially if it is a weekday, and you work 9-5) is on the skinny side. Normally, I would go to my bank - but not every branch has a notary on staff FULL-TIME. And, how far is everyone from a Staples?

If you are sending hard-copy, just print the pages and send them in. If you are trying to condense a file that you are going to upload electronically, then break the document into several smaller files. Our paper file was 4 inches thick. Sukie in NY

Take the paragraph you have written above (which is very clear) and add it to your cover letter, removing the words "Concerned that it might appear unusual for a third party to be named on our joint account". They still might ask you for prior statements, but you have explained everything up front, and I think you'll be good. Best! Sukie in NY

1. They want to see evidence from the time of marriage or from when you submitted AOS. This is VERY important. Since your bank account is only 1 year old, you need to explain this in a cover letter. Otherwise you will probably get an RFE because the circumstances are not clear if you only submit 12 months. 2. You will need to get your mother to write an affidavit stating that you have lived together at the house that she owns since xx/xx/xx, and that you will continue to do so. If you contribute at all to any of the expenses (like utilities), she needs to add that in, and I see that there are records to show that you do so. Sometimes a parent can add a line like "I am happy for my son and daughter-in-law to live in the house that I own, so that they may begin saving money for one of their own" (if this is true). Your driver's licenses can then prove you are at this address. You need to show that you have lived together in the marriage. You have good evidence other than these two items. They DO look at how you handle your finances, and they really care that you live together. Best of luck! Sukie in NY

Just a note: Informed Delivery cannot show anything that doesn't go through the automated sorting machine. So smaller first class mail in #10 envelopes, or 4 x 6 sized postcards or placards can be scanned, but nothing that cannot fly through that sorting machine. Sometimes you get the "A piece of mail that we do not have a picture of" notice, but sometimes, you just don't get any notice. Sukie in NY

Looks like you have covered it nicely. Best of luck on your journey!!! Sukie in NY

Make sure your affidavit from your husband's parents explains that they let you live with them. If you contribute to the household at all (do you add money for groceries or to help with utility bills?), make sure that's in the affidavit too. Best of luck! Sukie in NY

You have given us a lot of "explanations" (finances, housing) here on Visa Journey. I strongly suggest that you add a cover letter with these explanations to ward off any RFEs. Normally I would suggest getting an affidavit from your "landlord" explaining your housing arrangement. Definitely talk about the fact that you had separate accounts until 5 months ago - remember, you are supposed to be showing evidence since your marriage. Best of luck to you! Sukie in NY

Just a note about the SS card... I know your spouse checked the box saying you wish a SS card - we did, too, but the immigration system doesn't always play nice with the Social Security system. When a new immigrant is processed, the processing officer needs to check a box on his/her screen that sends the data to the Social Security office requesting a card. This does not always happen - and since your husband got through so fast, there might be a chance that this step was missed. When my spouse came in (we flew together to JFK), we both went to secondary together, and I made special mention that we had checked the box for a SS card to be generated (because someone on Visa Journey had suggested we make this "special mention"). Didn't happen. If you have not gotten the card within two weeks, then go to your local SS office. If you go earlier, and the SSN is already in process, then it can really confuse the person at the SS office desk. At one point a few years ago, you had only a 50-50 chance of the card being automatically generated through the system. Somehow I doubt this has improved. Best of luck to you and yours! Sukie in NY