J e n n y

Also regarding bank statements, remember to include the entire statement (all pages). I know I've read that some people only sent like the first page of each statement and they got an RFE because of that.

And with tax transcripts, have you tried calling 1-800-829-1040 to request a transcript over the phone?

Yes, you usually get the NOA1 pretty quickly after they receive it. Best of luck!

I think you're golden. You have evidence spanning many years and a lot of financial evidence.

I think you're fine. I didn't highlight any names. I just put a sticker on the top right hand corner of everything with the name and A# that didn't have his A# on it (all bank statements, credit card statements, etc.).

Hi,

I'm currently out of the US for a couple of weeks and have a pending I-751. It's approaching 5-months since I submitted it.

If an RFE gets sent to my home address in the US, will it be indicated when I check my status online? Or another way of putting it - for those of you who received an RFE: did you know you had one when you logged in to check your status, or did you first become aware of it when you checked your mailbox?

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks.

Didn't get any kind of update on my case status online, we just got the letter in the mail.

I think you're golden. Looks like everything is spanning the two years which is what they really want to see. Best of luck!

I say you're good to go. Best of luck to you.

You should get your receipt number within two weeks of them receiving your packet. Your wife will be sent an extension letter which extends her residency for one year. She should carry that letter with her at all times until she gets the 10 year green card.

Six months is just average- it may take up to nine months, even a year.

Your RFE has more detail as to why you received an RFE! Mine just listed everything I submitted in one paragraph and a generic statement like yours at the bottom.

Oh wow, that's weird- that top part where it lists what I sent in isn't even everything that I sent in. I also sent in beneficiary forms showing my spouse as a beneficiary for life insurance and for my 401(k) as well as credit card statements. I guess they didn't deem those items important enough to even look at.

Listen to bigdog, he knows his stuff.

Hello there.. I do need some help with this one..

I didnt send my packages just yet but im trying to have everything ready.. And i wonder if i need my W2 forms too or only the transcript is valid? Please help.. Thank you

If you need any help on documents from Paraguay just message me- my husband is from Paraguay and I have copies of everything we sent to the NVC so I'd be happy to help.

Just checking in. Responded to our RFE on 7/30 and it was signed for on 8/1. I agree with weescotlassie, very stressful this time around. I am hoping just to have the GC issued rather than going to interview, but ultimately I was not able to add my husband to our lease so I had to send a letter from our apartment management company explaining that we'd been living together and to call her with questions if they had any. So not ideal, may trigger an interview. On the other hand I did send a full house of joint tax returns and I always feel like those are really strong evidence, so maybe I'll get lucky...

My online status updates do not seem to be working this time round, so I'm just eagerly checking the post every day. Really would like this to be over now.

Best of luck to you, I hope you get approved soon! And I think USCIS loves those joint tax returns, fingers crossed it's enough for them.

Am I the only one who thinks this whole Adjustment of Status thing is just for getting more money with the fees? If someone can apply for citizenship 3 years after living in the U.S. if married to a U.S. citizen then why require a new green card 2 years after marriage? It's all just about getting money, at least that's how I feel about it...

If your extension is going to expire you just have to go to your local USCIS office and ask for another extension. Also, my case status didn't update either even after I got delivery confirmation for my RFE packet. No touches or anything. So don't worry about that.

Teddy B, thank you very much for your response! I had already read the guide you linked to, but already knew that unfortunately many things wouldn't apply to our case.

I did send a lease agreement with both of our names, also sent electric bills with both names on it, and a very extensive affidavit from our landlord, which is my husband's mother. We live on a family estate (also explained by my mother in law's affidavit), so they cover the other utilities. I think the USCIS has no further questions on our cohabitation, because the RFE does not mention anything lack of evidence of cohabitation.

If I just send them the 2012 tax return, surely going in for an interview would be the next step, which I have no issue with if that helps resolve this. Has anyone else been in the same shoes of having very little evidence for joint finances?

Cheezees, I think there is no place for snooty sarcasm on a support forum. That's all I can say to that.

Our joint finances evidence didn't cover 2 years so I think that was a reason we also got an RFE. I would just explain everything again and brace for an interview. That's when you will be able to prove that you guys are married for real. Please let us know what happens and I do hope they approve without needing to go through an interview.

Best wishes.

they just said i sent bank statements, photos, and tax. and i should send more evidence (like all the other documents i sent them) that is why i was confused. we don't have any credit cards. i sent them from the marriage and until he passed away. we were only married for less than 2 years and we didn't have any kind of mortgage, children. but i will send them again because the letter never said those aren't enough. it said i didn't send those.

If you were living with other people have them write affidavits to state that you were living with them. We don't have kids either so we stated at the bottom of our RFE cover letter that we didn't have children. If they're asking for something you don't have, state the reasons why you don't have those items in your cover letter.

VSC is pumping out approvals fast. Most of us February filers have been approved (almost 60%).

Thanks for your help Rov -

So in response to your comments, I went to our bank, got a notarized letter showing us a joint account holders living at the same address, as well as every statement of account dating back to when I joined the account, January 2012. As this is not a full 2 years, should we also attach account statements for the 5 months the account was only in my wife's name? Or would that serve no purpose.

I have also copied our entire tax returns for 2011 and 2012.

Finally, I tracked down our health insurance application - per the HR rep at my wife's company this is the only piece of information they have that shows the dates and both our names. They did not know anything about a proof of insurance form.

Any other recommendations from anyone? Any past experience tips?

If any joint account that you have doesn't cover the whole 2 years, state that in your cover letter. My husband got here in 05/11 and we didn't get a joint account until 09/11 because we were waiting for him to get a job first. Plus how can you even add someone to your account if they don't have a social security number? Anyway, yeah, if it looks like you're missing anything just state the reasons.

One more (stupid? ) question:

Is it ok to send photocopies of bank/credit cards, front and back?

Or do we need to send actual bank /credit statements?

Send copies of your actual bank/credit statements. And send all the pages of each, don't skip any pages. They must be complete.

Here is a copy of my RFE is anyone is interested. I couldn't find any recent RFE posts to post this to, so...here it is.

RFE notice.pdf

That's exactly what happened to us! Same dates and everything. But nothing to be worried about.

We sent two notarized affidavits, one from father in law and one from sister in law.

Guys, we just got our I-751 approved so I figured I would post a list of everything that we sent. The items in red are the items that we sent after we got an RFE.

• Photocopy of 2011 federal tax transcript showing filing status as “Married Filing Jointly” for 2011.
• Photocopy of 2012 federal tax transcript showing filing status as “Married Filing Jointly” for 2012.
• Copy of car insurance policy listing both as drivers.
• Copy of 401(k) account information showing spouse as beneficiary.
• Copy of life insurance information showing spouse as beneficiary.
• Photocopies of 2012 W-2s showing shared residence.
• Photocopy of retail installment sale contract for jointly purchased vehicle showing joint installment loan.
• Photocopies of checked baggage receipts from a joint trip.
• Photocopies of joint credit card account statements (old and recent) showing account remains active.
• Photocopies of joint checking/saving account statements (old and recent) showing accounts remain active.
• Photocopies of driver licenses showing shared residence.
• Photocopy of Vehicle Registration for jointly purchased vehicle showing shared residence.
• Photocopy of application for Social Security card showing shared residence.
• Various photos.
• Notarized affidavit from sister-in-law.
• Notarized affidavit from father-in-law.

*Also, at the end of your cover letter, if you are missing any important items then say why you don’t have them. For example we were living with my father so we included a copy of his driver's license to show that all the addresses matched up. We also stated how we didn't have children as of yet and that we didn't keep copies of any money transfers or phone records over the course of our marriage.

*Another note: don't sent copies of tax returns, send TRANSCRIPTS from IRS. On our RFE they asked us for a transcript of our 2012 tax returns when we only sent a copy of the forms.

This was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. The only thing you can do is be patient and try not to think about the time away from your loved one. Just live your life and have faith that everything will turn out beautifully.

Card in production!!!!!

Vermont Service Center (24 applicants, 14 approved - 58%)

VJName...........Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date.....Biometrics......Approved....
LAURA&LEO..........01/30/13........02/04/13.......--/--/13.......--/--/--....
CHELSEAKATE........02/01/13........02/05/13.......03/01/13.......07/16/13....(Card received 07/20)
SALJOY.............02/02/13........02/05/13.......03/05/13.......07/24/13....(Card received 07/29)
NA123..............02/03/13........02/05/13.......03/05/13.......07/24/13....(Card received 07/29)
SPELAD.............02/04/13........02/07/13.......03/14/13.......--/--/--....
WEESCOTLASSIE......02/06/13........02/08/13.......03/15/13.......--/--/--....(RFE received 07/06)
MRS ABENETO........02/08/13........02/12/13.......03/07/13.......07/05/13....
TOUFIQ.............02/08/13........02/14/13.......03/13/13.......--/--/--....
CECE...............02/11/13........02/14/13.......04/08/13.......07/22/13....
REDDSTARS..........02/11/13........02/26/13.......03/25/13.......07/11/13....(Card received 07/18)
MEDTAV.............02/12/13........02/15/13.......03/18/13.......07/18/13....
TASH24.............02/13/13........02/19/13.......03/19/13.......07/05/13....(Early bio 3/12)(Card received 07/13)
MARIZHELL..........02/14/13........02/19/13.......03/19/13.......05/20/13....(Card received 05/27)
HALFNHALF..........02/19/13........02/25/13.......03/26/13.......07/26/13....(Card received 07/29)
WOODEN TULIPS......02/19/13........02/27/13.......03/22/13.......--/--/--....
LINDSAY1811........02/20/13........02/22/13.......03/19/13.......07/10/13....(Care Received 07/17)
MISS JESS..........02/20/13........02/25/13.......??/??/13.......--/--/--....(Late Bio 04/04)(RFE received 07/09)
QASHA..............02/22/13........02/25/13.......03/26/13.......07/08/13....(Card received 07/12)
RICKY+VANESSA......02/23/13........02/27/13.......--/--/13.......--/--/--....
MATT N SHANNON.....02/24/13........02/28/13.......03/29/13.......--/--/--....
J E N N Y..........02/25/13........02/28/13.......03/29/13.......08/05/13.... (RFE received 7/10)

JULIALULIS.........02/27/13........03/01/13.......04/04/13.......07/29/13....
YANKEPEACH.........02/27/13........03/04/13.......04/02/13.......--/--/--....
VARYAG.............02/28/13........03/04/13.......--/--/13.......--/--/--....