What did they want to see at your interview?

[AZKira 3]

A few people lately have said that during their interview the IO asked to see relationship evidence. None of them said whether or not they submitted joint tax transcripts with the N-400 application.

Those of you who have just completed your citizenship interview, did you submit joint tax transcripts with the application, and were you asked to show any other proof of relationship during the interview?

[yohino 22]

I though you had to submit the last 3 years taxreturns/transcripts with your application if you are applying based on marriage to USC?

"If you are applying for naturalization on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen, send the following 4 items:

1. Evidence that your spouse has been a U.S. citizen for the last 3 years:

a. Birth certificate (if your spouse never lost citizenship since birth); or

b. Certificate of Naturalization; or

c. Certificate of Citizenship; or

d. The inside of the front cover and signature page of your spouse’s current U.S. passport; or

e. Form FS-240, Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America; and

2. Your current marriage certificate; and

3. Proof of termination of all prior marriages of your spouse (divorce decree(s), annulment(s), or death certificate(s)); and

4. Documents referring to you and your spouse:

a. Tax returns, bank accounts, leases, mortgages, or birth certificates of children; or

b. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-certified copies of the income tax forms that you both filed for the past 3 years; or

c. An IRS tax return transcript for the last 3 years. "

http://www.uscis.gov/files/article/attachments.pdf

Or am I reading it wrong?

[AZKira 3]

Yohino, that's what I thought too. Part 4, A or B or C. What I'm finding confusing is what people have reported that they were asked to show at the interview.

Edited February 9, 2011 by AZKira

[NickD 202]

Felt my wifes' IO was excessively paranoid in wanting to see all the original documents that we brought in. But nothing to do with our relationship, simply that both her and I were here legally with documentation to prove it. Wife is one of those persons that can repeat every word exchanged at her interview, word by word. Took her over an hour to tell me about it as we were driving home. Had to ask her, how did your IO think you got your green card. Out of a Cracker Jack box?

Wife said after she swore to state, nothing but the truth, her IO went over every question of that ten page N-400, and was humiliated when asked if she was a prostitute three timesl Obviously, she isn't old enough to be a member of the Nazi party in 1933, but was asked that as well. Then proving we didn't alter any of our copies we sent in, made an issue about a utility bill that is not even requested, but with forewarning she had one with both of our names on it. Wife said her IO responded negatively about that, surprise! Then it was all but two minutes for the civics and English test. But by that time, her IO should have gotten the hint, my wife can speak English very well. Wife had to read the oath out loud then sign her full name in front of her IO. Makes you wonder what that lip service at the oath ceremony is all about, they have written proof of her oath, none of that at the oath ceremony.

Then know how slow St. Paul is with oath ceremony, wife did politely request a same day oath like other field offices offer due to missing more work and the long drive. Her IO responded, WE DON'T DO THAT HERE! Then it was a long wait to get that oath letter and yet another long trip. Her IO wouldn't even turn her head to me to even say hi, like I never existed.

So no telling what you are going to run into. At that same office, when I was present during our AOS, the IO was very very nice.

[bonnerbonner 6]

It really depends on your Interviewing Officer. I sent tax transcripts, bank statements, mortgage docs & utility bills with my application, along with copy of our son together birth certificate, marriage & divorce certificates, proof of hubby's citizenship. At the interview, the only document my IO wanted to see was the original birth certificate of our son. He asked if I had anything else different I would like him to see or have and I said NO SIR. Those docs are used for 3 years marriage to USC. 5 years is a little less documentation.

[NickD 202]

Here is my check list I made for my stepdaughter for her interview this Friday with the five year.

Check list.

1. Drivers license

2. Green card

3. Interview appointment letter.

4. Four years of your tax transcripts.

5. Copy of your grade point average, just in case, shows you are in college.

6. Your W-2's for 2010, shows you are working and paying taxes.

7. Copy of that civics tests I typed out for you, with your mom, we went over those hundred test questions twice on our drive over. If you don't have that, can print that out.

She shouldn't really need 4, 5, or 6, but what the heck just a few pieces of paper and just in case. Evidence for the five year is extremely short, plus she was never married nor divorced. St. Paul has never asked to see a drivers' license, crazy anyway, but she will have that in her wallet along with her green card. Really the only thing she needs extra is her interview letter.

Her mothers' main course of study for the civics test was when we drove over, both her and her daughter have an excellent short term memory. So that will kill time in that long boring trip.

Hope I remembered everything.

Now for her mom, we needed a wheel barrel for the evidence with the three year.

[Griffon64 0]

I submitted tax transcript copies ( 3 years ) and had my original tax transcripts with me, but wasn't asked for them.

I was asked for and showed some bank statements, some utility bills, and Christmas and birthday cards.

My interviewing officer actually called me three days before the interview and asked me to bring utility bills and Christmas and birthday cards. I had included mortgage and title, car titles, other "important", big ticket things like that, thinking that would be sufficient, but my particular IO wanted to see some of the "smaller" things.

Bottom line, bring everything you can put your hands on. You just never know.

I had to show my green card and my driver's license, too.

[AZKira 3]

Thank you for your responses. It sounds like preparing for Removal of Conditions all over again only a little less paper.

I'm glad I asked. Better to have too much than too little.

[Brother Hesekiel 2,235]

At the N-400 stage, especially since you have to swear that all you stated in the form and will state verbally is the truth, the relationship is not really under much scrutiny anymore. If you have tax transcripts showing joint filing and all the documents required, it's up to the I.O. to figure out if something's not kosher.

My wife insisted to join me when going to the interview, despite my warnings that it would be boring for her as she couldn't come in with me. In retrospective, however, I think it helped that the I.O. saw her sitting in the waiting room with me and jumping up the moment I was called in (at which point he shouted in a friendly voice "no wyyves!), so that basically was plenty of evidence to make a case.

I can imagine that under certain circumstances, the I.O. will have a closer look, but from past experience of other VJ users who went though the same ordeal and lived to tell the tale, it's not very common.

Edited February 9, 2011 by Just Bob

[NickD 202]

Thank you for your responses. It sounds like preparing for Removal of Conditions all over again only a little less paper.

I'm glad I asked. Better to have too much than too little.

You never stated whether you were applying for the 3 or the 5 year, quite a difference.

Would say applying for the 3 year was a combination of both the AOS and ROC stages, but didn't want copies of my wifes' passport, but she did have to bring those in to verify her trips outside of the USA. Nor did they request two letters of affidavits, that surprised me. Nor my wifes' birth certificate, but sure wanted mine.

Like the AOS had to give evidence that we were free to marry and yet another copy of our marriage certificate, that teed me off since I had to copy again 50 double sided pages of my divorce, how do they think my wife got her green card? And like the ROC, all the evidence that we had joint everything and were paying our taxes.

Bottom line is that we had to submit even more evidence than the ROC stage. Since my wife had to list all of her children plus mine, surprised they didn't want any proof of that, in particular her daughter that came here with her. For the AOS had all kinds of court orders where she had permission to come here, they didn't ask for that. Wife said she saw her file, was over 3 1/2 inches thick.

[AZKira 3]

I'll be applying for citizenship after three years of marriage and we have been filing taxes jointly since 2007. I'm guessing that all they want to do is verify that nothing in our living/financial arrangements has changed. Will one joint bank statement (the most current one at the time of the interview), one joint credit card bill, originals (plus a copy of each) of our driver's licences, birth certificates, marriage license, and so on, be enough? Surely they don't want that whole pile of ROC evidence all over again!

Edited February 10, 2011 by AZKira

[NickD 202]

I'll be applying for citizenship after three years of marriage and we have been filing taxes jointly since 2007. I'm guessing that all they want to do is verify that nothing in our living/financial arrangements has changed. Will one joint bank statement (the most current one at the time of the interview), one joint credit card bill, originals (plus a copy of each) of our driver's licences, birth certificates, marriage license, and so on, be enough? Surely they don't want that whole pile of ROC evidence all over again!

With the long delay in our ROC, sent the service center complete update on our evidence for the latest tax returns, and new joint legal purchases like vehicles and even an AKC registered dog. We finally got the ten year cards just two weeks before that stupid one year extension was about to expire and already made an infopass appoint for that I-551 stamp.

All that stuff was proof we were living and paying bills together, so sent all of that along with the N-400, and from all appearances, my wife needed that.

I felt I should have been present for at least the evidence phase of my wifes' interview, after all, my name is also on that stuff. I got a folder type brief case, and when my wife came out, carefully checked that all of our originals were there, some pretty important documents. And since her application was based on marriage to me, why couldn't they ask me if I was married to her? Her IO wouldn't even turn her head and say, nice to meet you, just wanted to see my papers. Really reminded me of Nazi Germany.

Hopefully you and my stepdaughter will get a decent IO, we will find out tomorrow. Wife and I are going with her, after all, we are a family and what affects one, affects all of us. But the USCIS seems to forget that we are a family!

[NycBra 4]

I understand that I should bring all originals for the copies I submitted with my application. However, I am not taking my husband's driver's license since he has to drive to work and therefore I can't take his ID with me. I will take the passport, birth certificate, etc.

And, as for the questions of the civic test, I hope they don't ask "when is the last day you can file your tax return", because I know for fact (and because of my work) that 2011 is an exception, and the deadlines this year is April 18, not April 15.

[venusfire503 54]

A few people lately have said that during their interview the IO asked to see relationship evidence. None of them said whether or not they submitted joint tax transcripts with the N-400 application.

Those of you who have just completed your citizenship interview, did you submit joint tax transcripts with the application, and were you asked to show any other proof of relationship during the interview?

Yes, we sent the joint tax returns (as required), and my husband was asked for bills during his interview. He took a bunch of things, but the guy wanted utility bills. He said that mortgage statements don't prove that a couple is still together - they could be part of a divorce settlement or something like that. I'm just mad I wasn't able to go - I went to Morocco for his visa interview (and stood outside alone for hours), his infopass appointments, and his original interview in November (which turned out to be cancelled - he got the letter the following week). (he didn't have any interviews in between)

It seems like the guy was ok with what he had - he told my husband he might stop by unexpectedly sometime, and my husband said he was welcome to (knowing my husband, he was serious, too!) I guess that worked - the guy said he'd send out an oath letter as soon as my husband re-did his biometrics (his others 'expired' - he did them back in July, and since his interview was delayed...). He went that day, and we're just waiting for them to be processed. I hope he gets his letter soon.... and more importantly, I hope his oath ceremony is on a day my kids are with me. I'd LOVE to take them, but doubt their father will let me take them out of school on one of his custody days to go to their stepfather's oath ceremony.

Anyway, yeah - I recommend that everyone takes current utility bills to prove they're still together. The problem is that most bills are only in one person's name, so you'll have to take some in his name and some in her name, from the same months, and with the same address, of course!

Good luck to all.

venusfire