Evidence of a bonifide marriage

[Hydey 0]

Note: Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage

The USCIS now requires that when filing an I-130 for a spouse that you include evidence of a bonifide marriage. They list examples of acceptable evidence as

With reading above i am concerned. I am to be married a few weeks from now whilst on the VWP, we have all of the papers soon to be ready to send out. However, i am 19 years old and my girlfriend is 21 in a week, we are going to be living with her mother (also our sponsor) as agreed by her. This means that no documents besides the marriage certificate are going to have our name on just yet, we are not able to afford that until the future. Our marriage will definitely be bonifide, but how do i prove this?

Also, when applying for AOS while in the US, which form does the sponsor have to complete? My girlfriend's mother is the sponsor, we was aware with the K-1 it was needed but how does it work this time?

Any help at all is great,

Kind Regards,

-Richard

[Old Dominion 26]

Note: Evidence of a Bonifide Marriage

The USCIS now requires that when filing an I-130 for a spouse that you include evidence of a bonifide marriage. They list examples of acceptable evidence as

With reading above i am concerned. I am to be married a few weeks from now whilst on the VWP, we have all of the papers soon to be ready to send out. However, i am 19 years old and my girlfriend is 21 in a week, we are going to be living with her mother (also our sponsor) as agreed by her. This means that no documents besides the marriage certificate are going to have our name on just yet, we are not able to afford that until the future. Our marriage will definitely be bonifide, but how do i prove this?

Also, when applying for AOS while in the US, which form does the sponsor have to complete? My girlfriend's mother is the sponsor, we was aware with the K-1 it was needed but how does it work this time?

Any help at all is great,

Kind Regards,

-Richard

At the very least, you can open a joint checking account in both names...even if there is little money in it. You will want to wait until you get your first monthly statement, and supply a copy of that with your petition. As to the sponsor, she must provide specific documentation of her ability to provide for you along with form I864.

This link provides all you need to get the ball rolling, but be patient and prepare to wait through the delays....

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/men...00045f3d6a1RCRD

[Hydey 0]

I didn't know that it would be possible to open a joint checking account if i was not a us citizen? How would we go about this?

- Richard

[Old Dominion 26]

I didn't know that it would be possible to open a joint checking account if i was not a us citizen? How would we go about this?

- Richard

Assuming your fiance has a checking account, your bank will do what's necessary to make it "joint" after your marriage. If not, she can open one now on her own and the two of you can go get it renamed after the wedding. The bank will require documentation from you to establish your identify, in absence of a social security number.

[Jon&Lindsey 0]

Just go to the bank where your girlfriend already has an account and ask to open a joint one. Take as much ID as possible (we used my passport and our apartment lease, this was all the ID I had). If that bank won't let you, try another - some banks seem more stringent that others. Bank of America let us have one.

[Hydey 0]

Is it possible to open the joint account before our marriage? To help get things rolling..

-Richard

[LaL 418]

Is it possible to open the joint account before our marriage? To help get things rolling..

-Richard

Ask your bank? I don't see how anyone could advise on this here.

[Richard and Aida 0]

Is it possible to open the joint account before our marriage? To help get things rolling..

-Richard

Yes it is possible.I went to many banks and stood in lines at many banks before I found one that would agree to open a joint account without her social security number.When I found one that would agree I filled out the application and mailed it to my wife in the Philipines and she signed it and mailed it back to me.Then I took the application back to the agreeable bank with a copy of her passport.I then received the joint account along with a atm card for my wife.Keep trying and good luck.

[GlobeHopperMama 95]

Also make sure to have someone take pictures of you both at the wedding/marriage ceremony, particularly if you'll have friends and family there. Get as much proof that this is a real wedding and not just signing documents.

Also, if your fiancee has a credit card, see if she can get you added to her account to have an additional card in your name. My husband had a credit card on my account for 2 or 3 years before we were even married.

[christera22 8]

Many a bank in usa wd do that.Just go to your fiance`s bank and produce your passport and start a JOINT Cheking account.Banks like fifth thrid ( www.53.com) do that. Your fiance most probably have to hold a account there.I dnt remember properly.But you can check with them.

[Maty 0]

We were able to open a joint account thru Welsfargo. THe primary account holder (which is my husband -US Citizen) will just have to provide his SSN. I didnt even have to provide any ID. They just asked for my information and we were able to open a joint account.

[Hydey 0]

My final documents are likely to be:

-Return plane ticket back to the UK for Aug 2008

- Joint bank account with my wife and a statement from it

- An affidavit of support from my mother in law stating that we are both living in her house

- Affidavits of support from friends and family back home stating that they thought i was returning home

- Affidavits of support from US citizens of my girlfriends family and her friends who knew i was to travel home in August.

- A possible joint credit card account?

- And photos, photos and more photos! Plus wedding photos.

Is this going to be enough at the interview, or am i fighting a dead-end case here? I am 19 and she is 20, i do not drive yet. We are living with her mother. How else is it possible to have bonifide documents? This is bonifide!

Edited July 5, 2008 by FirmRich

[Wishes 2]

I was able to add my wife to my checking account. Just call your bank and see. If they wont, call another bank, eventually you will find one that will let you open an account together without a SSN.

Also I was able to add my wife to several of my Credit Cards by calling them or even using my online login.

Edited July 5, 2008 by Wishes

[Jon&Lindsey 0]

Remember that you will need most of this evidence for the interview - you will have had an EAD and been working for a few months (hopefully!) by then. Maybe by then you will be able to buy a car together, get an apartment together etc - you have time to gather more evidence. We only sent our apartment lease and joint check with the AOS package, I think you need most of the evidence for the interview, not to send initially.

[Hydey 0]

Remember that you will need most of this evidence for the interview - you will have had an EAD and been working for a few months (hopefully!) by then. Maybe by then you will be able to buy a car together, get an apartment together etc - you have time to gather more evidence. We only sent our apartment lease and joint check with the AOS package, I think you need most of the evidence for the interview, not to send initially.

So would you advise that i sent the joint checking andt he affidavits in with the AOS package? Also how can affidvaits prove that we are bonifide, would that be ones from the mother-in-law, for instance?

An apartment together isnt an option just yet, but a car, life insurance or things like that are certainly an option. Do you think this will be enough?

Kind Regards,

-Richard