Lease question and our packet

[Stabu 0]

Our 90 day window opened a few days ago and we are in the process of gathering the required information.

Our main concern is the lease. We live in a managed community that uses a standard lease, so our names are mentioned nowhere on the lease. Furthermore the lease itself is like 20 pages long and talks about irrelevant stuff such as balcony usage, pets, waterbeds, motorcycles, electric light bulbs etc. etc. The only relevant part of the entire contract is the last page that has our signatures as "residents" (our names, as said earlier, are not mentioned in print) and a signature of someone from our landlord's company (whose real name isn't printed either).

Our secondary concern is the packet itself. Unlike other packets we filed during the immigration process, this one seems to be less precise and I'm wondering if other packets have looked similar to ours, which consists of:

- I-751

- Appendix to I-751

- Copy of permanent resident card (both sides on same page)

- Child's birth certificate

- Lease

- Bank statement (checking account)

- Bank statement (savings account)

- Electricity bill

- Affidavits by 3 people

- Check ($545.00)

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You don't need to worry about the lease. Provide them with what you have, and that'll be it.

I stated it before, but here it is again: you don't need to be approved; you have been approved 2 years ago. They just want to check if you guys are still married, which is about 75% of the "okay" and determined by filing jointly, and the remaining 25% is just giving them some proof of your mingling together.

Lease in both names is good, but not mandatory (I didn't send it because our house is still in my name alone), joint bank account is good as well. Life insurance, health insurance, car titles, car insurance . . . all good things. The baby USC is a big bonus in your favor, by the way.

I suggest to send a cover letter, briefly stating who you are, and listing the documents included. I also suggest to include some photos you have. Send them SOME good stuff, but don't' drown them in paperwork. Make it EASY on them to look through your file quickly and to approve your ROC application.

Understand, the overwhelming majority of joint filings is approved without a hicup, without an interview, and without any drama, no matter how heart-raising the waiting time and anticipation may be.

Edited September 3, 2009 by Just Bob

[ELW 5]

We made one of our Affidavits from the apartment manager. See if you can get a statement from your community manager, saying that you both live there together. I believe we only sent in the first and last pages of our lease, with our signatures.

Better to send in statements representing the time you have been together, so 2-3 statements per year (joint bank, credit cards, electricity, etc). For example, bank statements from Jan, July and Oct; copies of lease checks or receipts from March and Sept, electricty from Feb, May and Dec, etc., for the two years since AOS that you have been married. See also if you have postmarked mail in both your names and copy and send that too - like XMas cards from friends and family, offers of credit cards, etc. Copies of your Driving Licenses with the same address is also good proof.

[Thai Rath 1]

We made one of our Affidavits from the apartment manager. See if you can get a statement from your community manager, saying that you both live there together. I believe we only sent in the first and last pages of our lease, with our signatures.

Better to send in statements representing the time you have been together, so 2-3 statements per year (joint bank, credit cards, electricity, etc). For example, bank statements from Jan, July and Oct; copies of lease checks or receipts from March and Sept, electricty from Feb, May and Dec, etc., for the two years since AOS that you have been married. See also if you have postmarked mail in both your names and copy and send that too - like XMas cards from friends and family, offers of credit cards, etc. Copies of your Driving Licenses with the same address is also good proof.

ELW has a great idea. We were without a lease that clearly identified both of us, so we asked our landlord to draw up an affidavit attesting to the length of time we had been living in our place, etc. We also highlighted our bank statements indicating the rent payments and submitted utility bills, letters, etc. that arrived - some in my name and some in my husband's. If you have a life insurance policy or 403b/401K with your spouse listed as a beneficiary, it may list your address as well (ours did).

[mozplay 29]

I would suggest that you are missing:

• joint tax returns from last two years
• a document showing one of you as a listed beneficiary i.e. health plan, retirement plan, insurance or investments.

Also, you can include any joint credit cards or loan documents - shows that you are tied together in debt

Edited September 3, 2009 by mozplay

[Stabu 0]

Thanks for all your suggestions. We will certainly get a note from our landlord and send in some pictures .

joint tax returns from last two years

We could include this, but if I remember correctly it consisted of more than one page. Oh well, we'll see...

a document showing one of you as a listed beneficiary i.e. health plan, retirement plan, insurance or investments.

Savings account already included (which is, in some ways, an investment account). We don't have an insurance for anything or a health plan. Our other investments and retirement plans are separate.

Also, you can include any joint credit cards or loan documents - shows that you are tied together in debt

We don't have any debt either. I guess we could get a loan for something, but that seems kind of silly since we don't really need it for anything (unless we buy a house, which we will do later next year)...

[mozplay 29]

Thanks for all your suggestions. We will certainly get a note from our landlord and send in some pictures .

joint tax returns from last two years

We could include this, but if I remember correctly it consisted of more than one page. Oh well, we'll see...

a document showing one of you as a listed beneficiary i.e. health plan, retirement plan, insurance or investments.

Savings account already included (which is, in some ways, an investment account). We don't have an insurance for anything or a health plan. Our other investments and retirement plans are separate.

Also, you can include any joint credit cards or loan documents - shows that you are tied together in debt

We don't have any debt either. I guess we could get a loan for something, but that seems kind of silly since we don't really need it for anything (unless we buy a house, which we will do later next year)...

No.. don't fabricate evidence. Send what you have. But regardless of whether or not your tax transcripts are more than one page, they are VERY strong evidence and often when people get RFE'd, the tax transcripts are requested. Remember, they want to know that you are commingling - physically as well as financially.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

Stabu, there is a phone number for the IRS where they mail or fax you your previous transcripts. --- USCIS likes transcripts much better than returns precisely for the bulky-ness.

Also, remember to send evidence that spans the duration of your marriage.

[Stabu 0]

Okay, now we have gathered some more stuff and this is how our "final" packet looks like:

- Cover letter

- I-751

- Appendix to I-751

- Copy of permanent resident card (both sides on same page)

- Child's birth certificate

- Lease for 2008

- Lease for 2009

- Bank statement (checking account)

- Bank statement (savings account)

- Tax transcript for 2008

- Tax transcript for 2009

- 3 electricity bills

- Affidavits by 2 people

- Check ($545.00)

However, I'm still wondering about one thing. When I joined the SS troops there was a note somewhere (can't find it) that proof of SS troop registration should be presented when applying for visa extension or similar. Does this apply to the I-751 process or only to citizenship or do I simply remember wrong?