Opinions on Including Copy of Lease

[Tabouleh 1]

Hello VJ'ers -

I'm about to mail off my K-1 app and am debating whether to include a copy of my lease for an apartment here in the US that I signed with my fiance. He was in and out on a visitor visa, but when he was here (for a period of about 5 months with a couple of short trips outside of the US as a business visitor), he stayed at the apartment we signed a lease on and he has continued to pay rent on it when he hasn't been here. Would it seem odd or become problematic that he'd signed a lease for an apartment in the US when he was just in B (business visitor) status? Do you think that it would negatively or positively affect the I-129F petition? This is the apartment we will be living in once he is approved for the K-1.

Thanks!

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Hello VJ'ers -

I'm about to mail off my K-1 app and am debating whether to include a copy of my lease for an apartment here in the US that I signed with my fiance. He was in and out on a visitor visa, but when he was here (for a period of about 5 months with a couple of short trips outside of the US as a business visitor), he stayed at the apartment we signed a lease on and he has continued to pay rent on it when he hasn't been here. Would it seem odd or become problematic that he'd signed a lease for an apartment in the US when he was just in B (business visitor) status? Do you think that it would negatively or positively affect the I-129F petition? This is the apartment we will be living in once he is approved for the K-1.

Thanks!

I don't think it would be a problem at all. I think it would be perfectly reasonable for a visitor staying in the US for several months to lease an apartment rather than staying in a hotel. If both of your names are on the lease then it would also be good evidence of having met in the previous two years.

[Minya's wife 25]

Hello VJ'ers -

I'm about to mail off my K-1 app and am debating whether to include a copy of my lease for an apartment here in the US that I signed with my fiance. He was in and out on a visitor visa, but when he was here (for a period of about 5 months with a couple of short trips outside of the US as a business visitor), he stayed at the apartment we signed a lease on and he has continued to pay rent on it when he hasn't been here. Would it seem odd or become problematic that he'd signed a lease for an apartment in the US when he was just in B (business visitor) status? Do you think that it would negatively or positively affect the I-129F petition? This is the apartment we will be living in once he is approved for the K-1.

Thanks!

The filing requirements for a K-1 petition require only that you prove (with documentary evidence) that you and your fiance have met at least once in the two years leading up to the point that you file said petition. If you are able to satisfy that pre-requisite with other documents, then it is not necessary to include the joint-lease as well. That said, there are some cases in which having proof of a joint-lease does help in asserting the bona-fides of the underlying relationship, which forms the basis of the I-129F filing. With some petitions (it seems to depend on the country where you fiance will eventually be applying for the visa, once the I-129F is approved) it is advised to 'front-load' the petition, in which case something like a joint-lease would come in handy. Your profile does not state, what country is your fiance in?

[Tabouleh 1]

Thanks for the answers

He is dual Swedish-Lebanese (100% Lebanese, but he spent the vast majority of his life in Sweden and will be applying through the Lebanese embassy with his Swedish passport). I would think that the Western European citizenship/passport should allay any concerns they might have about the bona fides, but I still would prefer to do a little front loading just in case. I'll update my profile to include the proper consulate country.

Cheers!

[Minya's wife 25]

Thanks for the answers

He is dual Swedish-Lebanese (100% Lebanese, but he spent the vast majority of his life in Sweden and will be applying through the Lebanese embassy with his Swedish passport). I would think that the Western European citizenship/passport should allay any concerns they might have about the bona fides, but I still would prefer to do a little front loading just in case. I'll update my profile to include the proper consulate country.

Cheers!

Small point of terminology. He will apply for the K-1 visa at a US consulate in the country he currently resides in. Which country is that? If he is currently in Lebanon, I'm not sure what you mean by applying with his Swedish passport...