what to do with all paper work?

[lirwin2000 0]

hi, a quick question...

my wife finally has her greencard, she got it just last week. we understand it is for 2 years, what do we do in 2 years time? do we need to reapply and adjust her status again? what forms will we need to file and does it require an interview? i'm asking because we have stacks of paper work related to the initial K1 visa process and AOS process, will we need any of this or the information from this in 2 years time to renew her greencard? a lot of the forms for the K1 and AOS contain personal information that we want to shred if its now needed???

[HeatDeath 430]

In one year and 9 months, you will need to file a single form: the I-751 Request for Removal of Conditions. This form MUST be filed and received by USCIS BEFORE the two-year green card expires. However, they will not accept it f they receive it more than 90 days before the GC expires, so send it in as early as possible, right at the 90-day-prior mark.

It is a relatively short and simple form, compared to everything you have done up to this point. However, like the other forms you have done, you will need to include a significant amount of additional documentation. The goal of this documentation package will be to prove that you and your wife are (and have been for the entire marriage) living at the same address, and that you have mingled your personal finances in a manner typical of an American married couple. They will be looking for things like tax transcripts showing you have both filed as married, insurance cards showing that you two share health and car insurance, evidence of shared bank accounts, utility bills and mortgage/rental statements in both your names, etc. The instructions for the I-751 form are unfortunately rather vague on types and amounts of required evidence, but see the Guides and the Removal of Conditions forum here for extensive discussions on what sorts of things to include in your I-751 package.

A small percentage of cases do get randomly selected for interviews, but if you send a sufficiently comprehensive documentation package with the form, it is unusual to get an interview. There is a theory circulating that people who did not have an AOS interview may be significantly more likely to receive an RoC interview, but I do not know if any research has been done to confirm or deny this. It is known to this community that RoC interviews, overall, are quite rare (less than 20% of all cases, apparently).

I do not believe that you will need any of the specific forms or documentation you used for the petition, the visa application, or the AOS. Obviously you should hold on to that paperwork, but you shouldn't need to send any of it back in with the I-751. What you should be doing is this: Make a box marked "I-751" evidence, and every time you receive any official correspondence relating to anything financial that has both yours and your spouses' names on it, put it in that box. That way, a year and a half from now, when you start thinking about filling out the I-751, all the evidence you need will be right there.

As for your question of whether or not to retain your immigration paperwork, I would hold on to all your immigration paperwork (in a locked filing cabinet or safety deposit box, for security), for at least 5 years. A K-1 entrant is eligible for naturalization and citizenship starting approximately 3 years after entry, and I would retain the paperwork for at least another two after that, just in case. You never know when it might become important.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I do not believe that you will need any of the specific forms or documentation you used for the petition, the visa application, or the AOS. Obviously you should hold on to that paperwork, but you shouldn't need to send any of it back in with the I-751. What you should be doing is this: Make a box marked "I-751" evidence, and every time you receive any official correspondence relating to anything financial that has both yours and your spouses' names on it, put it in that box. That way, a year and a half from now, when you start thinking about filling out the I-751, all the evidence you need will be right there.

That's a really good idea! Thanks for the suggestion.

To the OP - I have a large folder containing all my immigration documentation so that it's all kept together. The folder is always somewhere safe and it's got a zipper around the outside so that no documents can fall out. I am considering getting a fireproof & waterproof box or something for it (they're expensive though) because this is all EXTREMELY important information at the moment though I scan anything important (pretty much all communication) and save it online "just in case".

[alex and astrid 38]

I agree also...box for ROC evidence? I'm getting one as soon as I can! Though my husband keeps bills and such filed away, so he had kind of already started

I also agree with Vanessa - Keeping all your paperwork from the initial filing for you visa until citizenship is a great idea. I have a copy of everything filed away, as well as all the correspondence from USCIS in a file. You never know when it can come in handy, and if it's filed away safely, no one but yourself and your spouse will have access to it.