Level of proof of relationship

[MattD 0]

Hey,

We have our interview coming up on Thursday, and we're a bit worried about proving the relationship. I don't have any property, and we never got around to doing a joint bank account or anything like that. Mainly because she doesn't have a driver license (can't drive), and we never could get the local social security office to give her a SS Card with her new last name, and the DMV didn't like the differing names between marriage license and SS card for a non-driver's license....

However, we have tons of photos of us out and about, our wedding ceremony and reception, etc.

Is this going to be a problem for us?

Thanks,

Matt

[moroccogirlny 100]

Hey,

We have our interview coming up on Thursday, and we're a bit worried about proving the relationship. I don't have any property, and we never got around to doing a joint bank account or anything like that. Mainly because she doesn't have a driver license (can't drive), and we never could get the local social security office to give her a SS Card with her new last name, and the DMV didn't like the differing names between marriage license and SS card for a non-driver's license....

However, we have tons of photos of us out and about, our wedding ceremony and reception, etc.

Is this going to be a problem for us?

Thanks,

Matt

Well to you this may seem okay but to a IO this may raise a red flag. Going by your timeline your wife arrived in mid April..you married a week later and then shortly after file for AOS.

You now had over 3 months to add her on a bank account. A SS number is not mandatory with some banks to be added on an account. You don't have to own property either. Do you rent a place that you have a lease? Do you have a family cell phone plan? Any utility bills?

Can you get any letters from friends/ family acknowledging your relationship?

Hopefully you have a understanding IO.

[Darnell 8,479]

I think you'll be OK, as it's 4 1/2 months since you got married, and not have any SSN.

Not having the SSN is a painful thing, but hei - it is what it is.

Don't forget any 'payable on death' instructions for your existing accounts - she can be listed as a beneficiary without having an SSN, but you must hurry.

I do agree with morroccogirlny, though, you've had enough time to do a few EASY things, to show co-mingling.

UNLESS you have some weird IO or is some prior weird flags, though, I think you'll be ok with the scant evidence that you have, already.

AOS cases normally not need to show this type of evidence, usually is shown for 'removal of conditions' case-type.

Even with that said, though - wei - you've had 4 1/2 months of time to 'do something' ...

[MattD 0]

Well, we have a SS card, it just has her maiden name on it. My bank/apartment wouldn't take just a SS card, so we had problems with that.

[Darnell 8,479]

Well, we have a SS card, it just has her maiden name on it. My bank/apartment wouldn't take just a SS card, so we had problems with that.

but they would take:

1. marriage certificate with

2. passport with

3. SSN card...

I'm sorry, you missed something, somewhere...

[MattD 0]

but they would take:

1. marriage certificate with

2. passport with

3. SSN card...

I'm sorry, you missed something, somewhere...

Yeah, I must have. We definitely should have been more prepared going in. My impression is that we just need to prove that we are actually married.

We have a ton of photos from our wedding. And we also just got back from Japan (she got advance parole) where we had another ceremony for her friends and family. Would ticket stubs, receipts and the like help with that?

We dropped the ball as far as the most used proofs, I just want to know what else we could use to help prove that we aren't faking it.

Thanks

[trillium13 84]

Why can't you get SS card with married name?

[MattD 0]

Why can't you get SS card with married name?

Because the offices we went to would only take the name that was on the I-94. I tried talking to the person in charge, but couldn't get her to budge. We went in with the marriage license and everything. My wife even had the name on her passport changed already (has our last name in parenthesis after hers). Tried going on different days, but still no luck. Was quite infuriating actually.

Edited August 31, 2010 by MattD

[trillium13 84]

Because the offices we went to would only take the name that was on the I-94. I tried talking to the person in charge, but couldn't get her to budge. We went in with the marriage license and everything. My wife even had the name on her passport changed already (has our last name in parenthesis after hers). Tried going on different days, but still no luck. Was quite infuriating actually.

#######. (on them, not you!) Do you have another office you could go to? That makes no sense. What about when she has her EAD or GC? Does this make a difference?

[MattD 0]

#######. (on them, not you!) Do you have another office you could go to? That makes no sense. What about when she has her EAD or GC? Does this make a difference?

We went to one other office, but same story. We didn't really have time to spend in the afternoon at federal offices, so we gave up. The GC should have her new name on it, so we figure we could take that in and get the name changed that way.

[Darnell 8,479]

Why can't you get SS card with married name?

'out of the time window' so to do.

there's another window coming up, soonish, though - so thats a good thing.

[tokyo.lovers 6]

you will probably be okay if you got the GC and the other documents.

i think the wedding stuff is important too.

you can say you are working on the SS card with the new name or something...

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I think you'll be fine. Taking proof of the trips you took together is a good thing. I spent so much time and effort arguing with the bank to add him to my account... even with a SSN they wanted proof of address, which we didn't have yet (new SSN), but we had a foreign driver's license, which they said over the phone they'd accept. (and some nonsense about how they'd put his foreign address as his contact info even though he lived here). Then when we got there, they wouldn't accept the foreign DL because it wasn't in latin letters... lots of arguing.... finally they let us translate it.

And after all of that, the IO didn't ask us for anything but pictures. We got married in April too. Just get together what you have and explain why you didn't have some other things. Sounds like you've been trying and they should understand that. Good luck!

[usmcwife 3]

You mentioned you don't have any property but do you rent? I was recently added onto the lease of our apartment. If you could do that you could bring a copy.