What to send in ; Documents referring to you and your spouse?

[Verizon 0]

I really need some clarification based on my particular situation regarding which documents I send in referring to me and my spouse. I am Appling for Citizenship on the basis of Marriage to a U.S. Citizen.

It reads as the following:

4. Documents referring to you and your spouse:

a)Tax returns, bank accounts, leases, mortgages, or birth certificates of children, or

b)Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-certified copies of the income tax forms that you both filed for the past three years, or

c)An IRS tax return transcript for the last three years.

I would much rather send in a) documents. However do they specifically want Tax returns, bank accounts, leases, mortgages as they are putting commas, and not specifying "or". What if you do not have a mortgage or lease? Also how many tax returns?

In my particular situation,

1. We did not file "Joint Tax returns", we filed married filing separately

2. I am not on the mortgage

3. I am not on the car lease

I would like to just submit:

1. Our joint bank account

2. House Deed showing both of us listed

3. Separate Tax returns for 1 year, or do I not need to include this as we didn't file jointly?

Would sending in 1. and 2 be sufficient enough? The last thing I would want is my application rejected.

Please help!

thanks so much

[Brother Hesekiel 2,236]

You can send in whatever you like, including photos of your pet staring in the camera with his cute eyes. But if you want to approach this the smart way, you should order a set of tax transcripts for you and your wife (as you filed separately, yet married) as suggested under 4c (who look like Chinese to anybody but a Chinese anyway) and be done with Part 4 for good.

Don't even consider including any other #######. You already removed conditions a year ago. In Los Angeles alone they have to adjudicate about 6,500 N-400 applications a month. Did you get that? Six thousand, five-hundred naturalizations per month in one city alone. Don't make their job more difficult than it has to be and don't try to slow them down. Send the 4 things they want and if it makes you feel better bring all the documents you want to the interview.

[NickD 203]

You can send in whatever you like, including photos of your pet staring in the camera with his cute eyes. But if you want to approach this the smart way, you should order a set of tax transcripts for you and your wife (as you filed separately, yet married) as suggested under 4c (who look like Chinese to anybody but a Chinese anyway) and be done with Part 4 for good.

Don't even consider including any other #######. You already removed conditions a year ago. In Los Angeles alone they have to adjudicate about 6,500 N-400 applications a month. Did you get that? Six thousand, five-hundred naturalizations per month in one city alone. Don't make their job more difficult than it has to be and don't try to slow them down. Send the 4 things they want and if it makes you feel better bring all the documents you want to the interview.

Again you never know, should not be an issue of filing separate returns, wifes' friend never had an issue for her I-751 not being on her spouses mortgaged home deed, but they sure made an issue out of it for her citizenship. I had an issue in adding my wife to my home deed, didn't want to pay an attorney 500 bucks to fill out the form. Was in constant contact with our register of deeds and found this to be a common problem. Did find the form, copied the old one selling my home from me to me and to my wife, so only cost me ten bucks. I gave this information to our register of deeds, she really appreciated it, and it is she that either accepts or rejects the form, even those miswritten by attorneys.

One real easy way to get around all this proof of marriage stuff is to wait another two years. But with the problems we had with the USCIS with misplaced applications and super long delays, we made the effort to get it over with.

[v333k 59]

Tax transcripts are very important - what is key on them is filing married and the same address appears on the returns. They realize that sometimes filing separately gets you more money in your pocket and that's why they have that option on the form.

If they need anything else, they will send you a nice letter saying what to bring on your interview day.

Keep it simple as Bob suggested.

[Verizon 0]

Hi

Thank you for your informative replies. Because our joint bank account was dormant, I don't think it would be a wise idea to include this. If they are looking for evidence you are cohabiting together, I was told by a lawyer that sending in our tax returns as we both filed separately is not a good idea, as they will view it as we lived apart and anyone can list an address on the tax return.

To prove we are living together I'm thinking of including this:

1. Deed on house together

2. Home owners Insurance - both our names listed

3. Recent Cable/Phone bill with both our names listed

4. A sworn affirmed letter from US Spouses Mother stating we have been living together for the past 4 years.

Please let me know what you guys think of the above, and if it should be sufficient enough given my situation.

Thanks

[milimelo 4,603]

Hi

Thank you for your informative replies. Because our joint bank account was dormant, I don't think it would be a wise idea to include this. If they are looking for evidence you are cohabiting together, I was told by a lawyer that sending in our tax returns as we both filed separately is not a good idea, as they will view it as we lived apart and anyone can list an address on the tax return.

To prove we are living together I'm thinking of including this:

1. Deed on house together

2. Home owners Insurance - both our names listed

3. Recent Cable/Phone bill with both our names listed

4. A sworn affirmed letter from US Spouses Mother stating we have been living together for the past 4 years.

Please let me know what you guys think of the above, and if it should be sufficient enough given my situation.

Thanks

Tax transcripts will be REQUIRED from you regardless what other documents you submit. At my interview, there was a woman at USCIS office who went for her interview (3 yr based - USC spouse) and she was told she needed to get them IRS transcripts before they approve her. She had to run down to the IRS office - maybe 5-6 blocks from USCIS and then wait another 2-3 hours before she could get the transcripts - she came back to USCIS to tell the IO how long it's going to take and she'll get those to him.

[canuck_girl 1]

I am extremely paranoid and I sent in my 1040s for the last 3 years ( we filed jointly), joint bank account statements, recent and past leases and joint credit card statements. I had a feeling that may be too much but the tax thing is the biggest thing, I think, that they are looking for.

During the interview, you can always explain why you decided to file your taxes seperately, but as the others said, it is a requirement.

I hope that helps.