Using military I.D. as proof of relationship

[keysjangle 145]

Just had a light bulb moment and realized that my military ID (showing my husband/petitioner's name, SSN, etc) could be used to back up our application. The thing is that it expires in July (valid for 3 months at a time since I don't have a SSN yet) and we'll be filing in June.

If USCIS has issues with that expiration date, would it be worth using at all in my package? We'll be renewing it in July, and one more time after that (you can only renew it 3 times).

Would it be an issue if the I.D. was valid when filed but later becomes expired? If they don't mind the expiration, do you think this is a higher quality of evidence then say my wedding ring receipt? We were super cheap about our rings, so the cost isn't very impressive

So far for other supporting evidence, I have the options of using:

- His life insurance and health plan with my name on it

- Boarding passes

- Resort bill from our "honeymoon"

- About 10 photos (or less depending on what else I include)

- Possibly MSN transcripts: so many to go through I don't think it would even be worth my time if everything else has more weight

- 2 or 3 handwritten cards from my family congratulating us on our marriage

- 3 passport stamps including one B2

- Movie ticket stubs

- E-mails dating back to 2007 to the present

- My 2010 income tax return showing his name and income

- Tickets from Busch Gardens showing we both used our military I.D.s for free admission

So would it be better to use fewer more "important" things instead of throwing in everything I have? i.e. just using his life/health insurance, my military ID, some key photos, boarding passes etc.

Sorry for the rambling post, my mind is going at a million miles an hour haha. Thanks for any input though.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Just had a light bulb moment and realized that my military ID (showing my husband/petitioner's name, SSN, etc) could be used to back up our application (as I said below, no I don't think it really proves anything except that you're married). The thing is that it expires in July (valid for 3 months at a time since I don't have a SSN yet) and we'll be filing in June.

So far for other supporting evidence, I have the options of using:

- His life insurance and health plan with my name on it (very good)

- Boarding passes (very good if its passes for you AND him showing same destination, sitting together etc)

- Resort bill from our "honeymoon" (it's interesting that you put the word honeymoon in inverted commas. It was either your honeymoon or it wasn't. The inverted commas imply it wasn't. If it has both names on it that's great, otherwise I don't see the point)

- About 10 photos (or less depending on what else I include) (good. Make sure they include wedding and also time since the wedding and before the wedding)

- Possibly MSN transcripts: so many to go through I don't think it would even be worth my time if everything else has more weight

- 2 or 3 handwritten cards from my family congratulating us on our marriage (not bad. Shows the family knows about the relationship)

- 3 passport stamps including one B2 (shows you visiting the country. Send a correlating photos during your time visiting)

- Movie ticket stubs (useless in my opinion. Doesn't have your names on them so you could have just gone with a friend and kept the tickets)

- E-mails dating back to 2007 to the present (good. Just pick a selection)

- My 2010 income tax return showing his name and income (Married filing separately or jointly?)

- Tickets from Busch Gardens showing we both used our military I.D.s for free admission (good-ish. If it has your names on them then they prove you were at the concert together but not much else)

So would it be better to use fewer more "important" things instead of throwing in everything I have? i.e. just using his life/health insurance, my military ID, some key photos, boarding passes etc.(more is better than less)

I don't personally think the military ID is any sort of proof at all except proof that you're married.. which your marriage certificate shows. I know a few people who have married each other (military personnel) simply for medical benefits of a spouse an also because when deployed you get more money when married.

The stuff that matters are things proving you do things together (like travel), that you live together (drivers licences with the same address), that you're spending money on each other (health insurance, gym memberships etc), that you trust each other financially (joint bank accounts, bills in joint names, married filing jointly tax returns), that you trust each other (wills and powers of attorneys stating each other as beneficiary) and that you're melding lives (buying a house together, joint car insurance etc)... things like that.

To be honest I think you need to collect more evidence. I wrote in your quote box above. You need to think like a CO. They don't KNOW that you went to the movies together unless you show proof.. not "could have been there together" but "irrefutable, no doubt about it" proof. You need to show more "co-mingling" stuff. Bills in joint names, your name on the lease/deed (or affidavit for landlord or something), joint bank account info, Wills (most military personnel have Wills done on base), Powers of Attorney, name on car insurance/title, affidavits from family/friends.

I don't know enough about the Cr-1 to know what to send now versus what to take to the interview but just giving you some ideas of stuff to collect.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[Ravens 8]

Throw in everything you have.

You mentioned emails, chats, travel proof etc...

Make copies and send all in.

I got the same RFE for proof of relationship and that is what I did.

My wife has never been in the country to have the official proof of joint bank accounts, assets, lease etc....

I sent in pictures, air line tickets, passport stamps, emails, and chat logs.

Went through with flying colors then.

The more you give the better off you are. I had none of the OFFICIAL stuff but the other little things were enough.

Edited May 21, 2011 by Ravens

[keysjangle 145]

I don't personally think the military ID is any sort of proof at all except proof that you're married.. which your marriage certificate shows. I know a few people who have married each other (military personnel) simply for medical benefits of a spouse an also because when deployed you get more money when married.

The stuff that matters are things proving you do things together (like travel), that you live together (drivers licences with the same address), that you're spending money on each other (health insurance, gym memberships etc), that you trust each other financially (joint bank accounts, bills in joint names, married filing jointly tax returns), that you trust each other (wills and powers of attorneys stating each other as beneficiary) and that you're melding lives (buying a house together, joint car insurance etc)... things like that.

To be honest I think you need to collect more evidence. I wrote in your quote box above. You need to think like a CO. They don't KNOW that you went to the movies together unless you show proof.. not "could have been there together" but "irrefutable, no doubt about it" proof. You need to show more "co-mingling" stuff. Bills in joint names, your name on the lease/deed (or affidavit for landlord or something), joint bank account info, Wills (most military personnel have Wills done on base), Powers of Attorney, name on car insurance/title, affidavits from family/friends.

I don't know enough about the Cr-1 to know what to send now versus what to take to the interview but just giving you some ideas of stuff to collect.

We don't share any finances currently, so that's out the window. No deeds for either of us, not on his car insurance (I don't drive yet) etc. He JUST moved to Hawaii and is still living in barracks and getting into a house this month where he won't be paying any rent/mortgage/utilities, and I have no idea whose names go on the paperwork. Also "honeymoon" because we just went to a resort for one night the day of our wedding in the same city we got married in - not exactly the typical get away. And I'm Canadian so my tax return shows only as "married". He jumbled up his tax return and needs to file an amendment so his is out of the question Oh, and we've never flown together so I have separate sets of boarding passes for both of us.

So yeah I guess I'll trim that list down and start going through MSN conversations and e-mails.

[Ravens 8]

We don't share any finances currently, so that's out the window. No deeds for either of us, not on his car insurance (I don't drive yet) etc. He JUST moved to Hawaii and is still living in barracks and getting into a house this month where he won't be paying any rent/mortgage/utilities, and I have no idea whose names go on the paperwork. Also "honeymoon" because we just went to a resort for one night the day of our wedding in the same city we got married in - not exactly the typical get away. And I'm Canadian so my tax return shows only as "married". He jumbled up his tax return and needs to file an amendment so his is out of the question Oh, and we've never flown together so I have separate sets of boarding passes for both of us.

So yeah I guess I'll trim that list down and start going through MSN conversations and e-mails.

Boarding passes are fine even though you did not fly together. Point is showing you flew to same location. This was case with me and my wife. We sent those boarding passes and made copies of stamps in out passports.

Just send all pictures together you have

Copy your inbox of emails showing all times you received emails and vice versa

copy random chat sessions expanding time frame of relationship.

and receipts for gifts or maybe money sent etc...

That is all you need and you will have no problems.

Their main concern is this is not a fake marriage and those items alone are enough to show real. Do not worry about it. This is all I had and flew through after they received because as you we did not have all the other things.