Anyone approved without evidence of commingled finances?

[w0rryw0rt 0]

Hi there.

My wife was recently approved for ROC (still waiting for the permanent GC in the mail). The only financial thing we had going for us was a joint bank account (over a year before ROC filing date) and the joint taxes of the last 3 years.

So how did she get approved? My wife's friend, my mother, and my aunt wrote letters in which they briefly stated that we were married for love. They wrote about a few anecdotes in which we were together (Christmas, Thanksgiving, their/our birthday parties, etc).

I also wrote a brief letter about our financial hardships and lack of credit/financial co-mingling.

However, when we didn't hear a response in 60 days, we called the number on the ROC notice and the officer that answered was an incredibly sweet lady. We had a candid conversation in which I told her how my wife and I are a bit concerned due to lack of fin. co-mingling and how honestly in love we are (and if my wife's pregnancy could be an advantage... She said "not really." Lol). She said she'd remind them about making a decision and we said Bye.

Coincidentally (probably not), the next letter we received stated we'd been approved, that same night.

(I'm on my mobile phone, so apologies for being very vague.)

Ps. We also sent in a letter from our parishioner.

[Tennessee Jed 0]

We didn't have much comiingling of finances. If you can prove your relationship in other ways I think it's fine. We had photos, evidence of trips together, affadavits,. Really, if your marriage is genuine you don't have to worry. I think they can sniff you out. We had an interview for ROC. But they were barely interested. I think they could tell straight away that we were genuine. Green Card came through within two weeks.

Edited April 4, 2013 by Tennessee Jed

[MrsOO 7]

For my hubby's own, we didnt have a joint back acct, but had other stuff like affidavits from my folks, joint credit card, taxes, joint phone bills, and highlighted the calls between each other back and forth, mails to our addresses, pictures of trips together, incl one family one at my sister's graduation, car insurance listing both of us.

My personal bank acct goes to our own address.

We didnt submit Driver's license, have wills, 401ks, health insurance, among many other things.

Submit what you can, but dont make up something just to turn it in, if your marriage is legit, you will be fine.

[Leta 1]

We got RFE to prove Bona Fide Marriage, the reason why we got it, we did not show enough evidences of having commingled financials. In initial package, we sent USCIS just a first two pages from bank which says that we do have joint account with hubby, but we used it first 3 months and then we had our separate accounts. We never had any savings together.We did send them other stuff as well, but it was not enough i guess.In the RFE letter, they do ask you to provide active joint account, and you need to send them statements worth 2 years or your marriage, well we could not send them those.

So after 8 month of waiting we got RFE , and this time i send them statements from our separate accounts showing that we both have common residential address, and transactions spanning 2 years from mine and his accounts. I send them my amazon credit card statement showing that i am contributing to family continuously and everything is coming to our house address. And on my checking account transactions i circled payments which could show that i am making purchases for our family, like grocery, gifts etc.

Plus, i explained in written form, them ,why we could not have joint account, i would suggest to give them explanation ,why certain documents cannot be provided at this time.

Additionally on RFE i added bills and appointments from vet clinic , it has only my name on it, cards from friends for some occasions like xmas, 3 affidavits from friends and co workers, joint medical insurance, our drivers licenses, utility bills with our names on them, tax transcripts for 3 years. And since we did not have joint account , we decided to play safe ,hubby signed will appointing me as his executor . we did not send them any photos both times.Send them car insurance. we were expecting that we will receive RFE, because my name is not on house , or car, and plus we do not share any credit cards or bank accounts.

Make sure you get as many documents as possible, you do not want to be in hell of uncertainty, if you get interview or not.

It took Vermont almost a month to reply for RFE, with sms saying that my case was approved.

Sorry i wrote a long message but i hope it helps someone.

Edited April 5, 2013 by Leta

[yas1 0]

Hi, I've prepared my ROC package,and I might send it next week. But I'm thinking something maybe is wrong! we don't have joint taxes. actualy, my husband put my name on his taxes as his wife but he submited them as married filling separately.I haven't had a job here, and I've never filed for tax by my self. I don't know why he done this to me. I am not familier with tax's rules, and I don't know what happent to him if he had submited them jointly?

I asked him to file them jointly , but he diden't accept my request.

Is it a red flag in my case? I'm so depressed

Could it ruin my case or cause it take so long?

thank you

Edited April 5, 2013 by yas1

[Justine+David 218]

Hi Vjers! I came here on K1 visa late 2010, I got my Green Card this year and it was approved without an interview. I come from EU country (considered low fraud country), if that makes any difference.

My husband and I married for love and we have a happy marriage. However, he refuses to add me to his bank account. He says that it's nothing personal and that this is something he has decided a long time ago. He says that me being foreigner doesn't make any difference, and he would have done the same with anyone else, even if his wife was USC. He wants to keep 100% control over his money in case there ever is an ugly break-up in the future. Let me mention that he is the only financial provider right now, I don't have a job yet (but looking for one). We have a joint account (other than his main bank account) but we don't touch the money in it (it's more like emergency account).

Now, I know that having a joint account and evidence of commingled finances is one of the most important pieces of evidence for ROC interview, if not the most important. We were lucky that we didn't have an interview for AOS. I know that they expect a lot of evidence for ROC and not having joint finances is something frowned upon. I won't ROC until early 2013, but this is something I'm already worried about.

Has anyone ever been approved without having evidence of commingled finances and joint bank account? Do we risk not having ROC approved without a joint account?

I think this is a big red flag in your marriage. By your own admission, you wrote that he wants control over all the money in case things go badly. Does he intend to throw you out with the bathwater if things head to divorce? Are you at least on the mortgage or the lease? Because you're not working and have very little access to money, you're in a precarious situation. I don't buy that the money he earns while working is only his because in a marriage, you're together, not separated. It's not like he's a roommate.

And when or if you have children, are you going to need to ask for permission to buy clothes and food for them?

I know you didn't ask for marital advice, but as someone who has seen others be in a very controlling marriage (and money control is a big one) and knowing that you're in a vulnerable position as an immigrant to this country, I wanted to write this out.

edit: this was written in 2011. close please!

Edited April 5, 2013 by Justine+David