removal of conditions- interview

[iteachkids81 1]

Hey everyone

I have a question I need some help with.

We've been married almost three years, we sent in the stuff to have the conditions removed from my green card, but it wasn't enough evidence. They requested for us to send more, which we did, but apparently that's still not enough, so now we have an appointment to have an interview. Anyone have any advice about this? The evidence we lack is stuff we simply don't have. We have a joint savings account that we just opened in November. We've got joint taxes, and our lease agreement signed by both of us, we've also got a car in both our names, but everything else is in his name. I am on his health insurance. I moved into his apartment and we figured there was no point in changing any of the bills into both of our names until we got a house, which we still haven't done and originally I had thought we would have by now. We don't have wills because we've got nothing to leave to anyone. We sent in 5 affidavits of support from friends.

any advice would be greatly appreciated. Our appointment is in the first week of March. anything we could do between now and then would be great.

thanks so much

[nickbits 43]

Are they asking for anything specific? I am wondering because I feel like I will be in the same situation.

[iteachkids81 1]

Are they asking for anything specific? I am wondering because I feel like I will be in the same situation.

joint bank accounts, wills or power of attourney, children born into the marriage, owning a home together, bills in both names...basic stuff, but just stuff we haven't done yet.

[Ippsy Pippsy 31]

Is there any reason for you to not go and do any of that now? It only takes a phone call to add your name to utility bills. And then you have to wait for the next one to be sent to you...

You only share a savings account? That seems a bit odd. Does neither of you have a checking account? If you don't want to go and open a new joint checking account, you can add the other person to an old one. We went and added each other to both of our bank accounts. So we had the European bank and the American bank documentation to show at our AOS interview.

If one of you has a retirement plan (401k/etc.) or life insurance, list the other as a beneficiary --- you should be able to do that via the web and then print it out. That's the simplest kind of "will". But you should also be able to download a form off the net and make up something quick. You don't need a lawyer, although it won't be as legally sound. You have a car, so that's at least one asset you do have that you can will away. I would look into drawing up the paperwork to keep you from being a living vegetable too.

In general, its kind of dangerous to have one person do all the financial things and the other not know anything about it...

Edited February 3, 2012 by Ippsy Pippsy

[Hank_ 9,174]

Hey everyone

I have a question I need some help with.

We've been married almost three years, we sent in the stuff to have the conditions removed from my green card, but it wasn't enough evidence. They requested for us to send more, which we did, but apparently that's still not enough, so now we have an appointment to have an interview. Anyone have any advice about this? The evidence we lack is stuff we simply don't have. We have a joint savings account that we just opened in November. We've got joint taxes, and our lease agreement signed by both of us, we've also got a car in both our names, but everything else is in his name. I am on his health insurance. I moved into his apartment and we figured there was no point in changing any of the bills into both of our names until we got a house, which we still haven't done and originally I had thought we would have by now. We don't have wills because we've got nothing to leave to anyone. We sent in 5 affidavits of support from friends.

any advice would be greatly appreciated. Our appointment is in the first week of March. anything we could do between now and then would be great.

thanks so much

Change the cable, internet, phone or whatever bills into both names, easy to do and it seems they are looking for that.

[iteachkids81 1]

Is there any reason for you to not go and do any of that now? It only takes a phone call to add your name to utility bills. And then you have to wait for the next one to be sent to you...

You only share a savings account? That seems a bit odd. Does neither of you have a checking account? If you don't want to go and open a new joint checking account, you can add the other person to an old one. We went and added each other to both of our bank accounts. So we had the European bank and the American bank documentation to show at our AOS interview.

If one of you has a retirement plan (401k/etc.) or life insurance, list the other as a beneficiary. That's the simplest kind of "will". But you should also be able to download a form off the net and make up something quick. You don't need a lawyer, although it won't be as legally sound.

In general, its kind of dangerous to have one person do all the financial things and the other not know anything about it...

Just because my name isn't on the bills doesn't mean I don't know about them. We both work, we both have our own checking accounts (at different banks) I opened mine at the same bank I was using in Canada.

I do believe I am listed as his beneficiary on his 401K, and I think that was one of the things we sent in.

[iteachkids81 1]

Change the cable, internet, phone or whatever bills into both names, easy to do and it seems they are looking for that.

Thank you for this. It seems totally obvious, but I honestly hadn't even thought of how easy it would be to do that.

[Ippsy Pippsy 31]

Just because my name isn't on the bills doesn't mean I don't know about them. We both work, we both have our own checking accounts (at different banks) I opened mine at the same bank I was using in Canada.

I do believe I am listed as his beneficiary on his 401K, and I think that was one of the things we sent in.

You might know about them, but you aren't legally responsible for them or able to legally access them. You'd have to go in person to add the other person's name to a bank account, but that is probably stronger proof than a joint cable bill. And as I said before, there's no reason to not draw up a quick and simple will. I'm sure a google search will turn up forms if you don't want to deal with a lawyer.

[Peace.... 281]

This is all interesting to me., as I called the utilities, cable, phone etc. and added my husband to them all like 10 months ago and when the bills come in, all it says is my name on them. I have called them numerous of times and they say yes he is on the account but since you had the accounts before you married him for years all we can do is add his name but it will not show on the bill. Good thing AOS didn't care for our interview, but ROC might.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Hey everyone

I have a question I need some help with.

We've been married almost three years, we sent in the stuff to have the conditions removed from my green card, but it wasn't enough evidence. They requested for us to send more, which we did, but apparently that's still not enough, so now we have an appointment to have an interview. Anyone have any advice about this? The evidence we lack is stuff we simply don't have. We have a joint savings account that we just opened in November. We've got joint taxes, and our lease agreement signed by both of us, we've also got a car in both our names, but everything else is in his name. I am on his health insurance. I moved into his apartment and we figured there was no point in changing any of the bills into both of our names until we got a house, which we still haven't done and originally I had thought we would have by now. We don't have wills because we've got nothing to leave to anyone. We sent in 5 affidavits of support from friends.

any advice would be greatly appreciated. Our appointment is in the first week of March. anything we could do between now and then would be great.

thanks so much

A percentage of people get interviews, it does not mean they think you need more evidence. It sounds as though you have enough. They particularly like evidence of mingling assets, bank accounts, tax returns, joint ownership of property, joint leases, etc. Bills are not so important. I could add Santa Claus to my electricbill and if we get a divorce, guess what? I still pay the electric bill. Bills are not an obligation to nayone other than people living there.

See the "Removal of Conditions" forum, there is a pinned topic there on evidence.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

This is all interesting to me., as I called the utilities, cable, phone etc. and added my husband to them all like 10 months ago and when the bills come in, all it says is my name on them. I have called them numerous of times and they say yes he is on the account but since you had the accounts before you married him for years all we can do is add his name but it will not show on the bill. Good thing AOS didn't care for our interview, but ROC might.

Utilites and such are not so important. Not important at all really. NONE of ours are "joint" Soem are in my name,some in Alla's name. They do show the same address, but, big deal. Better are leases, property titles, bank accounts, life insurance, medical insurance, etc. Things that create OBLIGATION on both parties. At the bottom of the list are photos, affidavits, cards and letters, etc.

I can tell you that we sent ONE photo for the petition, FOUR photos for the visa interview, none for AOS, none for RoC and none for citizenship. All approved without question. We submitted LOTS of joint financial information, LOTS of joint child responsibility information.

Almost 3 years ago I met with a manager of the VSC and he gave me a lot of good info on the subject(our RoC was coming up at the time) It is a pinned topic in the RoC forum.

[lovelyalex 99]

This is all interesting to me., as I called the utilities, cable, phone etc. and added my husband to them all like 10 months ago and when the bills come in, all it says is my name on them. I have called them numerous of times and they say yes he is on the account but since you had the accounts before you married him for years all we can do is add his name but it will not show on the bill. Good thing AOS didn't care for our interview, but ROC might.

Same here! I had my husband added to the one bill we get (cable for phone, internet and tv) and it is still in my name when it gets here. So annoying. Our rent has utilities included, so it is our only bill option.

The car payments and title are in his name exclusively (because at some point when we scrambling around for cash and commuting to work together, I'll get a car of my own, as is his phone, because he has a family plan and I have a number within it (although it doesn't list out names on the bill, just HIS name). We already sent in our ROC stuff, with a bunch of other things, and if we get a RFE I can think of a few more things to send them, but in terms of the things I mentioned above, we are on a strict budget so I am not going to open a bunch of new lines of credit in both our names for the sake of this, when we are on a budget to save money and improve our credit rating for a house, and opening more credit would damage that. ALSO I wonder if it looks like a crappy after thought if we add each others names to things that we had previously not done, just for the sake of the RFE. it isn't like I could give them 2 years worth of those bills that he had added me too. Although I am confident with the other things we sent in, so if I do get a RFE I'll elaborate on those. And if we have an interview I have absolutely nothing to hide and am perfectly happy to spell our budget and 5 year plan haha!

[Inky 1,110]

Only ONE of our home bills comes with my name on it. We had my name put on all bills and they never arrive with my name on it.

We included a few of the one bill and just used other items for proof.

Life insurance

joint credit card

joint checking / savings

savings certificate that shows my husband as recipient of the money if i died.

car insurance

drivers license showing both living at the same address

Family plan from Verizon showing both our names on it with our phone numbers.

voided bank check with both our names on them and address.

to name a few.

[lovelyalex 99]

what about life insurance beneficiary stuff from your employers? is it life insurance? term life? whatever it is, we had to put down beneficiaries

[jjbandero 39]

What about other "government/official" mail addressed to either of you at the same address? For example, I submitted Social Security statements that were addressed to us individually, but at the same address, jury duty notices (not applicable to me as an LPR, but I got them still). I also provided examples of employment benefits that were extended to my husband because he was a spouse. Finally, just because the bills are in his name, were you responsible for paying any of it? If so, perhaps you can take the bill and the matching payment listed on your bank/credit card statement that shows while you might not be officially on the paperwork, you are still financially responsible for it.

I guess it's time to get a little more creative, and best to find examples over a period of a couple of years.

Best