AOS from Student through marriage, check list - cover letter

[Franciscus 32]

Hi,

I wanted to share the contents of my check list / cover letter with everyone (I will be filing soon). I made an attempt to avoid the mistakes, unnecessary elements, or inaccuracies present in the VJ guide (which by the way are a good source of info, not bashing on them at all), and also take into consideration some specific issues of the AOS-from-Student-through-marriage-with-a-USC category. Please feel free to comment on anything you might thinks it's wrong, inaccurate, etc.

I noted with (*) those elements that are optional (in the sense that the application might work without them, but they are also good to show if you have).

I made a strong effort to avoid unnecessary items (like copy of the marriage certificate for the 485, notarized stuff, etc)

G-1145

Check ($420) for the I-130

I-130

Birth certificate, petitioner, photocopy

Marriage certificate, photocopy

Passport photo petitioner

Passport photo beneficiary

G-325A petitioner

G-325A beneficiary

(*) Joint apartment lease, photocopy

(*) Joint bank account statement, printout

(*) Two affidavits of personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship

(*) Plane e-tickets of joint trips, printouts

Check ($1070) for I-485 and biometrics

I-485

Birth certificate, photocopy

Birth certificate translation

[F1 visa photocopy if you got it in the last year, probably unlikely]

Two passport photos

Sealed envelope with form I-693

G-325A

I-864 main sponsor (I-130 petitionary)

Form 1040, 2012, printout

W2's, 1099's, and Schedules, 2012, photocopies

(*) Last pay stubs

(*) Same with 2011 and 2010

[here obviously there will be a lot of variations if you are not using main sponsor's income but instead main sponsor's assets, intending immigrant income or assets, joint sponsors, etc, etc. If using joint sponsor remember to add birth certificate or passport bio page photocopy]

I-131

Passport bio page, photocopy

I-20 (current, and maybe previous ones), photocopy

I-94, photocopy

[i'm also adding F1 visa photocopy but I'm not sure if this counts as a required document here]

Two passport photos

I-765

Passport bio page, photocopy

Two passport photos

Please let me (us!) know what you think. Best,

Franciscus

[MCG 0]

Hi,

I am also in the same boat. Preparing the documents and trying to get ready to send them. It looks like you have necessary documents. You may want to add utility bills to the list for joint showing joint property and couple of wedding pictures.

Also if you have prepared the cover letter for each package, can you please share it. I am not sure what to write in the cover letters.

[Franciscus 32]

Thanks for the reply!

I'm actually doing only one cover letter for everything. It says:

ORIGINAL SUBMISSION FOR APPLICATION TO ADJUST STATUS - COVER LETTER

This package contains the following elements:

[then I have the list I put in my original post]

Signature:

Date:

That's all. Good luck with everything !!!

[ddkorestin 10]

looks goood

[ddkorestin 10]

looks goood

[panda1 1]

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your application package outline.It looks good to me. I am in the same boat and will be sending my application soon.I am on F1 visa and will be graduating next summer. I was wondering if it's a good idea to file I-765 Application for employment authorization right now with all my other documents? I am on scholarship and willing to work after I graduate, which will be in summer 2014.

Thanks in advance and good luck.

[newacct 688]

Hello,

Thanks for sharing your application package outline.It looks good to me. I am in the same boat and will be sending my application soon.I am on F1 visa and will be graduating next summer. I was wondering if it's a good idea to file I-765 Application for employment authorization right now with all my other documents? I am on scholarship and willing to work after I graduate, which will be in summer 2014.

Thanks in advance and good luck.

Yes, it's a very good idea.

[olsan3 8]

it is as complete as it can be..

I am also in the same boat....albeit with a slight variation..

i filed already and so far there has been no RFE's.. hoping it stays that way

i will add you all as friends on here so we can share future experiences,

[Hduff 0]

(*) Two affidavits of personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship

Can you tell me what you had them write and how it looks please?

[Franciscus 32]

(*) Two affidavits of personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship

Can you tell me what you had them write and how it looks please?

Anything that looks like the following or similar would be fine, there's no specific structure

Affidavit of personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship

I, xxxxx, state and affirm as hereunder:

- I am a US Citizen and was born in ……, XX, on xxxxxx

- I am (relation with couple)

- This affidavit is being made for the purpose of assuring that xxxxx and xxxxx have a relationship that was entered in good faith.

- I acquired my knowledge of the relationship between xxxxx and xxxxx in the following manner:

------------

I affirm that the contents of this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge.

signature

xxxxx xxxxx

date

address

phone number

[Hduff 0]

Awesome, thank you. Im working my way through and checking all you have with what I have to see if there are any differences. Will let u know if I see anything. Also just to verify, Petitioner is you who is filing correct and beneficiary is your partner?

[Franciscus 32]

Awesome, thank you. Im working my way through and checking all you have with what I have to see if there are any differences. Will let u know if I see anything. Also just to verify, Petitioner is you who is filing correct and beneficiary is your partner?

The petitioner is the US Citizen and the beneficiary is the foreigner.

[Hduff 0]

The only things I have different to your above list is:

I-94 photocopy the back as well as the front

Photocopy of the last arrival stamp in your passport

G-1145 for I-485

Is your above list how your putting them all in envelopes?

Do you send W2's, paystubbs, etc with the I-485 or the I-765?

I am filing while on my OPT and I was married 2 months ago, do you know anything about the additional info I need to add, or if anyone knows any info I need, any advice would be greatly appreciated

[Franciscus 32]

The only things I have different to your above list is:

I-94 photocopy the back as well as the front

Photocopy of the last arrival stamp in your passport

G-1145 for I-485

Is your above list how your putting them all in envelopes?

Do you send W2's, paystubbs, etc with the I-485 or the I-765?

I am filing while on my OPT and I was married 2 months ago, do you know anything about the additional info I need to add, or if anyone knows any info I need, any advice would be greatly appreciated

I put everything in that order, no envelopes, just the one big USPS envelope. I did put I-94 front and back, but not the stamp in the passport (I figured the I-94 proves that, but maybe there was something I overlooked). One G-1145 is enough for the whole application. The W2's and paystubs go right after the 864.

[d2477 2]

The only thing I don't know about is the I-20's. Are they really needed? And maybe you should add the marriage cert. to the other forms if you will be using a different name to prove the name change