RFE: "Commingling of finances" - Not enough bank statements?

[Calypso 464]

lol after reading this I realized what I did was on the dot, lol I printed almost 300 pages of statements from March 2013 goes back to May 2011

although we do have separate checking accounts we do have one shared account that we pay utilities and bills etc. hope they wont complain why balance is low, they really have no rights to say this though

Really 300 pages? I only sent one bank statement for every quarter in the span of two years when I filed for ROC last year. I kept some portions of the documents redacted including the balances and also most digits of the checking account number. No RFE and approved four months after the biometrics.

This is really inspiring. Can you attached you're cover letter in here please. I have to file mine in July and i'm already freaking out ugh...Thank you.

Relax. Here's a portion of my cover letter (I didn't send utility bills and other bills, renter's or car insurance at that time)

- copies of lease agreements containing both our names for a previous address and the current address

- copy of the joint federal and state tax returns for 2009 and 2010

- copy of an acknowledgment letter from IRS showing both our names and a common address

- copy of the confirmation for 401K designating me as beneficiary

- copies of joint savings and checking account statements (one statement from every quarter for two years)

- copies of bank cards and credit cards sharing similar account numbers

- copy of health insurance plan reflecting both our names and a shared address

- copy of a health insurance claim with both our names

- front and back copy of state ID and driver's license showing the same address

- copies of boarding passes for a few of the many travels we have done in and out of the country

- copy of an upcoming flight itinerary with both our names

- affidavit from someone who has known us (only one and that was from our apartment manager)

- copies of chosen letters and greeting cards from friends and family members spanning two years sent to us in the addresses we have lived in

- pictures of us in the recent two years, some taken with friends and family members

Edited April 30, 2013 by Calypso

[moroccogirlny 100]

I sent quarterly bank statements.

[BMW4me 12]

yea i was thinking I might have overdone it but oh well, they wanted bank statements they got it

I really don't have anything else to send in case they want more,

do you guys knows when do they usually request an RFE in case they do that, like the after the first 15 days it's safe ?

[canuckbos 10]

I was able to go to our Frequent Flyers account and print all the trips we had done together from the start of our relationship. Do you have something similar you can go back to to get historical information?

[Laura & Kyle 16]

I received an RFE and I sent in bank statements for every quarter. It wasn't enough. I totally agree with the Kitchen Sink, but just make sure it's tidy. I even put in a short explanation regarding my inability to provide them a birth certificate of a child as we have not had one yet. I sent in every other month's bank statements. You mentioned utility bills. I would go back and print out the monthly statements. I even had all insurance companies and utility companies send(mail or fax) me a letter stating when our account became joint, and how long we had we had remained customers. Every company that I reached out to was willing to send us documentation (almost all sent it immediately). Any other history linking your names together to show the USCIS is helpful. I know I was very upset when I received the RFE because I thought our case was solid, and we had put more effort and documentation into our ROC than others who shared their coversheet and got approved. Just try to focus on your case and not others who got by easily/quickly/without an RFE (don't let it get you down).

In regards to someone asking about having separate accounts, I'm not sure how that will work for you. My husband and I have two accounts, my paycheck goes in the "big" account, his in the second. In the big account, it's mostly my transactions and electronic payments for rent, insurance, utilities, etc. The smaller account is mostly for dinners, movies, entertainment, and other fun stuff. They were in both our names, although I used the big account more, while DH used the smaller one. You may want to consider getting a third account (or even a saving account) with both names on it.

On the flip side, I will say that shortly after receiving our approval (view my signature below), we were eligible to apply for naturalization. It has gone by so much quicker this go around. I'm not sure if the recent RFE and inundation of new evidence helped this process, but my husband's naturalization process has been much quicker than the average for our local office. Wishing everyone the best.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Laura & Kyle

[John and Camie 39]

I totally agree with the Kitchen Sink, but just make sure it's tidy.

[Mithmeoi 29]

We also got an RFE, I'd sent in quarterly statements. They asked for more of those so I ended up sending them over 2 and a half years worth of bank statements. What a mound of paper...

I've posted this in another thread, but then I saw this one and it fits in here too...

How important really is the joint bank account? We've chosen so far not to have one. It's really easy for us to do that though because through our bank we can just email each other money. I pay most the bills and then he will email my checking account money for rent, and on my bank receipt it has his name, the amount of money and he'd type in "rent" for what the money is for. We have other things, such as car insurance, car loan, car title, credit cards in both our names, leases, utility bill etc that have our names on it together.

I'm just wanting to make sure that when we are getting to the point of ROC'ing we have proof of comingling!

I would recommend it but it's not necessary. It helped us a lot when we got the RFE, but we didn't have any loans, house payments or car payments to send in.

Edited May 2, 2013 by Mithmeoi

[grinchus 11]

Hi,

We got an RFE too, and in ours we were specifically asked to send bank statements for both of our joint checking/savings accounts, including EVERY SINGLE TRANSACTION going back from when we were married (Feb 2010). So that is exactly what I did. I had most of the bank statements in our files, but I had to call the bank and pay about $100 to have them send me all the ones I didn't have (they only keep the statements online back one year). Anyway, I sent them 3 years worth of bank statements for two accounts! I also sent them tax transcripts + photocopies of our actual returns, itineraries of trips taken together, DLs with our address, and even the certificate of joint ownership of our puppy Anyhow, he was approved.

[BMW4me 12]

Hi,

We got an RFE too, and in ours we were specifically asked to send bank statements for both of our joint checking/savings accounts, including EVERY SINGLE TRANSACTION going back from when we were married (Feb 2010). So that is exactly what I did. I had most of the bank statements in our files, but I had to call the bank and pay about $100 to have them send me all the ones I didn't have (they only keep the statements online back one year). Anyway, I sent them 3 years worth of bank statements for two accounts! I also sent them tax transcripts + photocopies of our actual returns, itineraries of trips taken together, DLs with our address, and even the certificate of joint ownership of our puppy Anyhow, he was approved.

did you guys ever think that, what immigration is asking sometimes is not even done by many USC marrying an USC, I don't think everybody has a shared account, but they expect you to do this when you're an immigrant lol

Edited May 2, 2013 by volkan

[grinchus 11]

did you guys ever think that, what immigration is asking sometimes is not even done by many USC marrying an USC, I don't think everybody has a shared account, but they expect you to do this when you're an immigrant lol

Oh absolutely! I know a ton of married couples (USC married to USC) who keep their accounts separate. Immigration definitely requires a higher amount of "commingled finances" than many couples would participate in, were it not required as proof of a bona fide relationship.

[Vishnya 4]

John and Camie

Can please attach your cover letter! and thank you for your help, even though you already received your GC!

[gap1 21]

Hi Everyone...

I got an RFE today basically telling me that I don't have enough proof that we are financially commingled (silly word). I understand that it may be my fault that I didn't send enough bank statements for the entire length of our marriage, but I honestly didn't think it was necessary to send ALL of them because I thought the rest of what I sent was pretty good.

The only thing I can think to do is send them all of our bank statements and loan statements for the 3 years of our marriage, but it seems like so little that I'm scared it won't be enough! Is there anything else anyone can advise? We don't have kids, own any kind of property, or have any joint credit cards (they're all in individual names).

Please note, this is what I sent them originally:

- joint tax return transcripts

- apartment lease with both names

- two utilities bills, one in his name and one in mine (they won't let us put two names), but with the same address

- our car title showing both our names

- 3 bank statements for one of our accounts spread out over 2 years

- 2 bank statements for our newer bank account spread out over 1 year

They did note twice on their list of what they have that "this statement covers a limited period of time during your marriage."

Thanks for all your help!

Oh man. If they gave you an RFE then we're really screwed. I pretty much gave them exactly what you did, only we don't own a car.

Edited May 3, 2013 by gap1

[gap1 21]

Not sure why my formatting did that! Sorry! ^^

[Plopik 0]

Hey guys ,I got yesterday RFE,can anyone help me with that:

- evidence that you and your spouse have made estate,health and planning arrangements with each other:

- a will

- a trust or

- a durable power of attorney for health care or property or both

I don't have nothing of that with my wife,everything else they ask me I can proof.what should I do?and should I make any cover letter when I will send all they asked me? Thanks

[tom&tanya 48]

My wife and stepdaughter were just approved for ROC and I didn't include ANY bank statements. I went to my bank and had the bank manager write a letter on bank letterhead stating that Tanya and I had an active checking account since 2010.

I also included:

joint health insurance

life policy showing my wife a beneficiary

photos of us throughout our marriage

2 notarized letters from friends

2 years tax return transcripts.

title to our car

marriage certificate.