Proof to show when you don't live with your spouse

[Morningmist 76]

As long as both of you move in together by the time of the interview or show intent to, it should be OK, since by then you will be "married" by every sense of the term (ceremony and stuff all done. so you wont have that excuse anymore that you didn't feel like you were really married) and that's more important to convey than anything else at the time of interview, from my experience. We had a court marriage in US too and then 2 months later had the ceremony in India. That was because neither he nor I met the residency requirements to register our marriage in India so we got married here legally. Well we didn't really understand the requirements and we understood the US requirements better, so we took the path of least resistance. And we told the Immigration officer that when she asked about the gap between the two events. She seemed cool with it. Remember though your "marriage" date is the day on your marriage certificate from the US and not the Indian ceremony. We made sure to make that distinction because they will.

My friend didn't live with her husband when she sent her AOS package because they were both working at different parts of the country. He was under contract, and he couldn't get any jobs locally that matched his qualifications and career choices when they sent their AOS. They didn't live together for nearly 6 months after they got married. And they weren't in the same state for 8 months before that either. But by the time of their interview, he had moved in with her to finish his degree. So they shared an address by then. He wasn't on her lease because she still had another 6 months to go but he had other things on his name like water and power, they had car and health insurance together and a joint savings and checking account. Not to mention pictures of 2 weddings one in the US and one in India. Affidavits from friends and family who knew the couple esp. from his cousins, parents and her friends who were all US citizens. They had a long relationship before marriage so that helped. She got approved on the spot. You can always give extra paperwork or updated paperwork at the time of the interview and be honest when explaining why you guys didn't live together in the beginning. They have met a wide range of couples. Not everyone fits in a perfect book form and USCIS is aware of that.

Just tell the truth.

[GC1981 0]

As long as both of you move in together by the time of the interview or show intent to, it should be OK, since by then you will be "married" by every sense of the term (ceremony and stuff all done. so you wont have that excuse anymore that you didn't feel like you were really married) and that's more important to convey than anything else at the time of interview, from my experience. We had a court marriage in US too and then 2 months later had the ceremony in India. That was because neither he nor I met the residency requirements to register our marriage in India so we got married here legally. Well we didn't really understand the requirements and we understood the US requirements better, so we took the path of least resistance. And we told the Immigration officer that when she asked about the gap between the two events. She seemed cool with it. Remember though your "marriage" date is the day on your marriage certificate from the US and not the Indian ceremony. We made sure to make that distinction because they will.

My friend didn't live with her husband when she sent her AOS package because they were both working at different parts of the country. He was under contract, and he couldn't get any jobs locally that matched his qualifications and career choices when they sent their AOS. They didn't live together for nearly 6 months after they got married. And they weren't in the same state for 8 months before that either. But by the time of their interview, he had moved in with her to finish his degree. So they shared an address by then. He wasn't on her lease because she still had another 6 months to go but he had other things on his name like water and power, they had car and health insurance together and a joint savings and checking account. Not to mention pictures of 2 weddings one in the US and one in India. Affidavits from friends and family who knew the couple esp. from his cousins, parents and her friends who were all US citizens. They had a long relationship before marriage so that helped. She got approved on the spot. You can always give extra paperwork or updated paperwork at the time of the interview and be honest when explaining why you guys didn't live together in the beginning. They have met a wide range of couples. Not everyone fits in a perfect book form and USCIS is aware of that.

Just tell the truth.

This is the exact reply I was looking for. Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it.

Rohit