Do Affidavits Need (Legal) Notarization

[lovedolphins 0]

Good morning,

I apologize if this topic has been covered before, but I am confused regarding the letters friends need to send, in support of the I-751.

Somewhere on this site (the guide, I believe) it states that the Affidavits friends need to write for you do NOT need legal notarization.

But somewhere else, it says the letters DO need to be notarized.

PLEASE help me! Does a notary, or a lawyer need to notarize the letters, or can my friends just write them without anything else done to them?

Thank you very much!

[Nanusia & Lukaszek 0]

Good morning,

I apologize if this topic has been covered before, but I am confused regarding the letters friends need to send, in support of the I-751.

Somewhere on this site (the guide, I believe) it states that the Affidavits friends need to write for you do NOT need legal notarization.

But somewhere else, it says the letters DO need to be notarized.

PLEASE help me! Does a notary, or a lawyer need to notarize the letters, or can my friends just write them without anything else done to them?

Thank you very much!

From what I read they DO need to be notarized. And on the letters, your friends have to state their address and telephone number. I very much doubt that they'd be calling them, but I do remember reading that the info is required.

About notarization... 99% of all banks have notaries in them. Go to your local bank and if you have an account with them they do it for free, if not, the max they can charge is $1. Small price to pay for reassurance that everything is done as USCIS wants it, and no problems down the line

[ilovecookies 0]

i had my friends' letters notarized just to be safe...

[Satellite 1]

Based on VJ FAQ the letters do NOT have to be notarized:

"7.8.1) ..So what does USCIS (INS) want to see in the affidavit from people we know??

A..(newsgroup)..I did the I-751 in 1997, and it was approved without an interview. I asked the USCIS (INS) the very same question. I did exactly what they told me to do for the affidavits.

- Choose 2 friends who know you well *as a married couple*

- Have EACH friend write a letter

- Letter format:

- Must include the person's name, date of birth, SSN, address, and phone.

- Must be dated.

- Must state how the person came to know you [and list each of you by name).

- When and for how long they have known you.

- Must state that they have seen you a certain amount of time ['frequently' works] since you have been married and that you appear to be a married couple.

- Must be signed, but does not have to be notarized."

http://www.visajourney.com/faq/k1k2visa-re...ions.html#7.8.1

[gtgrigorova 0]

Good morning,

I apologize if this topic has been covered before, but I am confused regarding the letters friends need to send, in support of the I-751.

Somewhere on this site (the guide, I believe) it states that the Affidavits friends need to write for you do NOT need legal notarization.

But somewhere else, it says the letters DO need to be notarized.

PLEASE help me! Does a notary, or a lawyer need to notarize the letters, or can my friends just write them without anything else done to them?

Thank you very much!

There is no special request to be notarized but it`s better if they can do it.

I sent two notarized and one not.

[lovedolphins 0]

Thanks for all the responses.

I had to laugh. I called USCIS and asked them myself.

As you can imagine, their response was: "Well, what do the instructions say?"

(If I understood the instructions, I wouldn't have had to call in the first place!)

Anyway, I responded most politely that I needed clarification.

Then they promptly responded "...no, the letters don't need to be notarized."

And yes, I trust them completely!