Green Card Marriage Interview help?

[Cheek3n 0]

Hi,

My husband and I are married but we had no desire to host a wedding celebration as it was too much work and I dont think the point of union is about celebration but to be together (sorry, Im kinda of a minimalist and a hipster). We bought our wedding rings through a handmade jeweler cause we wanted it unique. We are also very independent people, which means separate bank accounts, my name on the apt lease, his name on utility bills and car. We are very private people as we only told close friends and not the the world (aka changing status on fb or Instagram). Im under a student visa F1 and 1 more semester to graduation. I dont plan on filling the adjustment of status soon just after I graduate cause I wanted to concentrate on my studies first.

Dont get me wrong, I may sound like im unromantic but me and my husband have been together for almost 3 years. We know each other well and is also there for one another. We are always together and our friends says we are technically married. So one day, we were like "eh, why not. We love each other, we respect each other, we want to be with each other for a long time and soon in the future start a family together."

We dont have wedding photos because like it said, we dont care for all the extra stuff but we do have picture of us together on my phone. I bought myself a very expensive white dress because I know he would love to see me all fancy and dolled up for the day and guess what we did after, we ordered pizza and played COD together lol. I mean we love to play video games, watching horror movies and tv shows together. We love trying new stuff together. Yes we are that couple. I never thought I met someone I could be myself fully with and share the same wants and aspiration for the future with.

I know my minimalist behavior is kinda weird but will it affect my interview as well?

also, we r both still in university. He is working to pay his fees while im funded by my parents.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Cheek3n

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

To use a phrase that you used... don't get me wrong, but the immigration authorities don't really care about your personal philosophies on relationships. There's a "book" on how to successfully navigate the various immigration processes as defined in the VisaJourney Guides (see link at the top of the page). Follow these guides to a tee and you will have a high chance of success. Co-mingling finances and providing ample photographic proof at your wedding ceremony are defined as no-brainers. To try to get a green card without these things makes success a lot more difficult to achieve. But in the end, it's your call. Good luck.

[Cheezees 1,514]

Yes.

[AlluringSoul 185]

Ummm.. That all depends on who will interview you and how it goes. If IO asks why you don't have a pic together from your ceremony, you explain all that like you did in your post. Being together for almost 3 years, have you guys traveled anywhere, took pictures, anything that will show you guys are together?

[Cheek3n 0]

We have pictures together of places we go. Some candid shots of each other. Stuff we do with our friends. We both have the same friends...because thats how we met. A selfie of us on our singing ceremony. Can anyone help us with this? All we want is to be together.

[h13rma 35]

We didn't have a lot of pictures, a load of common travel tickets and a pretty in-depth knowledge of each others family, affidavits from friends helped. The interview in Lawrence went pretty easy, but you are going to have issues unless you get co sponsors.

[Cheezees 1,514]

Then you'd better start comingling stuff. My husband and I are private people as well. Our marriage certificate cost more than our clothing for our city hall court house basement wedding. Being "independent" did not translate into us totally separating our lives. You and your husband pretty much have less proof than roommates, who at least are jointly stated on a lease (who you are not). USCIS does not care what your values are. However, a quick scan of the instructions of the I-130 form, page 3, Items E-J (which you should have read numerous times!) details the kind of evidence you should be providing with your application.

This is going to sound harsh. Stop the nonsense about being "hippie and weird". Many of us are but we also know when to provide what is required even if it goes against our personal life philosophies. Why risk a possible denial due to lack of evidence especially if your relationship is legitimate? Now that you know what to do, do it!

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

Honestly, if you were not going through immigration process, no one would care how you choose to live your life. However, there's a human being using his / her judgment to work on your case aside the cookbook steps.

So do you want to give the person opportunity to scrutinize your case more than necessary while being "minimalist" or you want to do the "normal" stuffs so that this immigration process will be done with?

I have come to see more and more people embrace the minimalist lifestyle but if all you have from your wedding ceremony is a selfie which is not a luxury in anyway, then you need to prepare well.

Not everyone announces their relationship on fcbk but you need more to show you are genuinely married for love.

Sorry if my opinion sound harsh...good luck

[Harmonia 211]

Do what is required to jump through USCIS's hoops. Why put yourself in a corner voluntarily and then hope you have the opportunity to explain your way out (instead of a straight up denial)? Read the guides with the evidence to provide. Take pictures. Go to a movie or concert together and save the ticket stubs. Etc etc etc

[mallafri76 1,012]

My husband and I didn't do a big ceremony either, it was him and me in normal clothes, a witness and the reverend. No pictures or anything like that. We don't care for stuff like that, we just wanted to make the commitment of spending the rest of our lives together. To each their own. The person interviewing me didn't care about that at all, he didn't even mention it.

In many countries, including the US, people create their own traditions or don't follow any traditions at all and it's perfectly normal, so I really don't think you need to worry about your lack of a wedding ceremony or wedding pictures. What you do need to worry about though is your lack of bona fida proof, especially since you're living together. From what I understand, joint finances is very common in the US. Since you are living together, I think USCIS are expecting to see at least a bit of co-mingling, whereas you seem to have everything separate, including the bills for your joint home.

Another hurdle you have to overcome is the affidavit of support. If you're both at uni, your husband may or may not have problems meeting the federal poverty guidelines for financial support, which at the moment is just under $20,000 for a household of two. If he can't met that, he needs to find a joint sponsor. Just something for you to look into as well.

[Cheek3n 0]

Im not saying that I want to push my believes or deny anything in the interview. I am just saying that I dont have much solid documentation of stuff other then pictures of us together and the knowledge and stuff we share about each other.

[Cheezees 1,514]

Im not saying that I want to push my believes or deny anything in the interview. No one thinks you said that. I am just saying that I dont have much solid documentation of stuff other then pictures of us together and the knowledge and stuff we share about each other. This is minimal proof that everyone has anyway. What we are saying is that you don't have much proof and we gave you examples of what you can provide. So what are you going to do about it?

[Harmonia 211]

Get joint health insurance, renter's insurance, car insurance, get on the lease together. Open a joint savings account if you want to maintain your own separate accounts. Joint gym membership. Joint utilities. I see you're in MA. We are too, and my husband (the immigrant) is definitely a hipster. He has the man bun to prove it. But you still have to play the game and follow the rules!

My husband and I were married in the hallway of a jail (no, neither of us were in jail) by a civil magistrate. We wore clothes we already owned, and we bothered to take a few photos because we knew we'd need them. Then we went out to a bar with a few friends after. Very low key. Ok, maybe you didn't know to take pictures at your wedding, but still...now you know. Take steps to prepare. Read the instructions for the I-130, and follow them.

[IcezMan_IcezLady 582]

My husband and I didn't do a big ceremony either, it was him and me in normal clothes, a witness and the reverend. No pictures or anything like that. We don't care for stuff like that, we just wanted to make the commitment of spending the rest of our lives together. To each their own. The person interviewing me didn't care about that at all, he didn't even mention it.

In many countries, including the US, people create their own traditions or don't follow any traditions at all and it's perfectly normal, so I really don't think you need to worry about your lack of a wedding ceremony or wedding pictures. What you do need to worry about though is your lack of bona fida proof, especially since you're living together. From what I understand, joint finances is very common in the US. Since you are living together, I think USCIS are expecting to see at least a bit of co-mingling, whereas you seem to have everything separate, including the bills for your joint home.

Another hurdle you have to overcome is the affidavit of support. If you're both at uni, your husband may or may not have problems meeting the federal poverty guidelines for financial support, which at the moment is just under $20,000 for a household of two. If he can't met that, he needs to find a joint sponsor. Just something for you to look into as well.

The first paragraph of your response will not help OP because of the latter 2 paragraphs. OP cannot just go by your example since they don't have any commingled finances.

If OP gets through without any problem I would wonder how some of us are denied on the bases of "sham" marriage when this right here looks more suspicious than most stories I have read here.

I am not in any way inferring this to be illegitimate but I am just saying that OP has got to go more than this..

[Cheek3n 0]

we are in no rush to get this done...we just want to know what to prepare over the course of the year or two. I just need some tips, so now we will consider co mingling our accounts and bills. We are still newly weds and want to experience the world together before we settle to start a family. I appreciate all comments a suggestions and all will be accounted for. Thanks for all of your time =)