Bank statements

[Uhoh 10]

So... I keep reading that one every 3-4 months is fine but then people are getting rfe to provide more evidence. Should I just get every single one printed? Or will one every 3 months do? I've got loads of other evidence such as wills, poa, tax transcripts,health and auto insurance, etc. I not sure how top heavy to go? At the moment it fits in a priority box nicely. Adding more makes it too bulky...

Also how did you organize the contents? I'm acco'ing each type of evidence in one section. So one section for bank stuff, one for taxes, one for employment related benefits, one for insurances, etc. is that ok? Or should I sort into months, say statements etc for January 2014, everything for April, etc and then have separate sections for annual stuff like insurances and taxes? I'm clearly over thinking this lol....

[Caryh 5,206]

Rather than more of the same (every bank statement), they are looking for other types of proof of financial commingling. Joint health insurance, life insurance with each other as the beneficiaries, loans taken out together, credit cards where both on are the card, major purchases together (such as a car), bills coming in both names, or each of you having a bill in your name (gas bill in his name, electric bill in her name, etc...)

with my wife's ROC we put it together with sections paper clipped together, and the whole package with a large binder clip. They're going to take it apart any way, why not make it easy on them? Then the whole thing in a large envelope.

[SM & EF 41]

If you have joint bank and credit card statements, I would recommend sending all of them including all the transaction pages. We received an RFE after sending summary pages for all statements but only a sample of transaction pages.

We felt we had a strong packet, but they wanted more. We just replied a few days ago, so we will have to wait to see if they are satisfied.

Good luck to us all!

[Caryh 5,206]

These RFE's might be related to the service center falling behind and the desire to keep their process time number down. Sending an RFE resets the clock on your processing time. Send enough RFE's out and their average processing time doesn't go up, even when they're falling behind. All they have to do is pretend there isn't enough evidence when a month before the amount you sent would have been just fine. I know people that have been convinced for years the service centers do this with ROC applications, with the Vermont center being particularly notorious at this.

[Cheezees 1,514]

Just include every month's statement and avoid the possibility of an RFE based on that entirely. I included every single one for my 2 checking accounts, 3 savings account, line of credit account, and 2 credit card accounts. I try to be as RFE averse as possible. I know it's a lot of paper and they asked for it. (Also I know there is no RFE that will ask for me to take back all the paperwork I sent in.

[Caryh 5,206]

Just include every month's statement and avoid the possibility of an RFE based on that entirely. I included every single one for my 2 checking accounts, 3 savings account, line of credit account, and 2 credit card accounts. I try to be as RFE averse as possible. I know it's a lot of paper and they asked for it. (Also I know there is no RFE that will ask for me to take back all the paperwork I sent in.

We only provided 3 per year for my wife's ROC. It was approved in 63 days with no interview. They were not that busy back in 2014.

[Cheezees 1,514]

We only provided 3 per year for my wife's ROC. It was approved in 63 days with no interview. They were not that busy back in 2014.

It seems they hand out RFEs like candy these days and take MANY months to process seemingly straight-forward cases. Both my AOS and my ROC were each approved in 3 months and when I mention this I honestly feel like I'm bragging (compared to the current timelines).

[nitehero 6]

So... I keep reading that one every 3-4 months is fine but then people are getting rfe to provide more evidence. Should I just get every single one printed? Or will one every 3 months do? I've got loads of other evidence such as wills, poa, tax transcripts,health and auto insurance, etc. I not sure how top heavy to go? At the moment it fits in a priority box nicely. Adding more makes it too bulky...

Also how did you organize the contents? I'm acco'ing each type of evidence in one section. So one section for bank stuff, one for taxes, one for employment related benefits, one for insurances, etc. is that ok? Or should I sort into months, say statements etc for January 2014, everything for April, etc and then have separate sections for annual stuff like insurances and taxes? I'm clearly over thinking this lol....

You are clearly over thinking things, you seem to have a good load of evidence from what you describe above. With the bank statement, I say you put in as much as you can, I put in 20 months worth of bank statements when I sent mine and I got approved with no rfe at all. Wishing you the best of luck

[candycrushsaga 4]

So... I keep reading that one every 3-4 months is fine but then people are getting rfe to provide more evidence. Should I just get every single one printed? Or will one every 3 months do? I've got loads of other evidence such as wills, poa, tax transcripts,health and auto insurance, etc. I not sure how top heavy to go? At the moment it fits in a priority box nicely. Adding more makes it too bulky...

Also how did you organize the contents? I'm acco'ing each type of evidence in one section. So one section for bank stuff, one for taxes, one for employment related benefits, one for insurances, etc. is that ok? Or should I sort into months, say statements etc for January 2014, everything for April, etc and then have separate sections for annual stuff like insurances and taxes? I'm clearly over thinking this lol....

We sent in every page of every bank statement and credit card statement since our marriage date. My wife's name was added a few months after our marriage so the first few bank statements (2 accounts - savings and checking) and credit card statements were in my name only. In the cover letter, I explained that my wife was added to the bank account and credit card account a few months after our marriage. I did this in the spirit of transparency and to show I was not trying to hide anything (although I was nervous that not adding my wife's name to the accounts immediately after marriage may be viewed negatively). Each bank statement was 5-7 pages and each credit card statement was 4-6 pages so all the statements added up to a big stack of paper. Didn't care...had no shame about that. Just didn't want to short change anything and hoped to avoid an RFE.

At the end, we sent a box containing a three inch stack of papers including over 20 different types of evidence (joint utility bills, pictures, travel itineraries, warranty deed for our home with my wife added to it a year after our marriage, affidavits from two close friends, health insurance explanation of benefits, dental insurance explanation of benefits, proof that my wife is the beneficiary of my retirement accounts, doctors notes from OB-GYN visits for my wife who was expecting our first child in 2016, etc).

End result - no RFE and successful removal of conditions.

Edited May 11, 2016 by candycrushsaga