Co-mingling of financial resoucres....will it be enough for the I-130?

[millefleur 5,046]

My husband owns an apartment in Russia, but it's insanely complicated to get my name on his flat. I don't have official temporary or permanent residency in Russia (only a work visa, which for residency purposes means nothing to the Russian government...yeah, weird, but...Russia) so that makes it even harder. As for me, I own no property at all in my name so there's nothing I can do there.

We went to go open a bank account here jointly....hit a similar same brick wall. I'm not a Russian citizen, so I can't be a joint account holder, just an authorized user of the account. The lady at the bank said they can provide a paper saying I'm an authorized user of the account, but that's all. My name will not appear on the statements, only my husband's name.

I'm in the process of trying to get my husband's name on my US bank account but this is problematic because he doesn't have an international tax ID number or a SSN because he's never been to the US before and he's been denied a B-2 tourist visa, so basically we cannot even enter the US to get these things. Getting an ITIN requires an in-person application at an IRS office or a mysterious "certified copy of the passport"via mail which basically doesn't exist in Russia (I've checked it thoroughly), so it's another dead end. Maybe my bank will be generous and allow his name there without this number, but I doubt it. I'm waiting to hear back from them.

My US credit card and PayPal debit card: I can show that my husband is an authorized user of my PayPal Debit account and PayPal credit card. Again, only an authorized user, not joint account holder.

So, I'm guessing this isn't much "co-mingling" at all. We are going to buy a health insurance policy under both of our names (IF it's possible, which I hope it will be!) and my husband will buy life insurance and put me as a beneficiary on it. He is also going to write a will which says I will get his apartment.

Another thing I'm confused about: we both currently live together in an apartment owned by his parents. We are planning on having his mother write a document saying that we live here together, but we don't pay any rent because it's family owned. Will this look suspicious as it won't be an actual lease?

TL;DR recap, we will only have: each other as authorized users of our accounts (both US and Russian), health insurance with me under my husband's plan, my husband's will listing me as the main beneficiary, my husband's life insurance with me as well, and a "lease" from his family saying we live together in an apartment (rent free) and....that's it. Is this going to be enough?

Anyone else have any other recommendations in lieu of the other evidence? Thanks!

[NikLR 13,227]

Financial co-mingling for the I-130 isnt that big of a deal. They dont expect people living in different countries to have this. Submit evidence of time spent together.

Check out the ez spouse guide in the wiki for more ideas.

[millefleur 5,046]

Financial co-mingling for the I-130 isnt that big of a deal. They dont expect people living in different countries to have this. Submit evidence of time spent together.

Check out the ez spouse guide in the wiki for more ideas.

We live together in Russia. So all the secondary evidence is on the same level? I was just under the impression that some evidence carried more weight than others?

Also, the EZ guide keeps listing things listed in both names, so....not really helpful. The only thing we have at this point is our gym membership when we joined together.

[JFH 12,190]

Most couples have no co-mingled finances. Due to the crazy rules here, I can't get anyone added to my bank account who isn't resident in the UK, even my husband. They even get suspicious when we shift money back and forth between our accounts or if I pay his phone bill, for example.

You have much better evidence - you are together every day. Focus on that. Gather up lots of examples of that and you'll be fine.

[gregcrs2 1,778]

Don't sweat the co-mingling stuff. I'm going through almost the same exact same thing. You will be just fine since you have been married a short time.

[millefleur 5,046]

Don't sweat the co-mingling stuff. I'm going through almost the same exact same thing. You will be just fine since you have been married a short time.

OK thanks. We've just been paranoid and nervous even since my husband's B-2 visa was rejected.

It also wasn't clear if there was some kind of hierarchy of importance concerning secondary evidence. I assumed the financial documents carried the most weight, but if other evidence is just as good then that works for us!

[AstroCanada 206]

OK thanks. We've just been paranoid and nervous even since my husband's B-2 visa was rejected.

It also wasn't clear if there was some kind of hierarchy of importance concerning secondary evidence. I assumed the financial documents carried the most weight, but if other evidence is just as good then that works for us!

I think they probably realize that nothing is easy in Russia. I know many couples that have been married for years that don't have a joint bank account...it's not that unusual.

You may find you have other evidence that shows ties. For example, you might have joint health, property, or life insurance. You can add someone as a beneficiary for retirement accounts.

[millefleur 5,046]

I think they probably realize that nothing is easy in Russia. I know many couples that have been married for years that don't have a joint bank account...it's not that unusual.

You may find you have other evidence that shows ties. For example, you might have joint health, property, or life insurance. You can add someone as a beneficiary for retirement accounts.

At the moment, we have no retirement accounts and it's not really an option. We're both relatively young and this isn't really a thing in Russia.

Life insurance.....we're going to sign up for it. We'll also consider getting joint health insurance as well.

Property insurance....it's a good idea. Will look into it as well!!

[NikLR 13,227]

Include lots of photos together and with family. Anything you can do to prove you live together and spend time together.

[millefleur 5,046]

Include lots of photos together and with family. Anything you can do to prove you live together and spend time together.

Thanks, it will mostly have to be photos of me and his family because due to the tourist visa rejection, he won't be able to meet my side of the family. We'll take photos of us together at home and whatnot, I guess this will be some of the strongest evidence we will have.

[NikLR 13,227]

That's fine, you have friends and family there too.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

We live together in Russia. So all the secondary evidence is on the same level? I was just under the impression that some evidence carried more weight than others?

Also, the EZ guide keeps listing things listed in both names, so....not really helpful. The only thing we have at this point is our gym membership when we joined together.

We lived together in a foreign country and had no co-mingled finances because I didn't have their version of a social security number. It wasn't an issue. I took a picture of mail addressed to both of us, photos, both of our names on our apartment door. Probably unnecessary, but most people in separate countries do have less evidence. Living together is some evidence by itself.

[millefleur 5,046]

We lived together in a foreign country and had no co-mingled finances because I didn't have their version of a social security number. It wasn't an issue. I took a picture of mail addressed to both of us, photos, both of our names on our apartment door. Probably unnecessary, but most people in separate countries do have less evidence. Living together is some evidence by itself.

Yeah, it's just hard because we don't get a lot of mail because the Russian post is awful and unreliable. The ultility bills are in his sister's name (she's the registered owner of the place we live) and we don't have an official lease because it's family owned.

We're trying to order things online and get invoices with our names and the address where we live. Maybe we will subscribe to a random magazine or something. I'm just going to do everything I can think of which might show our names and same address.

One plus is I went through the hassle of taking my husband's last name....so I hope that counts for something at least.

[Ulrica&Jesse 39]

I think I was lucky enough to be able to get a joint bank account with my husband while I was in the U.S. on my tourist visa. So we are using that as an evidence as well as him living abroad in my country with me for two years, photos, cards and mail addressed to us by his family and hoping that should be enough proof. Good luck to you! I'm sure you guys will be just fine : )

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

This is country dependent and i had to do a lot of comminging of finances for Morocco

added him to taxes

added him to wter bill

added him with ITIN to bank account

added him to the deed of house with quick claim deed

this was the information i received from USCIS that i had to commingle and it actually does say they can ask for it on letters requiring proof of relationship