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ashcashbananas

Evidence of marriage bona fides

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline

Good evening everyone;

My husband and I don't have children together, joint bank accounts, nor do we have any property or shared expenses. I am trying to file the I-130 paperwork and it says I can include evidence of marriage bona fides. When I was in my husband's home country, his mom and dad wrote a letter about how we met and how I come there to stay with them all when I can, and that they were present for our wedding. They took the letter and had it notarized.. Can this be used as evidence of marriage bona fides? If not, can someone PLEASE help me ASAP.

 

Thank you in advance;

Ashley

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline

Before you file, can you add him

to a joint bank account or a joint anything? Have you changed your last name? So you can show your new drivers license or SSN? Maybe a joint credit card? Do you rent anything that you could add him to? Put him as your beneficiary on your life insurance at work? 

 

I think the letter from his parents is a good idea but try to think of something else that married couples do. Easy bills to add his name on would be a water bill or electricity bill maybe. 

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Most couples who live apart don't have any co-mingled finances. We didn't either apart from drawing up a simple will together and adding each other as the beneficiary on our work pensions. 

 

Focus on time spent together. That's what they want to see from couples who live apart.  

Timeline in brief:

Married: September 27, 2014

I-130 filed: February 5, 2016

NOA1: February 8, 2016 Nebraska

NOA2: July 21, 2016

Interview: December 6, 2016 London

POE: December 19, 2016 Las Vegas

N-400 filed: September 30, 2019

Interview: March 22, 2021 Seattle

Oath: March 22, 2021 COVID-style same-day oath

 

Now a US citizen!

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Yes you can include it, but it's fairly minimal. Focus on relationship evidence - time spent together, photos, chats, phone calls, video calls, etc. Financial commingling is great, but it's not possible in many situations for a spouse abroad.

Timelines:

ROC:

Spoiler

7/27/20: Sent forms to Dallas lockbox, 7/30/20: Received by USCIS, 8/10 NOA1 electronic notification received, 8/1/ NOA1 hard copy received

AOS:

Spoiler

AOS (I-485 + I-131 + I-765):

9/25/17: sent forms to Chicago, 9/27/17: received by USCIS, 10/4/17: NOA1 electronic notification received, 10/10/17: NOA1 hard copy received. Social Security card being issued in married name (3rd attempt!)

10/14/17: Biometrics appointment notice received, 10/25/17: Biometrics

1/2/18: EAD + AP approved (no website update), 1/5/18: EAD + AP mailed, 1/8/18: EAD + AP approval notice hardcopies received, 1/10/18: EAD + AP received

9/5/18: Interview scheduled notice, 10/17/18: Interview

10/24/18: Green card produced notice, 10/25/18: Formal approval, 10/31/18: Green card received

K-1:

Spoiler

I-129F

12/1/16: sent, 12/14/16: NOA1 hard copy received, 3/10/17: RFE (IMB verification), 3/22/17: RFE response received

3/24/17: Approved! , 3/30/17: NOA2 hard copy received

 

NVC

4/6/2017: Received, 4/12/2017: Sent to Riyadh embassy, 4/16/2017: Case received at Riyadh embassy, 4/21/2017: Request case transfer to Manila, approved 4/24/2017

 

K-1

5/1/2017: Case received by Manila (1 week embassy transfer??? Lucky~)

7/13/2017: Interview: APPROVED!!!

7/19/2017: Visa in hand

8/15/2017: POE

 

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2 hours ago, ashcashbananas said:

Good evening everyone;

My husband and I don't have children together, joint bank accounts, nor do we have any property or shared expenses. I am trying to file the I-130 paperwork and it says I can include evidence of marriage bona fides. When I was in my husband's home country, his mom and dad wrote a letter about how we met and how I come there to stay with them all when I can, and that they were present for our wedding. They took the letter and had it notarized.. Can this be used as evidence of marriage bona fides? If not, can someone PLEASE help me ASAP.

 

Thank you in advance;

Ashley

=YES! :) Anything that will prove. Even your friends if they are present you can submit it too. We submitted a lot of pictures as well from day 1 we met until a few days before we submitted our requirement.

Best regards,
JenIK

Here is my timeline, since I entered USA:
I entered US in August 2014. I received conditional permanent resident card (Green card) by Septemeber 2017. I received my SSN by September or October 2014. I returned my green card because of typo error. I got the new one after 2-3 months. Then, next step was to wait for the letter regarding for removal of conditional status. So we waited until June or July 2016 (before my 2nd year in the USA) I received a letter and list of requirements (documents/evidence) to apply for removal of conditional. We submitted all the requirements that will prove our good marriage together with the check (where the exact amount needed for the process of removal). They will return if you send the evidence and check separately. It happened to us so it caused us one or two weeks delayed, closed to my 2nd year anniversary August 2016. After this, I received a letter of one year extension (for employment and travel). Then, I received a letter for my biometric and interview schedule in Chicago. And now, I'm waiting for my 10-year green card now. Hopefully, I'll receive it in August 2017 before my extension expires.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: France
Timeline
2 hours ago, geowrian said:

Yes you can include it, but it's fairly minimal. Focus on relationship evidence - time spent together, photos, chats, phone calls, video calls, etc. Financial commingling is great, but it's not possible in many situations for a spouse abroad.

Best advice. True proof is in your history together..I had no problems with approval. Submitted the following.

 

Joint back account (sent in our RIB) didn't send in bank statements.

 

10 years of pics together. Had them all in digital format so I just created a word document, providing pics from each year of us, with friends and family. IT wasn't always easy to find pics of us together but would include pics of the same event/day. Being verified we were together by the people that were were taking pictures with. Also added descriptions to explain what was going on.

 

Also sent in email correspondence, 4 emails per year. Hard to find as we live together.

 

Email confirmation of travel arrangements,  flights together and of visiting both of our families. 

 

Wedding day pics. Marriage certificate..

 

Didn't include the following.. But you definitely should if possible.

 

Phone records 

Texts

Anything that can prove you have been /are in a relationship.

 letters to each other. 

 

Letters from others saying you're together are useful if you have evidence of the above.. otherwise, useless as anyone could have a letter written up.. 

Edited by JBMG
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
1 hour ago, JBMG said:

Best advice. True proof is in your history together..I had no problems with approval. Submitted the following.

 

Joint back account (sent in our RIB) didn't send in bank statements.

 

10 years of pics together. Had them all in digital format so I just created a word document, providing pics from each year of us, with friends and family. IT wasn't always easy to find pics of us together but would include pics of the same event/day. Being verified we were together by the people that were were taking pictures with. Also added descriptions to explain what was going on.

 

Also sent in email correspondence, 4 emails per year. Hard to find as we live together.

 

Email confirmation of travel arrangements,  flights together and of visiting both of our families. 

 

Wedding day pics. Marriage certificate..

 

Didn't include the following.. But you definitely should if possible.

 

Phone records 

Texts

Anything that can prove you have been /are in a relationship.

 letters to each other. 

 

Letters from others saying you're together are useful if you have evidence of the above.. otherwise, useless as anyone could have a letter written up.. 

 

Thank you. I do have pictures, Skype call screenshots, a lot of old Facebook chat logs (because that is how we talk all day, FB messenger on our phones) and our old plane tickets! Plus the notarized letter from his parents. I hope this is all accepted and works as evidence!

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: France
Timeline
54 minutes ago, ashcashbananas said:

 

Thank you. I do have pictures, Skype call screenshots, a lot of old Facebook chat logs (because that is how we talk all day, FB messenger on our phones) and our old plane tickets! Plus the notarized letter from his parents. I hope this is all accepted and works as evidence!

THAT's fantastic!! ;)  Def advise organizing everything by time Day/month/year...  Like I said, i put everything in a word doc...Or you can use pages, or powerpoint.   The more organized you are, the easier it will before the reviewer to give you approval. Good luck!! :) 

 

ps.. Here are the forums related to your visa type. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports/

 

Also suggest to start posting comments in the Monthly tread. Such as the following:

 

And review previous i130 threads.. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=+I-130+2017&sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Fforums%2Fforum%2F134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports%2F%3Fpage%3D2&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Fforums%2Fforum%2F134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports%2F&ss=0j0j1

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
4 minutes ago, JBMG said:

THAT's fantastic!! ;)  Def advise organizing everything by time Day/month/year...  Like I said, i put everything in a word doc...Or you can use pages, or powerpoint.   The more organized you are, the easier it will before the reviewer to give you approval. Good luck!! :) 

 

ps.. Here are the forums related to your visa type. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports/

 

Also suggest to start posting comments in the Monthly tread. Such as the following:

 

And review previous i130 threads.. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=+I-130+2017&sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Fforums%2Fforum%2F134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports%2F%3Fpage%3D2&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Fforums%2Fforum%2F134-ir-1-cr-1-spouse-visa-case-filing-and-progress-reports%2F&ss=0j0j1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much, you're awesomeeeee.

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: France
Timeline
2 minutes ago, ashcashbananas said:

 

Thank you so much, you're awesomeeeee.

you're welcome, you'll find the community on here is so helpful.. So much info.. Don't be afraid to use the search feature as well. Found a lot of answers to my questions using that feature.. Oh and you should also join your country's portal. 

 

Just a wealth of great info there. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/portals/index.php?country=Morocco

 

Oh and save this forum thread for when you get to the NVC process. 

 

 

Finally prepare yourself mentally.. This entire process is going to probably take at least a year...  To see timelines, go here.. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

 

You can see, they're currently processing i130s that were received in the month of November 2016/Jan 2017... We don't really have a choice which processing center it ends up end. That's just luck.. 

 

Just make sure you double check everything.. Read everything about RFE Morocco. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=RFE+Morocco&sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ss=39633j1419373453j10

 

Then when you get to the NVC.. Checklist Morocco 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=Checklist+Morocco &sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ss=0j0j1

 

This way you're being proactive and learning from other's misfortunes to hopefully help you process your case without any problems. ;) 

 

Good luck!! 

 

 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
18 hours ago, JBMG said:

you're welcome, you'll find the community on here is so helpful.. So much info.. Don't be afraid to use the search feature as well. Found a lot of answers to my questions using that feature.. Oh and you should also join your country's portal. 

 

Just a wealth of great info there. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/portals/index.php?country=Morocco

 

Oh and save this forum thread for when you get to the NVC process. 

 

 

Finally prepare yourself mentally.. This entire process is going to probably take at least a year...  To see timelines, go here.. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/timeline/

 

You can see, they're currently processing i130s that were received in the month of November 2016/Jan 2017... We don't really have a choice which processing center it ends up end. That's just luck.. 

 

Just make sure you double check everything.. Read everything about RFE Morocco. 

 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=RFE+Morocco&sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ss=39633j1419373453j10

 

Then when you get to the NVC.. Checklist Morocco 

http://www.visajourney.com/sitesearch/?cx=partner-pub-3407508467788263%3A9725800110&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=UTF-8&q=Checklist+Morocco &sa=Search&siteurl=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ref=www.visajourney.com%2Ftimeline%2F&ss=0j0j1

 

This way you're being proactive and learning from other's misfortunes to hopefully help you process your case without any problems. ;) 

 

Good luck!! 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU SO MUCH <3

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Filed: Lift. Cond. (apr) Country: China
Timeline

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.

Our journey:

Spoiler

September 2007: Met online via social networking site (MySpace); began exchanging messages.
March 26, 2009: We become a couple!
September 10, 2009: Arrived for first meeting in-person!
June 17, 2010: Arrived for second in-person meeting and start of travel together to other areas of China!
June 21, 2010: Engaged!!!
September 1, 2010: Switched course from K1 to CR-1
December 8, 2010: Wedding date set; it will be on February 18, 2011!
February 9, 2011: Depart for China
February 11, 2011: Registered for marriage in Wuhan, officially married!!!
February 18, 2011: Wedding ceremony in Shiyan!!!
April 22, 2011: Mailed I-130 to Chicago
April 28, 2011: Received NOA1 via text/email, file routed to CSC (priority date April 25th)
April 29, 2011: Updated
May 3, 2011: Received NOA1 hardcopy in mail
July 26, 2011: Received NOA2 via text/email!!!
July 30, 2011: Received NOA2 hardcopy in mail
August 8, 2011: NVC received file
September 1, 2011: NVC case number assigned
September 2, 2011: AOS invoice received, OPTIN email for EP sent
September 7, 2011: Paid AOS bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 9, 2011)
September 8, 2011: OPTIN email accepted, GZO number assigned
September 10, 2011: Emailed AOS package
September 12, 2011: IV bill invoiced
September 13, 2011: Paid IV bill (payment portal showed PAID on September 14, 2011)
September 14, 2011: Emailed IV package
October 3, 2011: Emailed checklist response (checklist generated due to typo on Form DS-230)
October 6, 2011: Case complete at NVC
November 10, 2011: Interview - APPROVED!!!
December 7, 2011: POE - Sea-Tac Airport

September 17, 2013: Mailed I-751 to CSC

September 23, 2013: Received NOA1 in mail (receipt date September 19th)

October 16, 2013: Biometrics Appointment

January 28, 2014: Production of new Green Card ordered

February 3, 2014: New Green Card received; done with USCIS until fall of 2023*

December 18, 2023:  Filed I-90 to renew Green Card

December 21, 2023:  Production of new Green Card ordered - will be seeing USCIS again every 10 years for renewal

 

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Some easy ways to prove comingling finances:

- Retirement fund beneficiary.

- Life insurance beneficiary.

- Add to health insurance. 

 

 

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Morocco
Timeline
On 6/24/2017 at 1:33 AM, EandH0904 said:

Before you file, can you add him

to a joint bank account or a joint anything? Have you changed your last name? So you can show your new drivers license or SSN? Maybe a joint credit card? Do you rent anything that you could add him to? Put him as your beneficiary on your life insurance at work? 

 

I think the letter from his parents is a good idea but try to think of something else that married couples do. Easy bills to add his name on would be a water bill or electricity bill maybe. 

Did you get ur visa?

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  • 4 weeks later...

FYI...it will be hard to add him to your bank accounts or credit cards because he will need a social security number and ID to show he is already in the US. Plus,  he may need to sign paperwork at a bank.  I tried to do these suggestions when we were going through the process. Couldn't do or submit those.

 

The best advice I got was from the USCIS customer service person on the phone when I asked them what does Evidence of bonafide relationship means. She said everyone's case is unique. You need to show it as best to what pertain to your relationship. So I took it to my interpretation is to "Illustrate and tell a story of you and your spouse relationship as if people are reading it in a book". 

 

Lastly, I think including more notarized statements from the petitioner's side of family and friends stating their observation of the relationship and/or acknowledgement/participation of their relationship will outweigh the ones submitted from the beneficiary's side.

 

Good luck & best wishes.

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