Evidence of marital union (spouse of a USC)

[JFH 12,190]

So it's early days yet (only been here just over 7 months) but I have been thinking about the next step, naturalization. I will be filing at 3 years minus 90 days as the spouse of a USC.

 

Looking through the requirements there is the "evidence of marital union". Should I start gathering bank statements, credit card bills, etc already? I hate keeping hold of such documents and shred the bills as soon as they are paid. Should I be keeping them? How much are they going to want to see? We have a lease in both names, a joint bank account and credit card, a car registered to both of us, the finance for our car is in both names, we have a car insurance policy in both names. We are each named as beneficiaries on each other's 401(k) should either of us die whilst still working. 

 

We have individual health insurance because we both get it included by our respective employers and that works out cheaper for us. 

 

Do do we have enough or should we be gathering more? Is the lease in both names enough evidence that we live together or do they want photos of us in the house? 

 

[milimelo 4,513]

Think of it as a mini-ROC and you'll be fine. 

Updated taxes (if that time of year) and medical insurance, car insurance paperwork, bills and similar. 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

Most on here including me have to do Removing Conditions,  but I see you get to skip that. It was my biggest packet of all with two years of marital evidence. Then my naturalisation followed by only a year so the  application only included a few more items for that one year plus three tax transcripts. 

 

You need to prove you are eligible to naturalize early based on staying married to the USC.  You might want to put aside a few things from the early days like the lease because that might change should you decide to move. Then you would have an additional lease.  Maybe one early bank statement and a couple in the middle. The car.

 

I think your emphasis is that you are still married at the time, so your most recent joint things at the time of your application are more the focus. That is different than ROC where they want to know you lived and breathed together for the whole two years. Naturalisation doesn't dwell on needing mountains of things like photos or proving every month of togetherness. 

 

Anyway, that's how I would do it.

 

The USCIS suggestions are

Documents referring to you and your spouse:

a. Tax returns, bank accounts, leases, mortgages, or birth certi cates of children; or
b. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)-certi ed copies of the income tax forms that you both led for the past 3 years; or c. An IRS tax return transcript for the last 3 years. 

[daigo 39]

I just followed the USCIS suggestions as Wuozopo pointed out. I only submitted IRS tax transcripts for the previous three years and my marriage certificate. I brought more recent mortgage statements and bank statements (covering the duration of the pending N-400), our deed, and a car title to the actual interview but the IO didn't need to see them. Put some joint statements aside for the actual interview just in case, but I wouldn't worry about having to send an actual novel with the N-400.

 

Here's the checklist from USCIS if you haven't already seen it: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/article/attachments.pdf

[JFH 12,190]

8 hours ago, milimelo said:

Think of it as a mini-ROC and you'll be fine. 

Updated taxes (if that time of year) and medical insurance, car insurance paperwork, bills and similar. 

That's the problem. I came with an IR-1 and don't have to do ROC so I don't get a practice run at this. This I'll be my first dealing with USCIS again since our I-130 was approved last year. 

[JFH 12,190]

Thank you! Very helpful and has put my mind at ease. 

 

We we will have no problem with the things mentioned except birth certificates for children. We are 43 and 50 so children are extremely unlikely and not even in the plan. I'm a little annoyed that USCIS even places any weight on that evidence (that applies to the I-130 also). Many couples, not just older couples, actively choose not to have children. Not everyone wants them. And not everyone can have them even if they want them. 

[Stevephoto 230]

1 hour ago, JFH said:

That's the problem. I came with an IR-1 and don't have to do ROC so I don't get a practice run at this. This I'll be my first dealing with USCIS again since our I-130 was approved last year. 

Hi JFH! As noted above, proceed as if this is an ROC application and you should be fine! Good luck!