Bona Fide Marriage when foreign spouse is still abroad

[MyJourney 276]

I read on the checklist that lists "proof of bona-fide marriage". If the foreign spouse is still outside the US, what could serve as a proof of "bona fide" marriage? She visited me twice in the US, I visited her once. We got married, had an engagement ceremony before that....
I am just looking for more experienced people's ideas for "bona fide" marriage proofs when your spouse is OUTSIDE the US (not filing for adjustment of status). Thank you. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

7 minutes ago, MyJourney said:

I read on the checklist that lists "proof of bona-fide marriage". If the foreign spouse is still outside the US, what could serve as a proof of "bona fide" marriage? She visited me twice in the US, I visited her once. We got married, had an engagement ceremony before that....
I am just looking for more experienced people's ideas for "bona fide" marriage proofs when your spouse is OUTSIDE the US (not filing for adjustment of status). Thank you. 

Nothing to prove.  File the package with the attachments they ask for.  Two visits is one more visit than we had.

[EandH0904 1,184]

Is your spouse on your health insurance? Do you have any life insurance policies dedicated to them? Have you added them as a second user on any credit cards? 

Try to think of any ways that your lives are combined and include proofs of that. 

Affidavits from friends/family, and of course proof of your visits. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

There is very little that can be done when the spouse is outside the US.  Like I said, file the petition with all the proper attachments (including the marriage cert, etc).  Throw in a few good wedding photos or something like that.  Original petitions / overseas weddings are pretty thin.  Proof of relationship/meeting in person is pretty much established with the marriage cert.  I think it's easier than a K1.

Edited October 30, 2017 by Nitas_man

[MyJourney 276]

1 hour ago, EandH0904 said:

Is your spouse on your health insurance? Do you have any life insurance policies dedicated to them? Have you added them as a second user on any credit cards? 

Try to think of any ways that your lives are combined and include proofs of that. 

Affidavits from friends/family, and of course proof of your visits. 

No she resides outside the US. I have not added her into my insurance yet, since she is not here yet, the same goes for credit cards. But I have made some money transfers for making some purchases related to our engagement, etc. 

[MyJourney 276]

I have a feeling that this " bona fide" thing is more critical for applicants whose beneficiaries are already in the US and adjusting status....what do you think about this? 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

And save time and future trouble by attending the interview with your spouse.  Also let the embassy know you're attending.  

Can't believe all these people who hang their beneficiaries out in the breeze after going through all the trouble to get them to that counter.

 

In the big picture the interview's more important than the dam wedding.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

2 minutes ago, MyJourney said:

I have a feeling that this " bona fide" thing is more critical for applicants whose beneficiaries are already in the US and adjusting status....what do you think about this? 

I'm positive that you are right about that

CO decides bonafide on not in this case.

[MyJourney 276]

1 minute ago, Nitas_man said:

And save time and future trouble by attending the interview with your spouse.  Also let the embassy know you're attending.  

Can't believe all these people who hang their beneficiaries out in the breeze after going through all the trouble to get them to that counter.

 

In the big picture the interview's more important than the dam wedding.

Approximately how long it might take between application and interview? I will be happy to go and attend, I am planning to visit anyway. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

13 minutes ago, MyJourney said:

No she resides outside the US. I have not added her into my insurance yet, since she is not here yet, the same goes for credit cards. But I have made some money transfers for making some purchases related to our engagement, etc. 

Send in the package with everything they ask for and a few photos.  Im seriously telling  you my original petition had nothing but the attachments they wanted and went right through

Hmmm I did add her to insurance tho, pending SS.  You only have the change of circumstance window to do it after marriage, otherwise its next open enrollment period.

If they use the SS card trick remind em newborns dont have SS numbers for awhile either.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

9 minutes ago, MyJourney said:

Approximately how long it might take between application and interview? I will be happy to go and attend, I am planning to visit anyway. 

You're just filing?  Looking like 9 months or so door to door.

[MyJourney 276]

5 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

Send in the package with everything they ask for and a few photos.  Im seriously telling  you my original petition had nothing but the attachments they wanted and went right through

Hmmm I did add her to insurance tho, pending SS.  You only have the change of circumstance window to do it after marriage, otherwise its next open enrollment period.

If they use the SS card trick remind em newborns dont have SS numbers for awhile either.

Thank you for sharing your experience. I appreciate it! 

[MyJourney 276]

She pays for health insurance back in her country of residence now, we don't see it as economically feasible to pay for health insurance here for her, since she cannot even use it and already has one where she needs it. we will cancel the one she has now and buy her a new one here once she gets here.....

[Nitas_man 3,100]

18 minutes ago, MyJourney said:

She pays for health insurance back in her country of residence now, we don't see it as economically feasible to pay for health insurance here for her, since she cannot even use it and already has one where she needs it. we will cancel the one she has now and buy her a new one here once she gets here.....

I didnt do it because she could use it, i added her so she'd be able to show she had health insurance at the interview where they eyeball everything and decide whether they think she's gonna be a public charge.

And I know that in a normal marriage that's usually one of the first actions taken, which is why there is a mandatory window that lets you do it.  

[EandH0904 1,184]

If you search up "bonafide" you will see that people have asked this question many times. Here are some articles referring to it - especially referring to getting RFE for not having proof of bonafide marriage. Furthermore, I have seen people denied CR1 visa and one of the reasons mentioned is lack of proof of bonafide marriage (usually along many other concerns - not just that). I am getting married in a couple weeks and we have been talking about this issue a lot - to try to make sure we present proof. I plan on putting him on my insurance (I understand your reason for not doing so, but I pay for "family" insurance already as I have a son, so adding him is not a cost factor for me). I plan on switching my life insurance policy to make him the primary beneficiary, in addition to getting an account under both of our names when I am in his country. 

 

Here are a few of the many articles discussing bonafide marriage. While I agree that your presence at, and the interview itself, is extremely important - but I feel (and I could be wrong, this is just my feeling) that a lot of evidence is reviewed prior to the interview - hopefully you have a strong case regardless, with many visits and long proofs of relationship - I know Turkey isn't on the "high fraud" list so to say, but it's not easy as some of the other European countries are either.