Interview date received - worried about bonafide marriage evidence

[meowmeister 4]

I’m sponsoring my wife for her visa and we recently got an interview date. However I’m worried about whether we have enough evidence to present. Our current status is:

 

1. We married April 2017 and filed June 2017.

2. We have plenty of photos from when we were dating (since early 2015), wedding photos, and vacations we've taken together since.

3. We have the official marriage certificate, etc. as well as people that would vouch that we are, in fact, a real couple.

4. We live in a condo that I bought back in 2008. The mortgage is in my name. So we don’t have any lease, etc. that has her name on it.

5. We have a joint checking account, but it’s not the primary account for either of us. We maintain mostly separate finances. Things like mortgage, etc. is paid out of my personal account.

6. My car is nearly 20 years old and fully paid off. My wife does not drive, so there is nothing car related (insurance, etc.) in her name.

7. We have a family cell phone plan. However I added her before we actually married, so the account is under my name only.

8. She is listed as the beneficiary of my company’s provided life insurance.

9. She’s listed under my company provided health insurance.

10. We filed our 2017 tax returns jointly, so her name is on there.

11. She’s added as an authorized user on my credit card account.

 

Should I be worried? #4 is really the big one I’m concerned about.

[mushroomspore 3,044]

Having her on insurance policies is good. Is there any way to add her name to utility bills? And is there any way to add her name as an "additional tenant" to your condo's paperwork?

[meowmeister 4]

Hi, thanks for the reply!

 

Utility: I actually looked this up. Didn’t see anywhere online where I could change this, so I’ll have to call tomorrow. In any case, I don’t think we will be able to get a bill in time for the interview date...

 

Condo: I own the condo, so she wouldn’t be a tenant anyways. I’m not sure what’s involved in adding her to the mortgage, if that’s even possible. Her credit is minimal/nonexistent so not sure if they’d even allow it. Either way probably not able to do it before the date of the interview...

[janet3 1,170]

3 hours ago, meowmeister said:

Hi, thanks for the reply!

 

Utility: I actually looked this up. Didn’t see anywhere online where I could change this, so I’ll have to call tomorrow. In any case, I don’t think we will be able to get a bill in time for the interview date...

 

Condo: I own the condo, so she wouldn’t be a tenant anyways. I’m not sure what’s involved in adding her to the mortgage, if that’s even possible. Her credit is minimal/nonexistent so not sure if they’d even allow it. Either way probably not able to do it before the date of the interview...

I am currently going through AOS also. 

 

I too had difficulty adding my husband to the utility bills  (I would have had to cancel my current contracts and restart them). My solution was to email the utility companies and keep a copy of the email and response. 

 

The house I live in is owned by a family trust...there is no adding my husband to the deed.

 

What I did instead is....give him durable power of attorney, took out a life insurance policy with him as beneficiary, added him to the renters insurance policy, and started a 401k with him as beneficiary. 

 

I, too, worry about whether or not I have enough "proof"...

I guess I will just have to wait and see. 

 

I am wishing the best for you!

 

Please update this thread after your interview. 

[meowmeister 4]

Interview is done! We passed!

 

We prepared two binders full of documents and evidence including notarized affidavit letters, about 100 photos, receipts & materials from our wedding, various tickets and receipts from our travels over the past year, etc. in addition to the usual required stuff.

 

In the end the only extra materials the USCIS officer asked to look at were:

1. Joint bank account statements (this was not a problem, despite my worries above).

2. Our joint 2017 tax return.

3. Beneficiary docs.

 

*I* was actually asked more questions than my wife.

 

In any case, we found out we were approved via the USCIS case status site the day after the interview. Today we got the mailing notice.

 

Thank you God!

Edited June 6, 2018 by meowmeister

[mytruelove18 608]

16 hours ago, meowmeister said:

Interview is done! We passed!

 

We prepared two binders full of documents and evidence including notarized affidavit letters, about 100 photos, receipts & materials from our wedding, various tickets and receipts from our travels over the past year, etc. in addition to the usual required stuff.

 

In the end the only extra materials the USCIS officer asked to look at were:

1. Joint bank account statements (this was not a problem, despite my worries above).

2. Our joint 2017 tax return.

3. Beneficiary docs.

 

*I* was actually asked more questions than my wife.

 

In any case, we found out we were approved via the USCIS case status site the day after the interview. Today we got the mailing notice.

 

Thank you God!

What date was your interview?, what office at?, or what country? Is a k1 visa?

[John_Bee 0]

On 6/6/2018 at 2:00 PM, meowmeister said:

Interview is done! We passed!

 

We prepared two binders full of documents and evidence including notarized affidavit letters, about 100 photos, receipts & materials from our wedding, various tickets and receipts from our travels over the past year, etc. in addition to the usual required stuff.

 

In the end the only extra materials the USCIS officer asked to look at were:

1. Joint bank account statements (this was not a problem, despite my worries above).

2. Our joint 2017 tax return.

3. Beneficiary docs.

 

*I* was actually asked more questions than my wife.

 

In any case, we found out we were approved via the USCIS case status site the day after the interview. Today we got the mailing notice.

 

Thank you God!

Congrats!!

 

I have an interview coming up soon and I was wondering what documents do they require (besides supporting evidence of marriage) and also what exactly is the "beneficiary docs"?

[mytruelove18 608]

50 minutes ago, John_Bee said:

Congrats!!

 

I have an interview coming up soon and I was wondering what documents do they require (besides supporting evidence of marriage) and also what exactly is the "beneficiary docs"?

MY COUSIN A FEBRUARY FILER WHO HAD HIS INTERVIEW AT  Tampa on june 6, on june 7 the status at myacount changed to we are producing your card.

his interview was very nice, they ask for leas but they didnt have, his wife told to the officer that the lease was renew on nobember and my cousin arrived on december and for hat reason she couldnt add him.

they didnt have bank acount and she didnt add to her acount , his wife said as she is the only one working she didnt add him.

 

they took some pictures and saw his original birth certificate and give it him back.

 

my cousin paper arrive on februaty 20, no AP oR wORK pERMIT ARRVED BEFORE INTERVEW, 

 

good luck everybody

[Marta Proniagina 119]

hello! I have the same kinda problem. i came here 6 months ago and we've been married for 3 months only and we only have this sort of proof:
-pictures (not a lot though)

-water and electricity bills with our names on it (my husband owns the house but there's no way now to put my name on anything else related to it)

-shared cell phone plan (but it only shows our numbers and that my husband is the account owner. don't know if this would work or if there's anything we could ask for from the cell phone provider)

-paper from the post office saying we have a po box assigned to our names

-paper stating that we gave away some property to my husband's relative with both of our names on it

-i'm also gong to ask our mutual friends to write affidavits

 

but that's it and we don't have anything else so far. what do you think about this list? I'm rather worried