CR-1 Physically Living Together

[Threshold10 0]

Hello,

 

I am in process of starting a CR-1 Application for my wife. 

On form 130, page 8, number 59, it ask what was the last address that my spouse and I lived at. 

I have only visited my wife 3 times, each lasting about two weeks, with last one during which we got married. 

Should I include the address that last time we met for 2 weeks? or so should I say Never Lived Togeather?

 

Also relating to this, I am asked for my living places for the previous 5 years.

 

Do I need to include my address for these 3 visits or should my home address be ok for the last five years? 

[JFH 12,191]

You have never lived together so you must answer the question with “never lived together”. Visiting is not living with someone. 

 

Similarly you do not include this address. You didn’t live there. Just as you wouldn’t include the address of a hotel you may have spent a night or two in whilst on a business trip or vacation. 

[Bethany123 56]

"Never lived together", as you have only visited her. I think most people will put that, too, seeing as how you can't actually live together (in the USA) til you get your green card. 

[JFH 12,191]

40 minutes ago, Bethany123 said:

"Never lived together", as you have only visited her. I think most people will put that, too, seeing as how you can't actually live together (in the USA) til you get your green card. 

Exactly. Anyone who puts that they have lived together in the USA (when they were only visiting) faces additional scrutiny as to how they were living together without the necessary visa or residency. 

[C&AH 104]

Honesty will take you a long way. I put "never lived together." The government knows that you haven't lived together if you reside  and work in two different countries. I'm sure they see it all the time. Nothing unusual. 

 

Im our case, about two days after the wedding during that visit, we added my name to her lease through a local attorney and the landlord. I included a copy of the certified lease along with an explanation in the cover letter as to why it was included for USCIS (because we were unable to actually and we needed to comingle our resources as much as possible). Our I-130 was approved.

 

That might have been unnecessary. I don't know. We may have been approved without the lease but we were trying to cover all bases by thinking outside the box.

 

When it comes to the federal government, it is ALWAYS best to veer on the side of caution.  Be creative and prepare for absolutely any and everything. 

Edited July 21, 2018 by C&AH

[pushbrk 13,246]

Never lived together is almost always the answer if you didn't have a resident visa to "live" in the country rather than just visit it.  The Philippines, where I "live" is a notable exception to that, because most expats here ARE on continually extended tourist visas.  We can stay up to three years without leaving and then only need a quick in and out to start a new three years.  Just a couple quick visits to the Bureau of Immigration every 2 to 6 months (our option) and about $20 a month in fees does the trick.