Having kids only means you have sex.

[MissSarah 22]

2 hours ago, Boiler said:

It would be highly discriminatory against people who can not have children.

^

My husband and I haven't had any children, I can't have children - it hasn't been an issue for me yet in this whole process.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

We are gay... so yea...no discrimination but again us perhaps saying "We plan on adopting one day if we can be together" wouldn't have any leverage either on the process when we went through it. So people having kids and using that as "evidence" or proof, is discriminatory against all gay couples then. So see, shouldn't be used and really isn't.... I  couldn't care about that personally, we are more than happy with our overly needy akita anyways.

 

 

[Mrsjackson 300]

17 minutes ago, MissSarah said:

^

My husband and I haven't had any children, I can't have children - it hasn't been an issue for me yet in this whole process.

I USCIS officers probably have enough sense to realize that the absence of children does not mean a relationship is not real. But I don’t think having children means absolutely nothing to them either. It’s a balance. 

[Mrsjackson 300]

2 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

We are gay... so yea...no discrimination but again us perhaps saying "We plan on adopting one day if we can be together" wouldn't have any leverage either on the process when we went through it. So people having kids and using that as "evidence" or proof, is discriminatory against all gay couples then. So see, shouldn't be used and really isn't.... I  couldn't care about that personally, we are more than happy with our overly needy akita anyways.

 

 

I would disagree because each couple is unique and has a different set of evidence. Taking into consideration the fact that my spouse and I have a child isn’t discriminating against you and your partner. If they took issue with you not having a child then yes - discriminatory. But everyone has different things about their life that USCIS will use a factor to determine the relationship’s legitimacy. 

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Just now, Mrsjackson said:

I would disagree because each couple is unique and has a different set of evidence. Taking into consideration the fact that my spouse and I have a child isn’t discriminating against you and your partner. If they took issue with you not having a child then yes - discriminatory. But everyone has different things about their life that USCIS will use a factor to determine the relationship’s legitimacy. 

 

Nope I didn't, don't worry. We aren't that type that are the "we have to be equal" and scream and stuff. Nor do we want kids. To each their own. We just like quiet times. So no discrimination/offense or what not felt on my own end honestly, was just commenting as to how one poster couldn't have kids and so could be seen as discriminatory to use kids as proof, so I used the gay reference as another comparison, that is all. 

[Sunnyland 639]

Me and my husband do not have kids because mother nature did not bless us yet and we may ended up taking an alternative treatment (God willing).

The US government/USCIS/whoever is in charge can not and won't discriminate a petitioner/beneficiary couple for the mere fact that they don't have nor CAN'T have kids or simply Do NOT want kids. A child is an evidence only IF you also have other strong evidence of your legitimate relationship. A child alone is not a proof. 

During my citizenship interview the officer did not even care to ask if we had kids. We had tons of other solid proof, plus being married for 6 years already.

OP, believe it or not there are people so desperate to enter the US that they would be willing to fall pregnant to prove anything. Just like there are people so desperate to land on american soil that would be willing to scam a US citizen just for a GC. It happens everyday.

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by Sunnyland

[Russ&Caro 1,549]

Good thread/topic. I would like to think that the recitals directly off of the USCIS website, alone, would lead to less bad advice on VJ in the future. Then again, VJ advice givers can be a stubborn bunch.

[Ontarkie 14,227]

You may want to read in the Effects forum where the USC parent  was completely abandoned along with the child.  The immigrant parent to never look back once they got what they wanted. That child was nothing more then a pawn. This was not only by a so called father but mothers have also ditched their child when they got what they were after. 

 

 When it came to the N400 interview my daughter was 8 months old. Guess what they  asked for?  More proof of relationship other than her. Joint car insurance had more weight than her birth certificate. 

[Daisy.Chain 317]

Having kids SHOULD mean all of the things you mentioned. Unfortunately, as far as USCIS is concerned, the birth of a child is not conclusive evidence of a relationship. All it proves is that two people slept together. Documents like family health insurance, shared medical bills, school records and emergency contacts, pictures over time etc showing family life together are a different story. Maybe that continued documentation is what those USCIS officers you mentioned were saying. A birth certificate alone doesn't show a relationship beyond the biological. Even people outside of immigration can testify to that - I've met several people who had their dads on their birth certificates that have no relationship with the child's mom.  Having a child to help prove relationship to get to the US is not as crazy as some of the things lots of people do.

 

If kids were the strongest evidence of a relationship, my husband and I are out of luck, because we don't have any yet! 😜

[Daisy.Chain 317]

I see that sometimes USCIS requests birth certificates of children born to the couple, but only as supporting evidence. A birth certificate of a child wouldn't carry someone's case - but for those who don't submit one (like us -no kids!) are approved fine just the same.

[Mieka91 27]

I wish people would take some of these posts as a grain of salt. Some posters are truly jaded LOL

[geowrian 22,337]

3 hours ago, dawning said:

I also find it interesting that OP has had an answer from two USCIS officers that children are excellent evidence, and yet posters here continue to insist they aren't.  Were the officers lying?

Again, context is critical. Co-parenting a child with a spouse with naturally show evidence of a bona fide marriage. That's likely what the IOs were referring to.

If one were to ask if just having a kid alone is good evidence, I would tend to err that they would answer differently.

The world isn't black and white...context helps navigate the shades of gray.

 

2 hours ago, andy78 said:

On something like the I-751 instructions, for example, the first example listed in the "Evidence of Relationship" section is:

- Birth certificates of children born during the time of this marriage, if any.

 

When I received a generic RFE in response to my removal of conditions petition, the first example of evidence it asked for is:

- Children as a result of your marriage / Birth certificate(s) of child(ren) born to the marriage.

 

In conclusion, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says that having children is considered evidence of a good faith marriage.

Alternatively, they could also be checking if the child is not one partner's biological child (i.e. conceived via an affair).

More often, they want to see evidence of co-parenting the child.

 

[JFH 12,190]

6 hours ago, Tilia said:

Lastly, I have spoken to two USCIS officers, one at my AOS interview and the other at my N-400 interview. They both said having children is the STRONGEST evidence a couple can bring.

 

Just wanted to get this off my chest, lol.

Good thing neither of them adjudicated my case. 14 years ago, after multiple attempts at in-vitro, I became pregnant for the first and only time in my life. I was married to my former husband at the time. I experienced massive internal bleeding and had emergency surgery which not only meant I lost the baby but the majority of my "reproduction equipment" had to be removed also. As such, I have never been able to become pregnant again. My current husband and I were 48 and 40 when we married. Even if I hadn't had the medical emergency, a pregnancy at that age is unlikely, if not completely risky. My husband was married before but they chose not to have children. I have a cousin who has been married almost 30 years. They never had children and never wanted them. 

 

We had been married for 2 years already when I had my visa interview in London. Not once was I asked why we didn't have any children. It's 2018 - families come in all shapes and sizes. Not everyone wants children, can have children. My parents had 5 children. My father cheated on my mother for almost the entire time they were married. If you want to say their marriage was bona fide and mine isn't, I'll laugh till I cry. 

 

 

Edited October 3, 2018 by JFH

[dawning 212]

1 hour ago, Ontarkie said:

You may want to read in the Effects forum where the USC parent  was completely abandoned along with the child.  The immigrant parent to never look back once they got what they wanted. That child was nothing more then a pawn. This was not only by a so called father but mothers have also ditched their child when they got what they were after. 

 

 When it came to the N400 interview my daughter was 8 months old. Guess what they  asked for?  More proof of relationship other than her. Joint car insurance had more weight than her birth certificate. 

Curious how you know it had more weight.  Did they tell you that?

 

I'm also pretty sure you can read about people who abandoned their joint checking account, insurance, rental agreement, and so forth.  Probably more common?

Edited October 3, 2018 by dawning

[Ontarkie 14,227]

5 minutes ago, dawning said:

Curious how you know it had more weight.  Did they tell you that?

 

I'm also pretty sure you can read about people who abandoned their joint checking account, insurance, rental agreement, and so forth.  Probably more common?

Yes she came right out and said it.