I-751 Affidavit

[Crazy Cat 41,981]

32 minutes ago, RTLE said:

To comfort yourself, just file your form with an Affidavit of Support, it does not hurt anyway.  I would rather do some extra steps and then leave the worry behind - then feel uncomfortable after.   It does not mean other people are not right. 

 

Agree.  We did not include any affidavits in my wife's case.  We already had a great deal of strong evidence (I started planning for ROC before my wife arrived)........and getting notarized statements from family and friends seemed like too much trouble.........but there certainly is no harm including them...... 

[sundizz 0]

Does this still apply? We got a RFE  for our i-751 (basically just asked for more of everything and nothing specific). I heard in 2019 almost everyone is getting a RFE so trying not to freak out too much about it.

 

Was planning to provide a lot more of everything except affidavits. We didn’t include any in our original submission and weren’t planning on including any for this RFE. We don’t own a house or have kids together yet but we do share all financial accounts, listed as beneficiaries on each other’s stuff, file taxes together, share a lease together etc.

 

Any Dec 2019 or recent experiences?

[Cryssiekins 976]

6 minutes ago, sundizz said:

Does this still apply? We got a RFE  for our i-751 (basically just asked for more of everything and nothing specific). I heard in 2019 almost everyone is getting a RFE so trying not to freak out too much about it.

 

Was planning to provide a lot more of everything except affidavits. We didn’t include any in our original submission and weren’t planning on including any for this RFE. We don’t own a house or have kids together yet but we do share all financial accounts, listed as beneficiaries on each other’s stuff, file taxes together, share a lease together etc.

 

Any Dec 2019 or recent experiences?

Affidavits are of very little probative value.  It doesn’t hurt to include them, but they certainly aren’t strong.  
 

If you have sufficient evidence of financials (taxes, banking, credit, insurance, etc.) and living together (lease, licenses, etc.) you don’t need any affidavits.  
 

Edit:  what did you provide originally?

Edited December 24, 2019 by Cryssiekins

[sundizz 0]

30 minutes ago, Cryssiekins said:

Affidavits are of very little probative value.  It doesn’t hurt to include them, but they certainly aren’t strong.  
 

If you have sufficient evidence of financials (taxes, banking, credit, insurance, etc.) and living together (lease, licenses, etc.) you don’t need any affidavits.  
 

Edit:  what did you provide originally?

Thanks! Family is out of town and it’s a somewhat weird document to ask people to sign / be a part of so am glad it’s not really necessary.

 

Provided on 9/7/2018:

2017 income tax filed jointly

Bofa Checking Account, 1 month jointly

Lease Agreement Apartment, jointly

Employer Explanation of Benefits page listing spouse as beneficiary 

Photos

 

Thats what we provided and what they stated as provided in this RFE to us we received today. The request says: To establish eligibility for removal of conditions on residence, please submit additional evidence to show you and your spouse entered the marriage in good faith and continue to share a life together. The evidence may include, but is not limited to..

 

and they list four categories same as original

Children

Resided

Combined Financial

Affidavits 

 

Was planning on providing:

Word document detailing the following supports 

Joint Bofa checking multiple months

Joint Bofa savings multiple months

Investment account showing house down payment we’re saving for

Letter showing added her as authorized user to all credit cards

Photocopy of my CPA license 

Lease apartment Agreements 

Jointly Filed Taxes

Im listed as spouse on her medical plan through work and get benefits that way

Showing her as beneficiary on work insurance

Airfare or hotel or activity receipts from all trips we’ve taken together 

Photos with family

 

Any suggestion? Thanks!

 

[Cryssiekins 976]

10 hours ago, sundizz said:

Thanks! Family is out of town and it’s a somewhat weird document to ask people to sign / be a part of so am glad it’s not really necessary.

 

Provided on 9/7/2018:

2017 income tax filed jointly

Bofa Checking Account, 1 month jointly

Lease Agreement Apartment, jointly

Employer Explanation of Benefits page listing spouse as beneficiary 

Photos

 

Thats what we provided and what they stated as provided in this RFE to us we received today. The request says: To establish eligibility for removal of conditions on residence, please submit additional evidence to show you and your spouse entered the marriage in good faith and continue to share a life together. The evidence may include, but is not limited to..

 

and they list four categories same as original

Children

Resided

Combined Financial

Affidavits 

 

Was planning on providing:

Word document detailing the following supports 

Joint Bofa checking multiple months

Joint Bofa savings multiple months

Investment account showing house down payment we’re saving for

Letter showing added her as authorized user to all credit cards

Photocopy of my CPA license 

Lease apartment Agreements 

Jointly Filed Taxes

Im listed as spouse on her medical plan through work and get benefits that way

Showing her as beneficiary on work insurance

Airfare or hotel or activity receipts from all trips we’ve taken together 

Photos with family

 

Any suggestion? Thanks!

 

Yeah, it seems maybe the evidence was a little light, as it should span the duration of the marriage.  We sent joint bank and credit statements from Nov 2016-December 2018.  I included the letter showing my husband as an authorized user, and photocopies of the physical cards (since statements don’t delineate who made what purchases).  They basically are trying to see that the accounts are in regular use and not just set up as shells.

 

We sent IRS tax transcripts and certified copies of NYS returns, and copies of both leases, with copies of our driver licenses showing the same address.  Also included joint car titles since that’s the only “assets” we own.

 

I did put in our car and health insurance, but that was super new, but I addressed why we didn’t have that jointly prior in my cover letter.  
 

We elected to submit notarized affidavits, but that was me being thorough. 
 

Not every couple can check all boxes so I thought I would check as many as I could.  I did not address the children part in my cover letter, only because this process is invasive as it is (literally need government involvement to be able to live with the person I love) and I didn’t want to disclose medical reasons for our inability to reproduce. If they ask me at an interview, sure, we’ll answer, but I drew that line.

 

I think you’ll be fine after answering the rfe.  I know there was discussions about sending every bank statement, or just one per quarter, but I don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule

with USCIS and it comes down to the individual employee who adjudicates.