Proving bona fide marriage in an initial AOS package

[justmarried2 0]

I have lived in the US illegally for about 13 years after my tourist visa expired.

Late August I married my boyfriend of 2 years who is a US citizen. He moved in with me about 5 months before we married

I am just getting acquainted with the adjustment of status process and learned that we need to provide substantial proof that this is a bona fide marriage even before our interview, as part of the initial application. 

I read that combining assets is a good way to start. The thing is that I don't have a social security number so I won't get a credit card and I don't think I can be added to my husbands checking account without a social. Is there a way around this? Neither of us have much assets to begin with. 

As of today the utility bills in the apartment I am renting can be either be in my landlord's name (as they were until my husband moved in) or in my now husbands name but without a social I personally cannot be listed. I have lived in this apartment (a private house) for the past 10 years but it was a private arrangement and I never had a lease. The landlord told me he can write a statement that I have lived here this long and that my husband moved in earlier this year but he wont give us a lease because he is not declaring the rent we pay as an income on his taxes or something like that.

What I have is basically pictures of us together since we met, a gas bill in my husband's name (but not mine) , a notarized statement from the landlord saying that I have lived here for the past 10 years and the month/year my husband moved in, some school records stating that my daughter has attended a zoned school here for the past 5 years and that my husband is an emergency contact/authorized to pick her up from school. Some mail in my husbands name which came here since he moved in with me. 

Doesn't sound like a whole lot. Can you give me some ideas as to what to include? Neither of us has a car. How do we prove "combined assets" when we don't have much assets? Is there a way I could be added to his checking account without a social?

What sort of proof do they expect from a couple that is let's put it frankly, poor. 

Edited October 20, 2019 by justmarried2

[USS_Voyager 1,972]

9 minutes ago, justmarried2 said:

What sort of proof do they expect from a couple that is let's put it frankly, poor. 

You can only focus on what you have. In your case, I’ll throw in 2-3 affidavits from people you know (neighbors, co-worker, ...) who has seen both of you and can attest to your real relationship. Affidavits are weak evidence but better than none. 

 

I would work on filing AOS ASAP with what you have. After getting the EAD, you can get SSN and get all the other stuff and build up those evidence 

[zochu 255]

Do you have any mail that has been addressed to you both with the same address, like letters or cards to say congratulations on marriage/engagement? 

 

I was able to be added my husbands health insurance even though I did not have a social. I also have a US bank account and I dont have a social either. 

 

 

[HRQX 4,145]

1 hour ago, justmarried2 said:

What sort of proof do they expect from a couple that is let's put it frankly, poor. 

Send whatever you do have. After filing, you should start collecting additional documentation. Does he have a credit card with Capital One (or other lenient bank)? With Capital One it's easy to add authorized users that don't have SSN. Do you have a ITIN? Big banks like Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc are known to open joint accounts in that situation. Here's a scan of the interview notice so that you have an idea of what documents to collect:

Edited October 20, 2019 by HRQX

[justmarried2 0]

9 minutes ago, zochu said:

Do you have any mail that has been addressed to you both with the same address, like letters or cards to say congratulations on marriage/engagement? 

 

I was able to be added my husbands health insurance even though I did not have a social. I also have a US bank account and I dont have a social either. 

 

 

Thank you.

1. Yes we do have letters of congratulations and other mail. He is also looking into adding me to his health insurance. 

2. May I ask which bank was that? 

[Sarah&Facundo 600]

I'm like 95% sure you can get an account at Wells Fargo without a social, especially if it is attached to the name/number of a USC. Check it out!

[Sarah G 179]

I might be wrong here but as far as I'm aware there is no requirement of bona fide marriage proof with the initial application and it is all submitted at the interview for AOS. I don't know if that's any different for someone who has previously been living here illegally, which would really be the only substantial difference between your case and mine, but I didn't submit any such evidence with my paperwork, and haven't received any RFE for it.

 

Assuming it's not required for the initial filing, I would focus on submitting your application ASAP and then use the next few months to build up the evidence you need. Things like a joint bank account, making each other beneficiaries of any insurance and/or pension policies you each might have, getting both your names added to utilities, requesting his name be added to your lease (to show joint liability for the rent), filing his taxes as married (married filing separately is fine) in January - even if it doesn't make it to the packet you file, you can take the transcript to the interview to show that he did it. If he has a credit card he could add you to that, as no SSN is required to do so. 

 

I hope this is helpful and wish you the best of luck. 

[Nouchigang 200]

9 hours ago, Sarah&Facundo said:

I'm like 95% sure you can get an account at Wells Fargo without a social, especially if it is attached to the name/number of a USC. Check it out!

Yes indeed you are correct

Bank of America also lets you open a bank account without a social

[HRQX 4,145]

3 hours ago, Sarah G said:

I might be wrong here but as far as I'm aware there is no requirement of bona fide marriage proof with the initial application

Not required but strongly recommended by USCIS to submit existing documentation with the I-130: https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i-130instr.pdf "In addition to the required documentation listed above, you should submit one or more of the following types of documentation that may prove you have a bona fide marriage" OP's husband still hasn't submitted an I-130.

Edited October 20, 2019 by HRQX

[Sarah G 179]

Just now, HRQX said:

Not required but strongly recommended by USCIS to submit existing documentation with the I-130: https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i-130instr.pdf "In addition to the required documentation listed above, you should submit one or more of the following types of documentation that may prove you have a bona fide marriage"

Ahhh yes, I forgot about the I-130 as we didn't file concurrently. Yes, it is needed for the I-130. We had nothing concrete for that and submitted affidavits only as I still lived in the UK when that was filed. 

[sashsash 208]

We were not able to add me to my husband's checking bank account so he added me as an authorized user to his credit cards. He did it online and it was very easy. Then we called the bank and asked them to send us a confirmation letter which then we brought to our interview. Hope it can help  

[Ontarkie 14,513]

~~Non conductive post removed. Stick to posting constructively.~~

[KerriSans 1]

You can get a joint account at TD bank without you having a ssn.

[Ay2019 21]

Chase bank added me to my husband's bank account. All they needed was my Driver's License and a credit card that has my name on.

[Sarah&Facundo 600]

Authorized users on credit cards also don't need a social! You can submit photo copies of the cards and present the joint credit cards at your interview too.