I-751 RFE received and replied.

[aichteeque 7]

15 minutes ago, DelilahBrz said:

Serious question... is this a “thing”?

No its not a thing. Bad joke.

[DelilahBrz 48]

21 minutes ago, afrocraft said:

Let's be clear to avoid doubt and confusion: Affidavits are not required. It does not say that in the instructions. I didn't bother submitting any affidavits, and I was approved without interview. You can submit them if you choose, but you are not required to. No specific evidence of the relationship is required.

 

Here's the part of the instructions you left out:

Examples. Not requirements.

Fair enough. As I stated, I did not imply that you couldn’t get approved without an affidavit, I just suggested fulfilling as many of the listed evidence in the instructions as possible to avoid trouble.

 

 

[afrocraft 313]

23 minutes ago, DelilahBrz said:

Fair enough. As I stated, I did not imply that you couldn’t get approved without an affidavit, I just suggested fulfilling as many of the listed evidence in the instructions as possible to avoid trouble.

Understood but respectfully, in my experience, it's that very stance -- send everything! avoid trouble! -- that harms many applicants for the I-751.

 

There's a better way. I outline a framework for thinking about I-751 evidence in the link below (click on the arrow to go to the post). The specific documents are, again, just examples, but making sure one submits evidence across all 4 domains of marital union (cohabitation, financial co-mingling, shared life experiences, and joint planning for the future) is more important. In each domain, it's also important to provide documents that span the period from marriage to the time of submitting the application. I also give a subjective sense of the strength of various examples of evidence; affidavits are generally low value.

 

[Hannah_NYC 14]

Hi Guys! 

 

So, today - 5/1/2020-  I received the RFE letter. I wanted to share everything with you and see if you can help me with the preparation of the packet. I want to thank you in advance for your help. You guys are amazing!! 🏆

 

This is what I sent to USCIS on July 12, 2019. Vermont center. 

 

Evidence of our bona fide relationship:
• Copy of our Marriage Certificate
• Copies of our joint tax return for 2017 and 2018
• Copies of our tax transcripts for 2017 and 2018
• Copies of our W2's for 2017 and 2018 showing same address
• Copies of bank statements from our join bank account for the past 24 months
• Copy of our joint account debit cards
• Copy of our apartment renters insurance showing joint policy
• Copy of my spouse's life insurance policy showing my name as the beneficiary
• Copy of our original apartment rental contract showing joint cohabitation
• Copy of our renewed apartment rental contract showing joint cohabitation
• Notarized sworn affidavit letters of support from family and friends
• Letter from the Building Management Office confirming our tenancy and joint cohabitation
• Copies of electricity bills for the past 24 months showing joint account 
• Copy of our Costco joint membership
• Copies of checks that we have paid the apartment rent with from our joint bank account and the landlord's receipts.
• Copy of check that we have paid the IRS from our joint bank account
• Copies of medical records, phone bills, online orders, furniture deliveries, bank correspondence, IRS correspondence, Department of Motor Vehicles, USPS package deliveries, promotional materials and other showing same address
• Copy of an email from a real estate investor in regards to future investments addressed to both of us
• Copy of a reservation confirmation for a United Airlines client event that we attended in New York City showing both of our names
• Copies of Driver's Licence and State ID showing same address
• Copy of our airline tickets from our trip to Chicago, Illinois
• Copy of our hotel reservation confirmation letter in Chicago, Illinois
• Explanation to why we don’t have a joint health care insurance
• Explanation to why we don’t have a joint phone plan
• Pictures together from 2016 to 2019.

 

BELOW IS THE RFE LETTER. They are basically asking for the same things. I don't understand. Compared to other people that I know, who have gotten green cards, I think I have sent more than enough.

Unfortunately I don't have anything additional from what I sent 10 months ago. We don't have a kid, we don't have a car, we don't have a joint phone bill because his company pays for his bill and we don't have joint health insurance because we've been changing jobs frequently and we couldn't be on the same plan. 

Do you think if I send the same documents, but with new dates for the past 10 months it will be sufficient??? AWAITING FOR YOUR ADVICE :)) 

 

 

 

[Hannah_NYC 14]

On 10/27/2019 at 10:32 AM, aichteeque said:

Hey VJ,

I applied for my i-751 on Dec 31, 2018. I had my biometrics done in June 2019. On Oct 21, 2019 I received a RFE stating that " the documentation submitted is insufficient because it is not enough to demonstrate that you and your spouse have remained in a bone fide relationship since your marriage.." We had submitted the following with the initial application

• Lease agreement from July 2018 - July 2019
• Auto insurance
• Wells Fargo Bank statement from our Joint saving account (very little activity here, less than 15 transactions a year. It's our "rainy day" fund)
• Health Insurance (2016, 2017, 2018)
• Joint Income Tax Returns (TurboTax copy, not IRS) 2016 and 2017. Plus W-2 for 2016 and 2017
• Energy Bills (water, sewer, trash in my spouse's name)
• Internet Bills (in my name)
• Travel (several flight tickets and visa)
• Photos (starting from when we started dating in 2012 to December 2018. About 25 pictures)

 

We do not share a joint checking account. We've been dating since college, and it just works best for us to keep our finances that way. I pay for rent and some utilities, spouse pays for food, and insurance.

We don't own any property. We don't have phone bills together (I use the company phone). We don't have any memberships anywhere (I'm sure Netflix, hulu, and HBOnow don't count). We don't have any kids. We don't have any loans/debt either jointly or otherwise.

We've been together for 7+ years, married for 3.5 years. Met in college. My case number is LIN19901727XX

 

I replied to the RFE in a day with the following:

 

• Signed letter from the apartment management company stating he has us as residents since Jan 2016 (couple of months before our marriage) to August 2019. We lost our copy of the lease, and apartment management company didn't want to dig through their paper records in their offsite storage location (lazy), but agreed to send a signed letter on company letterhead.
• Apartment lease acceptance letter, signed by property manager, stating our lease has been signed, accepted, and executed, and what our move in date is for 2016 and 2017. (2 letters; one for 2016, one for 2017 when we renewed our lease)
• Complete lease from 2018 - 2019.
• Certificate of Rent Paid received from MN state for 2016, 2017, and 2018. (showing both our names)
• New lease signed from August 2019 - July 2020.
• Water/Trash bills in spouse name for 2 years (24 total. Website doesn't have statements older than 2 years)
• Internet bills in my name (24 total. Website doesn't have statements older than 2 years)
• Auto Insurance letters from the company going back to 2016.
• Letter from employer stating we are each other's beneficiary for Life/Disability Insurance and 401K.
• Letter from life insurance company showing joint coverage and limits.
• Joint Health Coverage documentation for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
• Joint eye/dental insurance documentation for 2016, 2017, 2018
• Joint Tax Returns from IRS website for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
• We have two cars in my name. They were purchased before our marriage in 2016. I sent copy of title and explained why they aren't jointly owned.
• Pictures with friends/family/travel for last 3 years. (30 total)
• Copy of sister-inlaw marriage certificate (I was one of the 2 witnesses).
• Travel stuff for 2019 (tickets, hotel bills, pictures)
• Random assortment of medical bills received at our address for the last 2 years (about 12)
• Letter, signed by both, explaining why we don't have phone bills together, car ownership together, and why we don't share a CC or checking account. It works for our family.
   

I did not send any affidavit from friends/family. Personally I think they are worth less than the paper they are printed on.

I am thinking this is plenty of stuff. I honestly don't even know what else I could send. I don't think we even have anything else. Now, for some reason, I am freaking out that they will deny the petition of send me another RFE asking for something we don't have. I hope they accept the reply to RFE and not waste our time scheduling an interview. I got the letter on Oct 21. I sent the evidence back on Oct 23, and it was delivered to USCIS Nebraska on Oct 24 (and signed by L.Miller, the same guys who's name was on the RFE letter).

hi there!

 

How did it go? Did they approve you and how long did it take? THANK YOU! 

[MASH 172]

On 5/2/2020 at 2:37 AM, Hannah_NYC said:

hi there!

 

How did it go? Did they approve you and how long did it take? THANK YOU! 

I sent in my RFE on Saturday and I would love to know this as well 

[Hannah_NYC 14]

😬 GOOD LUCK! I'm filing my 2019 taxes now. I'll probably send my thing in like 2 weeks or so? 

 

Was there any specific order of putting the documents together like we did for the previous filings? 

 

Do you mind sharing what exactly did you send? 

 

I spoke to an attorney yesterday and she suggested sending everything from the beginning of the marriage to present date BECAUSE when I filed I sent documents for the past 2 YEARS (24 months). What did you do? 

 

Thank you! 

[yesdrobledo 3]

I received the rfe on 4/9/2020 and am waiting for the status to change.  It was due on 5/12 and they received it on 5/7. 

 

Does anyone know how long it takes for a response?

[ohmyrfe 0]

Also waiting for the decision after sending RFE which was received by USCIS on 3.24. I assume it would take somewhere of 90 days if not more.