Should I pay $300 to add spouse to the lease?

[chiks24 11]

Happy Friday y'all! 

 

So I have my spouse as an authorized user on my credit card, her name appears on the electricity bill at the current address, and she's also listed as a beneficiary/dependent on my work documents. 

 

I did not add her name to the lease because it was $300 and also our lease is ending in November, and we may move elsewhere.

 

Everyone knows how expensive the immigration paperwork is, and based on my 'okay' income and no savings, that is a lot of money for me at the moment. However, I would be willing to part with that $300 if it is something that is absolutely important to see from an immigration officer's point of view?

 

Thoughts?

[Crazy Cat 42,394]

16 minutes ago, chiks24 said:

I did not add her name to the lease because it was $300 and also our lease is ending in November, and we may move elsewhere.

You, very possibly, have violated your lease........The apartment lease I had where my wife and I lived did not allow non-leased occupants.....Might be better to pay the fee.   You knew the costs before she arrived, yes?

Edited July 10, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Georgia16 2,858]

I wouldn’t do it if you guys are moving in November anyway. 
My husband owned a house before I got here and we didn’t add me to that before we moved and bought a new one together after 2 years. 
as long as there is other evidence (like joint bank account, joint taxes) and so on you’ll be fine. 

[Crazy Cat 42,394]

2 minutes ago, Georgia16 said:

I wouldn’t do it if you guys are moving in November anyway. 
My husband owned a house before I got here and we didn’t add me to that before we moved and bought a new one together after 2 years. 
as long as there is other evidence (like joint bank account, joint taxes) and so on you’ll be fine. 

A rental lease and a deed are completely different.  I have seen RFEs for not including a lease.

Edited July 10, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Timona 4,208]

1 minute ago, Lucky Cat said:

You, very possibly, have violated your lease........The apartment lease I had when my wife and I lived together did not allow non-leased occupants.....Might be better to pay the fee.

@Lucky Catis right. 

 

However, if it were me, I wouldn't add her to the lease being that it's about to be done. If you decide to move or renew, you can sign a new lease early, like 2 months early and write her name down on the new lease. 

[Georgia16 2,858]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

A rental lease and a deed are completely different.  I have seen RFEs for not including a lease.

Nah I think they are fine as long as they explain and have other evidence. It not like he got the apartment only is his name while she was here. And they will get a new one together when they move in November. Don’t have to been more complicated then it is. 

[arken 4,197]

4 minutes ago, Georgia16 said:

Nah I think they are fine as long as they explain and have other evidence. It not like he got the apartment only is his name while she was here. And they will get a new one together when they move in November. Don’t have to been more complicated then it is. 

Agreed.

[chiks24 11]

12 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

You, very possibly, have violated your lease........The apartment lease I had where my wife and I lived did not allow non-leased occupants.....Might be better to pay the fee.   You knew the costs before she arrived, yes?

I have spoken to my apartment's management about this. They are okay with occupants who are not on the lease, but the packages cannot be delivered on their name. 

[chiks24 11]

15 minutes ago, Georgia16 said:

I wouldn’t do it if you guys are moving in November anyway. 
My husband owned a house before I got here and we didn’t add me to that before we moved and bought a new one together after 2 years. 
as long as there is other evidence (like joint bank account, joint taxes) and so on you’ll be fine. 

We don't have a joint bank account yet, though she's an authorized user on my credit card. We also do not have joint taxes considering I was single for 2019 tax year. She has only been in the US since December 2019. 

 

I can try to open a joint bank account with her at Chase, if they allow without an SSN/ITIN

[Crazy Cat 42,394]

3 minutes ago, chiks24 said:

We don't have a joint bank account yet, though she's an authorized user on my credit card. We also do not have joint taxes considering I was single for 2019 tax year. She has only been in the US since December 2019. 

 

I can try to open a joint bank account with her at Chase, if they allow without an SSN/ITIN

Hmmm......that's weird......You need proof that you both live at the same address.....

[Georgia16 2,858]

5 minutes ago, chiks24 said:

We don't have a joint bank account yet, though she's an authorized user on my credit card. We also do not have joint taxes considering I was single for 2019 tax year. She has only been in the US since December 2019. 

 

I can try to open a joint bank account with her at Chase, if they allow without an SSN/ITIN

Yeah you better get started on stuff like that. What visa did she come on? 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

8 minutes ago, chiks24 said:

I have spoken to my apartment's management about this. They are okay with occupants who are not on the lease, but the packages cannot be delivered on their name. 

How will she receive letters from USCIS? It seems a bit silly. Do you both have an ID with the same address as proof of living together?

[FlashLG 152]

I wasn't on the lease when we submitted our AOS documents as we were in a similar situation, and there was a big cost involved to add me. During our interview, the interviewer asked if we had a joint lease and we explained why we didn't, and the interviewer was fine with it. We had plenty of other evidence though, so as long as you do too it shouldn't be an issue. 

 

If you get called for an interview and it's after you have moved in November, you can always have her added to the new lease and take the additional evidence along to your interview.

[Orangesapples 1,954]

17 hours ago, chiks24 said:

We don't have a joint bank account yet, though she's an authorized user on my credit card. We also do not have joint taxes considering I was single for 2019 tax year. She has only been in the US since December 2019. 

 

I can try to open a joint bank account with her at Chase, if they allow without an SSN/ITIN

When did you get married? 

[Rocio0010 5,638]

18 hours ago, Luckycuds said:

How will she receive letters from USCIS? It seems a bit silly. Do you both have an ID with the same address as proof of living together?

You're totally right in what you're saying. I doubt they will have an ID with the same address as proof of living together, because most institutions take the lease as proof of address. At least my State works like that.