Will be applying for ROC in two months - anything else to start preparing?

[eckoin 211]

Time definitely crept up.  Here's what I intend to send, on top of the general requirements (copies of green card, marriage certificate, etc.): 

 

* Child's birth certificate (included in AOS)

* Joint health/dental/auto/homeowner's insurance (included in AOS)

* Beneficiary information for employer life insurance and 401k (included in AOS)

* Joint tax returns (for 2019 and 2018?)

* Driver's licenses with the same address on it (new state, but the spirit is the same)

 

New things: 

* Joint deed to the house

* Joint car loan 

* Joint utility bills + cell/internet (one month?  all months?) 

* Joint bank account since 10/2019 + letter explaining why we have no joint accounts pre-10/2019 (brief, we bought our house together in October and prior to that had no particular need for joint banking)

 

That's basically it.  No photographs - didn't have photographs then, don't have photographs now, not picture people.  For AOS, we also submitted reference letters which seemed to actually pique some interest, but I assume are completely useless now.  Another thing we submitted was AirBnb history + host reviews commenting on how absolutely wonderful we are since we cleaned up after ourselves, mentioning the whole family and all.  We also included pet insurance records and other "bills" of sorts where we're both listed as owners/subscribers, should I just throw that in as part of "utility bills & other"?

 

I assume this doesn't make us have a thin file, but it also seems very uh, impersonal.  Have people received RFEs for this sort of ROC application? 

 

Anything I'm definitely missing but should work on, over the next couple of months?  Any glaring concerns?  Suggestions?  

 

Related note: I still have an SSN card that has a DHS notice on it.  COVID-19 really put a damper on my plans to just get it over with.  What happens when my conditional card expires, can I just not get one until I get the permanent-ish card or get naturalized?  Or can I go to USCIS, get the stamp, and apply for a new SSN if I need one?  I've been employed by the same company the entire time I've lived in the US, and I don't really intend to look for other employment, but I get that stuff happens.  Thoughts? 

 

Unrelated note: I still have an SSN card that has the DHS notice on it.  

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

54 minutes ago, eckoin said:

I assume this doesn't make us have a thin file, but it also seems very uh, impersonal.  Have people received RFEs for this sort of ROC application?

 

Anything I'm definitely missing but should work on, over the next couple of months?  Any glaring concerns?  Suggestions?  

 

Related note: I still have an SSN card that has a DHS notice on it.  COVID-19 really put a damper on my plans to just get it over with.  What happens when my conditional card expires, can I just not get one until I get the permanent-ish card or get naturalized?  Or can I go to USCIS, get the stamp, and apply for a new SSN if I need one? 

I think your evidence looks fine. 

Financial documents have way more weight than pictures. If you have traveled recently, you could also include passport stamps, boarding passes, etc.

 

The NOA you'll receive after your packet is accepted, serves as an 18 months extension for your conditional GC.

Regarding the SSN, I guess you mean updating your info, not actually getting a new number, right? You can update the card at the SSA office with the conditional GC.

[Free Man 119]

Your evidence is strong. 

[eckoin 211]

1 hour ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

Regarding the SSN, I guess you mean updating your info, not actually getting a new number, right? You can update the card at the SSA office with the conditional GC.

Right, I have the old SSN card from my work permit days, and I've never applied for a new card without the DHS authorization notice on it.  I don't need a new number, but I have heard that it could pose problems if I were to apply for another job with the DHS notice still on the physical card (though I've now gotten mortgages and car loans with just this SSN and a copy of a green card).  

 

I know I can still go in the next two months, while it's still valid, to the SSA office, but they're more or less shut down.  Can I go after the conditional green card expires, with proof of a submitted ROC application or a stamp in my passport?  Or should I figure it out while I have the card that isn't expired? 

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

35 minutes ago, eckoin said:

Can I go after the conditional green card expires, with proof of a submitted ROC application or a stamp in my passport?  Or should I figure it out while I have the card that isn't expired? 

I think having the stamp on your passport would be easier -as it is valid as an I-551(GC)-, than using the expired conditional card+extension.

 

The instructions on the SSA website are not that specific so I guess it would all come down to the employee processing your request. 

 

Now, the best would be going before your conditional card expires. Hopefully things go back to normal-ish soon. 

[walter99 40]

The most important thing you have to prepare for is                       patience!

[eckoin 211]

Hi again everyone.  I'm putting together my package today, in hopes of outrunning the fee increase on Oct. 2.  Planning to mail it off tomorrow.  Some questions: 

 

1. I'm submitting the marriage certificate, even though it's not required--just in case.  The only other documents that are remnants of our I-485 application are our kid's birth certificate, and driver's licenses (new state, new address).  Is there anything else that people have gotten RFEs for, that isn't explicitly required but good to have?  Our birth certificates, passport copies, etc.? 

 

2. I'm submitting the tax transcripts for 2017, 2018, and 2019; basically, all joint tax transcripts.  I got them from the IRS website, but our names are cut off; I don't remember that being a thing.  Is that just us?  The names are like: FIR LAS FIRS LAS, instead of FIRST LAST FIRST LAST.  I assume this is fine? 

 

3. I'm submitting a timeline of "important events" to clarify why our fully joint finances begin in Sept. 2019 (we bought a house).  I will be submitting our joint account statements from Sept. 2019 to Sept. 2020, in full, as well as the Aug. 2019 statement when the account was only in my name.  Any thoughts?  Should I submit all account statements for that account, since it was opened?  We have another, new, joint account, with a credit union through which we financed a new car, but it has exactly one statement of 0.00 deposits/withdrawals, since it was just opened.  Include, exclude? 

 

4. For utility bills, I'm submitting only the latest statement for each.  Is that a good idea?  Should I submit all utility statements?  Seems excessive and like a giant waste of paper, especially something like Verizon bills. 

 

5. We traveled by air or train since I received by conditional green card, but took some road trips, so I have some Airbnb receipts.  Is that even worth including?  I think I included them in our I-485 package, but then our financial relationship was quite a bit more slight. 

 

6. I have various memberships I included in I-485, again because then we had mostly separate financial lives, such as Costco, AAA, Children's Museums... Should I include this again?  It seems unnecessary with all of the other stuff, like house deeds, car titles, utility bills, and I get that it can't hurt, but I don't care to include something just to take up space.  Thoughts?  This includes other goofy things we included, like pet insurance and vet records where we're both owners, etc.