RFE for I-751

[Missabc 626]

 

I need advice. I just received a RFE for my I-751 and they need more proof for a bonafide marriage.

 

My problem is we have never had joint utilities EVER. Any and all bills have been in my husband's name because the companies we were with wouldn't allow more than one person to be on the account. When we bought our house last year we just transferred the address for all of our utilities. I don't drive so I don't have a driving licence/insurance, we have no health insurance not since October 2019, we don't have a will or life insurance. Our home we bought we've been renting out since June to avoid foreclosure and have since been living with my husbands dad. They said the birth certificate wasn't valid that I sent for our daughter (the one we were gave at the hospital). Money has been so tight that we weren't able to apply for her birth certificate online (I've just now ordered it to send as evidence). Also,i haven't worked since I moved here. When I received my green card I found out I was pregnant 2 months later, my daughter has just turned 1 and I'm a stay at home mum, so I have never dealt with the finances or had any policies taken out by me. All I can send is bank statements from 2018 when we got married to now. Our daughters official birth certificate. Affidavits from our family. Apartment leases from before we bought the house (which we've provided before). Also a letter explaining the above and why we don't have joint utilities etc. 

 

I provided in the initial pack;

 

Hospital Birth certificate for our daughter

Discharge instructions for me from the hospital

Vet Bill's (were only in my name but listed our current address) 

Joint Bank Statements from Feb 2020 to current

Closing documents for our house and insurance

Lease agreement for our tenants with us listed as landlords

Photo's

 

it's not a lot but it's all we had and im so scared that providing the little additional evidence we have isn't going to be enough. I can't be seperated from my daughter or husband, it's making me sick to my stomach. 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

Concentrate on what you DO have instead of what you don't have.  Taxes?  Property deed?  Credit card? Debit Cards? Wills?  Health Care Proxy statements? Other items showing same address for both of you?  You won't be separated from your family since Very, very few I-751s are ultimately denied, so don't make yourself sick with worry. They aren't generally strong evidence, but I think you need a few affidavits.

 

This is what we sent.  Maybe it will give you some ideas.

For ROC

Apartment lease with both our names & signatures
Periodic Joint bank checking acct statements since wife's arrival in June 2017.
Deed for new home with both our names
Mortgage Lender Letter with both our names.
Credit Cards showing both on joint account with same card number.
Amazon delivery label showing both names and our current address.
Wife's Military Dependent ID card showing me as the sponsor.
Tricare Eligibility Letter showing both of us together.
Military pay statement showing wife as my benefic.
Texas Health Care Directives appointing each other as sole health care proxy(Advanced Directives)
Our Texas driver's licenses with same address for both of us
2018 Joint Tax ReturnTax Returns 
Pictures of us on special occasions here in the US.
Car Insurance Cards showing both of us as insured drivers for our car
Boarding Passes for Las Vegas Valentine Day Trip 2019
Utility application showing both our names for our current address    

[Sukie 1,463]

Missabc,

 

It might be that your evidence did not cover the time from when you married until you applied.  I cannot tell from your letter.

 

Why were the bank statements only from February 2020?  If that is when you opened the joint account, I understand, but if your account existed prior to that, the bank statements should have been from the initiation of the account (or when you were added).  You have a house.  Did you guys pay cash, or is there a mortgage with both of your names on it? 

 

Since you are renting out the house, are the documents proving that you both live together from your house, or from his Dad's house?  It could be that USCIS is very confused about your living situation.  Did you explain any of this in your cover letter?

 

You need to reply to the RFE with the explanation you have given us above.  Talk about where you lived from the time you got married, and show the rental agreements (if that is what you did).  Talk about when you bought the house, and if you lived there.  Talk about when you put the house up for rent, and why, and show where you moved.  Give them a time line that shows your housing movements.

 

Get his Dad to write an affidavit explaining that you live with him, when you came to live with him, and why.  If you help his Dad with any expenses, then he should say that, too.

 

I think your main issue is that you haven't given USCIS a good picture of your story from the time you got married to the time you applied.  Many people miss this point.  You have given them SOME documents, but it doesn't tell the story over the whole time frame.

 

You will be ok.  You just need to cover the time from your immigration to the present day.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

[Missabc 626]

3 hours ago, Sukie said:

Missabc,

 

It might be that your evidence did not cover the time from when you married until you applied.  I cannot tell from your letter.

 

Why were the bank statements only from February 2020?  If that is when you opened the joint account, I understand, but if your account existed prior to that, the bank statements should have been from the initiation of the account (or when you were added).  You have a house.  Did you guys pay cash, or is there a mortgage with both of your names on it? 

 

Since you are renting out the house, are the documents proving that you both live together from your house, or from his Dad's house?  It could be that USCIS is very confused about your living situation.  Did you explain any of this in your cover letter?

 

You need to reply to the RFE with the explanation you have given us above.  Talk about where you lived from the time you got married, and show the rental agreements (if that is what you did).  Talk about when you bought the house, and if you lived there.  Talk about when you put the house up for rent, and why, and show where you moved.  Give them a time line that shows your housing movements.

 

Get his Dad to write an affidavit explaining that you live with him, when you came to live with him, and why.  If you help his Dad with any expenses, then he should say that, too.

 

I think your main issue is that you haven't given USCIS a good picture of your story from the time you got married to the time you applied.  Many people miss this point.  You have given them SOME documents, but it doesn't tell the story over the whole time frame.

 

You will be ok.  You just need to cover the time from your immigration to the present day.

 

Good luck!

 

Sukie in NY

 

 

I definitely agree with you, I don't think I made it clear enough of our situation. The bank statements were an error on my side. I would have sent the whole period since marriage but I didn't notice there was a second page when printing the statements of online so I printed only what I saw, after checking again last night I seen the additional statements so I've download all statements going back to January 2018. I have the 2 apartment leases since I moved here right up until we bought our house in June 2019 that I can include with an affidavit from my father in law confirming our living situation/relationship etc. I am also going to write a cover letter explaining all of this too and hope that's good enough! 

 

Edit: Oh and our daughter's long birth certificate. 

Edited December 1, 2020 by Missabc

[Sukie 1,463]

42 minutes ago, Missabc said:

I definitely agree with you, I don't think I made it clear enough of our situation. The bank statements were an error on my side. I would have sent the whole period since marriage but I didn't notice there was a second page when printing the statements of online so I printed only what I saw, after checking again last night I seen the additional statements so I've download all statements going back to January 2018. I have the 2 apartment leases since I moved here right up until we bought our house in June 2019 that I can include with an affidavit from my father in law confirming our living situation/relationship etc. I am also going to write a cover letter explaining all of this too and hope that's good enough! 

 

Edit: Oh and our daughter's long birth certificate. 

Missabc - be sure to copy ALL pages of the bank statements - not just the first page.

 

Breathe a little!  You'll be fine!

 

Sukie in NY

[N400question12 0]

Cant send what you don't have. Send a letter explaining situation. 

 

I sent almost nothing but with letters of explanation, joint bank statements and car titles, affidavits etc.

 

No RFE but did get interview ready to be scheduled. So I don't believe I'm getting an RFE unless I get it in interview. 

[LirikVJUser 28]

On 11/30/2020 at 8:39 PM, Missabc said:

 

I need advice. I just received a RFE for my I-751 and they need more proof for a bonafide marriage.

 

My problem is we have never had joint utilities EVER. Any and all bills have been in my husband's name because the companies we were with wouldn't allow more than one person to be on the account. When we bought our house last year we just transferred the address for all of our utilities. I don't drive so I don't have a driving licence/insurance, we have no health insurance not since October 2019, we don't have a will or life insurance. Our home we bought we've been renting out since June to avoid foreclosure and have since been living with my husbands dad. They said the birth certificate wasn't valid that I sent for our daughter (the one we were gave at the hospital). Money has been so tight that we weren't able to apply for her birth certificate online (I've just now ordered it to send as evidence). Also,i haven't worked since I moved here. When I received my green card I found out I was pregnant 2 months later, my daughter has just turned 1 and I'm a stay at home mum, so I have never dealt with the finances or had any policies taken out by me. All I can send is bank statements from 2018 when we got married to now. Our daughters official birth certificate. Affidavits from our family. Apartment leases from before we bought the house (which we've provided before). Also a letter explaining the above and why we don't have joint utilities etc. 

 

I provided in the initial pack;

 

Hospital Birth certificate for our daughter

Discharge instructions for me from the hospital

Vet Bill's (were only in my name but listed our current address) 

Joint Bank Statements from Feb 2020 to current

Closing documents for our house and insurance

Lease agreement for our tenants with us listed as landlords

Photo's

 

it's not a lot but it's all we had and im so scared that providing the little additional evidence we have isn't going to be enough. I can't be seperated from my daughter or husband, it's making me sick to my stomach. 

 

Did you send any tax returns in the original package?

[Missabc 626]

2 hours ago, LirikBlaidd87 said:

Did you send any tax returns in the original package?

I didn't no. I haven't filled taxes ever as I haven't worked. I'll have to ask my husband if he has the paper work from at least last year of his taxes. 

[Missabc 626]

On 12/1/2020 at 9:02 PM, N400question12 said:

Cant send what you don't have. Send a letter explaining situation. 

 

I sent almost nothing but with letters of explanation, joint bank statements and car titles, affidavits etc.

 

No RFE but did get interview ready to be scheduled. So I don't believe I'm getting an RFE unless I get it in interview. 

How long have you been waiting for an interview to be scheduled? 

 

I'm just going to gather what I can and also write a letter of explanation and hope it's enough. I would send it all tomorrow if I could but I'm waiting on my daughter's official birth certificate to arrive which will be 20 - 25 business days as they didn't accept the birth certificate given at the hospital. 

[N400question12 0]

On 12/2/2020 at 10:07 PM, Missabc said:

How long have you been waiting for an interview to be scheduled? 

 

I'm just going to gather what I can and also write a letter of explanation and hope it's enough. I would send it all tomorrow if I could but I'm waiting on my daughter's official birth certificate to arrive which will be 20 - 25 business days as they didn't accept the birth certificate given at the hospital. 

A few weeks. Don't think I've seen a case go from interview ready to be scheduled to RFE though so I think I'm ok. Chicago service center so I'll probably be waiting a good six months. 

[Missabc 626]

Just a quick update... We we're approved! 

 

They received our response on the 24th and approved us today the 30th 

[dinamozagreb 0]

On 12/30/2020 at 7:13 PM, Missabc said:

Just a quick update... We we're approved! 

 

They received our response on the 24th and approved us today the 30th 

Can you please tell us what exactly did you include in your ROE?

[Missabc 626]

2 hours ago, dinamozagreb said:

Can you please tell us what exactly did you include in your ROE?

I provided 

 

- A letter detailing our situation and explaining why we didn't have certain documents

 

- Bank statements from the beginning of our marriage to current date

 

- Our daughters official birth certificate

 

- Affidavit from my father in law who we live with

 

- Cricket phone bill ( it did not list our names only phone number and I explained that) 

 

- health insurance documents from 2018  - 2019 listing me on policy

 

- tenant agreement for our house that we are leasing (I originally included this but I think there was confusion on what it was to begin with) 

 

And that's it. Honestly not a lot but I went into a lot of detail in my letter of why I don't have certain documents and why we don't have some joint things. 

 

[POLLI2832 2]

On 1/3/2021 at 11:40 AM, Missabc said:

I provided 

 

- A letter detailing our situation and explaining why we didn't have certain documents

 

- Bank statements from the beginning of our marriage to current date

 

- Our daughters official birth certificate

 

- Affidavit from my father in law who we live with

 

- Cricket phone bill ( it did not list our names only phone number and I explained that) 

 

- health insurance documents from 2018  - 2019 listing me on policy

 

- tenant agreement for our house that we are leasing (I originally included this but I think there was confusion on what it was to begin with) 

 

And that's it. Honestly not a lot but I went into a lot of detail in my letter of why I don't have certain documents and why we don't have some joint things. 

 

Do you have any update?