Valid reasons for not having a joint account?

[KH7919 0]

We do not have a joint account because simply, we never saw a reason or neccessity to have one.

She has been a stay at home wife, we have never spent a day apart since her coming here. Any purchases we need to make, she just uses my card, we buy everything mostly online.

 

I would like to know what valid or "acceptable" reasons others have given, for not having a joint account

[PaulaCJohnny 713]

The truth! This is your only reason to present. 
If they need another proofs from you they will ask for. 
You can’t present something that you don’t have. You just send what you have and pray for them to accept 🤞

 

Good luck 

[ineedadisplayname 497]

20 minutes ago, KH7919 said:

We do not have a joint account because simply, we never saw a reason or neccessity to have one.

She has been a stay at home wife, we have never spent a day apart since her coming here. Any purchases we need to make, she just uses my card, we buy everything mostly online.

 

I would like to know what valid or "acceptable" reasons others have given, for not having a joint account

I assume she has a card with her name on tied to your account as an authorized user?

[Kaleb8082 7]

I'm actually in a similar situation myself. Except we have been trying to create a joint bank account with my bank denying us because of IRS forms. I hope my explanation holds up. 

[Crazy Cat 41,856]

58 minutes ago, KH7919 said:

We do not have a joint account because simply, we never saw a reason or neccessity to have one.

She has been a stay at home wife, we have never spent a day apart since her coming here. Any purchases we need to make, she just uses my card, we buy everything mostly online.

 

I would like to know what valid or "acceptable" reasons others have given, for not having a joint account

Personally, we set up out joint account for the primary purpose of providing evidence of financial co-mingling.  We both have individual personal accounts.  However, the reason you listed was good under the circumstances.  Do you have other evidence such as shared property, joint taxes, etc?

Edited August 25, 2021 by Crazy Cat

[KH7919 0]

20 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Personally, we set up out joint account for the primary purpose of providing evidence of financial co-mingling.  We both have individual personal accounts.  However, the reason you listed was good under the circumstances.  Do you have other evidence such as shared property, joint taxes, etc?

With joint names, we have

Tax return

Car insurance

Health insurance(wife is under my name)

 

As for the rest:

Both our drivers license with same address

Six flags membership cards with our name(not sure if this even helps)

Photo of both our Amazon credit card(though number is different, but its the same account)

A handful of photos from the past 2 years 

 

What else can we add?

 

 

[Crazy Cat 41,856]

1 minute ago, KH7919 said:

With joint names, we have

Tax return

Car insurance

Health insurance(wife is under my name)

 

As for the rest:

Both our drivers license with same address

Six flags membership cards with our name(not sure if this even helps)

Photo of both our Amazon credit card(though number is different, but its the same account)

A handful of photos from the past 2 years 

 

What else can we add?

 

 

This is what we sent.  If I were the officer, I would think you have sufficient evidence.

 

Apartment lease with both our names & signatures
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    

[Ed&Midori1031 330]

2 hours ago, KH7919 said:

We do not have a joint account because simply, we never saw a reason or neccessity to have one.

She has been a stay at home wife, we have never spent a day apart since her coming here. Any purchases we need to make, she just uses my card, we buy everything mostly online.

 

I would like to know what valid or "acceptable" reasons others have given, for not having a joint account

Just be completely honest and you will be fine.  It is not a requirement for couple to have a joint account.  Most couples dont, so it's fine. 

[Sukie 1,460]

Just explain in your cover letter - just like you did in our posting to us.  Better to have an explanation than for the officer to think it is "missing".

 

Best of luck to you!

 

Sukie in NY

[Maria O 16]

I agree with most of the others. You only need to be forthright, and you should know by heart all the details of the evidences you've submitted. The interview is more of fact-finding. I am married to USC. My husband and I file taxes separately, separate bank accounts, we also don't have kids together. These are the strong evidences they are looking for, but if you can show and tell them why you don't have these documents, you will be good. If your marriage is bonafide, your aura as a couple will show naturally. I'm saying this subjectively based on my experience. You just need to relax and answer all the questions, provide much details as necessary as you can. The officer will actually tell who needs to answer the question. My husband was asked what was my full maiden name. He forgot my second christian name. The officer is very patient, said it's okay if he doesn't know. Took him by surprise when my husband finally remembers it 5 minutes after and asked what he did to remember it. Some questions we had are past marriages (2nd for my husband, 1st for me), how did you two meet, what are your future plans, what is the relationship situation between in-laws, and more personal questions about your marriage.

 

Here are some of the evidences we've submitted:

- Joint leases - all leases/mortgages from the time the petitioner entered the US. we have no mortgage loans, both names are on the lease contract

- Driver's licenses - shows same po box address

- Electric bills - both names are on the bill with current lease physical address

- Phone bills - Under my husband's name, with me and my step-daughter's on the account. 

- Car insurance - shows both names and same current physical address on the card. Vehicle is under my husband and father-in-law's name.

- Health Insurance - I am the primary, my husband and step-daughter are beneficiaries

- Retirement plans - I am the primary, my husband is 100% beneficiary

- Life insurance - I am the holder, my husband and step-daughter are beneficiaries

- Gym membership and subscriptions i.e Netflix, Google Tv, Disney Plus

- Personal letters and cards for special occasions i.e. birthday, valentine's, anniversary

- Emails and text messages from step-daughter and in-laws

- lots and lots of photos with families and friends - on each photo, I wrote a small description and dates

- snap shot of facebook posts - if you can include the comments, much better

- 2 affidavit letter of support - 1 from our land lord and 1 from my friend -  not notarized, but they need to have their letter have the statements " I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge." This is the website I used and sent to them as a guide: How to Write an I-751 Affidavit Letter of Support | CitizenPath

- Fish and Hunt licenses - both shows po box address

- Step-daughter school correspondences both addressed to me and my husband

 

Here's my timeline, if it helps. August 17 was our actual interview.

 

August 24, 2021 Card Was Mailed To Me

August 20, 2021 We approved your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

August 19, 2021 We ordered your new card.

July 12, 2021 We scheduled an interview for your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

July 7, 2021 We are ready to schedule your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, for an interview.

June 23, 2021 We received your response for Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

April 14, 2021 We sent a request for initial evidence for your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

November 13, 2020 The fingerprints relating to your Form I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, were taken.

June 30, 2020 We received your Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence.

 

[JeanneAdil 6,505]

there are more valid reasons to have joint account or to set her up with her own

i lost a husband suddenly

banks have to freeze an account once they have information from  sources that the account holder has passed

process is the dr sends info to funeral home (SS #)

SS is notified 

and accounts with that number are "suppose to be frozen"

takes time to claim life insurance,  SS benefits, etc and not easy when u just lost someone u love

my momma said "sharing is caring""

[martinzl 91]

In a way this is all a joke.  If you really wanted to commit fraud you could just set up a joint account and then as soon as conditions are removed you could get rid of the joint account.  Same goes for so many of the other "proofs" of a valid relationship. No one looks behind you after conditions are removed. I'm sure some fraud is rooted out but if people really want to commit fraud they will find a way to do it. You really have to wonder if all the expense of processing ROC is cost effective.  Just have people file and collect the fee.

[aznhouston 130]

It just makes your case harder. Many many couples don't have joint anything. 

[Timona 4,207]

A good amount of people have separate bank accounts and they went to USCIS and got approved just fine. Relax. Present only what you have 

[Gomast 65]

16 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Personally, we set up out joint account for the primary purpose of providing evidence of financial co-mingling.  We both have individual personal accounts.  However, the reason you listed was good under the circumstances.  Do you have other evidence such as shared property, joint taxes, etc?

This is exactly what we did. One joint account just for the evidence. However, there isn’t much activity in it. We just pay our utilities from this account. For rent, my wife pays from her account and I transfer half of the rent from my account to her account.