CR-1 Proof Of Legitimate Relationship

[DaveOz 4]

Good Evening

 

I was wondering how one goes about proving legitimacy of your relationship.

 

My partner and I met online and have been speaking for a year, we are both waiting for our divorces to become finalised (we both live separately from out ex's) and I have planned to fly over in February to spend 3 weeks with her and then flying back to Australia and then flying her out to spend time with myself and my folks over here.

 

Then from there we can apparently get married even if I am on a tourist visa, and then just fly back to Australia and begin the process of applying for a partner visa.

 

Now I understand travel and so on can be used, but I can't lease or open bank accounts or do anything like that even though I really want to, we have discussed adding me to her account and getting a card issued for me so that I can start contributing and saving together however everything that could be used as proof that we are genuinely building a life together requires a fixed address and be on a visa other than a holiday/vistors visa.

 

Here is a list of what Is apparently acceptable.

 

• Joint ownership or lease of real property (Joint deed, joint mortgage statements, joint rental agreement, etc.)
• Joint bills (gas, electric, internet, water, waste, etc.)
• Joint ownership of property (vehicle registration)
• Joint financial documents (credit cards, credit card statements, debit cards, debit card statements, joint tax returns, and bank loans)
• Joint ownership of assets (savings accounts, checking accounts, mutual funds, savings bonds, retirement, and other forms of investment accounts)
• Jointly held insurance records (application, quotes, the policy itself, bills, or account statements). This can include health, dental, disability, auto, life, home, or renter’s insurance.
• Legal records (wills, trusts, prenuptial or post-marital agreements, powers of attorney, etc.)
• Importantly, if you and your spouse have children together, have birth certificates or adoption papers available that have both of your names on it.
• If you have pets together, that can also be used as evidence of building a life together.

 

• Engagement-related documents (receipts for expenses for an engagement party, photos from the engagement and engagement party, etc.)
• Wedding-related (documents receipts for expenses for the wedding, photos from the wedding, wedding rings, guest list, wedding invitations, etc.)
• Evidence of travel together (car rentals, airplane tickets, hotel reservations, pictures, etc.)
• Proof of communication with each other (text messages, emails, letters, social media posts, phone records, etc.)
• Potential religious documents (evidence of marriage through the church, baptismal records for children together, etc.)

 

My issue is that 95% of that list requires you to already be residing in the US.

 

If anyone is able to offer me so pointers on what we will be able to do and setup in terms of bills and or tenancy agreements and or bank accounts etc.

 

Thank You Kindly

 

 

[Saqib-s 188]

 

Don't stress so much, if you have a genuine relationship then you'll be fine with the items you can provide from that list plus others items like, photos of you together , receipts of events things you have done together, plane tickets, you can also provide signed affidavits from people who know the both of you attesting to their knowledge of your relationship, (you can find guides online with examples for these).  I imagine Australia is not a high visa fraud location (someone else can confirm) so as longs as you provide everything you can it should be fine. 

 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Saqib-s

[DaveOz 4]

5 minutes ago, Saqib-s said:

 

Don't stress so much, if you have a genuine relationship then you'll be fine with the items you can provide from that list plus others items like, photos of you together , receipts of events things you have done together, plane tickets, you can also provide signed affidavits from people who know the both of you attesting to their knowledge of your relationship, (you can find guides online with examples for these).  I imagine Australia is not a high visa fraud location (someone else can confirm) so as longs as you provide everything you can it should be fine. 

 

 

 

Hey There 

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Yeah Im sure we will be fine also, I've just always been the type to want to know what we can and can't do, I understand that its best to start off documenting as early as possible so that you can show more over a greater timeline.

 

I have done this before with my ex who came to Australia from the UK, we were together for 13 years and married for 10 so I know from experience that the more you have to show the more satisfied they are.

 

Thank You.

[Redro 4,611]

15 minutes ago, DaveOz said:

Hey There 

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Yeah Im sure we will be fine also, I've just always been the type to want to know what we can and can't do, I understand that its best to start off documenting as early as possible so that you can show more over a greater timeline.

 

I have done this before with my ex who came to Australia from the UK, we were together for 13 years and married for 10 so I know from experience that the more you have to show the more satisfied they are.

 

Thank You.

If you( the beneficiary visit the States. You'll be able to get yourself added to some credit cards, bank accounts and maybe become the beneficiary of life insurance plans- you don't need a SSN, all you'll need is your passport. If the institution is permissive you might also be able to add yourself as a beneficiary to an investment account. Have the USC investigate options before you visit the States so you can easily add yourself to accounts after the wedding. 

[DaveOz 4]

6 minutes ago, Kor2USA said:

If you( the beneficiary visit the States. You'll be able to get yourself added to some credit cards, bank accounts and maybe become the beneficiary of life insurance plans- you don't need a SSN, all you'll need is your passport. If the institution is permissive you might also be able to add yourself as a beneficiary to an investment account. Have the USC investigate options before you visit the States so you can easily add yourself to accounts after the wedding. 

 

Thank You

 

Yeah I assumed once we were married things would be easier, as id be accompanied by my partner (the account holder) it would only require ID to add me to an account.

 

Thank you for your reply.

[carmel34 3,607]

OP, in addition to lots of evidence of multiple visits to Brazil (passport stamps, original boarding passes, hotel receipts, a few photos from each trip) here's what I (USC petitioner) included for my Brazilian husband, who had never been in the US until after he received his CR-1 visa:

 

1.  IRS tax return filed as married jointly (lookup W-7)

2.  Will, living will, power of attorney for both of us

3.  Beneficiary on my life insurance, health insurance, dental/vision insurance, bank account, retirement accounts (no SSN needed, only name, date of birth, marriage certificate)

4.  Authorized user on my credit card account with statements showing joint use

5.  Log of emails sent and received between us

6.  Log of phone and video calls sent and received

7.  Representative messages exchanged via WhatsApp and Messenger

8.  Affidavit from my husband's Aunt in Brazil

[DaveOz 4]

7 minutes ago, carmel34 said:

OP, in addition to lots of evidence of multiple visits to Brazil (passport stamps, original boarding passes, hotel receipts, a few photos from each trip) here's what I (USC petitioner) included for my Brazilian husband, who had never been in the US until after he received his CR-1 visa:

 

1.  IRS tax return filed as married jointly (lookup W-7)

2.  Will, living will, power of attorney for both of us

3.  Beneficiary on my life insurance, health insurance, dental/vision insurance, bank account, retirement accounts (no SSN needed, only name, date of birth, marriage certificate)

4.  Authorized user on my credit card account with statements showing joint use

5.  Log of emails sent and received between us

6.  Log of phone and video calls sent and received

7.  Representative messages exchanged via WhatsApp and Messenger

8.  Affidavit from my husband's Aunt in Brazil

Thank You 

 

Very helpful, I was very interested to find out how things work with getting married In the US when one of you is on a tourist visa and also how taxes would work for me if im transferring some of my salary earned in Australia into our joint US account.

 

Thank you kindly.

[From_CAN_2_US 1,106]

My husband and I met have been long distance living in different countries for our entire relationship. We applied for CR1 (still awaiting final interview) but our i130 was approved in under three months.

 

We didn’t have a lot of relationship proof from the list above. No joint accounts, no property lease together etc. Yet we managed to submit a strong package of relationship proof. 
 

1. We had proof of each of us adding the other as beneficiaries to our life insurance

2. We had proof of adding each other as our emergency contacts

3. We had affidavits from 3 family members and 2 friends vouching the authenticity of our relationship.

4. We had 100s of pages of relationship proof, right from matching on OKCupid (96% match), to our first dates, in memorable travels across the world together, family visits and occasions together, wedding etc.

 

You will be fine with this info. USCIS understands it is difficult for people living in different country to comingle their finances.

[Wouter 141]

Hi,

My wife just got her CR-1 and we have been through the process in the last two years.

We got married on 2/2/2020 outside the US, in The Netherlands. We never lived together in the US or anywhere else. After the wedding we were in the same situation as so many: she had to fly back to Russia and me to the US.

We filed the I-130 on 2/28/2020.

Since we never lived together we didn't have any joint accounts, no house rental lease or mortgage together, no assets together, no kids together.

All we had was basically our marriage certificate.

We did submit pictures of the wedding (which was just six people) and receipts for the rings, and some airplane tickets of trips we had done together before we got married. But I actually doubt this carried much weight. The I-130 got approved in May 2021 without any RFE.

In the meantime we had been on trips outside the US together a number of times and I had diligently collected all airplane tickets / boarding passes, made copies of stamps in our passports. We also filed taxes as 'married' for 2020. (I didn't bother sending copies of chats or emails or get affidavits from family members because they are very hard to be verified for authenticity and are known to carry very little weight for USCIS/DoS)

During my wife's interview they didn't ask for any of this 'proof of relationship'. The only thing coming close was the question: "when did you last see your husband?" (which was just a few hours ago since I was there waiting outside the embassy). And that was it. Approved.

Of course they may have looked at some information that was submitted electronically or that is available to them through some other systems.

But my impression is that they are well aware that many people that are going through the CR-1 visa process do not have the opportunity to show many documents (it may be different for IR-1 or people who adjust status within the US and that lived together before filing).

I think that if you are not from a high-risk country and are willing to sign the I-864 affidavit of support and don't have any major red flags, and you have your basic documents in order, that you are already 99% there.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2021 by Wouter

[SalishSea 17,696]

10 hours ago, DaveOz said:

Good Evening

 

I was wondering how one goes about proving legitimacy of your relationship.

 

My partner and I met online and have been speaking for a year, we are both waiting for our divorces to become finalised (we both live separately from out ex's) and I have planned to fly over in February to spend 3 weeks with her and then flying back to Australia and then flying her out to spend time with myself and my folks over here.

 

Then from there we can apparently get married even if I am on a tourist visa, and then just fly back to Australia and begin the process of applying for a partner visa.

 

Now I understand travel and so on can be used, but I can't lease or open bank accounts or do anything like that even though I really want to, we have discussed adding me to her account and getting a card issued for me so that I can start contributing and saving together however everything that could be used as proof that we are genuinely building a life together requires a fixed address and be on a visa other than a holiday/vistors visa.

 

Here is a list of what Is apparently acceptable.

 

• Joint ownership or lease of real property (Joint deed, joint mortgage statements, joint rental agreement, etc.)
• Joint bills (gas, electric, internet, water, waste, etc.)
• Joint ownership of property (vehicle registration)
• Joint financial documents (credit cards, credit card statements, debit cards, debit card statements, joint tax returns, and bank loans)
• Joint ownership of assets (savings accounts, checking accounts, mutual funds, savings bonds, retirement, and other forms of investment accounts)
• Jointly held insurance records (application, quotes, the policy itself, bills, or account statements). This can include health, dental, disability, auto, life, home, or renter’s insurance.
• Legal records (wills, trusts, prenuptial or post-marital agreements, powers of attorney, etc.)
• Importantly, if you and your spouse have children together, have birth certificates or adoption papers available that have both of your names on it.
• If you have pets together, that can also be used as evidence of building a life together.

 

• Engagement-related documents (receipts for expenses for an engagement party, photos from the engagement and engagement party, etc.)
• Wedding-related (documents receipts for expenses for the wedding, photos from the wedding, wedding rings, guest list, wedding invitations, etc.)
• Evidence of travel together (car rentals, airplane tickets, hotel reservations, pictures, etc.)
• Proof of communication with each other (text messages, emails, letters, social media posts, phone records, etc.)
• Potential religious documents (evidence of marriage through the church, baptismal records for children together, etc.)

 

My issue is that 95% of that list requires you to already be residing in the US.

 

If anyone is able to offer me so pointers on what we will be able to do and setup in terms of bills and or tenancy agreements and or bank accounts etc.

 

Thank You Kindly

 

 

You haven't even met yet, right?   You're getting wayyyyy ahead of yourself.

[DaveOz 4]

11 hours ago, Jorgedig said:

You haven't even met yet, right?   You're getting wayyyyy ahead of yourself.

 

Absolutely yes..

 

However having been through this before with the UK 13 years ago I know it can be a nightmare so I wanted to learn more about the process so that I know how it works with the USA.

 

Because clarity brings peace of mind.

[DaveOz 4]

14 hours ago, Wouter said:

Hi,

My wife just got her CR-1 and we have been through the process in the last two years.

We got married on 2/2/2020 outside the US, in The Netherlands. We never lived together in the US or anywhere else. After the wedding we were in the same situation as so many: she had to fly back to Russia and me to the US.

We filed the I-130 on 2/28/2020.

Since we never lived together we didn't have any joint accounts, no house rental lease or mortgage together, no assets together, no kids together.

All we had was basically our marriage certificate.

We did submit pictures of the wedding (which was just six people) and receipts for the rings, and some airplane tickets of trips we had done together before we got married. But I actually doubt this carried much weight. The I-130 got approved in May 2021 without any RFE.

In the meantime we had been on trips outside the US together a number of times and I had diligently collected all airplane tickets / boarding passes, made copies of stamps in our passports. We also filed taxes as 'married' for 2020. (I didn't bother sending copies of chats or emails or get affidavits from family members because they are very hard to be verified for authenticity and are known to carry very little weight for USCIS/DoS)

During my wife's interview they didn't ask for any of this 'proof of relationship'. The only thing coming close was the question: "when did you last see your husband?" (which was just a few hours ago since I was there waiting outside the embassy). And that was it. Approved.

Of course they may have looked at some information that was submitted electronically or that is available to them through some other systems.

But my impression is that they are well aware that many people that are going through the CR-1 visa process do not have the opportunity to show many documents (it may be different for IR-1 or people who adjust status within the US and that lived together before filing).

I think that if you are not from a high-risk country and are willing to sign the I-864 affidavit of support and don't have any major red flags, and you have your basic documents in order, that you are already 99% there.

 

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

Yes im starting to see a trend from all these replies.

 

Looks as though if you are genuine and are able to flood them with a trove of communication and documented travel, small legal adjustments made like insurance and such then it will all be fine.

 

[DaveOz 4]

18 hours ago, From_CAN_2_US said:

My husband and I met have been long distance living in different countries for our entire relationship. We applied for CR1 (still awaiting final interview) but our i130 was approved in under three months.

 

We didn’t have a lot of relationship proof from the list above. No joint accounts, no property lease together etc. Yet we managed to submit a strong package of relationship proof. 
 

1. We had proof of each of us adding the other as beneficiaries to our life insurance

2. We had proof of adding each other as our emergency contacts

3. We had affidavits from 3 family members and 2 friends vouching the authenticity of our relationship.

4. We had 100s of pages of relationship proof, right from matching on OKCupid (96% match), to our first dates, in memorable travels across the world together, family visits and occasions together, wedding etc.

 

You will be fine with this info. USCIS understands it is difficult for people living in different country to comingle their finances.

Thank you for your reply.

 

Yeah, there was a certain level of panic, people ive spoken to who clearly have no idea how it works just put a ton of fear in me because they made it sound like it was going to be a near impossible task to achieve unless you had this that and the other and could prove it.

 

I just want to be able to be there with her and support her (mentally) she deals with a lot in her work and gets spread thin regularly with deadlines and targets.

 

Thanks Again.

[SalishSea 17,696]

5 hours ago, DaveOz said:

 

Absolutely yes..

 

However having been through this before with the UK 13 years ago I know it can be a nightmare so I wanted to learn more about the process so that I know how it works with the USA.

 

Because clarity brings peace of mind.

I'd focus first on meeting and getting to know each other.  Then, it will be the USC's petition process actually.

[DaveOz 4]

3 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

I'd focus first on meeting and getting to know each other.  Then, it will be the USC's petition process actually.

 

12 hour a day phone calls for 9 months straight, by the time I fly out it will be 13 months straight.

 

Trust me we know each other.