I-485: what is necessary to include?

[LJVotolato 13]

6 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

It's actually for the last three years, regardless of marital status.

I don't think this is true. It says for the most recent year on the instructions.

[powerpuff 6,744]

10 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

It's actually for the last three years, regardless of marital status.

It’s mandatory to send only for the recent tax year and optional for the second and third. You do have to list for all three on the form though. 

[Nat&Amy 623]

4 minutes ago, powerpuff said:

You don’t have to take my advice if you’re only looking for people with approved AOS’s.

 

There are 8 or 9 field offices in California.. each has its own processing estimate.

 

57 minutes ago, LJVotolato said:

Thanks! My fear is based on people seemingly getting RFEs because they submitted TOO much stuff (complicated for the reviewer).

 

What types of evidence did you send? (photos, email exchanges?)

 

Also, when did you have this done? I'm also in California. . . I hear it's taking 6-8 months!

I don't think sending evidence makes your case complicated for the reviewer, unless you send incomplete documents or papers showing contradictory info. Again: it's more about quality than quantity.

 

I sent statements of our joint bank account, leases with both our names on it, joint health insurance, life insurance showing each other as beneficiaries, ten photos of our wedding as well as of trips taken after k1, the marriage certificate, credit card statements showing me as authorized user, and the i864 with tax transcripts as well as my wife's paystubs and letter of employment. No RFE. Submitted everything in early December 2018, got approved in March 2019.

 

 

[Rocio0010 5,580]

21 minutes ago, LJVotolato said:

I don't think this is true. It says for the most recent year on the instructions.

If you send only for the recent tax year, you might very well end up with an RFE. Why are you not wanting to send the previous two tax returns?

[Rocio0010 5,580]

24 minutes ago, LJVotolato said:

don't think this is true. It says for the most recent year on the instructions.

Please read my post above. If you think that the other two tax returns will help you qualify as a sponsor, then it is highly recommended that you include them. 

[powerpuff 6,744]

12 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

Please read my post above. If you think that the other two tax returns will help you qualify as a sponsor, then it is highly recommended that you include them. 

Good point. We didn’t include previous two because they were too close to the threshold. But if they’re well above it’s worth including them 👍

[Rocio0010 5,580]

38 minutes ago, Nat&Amy said:

and the i864 with tax transcripts as well as my wife's paystubs and letter of employment.

This is not part of the evidence. 

The tax transcripts should go with the i-864. On the other hand, if they married filing jointly, they can (and should!) include another copy of said transcript as relationship evidence, either with the package or take it with them to the interview.

[Nat&Amy 623]

15 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

This is not part of the evidence. 

The tax transcripts should go with the i-864. 

I think you misread my sentence. I listed my evidence of relationship, and then said "and the i864 with...". OP, after all, asked me what I had sent.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Nat&Amy

[Rocio0010 5,580]

1 minute ago, Nat&Amy said:

I think you misread my sentence. I listed my evidence, and then said "and the i864 with...". OP, after all, asked me what I had sent.

OP asked you what EVIDENCE you had sent. I-864 and related documents are not part of the evidence.

[Nat&Amy 623]

2 minutes ago, ra0010 said:

OP asked you what EVIDENCE you had sent. I-864 and related documents are not part of the evidence.

And still, they need to be sent regardless. I don't see how this makes any difference.

 

OP, you got good advice. Good luck submitting your docs.

 

I'm out.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Nat&Amy

[SalishSea 17,987]

4 hours ago, Nat&Amy said:

 

I don't think sending evidence makes your case complicated for the reviewer, unless you send incomplete documents or papers showing contradictory info. Again: it's more about quality than quantity.

 

I sent statements of our joint bank account, leases with both our names on it, joint health insurance, life insurance showing each other as beneficiaries, ten photos of our wedding as well as of trips taken after k1, the marriage certificate, credit card statements showing me as authorized user, and the i864 with tax transcripts as well as my wife's paystubs and letter of employment. No RFE. Submitted everything in early December 2018, got approved in March 2019.

 

 

For AOS?  Most of us did not have that volume/type of stuff to send.  My husband and I married and sent in our AOS within two weeks of his arrival to the US.

 

We brought such evidence to our interview 14 months later.

 

No RFEs.

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

7 hours ago, LJVotolato said:

Yes, I'm adjusting from a K1 visa!

In such case, as mentioned by other members, gather the cohabitation and financial commingling evidence for the interview and in your packet just send what the instructions say: copy of passport page, copy of K1 visa, birth certificate, divorce decree (if it applies), marriage certificate, vaccination records, petitioner documents and the affidavit with supporting evidence (when we went through this process, we included 3 years of tax returns).

[Sarge2155 4,590]

12 hours ago, LJVotolato said:

I'm applying for I-485 and have researched extensively over the past two months and am confused about whether these things are MANDATORY, SUGGESTED, or NOT NECESSARY. I'm getting confused because in the 10+ applications I've seen in YouTube, there doesn't seem to be a consistency on what files are included in this package. On the USCIS instructions, it doesn't mention anything about photos/boarding passes for evidence, W2s, pay stubs etc. for example, but some people have included those things.

 

1. For the affadavit of support:

a) is the 1040 sufficient for the most recent tax year or do you send in W2's as well?

b) is the most recent tax year sufficient (of 1040 and/or W2) or did you include the last 2-3 years?

c) are pay stubs mandatory, suggested, or not necessary at all?

 

2. I understand that for the interview, I will have to prove our relationship's validity, etc. but for this package, do I need to include photos, email exchanges, boarding passes, etc.? Are those things helpful or not necessary?

 

Thank you in advance!

 

 

Go here and take a look at the check list there:

 

 

[Dashinka 24,656]

4 hours ago, Allaboutwaiting said:

In such case, as mentioned by other members, gather the cohabitation and financial commingling evidence for the interview and in your packet just send what the instructions say: copy of passport page, copy of K1 visa, birth certificate, divorce decree (if it applies), marriage certificate, vaccination records, petitioner documents and the affidavit with supporting evidence (when we went through this process, we included 3 years of tax returns).

And if the OP does not have an AOS interview, keep collecting this information for the next two years for the ROC stage.

[Dashinka 24,656]

11 hours ago, ra0010 said:

Yep. For some reason, people are sending IRS tax returns with W2s, when the instructions say not to do so. And they get RFE for sending documents that they shouldn't. Conversely, people are not sending pay stubs or employment verification letters.

I have seen RFEs for this as well.  Not sure why some don’t understand IRS transcripts OR copies of returns along with W2’s/1099’s, not a mixture of both.

 

To the OP, I agree with others, it is not a bad idea to include three years of tax information even though only the most recent year is required.  In our case, we sent three years and when we were called into the interview, we brought copies of the most recent filing that had occurred since we submitted the AOS package.

Edited December 29, 2021 by Dashinka