Trying to gather bona-fide evidence after Utah online marriage, and now I'm very worried...

[Walter94 7]

- I have been in a relationship with my Filipina wife for over 4 years, and we just got married through Utah zoom call in December of 2021.

 

- I have come to the Philippines 7 times to see her. We have lots of pics together in different places, and with her family and friends...but none of them were taken with the camera timestamp feature turned on. I can add time/place captions underneath the pics, but I don't know whether those are considered valid.

 

- I can print the flight tickets and hotel reservations that were emailed to me from all my previous trips, but I have read that you need the actual boarding passes. I threw those out once I was done with my flights.

 

- We are young (both in our 20s) and we have no combined finances or jointly owned property. I have sent her money plenty of times through Western Union and World Remit, but that's it.

 

- Last month I filed my taxes for 2021 as "married filing separately" because I had read that it is difficult to file jointly with the IRS if your spouse is a nonresident alien. However, I'm now reading that the USCIS only considers joint tax returns or combined finances as strong evidence of a real marriage.

 

 

 

So basically, I'm worried that they will deny my application because of lack of evidence. Should I try amending my tax return, opening a joint bank account etc. in order to create stronger evidence for my case? Wouldn't they consider it suspicious if I do that right before submitting my I-130?

 

Thanks for the help.

 

[Chancy 6,243]

3 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

I have come to the Philippines 7 times to see her.

 

Were any of those trips after your Dec 2021 Utah zoom wedding?  If not, you cannot file an I-130 petition for your wife yet, regardless of how many times you met prior to the wedding.

 

[Walter94 7]

3 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Were any of those trips after your Dec 2021 Utah zoom wedding?  If not, you cannot file an I-130 petition for your wife yet, regardless of how many times you met prior to the wedding.

 

Yes, my most recent trip was actually this month March 2022.

[Crazy Cat 42,393]

12 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

- I have been in a relationship with my Filipina wife for over 4 years, and we just got married through Utah zoom call in December of 2021.

 

- I have come to the Philippines 7 times to see her. We have lots of pics together in different places, and with her family and friends...but none of them were taken with the camera timestamp feature turned on. I can add time/place captions underneath the pics, but I don't know whether those are considered valid.

 

- I can print the flight tickets and hotel reservations that were emailed to me from all my previous trips, but I have read that you need the actual boarding passes. I threw those out once I was done with my flights.

 

- We are young (both in our 20s) and we have no combined finances or jointly owned property. I have sent her money plenty of times through Western Union and World Remit, but that's it.

 

- Last month I filed my taxes for 2021 as "married filing separately" because I had read that it is difficult to file jointly with the IRS if your spouse is a nonresident alien. However, I'm now reading that the USCIS only considers joint tax returns or combined finances as strong evidence of a real marriage.

 

 

 

So basically, I'm worried that they will deny my application because of lack of evidence. Should I try amending my tax return, opening a joint bank account etc. in order to create stronger evidence for my case? Wouldn't they consider it suspicious if I do that right before submitting my I-130?

 

Thanks for the help.

 

The best evidence you can provide is that of having spent time together...along with your marriage certificate.  Your tax returns ARE evidence of a bona fide marriage.  Your spouse's name is on them.    At this stage, you aren't expected to have a lot of joint property and joint bank accounts.

Edited March 23, 2022 by Crazy Cat

[pushbrk 13,133]

24 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

Yes, my most recent trip was actually this month March 2022.

That was a critical piece of information that should have been in your first post.  You're good to go.  No need for time stamps. Your passport stamps are as good as boarding passes, if not slightly better.  

[Chancy 6,243]

27 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

Yes, my most recent trip was actually this month March 2022.

 

In that case, no need to worry.  You may file the I-130 already, assuming you have the valid marriage certificate from Utah.

 

38 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

- I have come to the Philippines 7 times to see her. We have lots of pics together in different places, and with her family and friends...but none of them were taken with the camera timestamp feature turned on. I can add time/place captions underneath the pics, but I don't know whether those are considered valid.

 

- I can print the flight tickets and hotel reservations that were emailed to me from all my previous trips, but I have read that you need the actual boarding passes. I threw those out once I was done with my flights.

 

Your US passport was stamped by PH airport immigration every time you entered/exited the Philippines, right?  Include scans/photocopies of those passport stamps, which are evidence of your time spent together in person.  You may add your flight tickets, hotel receipts, and photos as supporting evidence.  Camera timestamp not required for the photos.  Just add time/place captions.

 

38 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

- We are young (both in our 20s) and we have no combined finances or jointly owned property. I have sent her money plenty of times through Western Union and World Remit, but that's it.

 

Combined finances are not expected from a couple who live in different countries.  No need to include money transfer receipts.

 

38 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

I'm now reading that the USCIS only considers joint tax returns or combined finances as strong evidence of a real marriage.

 

Your tax filing status is a matter for IRS, not USCIS.  Your tax documents are not even required at petition stage.  You only need to submit them at NVC stage, which is after the petition has been approved.

 

45 minutes ago, Walter94 said:

we just got married through Utah zoom call

 

Though not required for your I-130, please make sure to file your Report of Marriage (ROM) with the PH consulate, if you haven't already done so.

 

[Walter94 7]

These are helpful answers, thanks guys. Good to know I've got enough evidence as is.

[Bob in Boston 767]

8 hours ago, Walter94 said:

Good to know I've got enough evidence as is.

You have more than enough to get started. Secret is to keep saving all this evidence for the future. you are going to have a few years worth of evidence before your done

[iwannaplay54 985]

12 hours ago, Walter94 said:

- I have been in a relationship with my Filipina wife for over 4 years, and we just got married through Utah zoom call in December of 2021.

 

- I have come to the Philippines 7 times to see her. We have lots of pics together in different places, and with her family and friends...but none of them were taken with the camera timestamp feature turned on. I can add time/place captions underneath the pics, but I don't know whether those are considered valid.

 

- I can print the flight tickets and hotel reservations that were emailed to me from all my previous trips, but I have read that you need the actual boarding passes. I threw those out once I was done with my flights.

 

- We are young (both in our 20s) and we have no combined finances or jointly owned property. I have sent her money plenty of times through Western Union and World Remit, but that's it.

 

- Last month I filed my taxes for 2021 as "married filing separately" because I had read that it is difficult to file jointly with the IRS if your spouse is a nonresident alien. However, I'm now reading that the USCIS only considers joint tax returns or combined finances as strong evidence of a real marriage.

 

 

 

So basically, I'm worried that they will deny my application because of lack of evidence. Should I try amending my tax return, opening a joint bank account etc. in order to create stronger evidence for my case? Wouldn't they consider it suspicious if I do that right before submitting my I-130?

 

Thanks for the help.

 

Absent boarding passes we generally combine booking, passport stamps, hotel receipts

Overseas spouses rarely and are not expected to have joint bank accounts (or joint anything else).  Evidence of time physically spent together is generally all that is or can be submitted at this stage.  You are over-thinking

 

It is also rarely feasible to file taxes jointly.  

Edited March 24, 2022 by iwannaplay54