Sending in I-751! Organization tips?!

[Jules15 5]

Hi everyone, my husband (green card holder) and I are preparing/gathering documents to send in his ROC paperwork. As you all know, it’s a STACK of documents we end up sending into USCIS.

 

It made me curious, how are you all organizing your application? Binder with dividers? Clear inserts with tabs? Paper clips? Staples? In the past, we have used paper clips but I wonder if that annoys officials. Anyone have any insight as to how the officials like the documents prepared?

 

I’m still in the process of printing all important evidence and preparing to ship out the application on January 27th.

Thanks and good luck to everyone in the process!

😀

 

[Daphne . 1,878]

I didn’t use anything, they just received a stack of papers from me 😅

 

Don’t use staples, but you can use paperclips 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

2 hours ago, Jules15 said:

Hi everyone, my husband (green card holder) and I are preparing/gathering documents to send in his ROC paperwork. As you all know, it’s a STACK of documents we end up sending into USCIS.

 

It made me curious, how are you all organizing your application? Binder with dividers? Clear inserts with tabs? Paper clips? Staples? In the past, we have used paper clips but I wonder if that annoys officials. Anyone have any insight as to how the officials like the documents prepared?

 

I’m still in the process of printing all important evidence and preparing to ship out the application on January 27th.

Thanks and good luck to everyone in the process!

😀

We just used paper clips to help separate everything and had no issues

[Sukie 1,463]

We used ACCO clips (two-hole punch in the tops of the pages).  This is what they prefer, and we thought it would be good to hand it to them like they like it.  We had five different sections, and I had one big rubber band around the five of them.  Table of contents is helpful.

 

Just remember - print on one side only, and for your safety, if you have a piece of paper that is not 8 1/2 x 11 or A4, tape it to a blank sheet of paper of the same size as your stack.  The first thing they are going to do (besides cash your check) is scan all your documents - and if you have one that is off-size, it can easily get lost!

 

Best of luck!

 

Sukie in NY

[MillerTime 22]

I just used paper clips. Had no issues. Good luck! 🙂

[Rearviewmirror 397]

10 hours ago, Sukie said:

We used ACCO clips (two-hole punch in the tops of the pages).  This is what they prefer, and we thought it would be good to hand it to them like they like it.  We had five different sections, and I had one big rubber band around the five of them.  Table of contents is helpful.

 

Just remember - print on one side only, and for your safety, if you have a piece of paper that is not 8 1/2 x 11 or A4, tape it to a blank sheet of paper of the same size as your stack.  The first thing they are going to do (besides cash your check) is scan all your documents - and if you have one that is off-size, it can easily get lost!

 

Best of luck!

 

Sukie in NY

This. Also purchased printer paper that thad the ACCO holes punched at the top to save a step.

[Chancy 6,241]

USCIS doesn't like hole punches and paper clips anymore -- https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recommendations-for-paper-filings-to-avoid-scanning-delays

 

To avoid delays and improve scanning efficiency, we recommend that you do not:

• Hole punch, staple, paper clip, binder clip, or otherwise attach documents to one another.

[Rocio0010 5,579]

 This is how we organized it:

• Cover on top.
• Check
• Cover letter
• Form G-1145
• Form 751
• Evidence organized from newest to oldest. For example, most recent bank statement on top, followed by the older ones. 
• We hole punched on top (because the article that @Chancy posted was released after we filed) and held everything together with a 3" inch ACCO binder and a piece of cardboard at the back, for more stability.
• Used sticky dividers on the side
• We wrote the name of the documents with labels that we created using a DYMO label maker.
• Sent the package in a sturdy FedEx box.

[beloved_dingo 1,979]

1 hour ago, Chancy said:

USCIS doesn't like hole punches and paper clips anymore -- https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recommendations-for-paper-filings-to-avoid-scanning-delays

 

To avoid delays and improve scanning efficiency, we recommend that you do not:

• Hole punch, staple, paper clip, binder clip, or otherwise attach documents to one another.

I saw this the other day but I find this odd for petitions that tend to be large like I-751. Do they expect people to chuck a stack of lose paper into a mailer and send it that way? 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

@Jules15

Mine was just an orderly stack (75 total pages) with no cover letter, holes, contents, tabs, or clips. I put the stack in an old folder to squash it down to more easily slide it into the cardboard USPS Priority mailer. Very minimalistic and approved with no RFE, no interview, no issues. I think the presentation is not as important as most think. Contractors open the mail and USCIS officers do not see your efforts.

Edited January 5, 2023 by Wuozopo

[Sukie 1,463]

12 hours ago, Chancy said:

USCIS doesn't like hole punches and paper clips anymore -- https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recommendations-for-paper-filings-to-avoid-scanning-delays

 

To avoid delays and improve scanning efficiency, we recommend that you do not:

• Hole punch, staple, paper clip, binder clip, or otherwise attach documents to one another.

Well!  I am glad to know this!  Our journey is over, but I often help people organize their packets.  Now I know the "new" suggestions!  Thank you for pointing this out!

 

Sukie in NY

[Rearviewmirror 397]

21 hours ago, Chancy said:

USCIS doesn't like hole punches and paper clips anymore -- https://www.uscis.gov/newsroom/alerts/recommendations-for-paper-filings-to-avoid-scanning-delays

 

To avoid delays and improve scanning efficiency, we recommend that you do not:

• Hole punch, staple, paper clip, binder clip, or otherwise attach documents to one another.

Welp, I'm not going to reprint ~500 pages now  They'll have to deal with the hole punches.

[chancecody 125]

On 1/5/2023 at 9:30 AM, Wuozopo said:

@Jules15

Mine was just an orderly stack (75 total pages) with no cover letter, holes, contents, tabs, or clips. I put the stack in an old folder to squash it down to more easily slide it into the cardboard USPS Priority mailer. Very minimalistic and approved with no RFE, no interview, no issues. I think the presentation is not as important as most think. Contractors open the mail and USCIS officers do not see your efforts.

@Wuozopo

Great advice! 75 pages is minimalistic and contrary to some advice I received around here. Can you please let me know:

1.Did you just give USCIS 1 statement per quarter for your joint bank or credit card statements? 1 monthly statement for one bank alone for me is 8 pages.

2. Can you also list the evidence you provided? Any pictures?

3. Did you provide 2 year evidence from the date you became an LPR or 2 year evidence from the date you got married? My greencard was approved almost 2 years after marriage due to long USCIS processing so I have a choice of providing 4 year evidence since we got married or just 2 year evidence since I got my green card.

 

Thanks!

Edited January 7, 2023 by chancecody

[Rearviewmirror 397]

1 hour ago, chancecody said:

@Wuozopo

Great advice! 75 pages is minimalistic and contrary to some advice I received around here. Can you please let me know:

1.Did you just give USCIS 1 statement per quarter for your joint bank or credit card statements? 1 monthly statement for one bank alone for me is 8 pages.

2. Can you also list the evidence you provided? Any pictures?

3. Did you provide 2 year evidence from the date you became an LPR or 2 year evidence from the date you got married? My greencard was approved almost 2 years after marriage due to long USCIS processing so I have a choice of providing 4 year evidence since we got married or just 2 year evidence since I got my green card.

 

Thanks!

I'm sending:

 

Form I-751 – Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, duly executed, and a check in the amount of $680 for filing costs, and biometrics fee, as well as:

 

- A copy of the Permanent Resident Card of the petitioner (front and back)

Additional supporting documents:
o    Copy of marriage certificate
o    Copy of drivers licenses
o    Tax return transcripts, married filing jointly (2020 and 2021)
o    Joint leases
o    Bank statements of joint checking, and savings accounts
o    Bank statements of joint credit card
o    Beneficiary statements of life insurance, retirement and investment accounts
o    Utility bills showing joint address (internet, electricity)
o    Car and rental insurance policy documents
o    Photographs and trip itineraries
 

[Wuozopo 4,293]

4 hours ago, chancecody said:

@Wuozopo

Great advice! 75 pages is minimalistic and contrary to some advice I received around here. Can you please let me know:

1.Did you just give USCIS 1 statement per quarter for your joint bank or credit card statements? 1 monthly statement for one bank alone for me is 8 pages.

2. Can you also list the evidence you provided? Any pictures?

3. Did you provide 2 year evidence from the date you became an LPR or 2 year evidence from the date you got married? My greencard was approved almost 2 years after marriage due to long USCIS processing so I have a choice of providing 4 year evidence since we got married or just 2 year evidence since I got my green card.

 

Thanks!

I am unconventional and go with my own logic rather than sending masses of redundant paper because eager forum members suggest it. You’ll have to decide what makes sense to you. To me 500 pages is not going to be viewed and there is a greater chance they will 1) leave it sitting on the desk/shelf forever because it is going to be a drudgery to go through, 2) miss something important because it’s HUGE,
 

Bank statements. My thought were if you have the same bank, same names, same address and account number, it is a certainty that you had that account for the full duration. So I sent 4 statements total.(for two different banks)  —earliest, two middle,, most recent. I did try to pick middle ones that showed the account was used based on big differences in beginning balance and ending balance. A joint account with the same $500 in it every month for 2 years proves nothing. I also sent only the first page of the 4 bank statements because it showed we shared an account, address, and the balances might have $5000 swings in the selected month. Removing conditions is not about proving income so I decided to not show them every single place we spent money. It’s about jointness and commingling. On that same thought, our three joint tax transcripts were first page only to show we filed jointly.

 

Credit card statements. None. I laid out five joint credit cards his/hers on the copier. Our account numbers were the same on the matching cards so it showed we shared five accounts on one piece of paper. It did blank out a few middle numbers with tape for a bit more security. I think you can see in the examples how I reduced lots of paper. 

 

 Other evidence (trying to remember). One page had three State Farm auto insurance proofs all copied on one paper. They are small. Again, early middle, recent dates. Other cards lined up on one page…matching library cards, and ID cards for fun community classes we took. One page of driver licenses from two cities. Cat adoption papers in both names. Three dental receipts that showed we went same day and had both names. A cute“”We’re Moving” postcard we sent to friends with new contact info. Two photo Christmas cards we sent. Some paperwork from sale of house. A couple of trips showing we sat by each other (boarding passes).

 

As you can see we had odd random stuff because we did not have a lot of the traditional things. Only one joint utility bill, houses were only in wife’s name. Did not share a phone plan, health insurance, or kids. 

 

Pictures. Yes lots, but they were created like a collage on regular printer paper so 8-10 on two pages with captions. And they weren’t all fixed up beautiful occasions. More realistic life like house painting in messy clothes, hanging Christmas lights, selfie with the cat. Cooking out with family, hanging out at the coffee shop with friends.  And some from trips abroad. 
 

Evidence covered basically from our K1 visa marriage which was followed within 5 months by greencard so time frame was close together.