Will using two clips for one application be an issue?

[ChrissyCO 3]

Hi!

We sent out our packet today and we DID use binder clips, 2 in fact , as ours was also very thick. I saw someone mention the USCIS suggests not to use binder clips. I went through the link:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/forms/filing-guidance/tips-for-filing-forms-by-mail

 

 and read this:

 

”Do not use heavy-duty staples. Instead, use fasteners or heavy clips to hold together thick or bulky applications or petitions.”

 

So I think clips are ok. Just not binders. 

[Rocio0010 5,579]

1 hour ago, MJY said:

I put zero bank statements.  

 

This is what I put back in August 2022

 

Table of Contents

1.  G-1450

2.  I-751

3.  Marriage Certificate (Notarized & Original)

4.  Electric Bill (Joint Account)

5.  Chase Bank Letter stating my spouse is an authorized user for my credit card

6.  Health Insurance Verification Letter (spouse is covered under my plan)

7.  Dental Insurance Verification Letter (spouse is covered under my plan)

8.  Deed 

9.  Mortgage Bill

10.  Final Closing Statement (Mortgage)

11.   Home Insurance Doc

12.  Offer Letter (Spouse)

13.  Benefit Enrollment Doc from Employer

14.  401k Beneficiary Doc

15.  Pension Enrollment/Beneficiary Doc

16.  Tax Returns (joint 2x)

17.  Affidavit

18.  6 pictures

 

(However, I know a ton of people on this website put significantly more documents than I)

Your timeline is not clear. Have you been approved yet?

[Rocio0010 5,579]

Double punch holes on top of the documents, cardboard at the back for support, and a 3 inch ACCO fastener will do the trick for you.

[MJY 13]

47 minutes ago, Rocio0010 said:

Your timeline is not clear. Have you been approved yet?

 

It was approved earlier this month, but the official physical card did not come until a few days ago.

[Sarge2155 4,587]

4 hours ago, Timona said:

 

Quarterly bank statement is advised. Not every single month. 

Advised by whom? Certainly not by USCIS, in fact it says to the contrary in the "Evidence of the Relationship" in the I-751 instructions. It comes down to a matter of choice basically. While many folks submit quarterly statements and do just fine, still others elect to submit monthly statements and also do fine. Just a matter of personal choice. USCIS did for awhile RFE folks for not submitting monthly statements in addition to pages of the statements missing. Admittedly this was quite awhile ago that USCIS did that and there has been no recent incidence of it happening currently.

[Scandi 4,166]

That's  why you write (or stamp) your A-number on every page, that way there's no question which file the papers belong to in case they were to get separated. I too put my A-number on every single page, upper corner. 

Edited March 28, 2023 by Scandi

[SalishSea 17,819]

11 hours ago, OldUser said:

I think this is normal these days. Evidence takes a lot of space. Long gone those days of 20-30 page I-751 petitions that got accepted and approved. The bar for I-751 is pretty high these days, especially if one wants to avoid RFE and / or interview.

So odd because the denial rate for ROC is microscopic.

[Scandi 4,166]

8 hours ago, mbssss said:

I've read of some people doing all of them as well due to an increase in RFEs. Probably depends on who is looking at your docs.

At the end of the day, I doubt it matters much if you only do quarterly or all of them, just gets more inconvenient to ship really so we might still consider only sending statements for every 3 months. We have a lot of other solid evidence so I don't think it'll be an issue. 

Rather send too much than too little. For ROC, more is more. I too sent every single statement from our joint checking account, that was 2+ years worth of statements, each being 4-6 pages. That was definitely the part that took the most space. I fit everything into a USPS priority box, I believe that box is just over 3" thick and about 12"x15".

[OldUser 6,636]

43 minutes ago, Jorgedig said:

So odd because the denial rate for ROC is microscopic.

I'd be interested in stats for RFEs and interviews for I-751 cases.

Denial rate might as well be microscopic, agreed, but factor in RFEs and interviews. My preference is to avoid those altogether. The process is already long enough as is, even for a straightforward case.

 

Multiple consults with lawyers, experience gathering evidence as requested by lawyer who filed my case, free sources like Jim Jacking's show and VJ posts suggest that submitting substantial good quality evidence is the key for painless approval.

 

I know somebody who did I-751 in early 2010s and his case got approved with so little evidence by today's standards, it's laughable. He would have gotten RFE and / or stokes with amount of evidence provided, should he filed in 2023. His packet only consisted of completed form, maybe 3 bank statements and 5-6 photographs. That's all. Approved in about 3 months. It's obvious the times have changed and the standards got higher.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 28, 2023 by OldUser

[TeddyFazBear 69]

9 hours ago, Timona said:

 

Quarterly bank statement is advised. Not every single month. 

Who advises this? I agree with the applicant; send as much as you possibly can with both names on it. You would be crazy to withhold any evidence and just send partial “snap shots” of what you have. 
 

Bombard USCIS with evidence and you will hopefully avoid RFE or worse, an interview. 

[Bob in Boston 701]

15 hours ago, Timona said:

Quarterly bank statement is advised. Not every single month. 

We sent every month, No RFE or interview. Send it along

[Rafagus 64]

It helps them out if you make a double hole punch at the top of each page

[mbssss 106]

1 minute ago, Rafagus said:

It helps them out if you make a double hole punch at the top of each page

I didn't bother since I couldn't find any ACCO fasteners that were big enough, ended up just using binder clips which is what I did for my AOS application so should be all good! 

 

I would have done that if it was any thinner though, lol. 

[TeddyFazBear 69]

1 hour ago, Rafagus said:

It helps them out if you make a double hole punch at the top of each page

I think it used to. Now they just electronically scan all your evidence and documents so there’s no real point anymore