Need help choosing bona fide evidence for marriage unconventional relationship

[Obliged9127 1]

Okay, I (US citizen) am getting married to my girlfriend. Known each other for the past 5 years. 4 years cohabitation and slightly over 3 years of dating.

 

I have already decided to include:

• 2 years of joint bank statements showing direct deposit of our salaries (~48 pages, two per month)
• Rental receipts of the past year (12 pages)
• Affidavits from my parents, my cousin (her best friend), her brother, and our friends (5 pages)

 

I need advice on whether to include any of the following, listed in descending order based on an educated guess of what I think is important: 

• Joint lease agreement (~10 pages + addendums)
• More rental receipts stretching back farther (~48 pages)
• My credit card statements with her as an authorized user (~2 years worth) (~48 pages)
• Her name on my notarized Advanced Directive, signed ~1 year ago (~7 pages)
• Proof my dad took out a loan and paid her university tuition when her parents cut her off for dating me (~2 pages)
• Pics (too many to count)
• 4 sets of hotel, travel records when we went on vacation together (~8-10 pages)
• Train reservations of routine visits to my parents (~20 pages)
• Receipts of our birthday gifts to each other (~10 pages)

 

Finally, if one has anything to say regarding potential red flags, I'd appreciate it. My potential worries include:

• my history with her parents. I still have not met her parents because they remain opposed to our relationship
• she is Indian, which is probably amongst the most nationality by USCIS
• she is a semi-observant Muslim, another category of people who are not exactly favorably looked on by certain people
• the fact she is a Muslim also relates to the fact that for sometime, time her parents paid her rent, she hid from her parents the fact she was living with people of the opposite gender
• Her being a Muslim also plays into how we first started dating: one night we were watching a movie (I know... so cliche) and decided to uhm… do some stuff and we continue to do stuff obviously, so definitely not halal

 

If we get a RFE, which I fear is a possibility, we have tons of more evidence we can present. But I'd like to not have that happen.

 

Thank you for your time in reading this lengthy post.

 

Tl;dr worried about our unconventional relationship but have evidence in the form joint bank statements, rental receipts, affidavits, and more to show the relationship is genuine. Is it enough?

[milimelo 4,477]

I don't see a problem - USCIS has certainly seen plenty of relationships and marriages where two individuals are not practicing the same religion. 

[JeanneAdil 6,498]

affidavits have little meaning and are not needed

u have plenty of proofs

include the marriage certificate when u marry 

u can limit the photos 

I copied 3 per 8x11 page and sent about 20( send one of marriage and with your parents in it

 

Muslim woman wouldn't be able to marry non muslim in a muslim country but u r in the US

 

you don't have any big issues 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lemonslice 4,838]

You're overthinking it.  Focus on good evidence of time spent together (residence/finances/etc.)

[powerpuff 6,697]

~~ Topic moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures ~~

[MMRF 21]

On 4/24/2023 at 2:13 PM, Obliged9127 said:

 

• 2 years of joint bank statements showing direct deposit of our salaries (~48 pages, two per month)
• Rental receipts of the past year (12 pages)
• Affidavits from my parents, my cousin (her best friend), her brother, and our friends (5 pages)
• Joint lease agreement (~10 pages + addendums)
• My credit card statements with her as an authorized user (~2 years worth) (~48 pages)
• Her name on my notarized Advanced Directive, signed ~1 year ago (~7 pages)
• Pics (too many to count)
• 4 sets of hotel, travel records when we went on vacation together (~8-10 pages)

 

 

Here's what I would send if I were you  ⬆️

 

Limit to:

-photos, less than 10, mostly w/ other ppl incl. 1-2 from wedding

-affidavits from 1 family member and 1 friend

 

Any other joint financial stuff? Insurance, loans, cellphone, beneficiary, etc.

 

[lovinglive 24]

On 4/25/2023 at 1:13 AM, Obliged9127 said:

Okay, I (US citizen) am getting married to my girlfriend. Known each other for the past 5 years. 4 years cohabitation and slightly over 3 years of dating.

 

I have already decided to include:

• 2 years of joint bank statements showing direct deposit of our salaries (~48 pages, two per month)
• Rental receipts of the past year (12 pages)
• Affidavits from my parents, my cousin (her best friend), her brother, and our friends (5 pages)

 

I need advice on whether to include any of the following, listed in descending order based on an educated guess of what I think is important: 

• Joint lease agreement (~10 pages + addendums)
• More rental receipts stretching back farther (~48 pages)
• My credit card statements with her as an authorized user (~2 years worth) (~48 pages)
• Her name on my notarized Advanced Directive, signed ~1 year ago (~7 pages)
• Proof my dad took out a loan and paid her university tuition when her parents cut her off for dating me (~2 pages)
• Pics (too many to count)
• 4 sets of hotel, travel records when we went on vacation together (~8-10 pages)
• Train reservations of routine visits to my parents (~20 pages)
• Receipts of our birthday gifts to each other (~10 pages)

 

Finally, if one has anything to say regarding potential red flags, I'd appreciate it. My potential worries include:

• my history with her parents. I still have not met her parents because they remain opposed to our relationship
• she is Indian, which is probably amongst the most nationality by USCIS
• she is a semi-observant Muslim, another category of people who are not exactly favorably looked on by certain people
• the fact she is a Muslim also relates to the fact that for sometime, time her parents paid her rent, she hid from her parents the fact she was living with people of the opposite gender
• Her being a Muslim also plays into how we first started dating: one night we were watching a movie (I know... so cliche) and decided to uhm… do some stuff and we continue to do stuff obviously, so definitely not halal

 

If we get a RFE, which I fear is a possibility, we have tons of more evidence we can present. But I'd like to not have that happen.

 

Thank you for your time in reading this lengthy post.

 

Tl;dr worried about our unconventional relationship but have evidence in the form joint bank statements, rental receipts, affidavits, and more to show the relationship is genuine. Is it enough?

You have tons of evidence, no problem.  If you apply online you can upload all your docs. I don't think they care about your wife's religion.

[Timona 4,207]

No need for rental receipts. Just rental agreement. 

Quarterly statements. No need for every month

[Seraphim Pardee 0]

I concur with the others here about your evidence amount: you have more than enough for sure. It might even be wiser to save the affidavits for when you need them and just bring some of the items in your other list.

 

My wife (beneficiary) and I sent over a 32-page copy of our shared Facebook posts, proofs of joint insurance, proof of pregnancy, marriage certificate, my proof of income (last W2 and tax return), and some photos - we had no RFEs or anything like that.

 

The USCIS isn't gonna care about your guys' relationship with her parents or what religion she practices and how she practices it. The cultural taboos aren't really a concern, they just want to prove you actually have something and it doesn't take much to prove that. The burden is on them to prove you wrong.