Weaker than normal financial ties evidence

[FeelingYoung66 14]

My wife and I will be filing our joint I-751 this coming week. For whatever reason, our financial ties evidence isn't as strong as some would suggest that it be. For instance, the house is in my name only, and we don't have a joint bank account or investment account. But there is at least some reason for this. When we bought our house in November 2020, she did not yet have a SSN due to the Covid shutdown of the SSA that year. So.. with my wife having no SSN or credit history in the U.S., I had to apply for the mortgage loan singly. Somehow that ended up with the house deed being in my name only. Admittedly, we could have changed that by now, but I just never got around to it. When she did finally get her SSN she opened her own investment account. She works as a Registered Nurse. Neither of us even has a bank account because we don't really need one. The evidence for our financial ties is as follows.

 

1) IRS tax transcripts. Three years (2020-2022) of Married filing jointly.

2) The joint lease of an automobile dated October 2022.

3) She is the beneficiary of my life-insurance policy from work.

4) Her name has always been included on our shared Automobile insurance and homeowners' insurance.

5) Monthly statements from one shared credit card that is frequently used by us both.

 

It would seem to me that this would be enough financial tie evidence to establish that my wife and I have a strong committed relationship and marriage.

 

Thoughtful opinions on this? 

[TeddyFazBear 69]

10 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

My wife and I will be filing our joint I-751 this coming week. For whatever reason, our financial ties evidence isn't as strong as some would suggest that it be. For instance, the house is in my name only, and we don't have a joint bank account or investment account. But there is at least some reason for this. When we bought our house in November 2020, she did not yet have a SSN due to the Covid shutdown of the SSA that year. So.. with my wife having no SSN or credit history in the U.S., I had to apply for the mortgage loan singly. Somehow that ended up with the house deed being in my name only. Admittedly, we could have changed that by now, but I just never got around to it. When she did finally get her SSN she opened her own investment account. She works as a Registered Nurse. Neither of us even has a bank account because we don't really need one. The evidence for our financial ties is as follows.

 

1) IRS tax transcripts. Three years (2020-2022) of Married filing jointly.

2) The joint lease of an automobile dated October 2022.

3) She is the beneficiary of my life-insurance policy from work.

4) Her name has always been included on our shared Automobile insurance and homeowners' insurance.

5) Monthly statements from one shared credit card that is frequently used by us both.

 

It would seem to me that this would be enough financial tie evidence to establish that my wife and I have a strong committed relationship and marriage.

 

Thoughtful opinions on this? 

This sounds like plenty. That’s some good evidence you have. Everyone has a different relationship and way of handling finances, I have read at worst they may ask you about how you handle your bank accounts and you can simply explain it to them…if they even bother to ask that is.

 

Worst thing to do at this stage is to open a joint bank account purely to appease USCIS. Just keep doing what your doing would be my thought! 

Edited April 29, 2023 by TeddyFazBear

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

18 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

Neither of us even has a bank account because we don't really need one.

That might be difficult to believe...and could sound suspicious. However, how are you going to show evidence of how your every day finances are handled....such as paying household expenses?  You can only provide the evidence you have.  In your situation, I would show a lot of evidence of the same physical address (driver's licenses, etc).  Good luck.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

2 minutes ago, TeddyFazBear said:

I have read at worst they may ask you about how you handle your bank accounts and you can simply explain it to them…if they even bother to ask that is.

Our IO wanted to see evidence of our life together from filing date to interview...such as bank accounts, etc.  

[FeelingYoung66 14]

7 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

That is difficult to believe...and sounds suspicious to me. However, how are you going to show evidence of how your every day finances are handled....such as paying household expenses?  You can only provide the evidence you have.  Good luck.

Simple really. We each have our own investment account with Fidelity from which we pay our bills. Utilities, mortgage, car leases, even taxes. There is never a paper check of any kind.

[Adventine 3,196]

3 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

Simple really. We each have our own investment account with Fidelity from which we pay our bills. Utilities, mortgage, car leases, even taxes. There is never a paper check of any kind.

 

I've heard of people using Fidelity like this. I'm guessing you have the Fidelity Cash Management Account? 

 

Have you listed each other as the beneficiary for each other's Fidelity accounts?

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

14 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

Simple really. We each have our own investment account with Fidelity from which we pay our bills. Utilities, mortgage, car leases, even taxes. There is never a paper check of any kind.

Actually, you are using your "investment" accounts exactly like a bank checking account.  We pay all our expenses from checking accounts.  There is never a paper check of any kind.   I would say the vast majority of bank account holders don't write checks.  I think you explained it well.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[TeddyFazBear 69]

9 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

Simple really. We each have our own investment account with Fidelity from which we pay our bills. Utilities, mortgage, car leases, even taxes. There is never a paper check of any kind.

You’re fine. If they even ask about it just tell them that exact thing. Of course it’s dependant on the officer, you hear of some people sending in tiny amount of evidence and being approved without question and others sending in hundreds of pages and getting an RFE. There’s no logic to what they will and won’t want to see, but so long as you can explain a reason for your situation - which you clearly can - I hardly imagine you’ll have any problem. 

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

Less than 1% of all I-751s are actually denied. Removal of Conditions is unnecessary burden. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Lemonslice 4,838]

Health insurance, will, living wills? 

Beneficiary on each other's investment accounts?

[FeelingYoung66 14]

3 minutes ago, Adventine said:

 

I've heard of people using Fidelity like this. I'm guessing you have the Fidelity Cash Management Account? 

 

Have you listed each other as the beneficiary for each other's Fidelity accounts?

Yes, Fido's CMA. Since 1981.

 

They also offer a TOD (Transfer-on-death) feature that completely avoids probate. Yes, my wife is the beneficiary.

[Adventine 3,196]

1 minute ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

Yes, Fido's CMA. Since 1981.

 

They also offer a TOD (Transfer-on-death) feature that completely avoids probate. Yes, my wife is the beneficiary.

 

Proof of that Fidelity beneficiary info plus everything else listed in your original post look like solid evidence to me. You should be just fine.

[FeelingYoung66 14]

14 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Health insurance, will, living wills? 

Beneficiary on each other's investment accounts?

 

18 minutes ago, Lemonslice said:

Health insurance, will, living wills? 

Beneficiary on each other's investment accounts?

Health insurance. No common ground. I'm Medicare. My wife's health insurance is from her workplace.

 

Will. I have none at this time. TOD's only.

 

Living wills. I know, I know. Gotta get these done. My bad that we don't already have them in place. Won't be able to accomplish this before sending in the I-751 this coming week.

 

 

[FeelingYoung66 14]

45 minutes ago, Adventine said:

 

Proof of that Fidelity beneficiary info plus everything else listed in your original post look like solid evidence to me. You should be just fine.

Proof? On that subject, what really is proof? In my view, a downloaded page from a financial company's website that you print from your printer doesn't mean much. Beneficiaries can be changed or even omitted entirely with a few clicks of a mouse just seconds after you print the page. 

[Acasubsidy 0]

I had very weak evidence for commingling finances. We just added a bunch of explanation letters signed by both of us and they didn’t even question it. 
 

literally we just had joint bank accounts and cars etc.