Weaker than normal financial ties evidence

[Adventine 3,196]

Just now, FeelingYoung66 said:

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. 

 

That's exactly what I'm submitting when I file my own Removal of Conditions this year - printed pages from our investment accounts showing each other as the beneficiary.

 

This is also why other evidence is important. They are going to look at the totality of the evidence you submit. On its own, the TOD beneficiary designation is weak evidence. Combined with everything else you mentioned, it helps paint a picture for the USCIS that you and your spouse entered into (and maintain) a good faith marriage.

[Crazy Cat 41,836]

7 minutes ago, FeelingYoung66 said:

On that subject, what really is proof?

Proof is whatever USCIS wants to see......nothing more...nothing less.  Paper evidence is better than word of mouth or excuses..

Edited April 29, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[TeddyFazBear 69]

5 hours ago, Acasubsidy said:

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. 

Yep this is literally what it comes down to more often than not, just explain if they have a question. They may want to see all kinds of things but so long as you can explain why you don't have whatever it may be, it should be fine. As a previous poster pointed out, 99% of cases are approved. They gave you a 2 year card because they think you are the real deal in the first place. 

[SalishSea 17,818]

9 hours 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? 

Regarding the house-  I already owned my home before we got married.   We are in our 50s, and I had bought my house many years earlier.    It would have been a financial hit to either refinance what’s left on my mortgage, or do a quit-claim gift.  
 

We are 17 months into our ROC processing, but I’d be very surprised if they question that.   
 

We have purchased vehicles jointly, own joint cash funds, and have the usual shared insurance/named beneficiaries etc.  

 

I think we sent a smaller volume of stuff than most here, but for some reason I’m not especially worried.   We’ve both been previously married, each have two adult children, husband is from very low fraud country.   Maybe it will come back to bite me, who knows!

[jackiegringa 419]

You should be OK but if you want you could include your spouse on the title of the house regardless of who's on the loan. I have done that for evidence and preference.

[Bob in Boston 701]

1 hour ago, jackiegringa said:

You should be OK but if you want you could include your spouse on the title of the house regardless of who's on the loan. I have done that for evidence and preference.

We did the same. I refinanced 2 months later and mortgage company didnt say anything. She is on the deed but mortgage is in my name and its a VA mortgage to boot. Good for your wife if something happens to you.

[SalishSea 17,818]

2 hours ago, jackiegringa said:

You should be OK but if you want you could include your spouse on the title of the house regardless of who's on the loan. I have done that for evidence and preference.

Not always.   Where I live, house titles can’t be modified unless the mortgage is refinanced, or the owner does a quit-claim gift (of equity).   It’s not as simple as just adding a name.

[Sukie 1,459]

Same with us.  I already owned the house.  We just had a paragraph on our cover page which explained this (no mortgage as I owned it free and clear), and why she was on the title of the car, but not the registration (had to have a NY driver's license which she did not have yet).  Both names were listed on the car insurance which we included.

 

You will be fine.  Explain how you do your bills through your Cash Management account in your cover letter,

 

Sukie in NY

[aznhouston 130]

On 4/29/2023 at 3:12 PM, 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? 

The deed should show both name if the property is in Texas. When we bought the house, the deed shows both names even though it was only me who is responsible for the mortgage alone. Both of us were required to show up on closing day, and signed a bunch of papers with both names on them. She has low income and low credit, the going rate would be higher if I add her as a co-borrower.