Green Card Question

[Nyte 1]

Hi everyone. I'm new to the boards... Its 5:21 am here and i'm just browsing the internet for any information I can find concerning my wife and I's current situation... The thought of dealing with immigration turns my stomach...It always has. Anyway, before I ask questions, here's my situation:

Wife (friend at the time) arrived in 2003 as F-1. We had knew each other before that since 2001 where we met online as sorta a language learning thing. We traveled back and forth from the USA to her home country up until 2003 when she graduated high school and decided to come study in the USA. When she moved here, we started dating, fell in love, then decided to get married in 2007. Her f-1 visa expired in 2005, but she has maintained F-1 status. To be clear, when she came to study in the US as an F-1, she lived with my family. So we have always lived together.

Ok, so we got an attorney to make the journey with us. We have filed our paperwork including the work authorization, etc. Our marriage is as real as it gets... heh.. but I need a little help getting them to believe that.

So, next, our current living situation.

> Still living with my parents (We are both still in college)

> I Purchased a vehicle, but before our marriage. Does anyone know if I can add her name to the title even though there's a lien holder? (I'm not very knowledgable about these things).

> We do have a joined bank/savings account.

> Do have wedding pictures

> Do have cards sent to us after wedding

> In the process of getting her added to my health insurance policy

> She is listed as a beneficiary for my complimentary life insurance at my work.. I would have added more coverage but was confused about the period of time to enroll after our marriage.

So with that in mind, first, about my job. I'm an hourly employee and based on what i've already earned this past year, i'll earn about 20k this year. in 2006, I made 20k, and before that, I believe for 2005 my income was around 13k. The jump was due to my promotion up the corporate ladder.... Anyway, will this be enough "financial" evidence? My attorney said this should be fine and that I shouldn't worry about a co-sponsor...

Oh! And i'm considering a job change... Will I have to file new paperwork once I do that? Or just show up with proper financial documents at our interview?

Now, if this is not enough, getting a co-sponsor will not be a problem at all.

But my more recent concern has been the bona-fied marriage thing. I know that we have some time between now (her biometrics is scheduled for next week) and the interview, but i'm trying to put my mind at ease by collecting stuff to make our life easier. Any suggestions for two newly-wed college students to add to our folders? I was thinking adding her to my credit cards, but my credit is better than excellent, and she has no history at all. There might be approval issues. Would adding her as an "authorized user" be just as good? Probably not now that I think about it as her name wouldn't be on the statement...*sigh*

We will have a joint health insurance policy by the interview. This is good.

She's learning to drive right now (no laughing!) so she'll also have a drivers license by the interview with our address on it. So I suppose that insurance here will also help us..

Thank you all for your time. I appreciate any advice you could give us.

[Cécy 44]

It seems that you are fine when it comes to the poverty line: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=75835

You don't necessarily need a lawyer for your case, but I guess what's done is done... a lot of people here don't have the best experiences with them and unless your case is very complicated they are rarely found useful.

You will receive a letter for your interview asking you what you should bring. Here is an example: http://www.visajourney.com/gallery/display...bum=6&pos=4

You can also check the list in here: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.ph...page=i130guide2

But it seems like you have a good list of things. I know that you are both living at your parents, but if you can find anything else such as utility bills that you pay together it can be a good additional evidence.

I'd advise also to read various reviews from AOS interviews, you'll see what people usually present.

[lisanne 0]

Our officer at the AOS interview didn't ask to see anything except the pictures we brought of our wedding and honeymoon. It was easy!

[rebeccajo 14]

You don't necessarily need a lawyer for your case, but I guess what's done is done... a lot of people here don't have the best experiences with them and unless your case is very complicated they are rarely found useful.

I don't think the OP asked for an opinion on the 'usefulness' of using counsel.

Regarding the bonafides of your marriage, the AO will be looking for what they call 'co-mingling' of assets. You have a joint bank account and that is a co-mingled asset. I presume when you filed your income tax return you filed jointly? If so you can include a copy of that. Life and health insurance cards are excellent evidence also.

You aren't punished by USCIS for your youth. Or not being able to drive (my husband does not drive either).

Edited July 28, 2007 by rebeccajo

[pj1959us 0]

As far as adding your wife as an authorized user on your credit card, it would be fine to do so. I did the same with my husband and even though just an authorized user, those cards began appearing on his credit report so it did help to build his credit.

Even if your credit card company doesn't do that, you will still be able to xerox a copy of the credit cards (redacting all but the last four numbers for security purposes) and it will still show that you and she share a credit card account, under each of your names.

[Nyte 1]

Thank you all for your quick responses. Its nice to have advice from those who have already gone the route.

One more question concerning my financial support:

Should it be necessary to obtain a second job, will DHS consider my combined incomes from both jobs for determining my ability to meet the poverty guidelines? Also, when my wife begins to work, will they consider her income (as we live jointly)?

As for my attorney, yes, a few people told us that it wasn't necessary, but we have already filed. Does anyone have advice on the usefulness of having the attorney present at the interview? I've read that a few people have noticed a large amount of couples with their attorney's present in the waiting area when they went for their interview, and then present with them during the actual interview.

As for the evidence of joined life:

I was not able to file a joint return with my wife last year (2006) because we were not married at the time. We will file jointly this year, so this should help us out if the interview is scheduled after tax time (which i'm sure it will). My wife should also receive her work authorization by then, so her income can be considered.

I was able to add her name to my Blockbuster online account! woo! More ammo.

[pj1959us 0]

Thank you all for your quick responses. Its nice to have advice from those who have already gone the route.

One more question concerning my financial support:

Should it be necessary to obtain a second job, will DHS consider my combined incomes from both jobs for determining my ability to meet the poverty guidelines? Also, when my wife begins to work, will they consider her income (as we live jointly)? Yes, they will consider both jobs, as well as your wife's income . I think you only have to cohabitate 6 months now for the 's income to be considered. You will want to have at the ready a new I-864 at the AOS interview and/or if you receive an RFE for it (depending on how long it all takes, they may ask for new I-864 or tax documents). Our AOS interview didn't occur until about a year after we submitted, so we did have to submit a new I-864 with supporting docs and the current tax return. If yours doesn't take long, though, it may be a moot point.

As for my attorney, yes, a few people told us that it wasn't necessary, but we have already filed. Does anyone have advice on the usefulness of having the attorney present at the interview? I've read that a few people have noticed a large amount of couples with their attorney's present in the waiting area when they went for their interview, and then present with them during the actual interview. Sorry, dunno, we winged it ourselves.

As for the evidence of joined life:

I was not able to file a joint return with my wife last year (2006) because we were not married at the time. We will file jointly this year, so this should help us out if the interview is scheduled after tax time (which i'm sure it will). My wife should also receive her work authorization by then, so her income can be considered. Sounds good.

I was able to add her name to my Blockbuster online account! woo! More ammo. Hey nothing says bona fide like a joint video account

[archie07 0]

Call the banks you have a credit card with and ask them to add your wife to your account and send you a card with her name on it. You will both have the same account number. Do the same with your checking or savings account, get your wife a debit card with her name on it. I just did this yesterday and had no problems.

[dermeco 1]

I am petitioning for my wife living in Nicaragua, so far we are at the second stage where she already got her NVC case #. Right now, I am filling the form I-184 to send it to NVC, but I was wondering about my 2007 taxes.

I would like to know if what I did would affect the visa for my wife. I called IRS a few months ago and I asked them if I could put my wife in form 1040, even though she was living in Nicaragua, and they told me if I was married to her since August 2006, I could do it. They even provided me with an ITIN # for her. Does she also need to sign the Authorization for Release of Federal Tax Data? Or should I send it just with my signature?

[Nancy2015 2]

Should it be necessary to obtain a second job, will DHS consider my combined incomes from both jobs for determining my ability to meet the poverty guidelines? Also, when my wife begins to work, will they consider her income (as we live jointly)?

USCIS will consider it all, but you are already above the poverty line, so you're fine.