Is it alright to draft a sworn statement for someone else to sign?

[SJinCA 8]

Hello all! I'm hoping for some advice as to whether it's acceptable to draft a sworn statement on someone else's behalf for them to sign. I currently live with my spouse in their home country and we're preparing to submit our I-130 petition. Part of the evidence I plan to include is our 2023-24 lease agreement, current lease, and a sworn statement from our landlord that spouse and I live together. I need to include the latter because I'm the only one listed on the lease, not my spouse.

 

To save our landlord the hassle, and to make sure all the necessary information is included, I was planning to draft a statement for them, give them the chance to review it, and have them sign and notarize it if everything is acceptable to them. Is it acceptable to draft a statement for someone else like this, or is that a no-no? I understand in principle it might seem suspicious, but it seems like, as long as the party making the statement has knowledge of and swears to the truthfulness of the information within the statement, it shouldn't be a problem.

[SansTortoise 20]

I’m not sure why you think this would be an issue. Probably happens thousands of times a day in lawyers offices around the U.S. for items related and unrelated to immigration.

[SJinCA 8]

18 hours ago, SansTortoise said:

I’m not sure why you think this would be an issue. Probably happens thousands of times a day in lawyers offices around the U.S. for items related and unrelated to immigration.

 

I'm an anxious person and I figure better safe than sorry as far as immigration is concerned. Thank you for the reassurance.

[pushbrk 12,639]

It's certainly ok.  But.....it's much better to use real evidence.  Affidavits from third parties make you look desperate, or at best are simply useless.

[OldUser 6,170]

On 8/26/2024 at 11:25 PM, SJinCA said:

To save our landlord the hassle, and to make sure all the necessary information is included, I was planning to draft a statement for them, give them the chance to review it, and have them sign and notarize it if everything is acceptable to them. Is it acceptable to draft a statement for someone else like this, or is that a no-no? I understand in principle it might seem suspicious, but it seems like, as long as the party making the statement has knowledge of and swears to the truthfulness of the information within the statement, it shouldn't be a problem.

Yes, it's acceptable. I used affidavits in one of my petitions. I drafted them and the people signing them made a few corrections. My case got approved. 

[SJinCA 8]

1 hour ago, pushbrk said:

It's certainly ok.  But.....it's much better to use real evidence.  Affidavits from third parties make you look desperate, or at best are simply useless.

 

I'm submitting this affidavit as a supplement to "real" evidence. I have a lease agreement, something about contract law in Uzbekistan means that only one party (other than the landlord) can sign a lease, so my wife's name isn't on the contract. I'm having my landlord confirm that we live there together. 

8 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Yes, it's acceptable. I used affidavits in one of my petitions. I drafted them and the people signing them made a few corrections. My case got approved. 

 

Thank you for sharing! 

[pushbrk 12,639]

9 hours ago, SJinCA said:

 

I'm submitting this affidavit as a supplement to "real" evidence. I have a lease agreement, something about contract law in Uzbekistan means that only one party (other than the landlord) can sign a lease, so my wife's name isn't on the contract. I'm having my landlord confirm that we live there together. 

 

 

That would be useful.