Cherries2013

If someone with great skills can add me to the list, it would be much appreciated

VJName...........Date of I-751.....NOA1 Date......Biometrics......Approved

Cherries2013 11/24/2012 11/28/2012 01/06/2013 06/01/2013 (RFE 05/01/2013, response sent 05/15/2013)

Ours was actually approved in exactly 2 weeks, and we found out via the online status check, which said "we ordered production of your card"

The status check before then (even with the RFE and everything) always said initial review.

As an update, this was not a problem at all in our ROC. Never mentioned at all. We got an RFE, but it was for financial info, not criminal history.

So, it seems that if you've disclosed it before, it shouldn't be a problem.

not true..we're just not on the list. We sent ours in at the end of May to VSC, and got an approval in 2 weeks exactly. I'm sure yours will follow soon!

Hi all,

My LPR husband and I will file the N-400 in a couple of months, but I want to make sure we get our ducks in a row in the meantime.

Over 10 years ago, he was charged (without arrest) for a pretty heinous offense (involving drugs), but the case was completely dismissed at the pre-trial phase. Essentially, the judge berates the police/prosecution in the disposition, since there was no evidence that there were any drugs in the matter (seriously)!

We have always disclosed this fully in the I-485 and the I-751, and both have gone smoothly and been approved.

Should we expect this to be a problem for the N-400? (we'll obviously give them certified copies of everything for the 3rd time).

I wouldn't think so, but who knows with USCIS...

thanks!!

I didnt change my last name at all, and we didn't have any problems regarding that point.

All, we also got an RFE in early May. It tooks us about 2 weeks to put it together. It was approved two weeks after they received it.

Good luck to those of you still waiting!

Hi all - as an update, our application was approved 2 weeks after we sent in the RFE. We sent in updates of everything we previously sent, as well as some new pictures and a letter from my parents explaining they support us financially since we are students.

One thing I did this time that might have helped is making it super super organized. In the list of items on the coverpage, I added "showing joint use/purchases/etc" to every item, and I also included tabs and coverpages in different colors for the different sections.

Hi all, good news - our application was approved 2 weeks after we sent in the RFE response to VSC.

In case anyone is interested, we mostly sent in updates of our bank statements/credit card statements, as well as new pictures (and some old ones for the time period before we were married). We also sent new EOBs from our insurance, and a letter from my parents explaining they supported us financially (since we are both students).

It was incredibly annoying to get an RFE since we sent in such a thorough application, but glad this is over!

Good luck to those left!

We got an RFE too, and our initial packet was solid. We got a lawyer for a consultation because we were so confused at what else they could want, and the lawyer also didn't understand why we got an RFE. We sent around 150 pages the first time, and around 150 pages again this time. We're hoping this gets approved soon (so we don't have to travel with the extension letter)!!

Did you send multiple statements of your bank account and joint credit cards?

Yes, I sent one statement for every 3 months. I can't imagine that this was the problem (I hope not). I will send in statements for everymonth since we filed this time, and send in quarterly statements for previous years. However, I will highlight our names on the different transactions on the account, and say that this proves we both use it.

I wonder if the problem is that the only thing we have as "assets" is a bank account. But we're students, so you cant really expect much else

Wow! I totally believe you. The magic officer waves his stick and voila here is your RFE and here is your Approved 10 yr. GC.

but seriously...this is apparently how it happens.

I included everything the OP is including in the RFE but evidenced over 3 years, and we still got an RFE.

off to get our credit reports....

I'm not sure whether this actually helps OP, but I would explain how everything shows a joint life. Don't assume it's understood, because it clearly isnt.

this time, I'm highlighting different transactions by us, and adding a section specific cover letter explaining that transactions by both of us on the same account show commingling of finances.

Yea, it doesn't seem country of origin driven. But if it's evidence driven, I wonder why they don't specify what they want?

We got the boilerplate language, and we literally already had sent 95% of the stuff listed (other than a will, which in my mid-20s, I haven't thought about, or a child, which in mid-20s, I again havent thought about)

ugh

Which instructions are you referring to? The I-751 instructions don't mention media type: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-751instr.pdf

^{Yea, my husband is from Western Europe too, so...}

^{I will definitely send updated everything. I'm just worried since that wasnt enough in the first round, will it be enough in the second round?}

^{How about our wedding DVD? My mom is crying hysterically when my dad is giving me away...you really can't fake that.}

^{Is it worthwhile getting all of the tiny details, like doctor's emergency contact forms, etc? I mean, this is getting ridiculous at this point.}

Hi there,

So we actually just got the boilerplate language asking for the exact same stuff we sent before too...

I'm really at a loss

the only thing we can't send is a birth certificate of a child, since we don't have any children.

I'm hoping they're just using this as a tactic to ease caseload or something, because it's honestly quite ridiculous.

Best of luck!

I'm just sending updates of everything - but this time, explaining everything. So, whereas before I just put our bank statements and let them speak for themselves (they clearly didn't), this time, I'll attach a separate letter saying "see, this means we have joint assets."

Hi all,

I hope you can help usfigure out why we got an RFE, and what more possibly coud we show to prove we have a good faith marriage.

Our RFE is the general boilerplate language - but one of the first paragraphs specifically states that we didn't show "joint resposibility of assets/liabilities" and "commingling of finances." I am quite confused about this, since (see below) we definitely did.

We sent:

1. Lease of our apartment/Letter from management agency
2. copy of driver's licenses
3. letters addressed to both of us at the same address
4. Financial: statements from joint checking/savings accounts, statements from multiple joint credit card accounts
5. Copies of joint taxes for 2 years
6. Health: health insurance info/cards/EOBs showing we use same insurance, letter showing him as my beneficiary on my life insurance, FSA cards
7. Pictures of travel and our wedding with 100+ at our elaborate ceremony/reception!
8. 3 affidavits

Honestly, I'm not sure how much more we can provide them.

I will definitely send updates of all of this. But what else is good enough proof? We don't have too many big assets (car, house, etc) b/c we are students.

Thank you!

Hi all, we unfortuntely got an RFE stating that we didn't prove we entered into our marriage in good faith!

What a ridiculous statement, especially when it's right before the paragraph where they list everything we submitted (we submitted EVERYTHING..including joint bank and credit cards statements, health insurance, leases, joint renter's insurance, joint tax transcripts, wedding pictures, affadavits, travel together).

I'm really at a loss for what triggered this, especially since my husband came over on a fiance visa 3 years ago! We've proven our relationship over and over again it seems...what's one more time right?

It's so disheartening to have to spend so much time getting all of this information again!

I'll be sending in ours soon!

What is the consensus for best postal serivce? FedEx? UPS?

I sent our I-485 with USPS with no problems.

Apolgies for the confusion...I'm the USC, my husband is the immigrant.

The instructions on the I-751 say "If you have ever been arrested or detained by any law enforcement officer for any reason, and charges were filed, or if charges were filed against you without an arrest, submit an original or court certified copy of the complete arrest record and/or disposition for each incident (eg: dismissal order, conviction record, or acquittal order)"

This is the exact same question on as on the I-485, so we would have to once again disclose this.

My question to you all is whether you think the originals are once again necessary. It would be time consuming and costly to get them. But also, they already have them!

Hi all,

I am filing my I-751 with my husband, we are happily married and have endless evidence for our relationship. That part of the application is not a problem.

However, about 10 years ago, my husband had a drug-related charge that was dismissed. He was NOT arrested. He was called to a preliminary trial, where the judge determined the evidence against him was essentially non-existant and dismissed the charges.

While his police certicates are clear, we still disclosed this in the I-485 AOS. We got an RFE requesting "arrest records" (which didn't exist, because there was no arrest). We hired an attorney to write a letter for the RFE explaining the case, and we got the GC with no problems after that.

Now, for I-751, we have to answer the same question. We will disclose it again, since the questions asks "Have you ever been charged...?"

My questions are:

1) Do you think I need to send original documents again? (They already have all of the originals from the I-485). Right now, I'm planning on sending copies only.

2) Do you think there is an advantage to hiring an attorney to file this for us?

Thanks in advance for your help with my query.