Interview documents

[jzgr24]

Hello

i am preparing the package for my interview which is scheduled for next week, on the interview notice there is a bullet point that states i have to bring " all documentation establishing your eligibility for Lawful Permanent resident status" I came to the US with my B1/B2- visitors visa in November 2017, I am not yet out of status, and are applying to adjust based on marriage to a US Citizen, which documents besides our marriage certificate and proof of bona fide marriage would be considered useful to establish eligibility?

thanks!!

[azblk]

Hello

i am preparing the package for my interview which is scheduled for next week, on the interview notice there is a bullet point that states i have to bring " all documentation establishing your eligibility for Lawful Permanent resident status" I came to the US with my B1/B2- visitors visa in November 2017, I am not yet out of status, and are applying to adjust based on marriage to a US Citizen, which documents besides our marriage certificate and proof of bona fide marriage would be considered useful to establish eligibility?

thanks!!

Read i485 instructions for examples. There also is literally hundreds of threads on this forum where this has been covered.

[jzgr24]

documents

thanks for your response, I read the threads and I believe I have a very clear idea now, I just want to make sure we have everything complete, dont want to take any chances during the interview

Read i485 instructions for examples. There also is literally hundreds of threads on this forum where this has been covered.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Hello

i am preparing the package for my interview which is scheduled for next week, on the interview notice there is a bullet point that states i have to bring " all documentation establishing your eligibility for Lawful Permanent resident status" I came to the US with my B1/B2- visitors visa in November 2017, I am not yet out of status, and are applying to adjust based on marriage to a US Citizen, which documents besides our marriage certificate and proof of bona fide marriage would be considered useful to establish eligibility?

thanks!!

Here you go. I posted my table of contents which includes a brief explanation of what each piece of evidence is proof of. Your should, too.

https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showthread.php/239496-What-documents-to-bring-to-a-marriage-based-green-card-interview?p=564656#post564656

[jzgr24]

thanks

thank you very much, this is very helpful!!!

Here you go. I posted my table of contents which includes a brief explanation of what each piece of evidence is proof of. Your should, too.

https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...656#post564656

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

thank you very much, this is very helpful!!!

You're welcome! In the event that your case is not adjudicated right at the end of your interview, then that table of contents speaks for you. As redundant as some of it might sound, you have to tell USCIS what the evidence means. Take a look through this thread. https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...ght=helpmylife

[jzgr24]

preparing

thanks for sharing that post, it made me think of a lot of new topics I probably was not giving enough importance to. If you have the time and you dont mind giving me your opinion Id like to explain why this concerns me.

My husband and I got married on January 2018, I came to the country with my visitors visa in November 2018 without the intent of getting married but he proposed while I was here so I just decided to stay, and we filled in february, our interview is scheduled for May 11th ( a lot sooner than what we expected), as you can probably imagine, I don't have a SSN, Us bank account, etc.

So when we sent our application we submitted evidence of our relationship, such as pictures, tickets and reservations for the trips we went on together while we were dating and our skype call records. A couple of weeks after we filled we had the lease changed to add my name on it and changed beneficiaries on insurances as well to add each other. We tried adding me to my husband's checking account but they wouldn't accept it without a SSN, so apart from our marriage certificate, pictures, christmas gift receipts, wedding cards mailed to our address, a notice printed in the paper from our marriage, text messages, travel receipts, insurance policies, and the money transfers we make to split our expenses of rent,etc we don't have much else. Our original plan was to get my EAD so that with a social security number we could join our accounts and get a joint credit card as well at my husbands bank. Now I fear the interview is too close and we don't have a ton of additional supporting documents to take with us to the interview.

Is there anything you would recommend for us to do to try to add evidence or documents?

You're welcome! In the event that your case is not adjudicated right at the end of your interview, then that table of contents speaks for you. As redundant as some of it might sound, you have to tell USCIS what the evidence means. Take a look through this thread. https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...ght=helpmylife

[kaylip]

thanks for sharing that post, it made me think of a lot of new topics I probably was not giving enough importance to. If you have the time and you dont mind giving me your opinion Id like to explain why this concerns me.

My husband and I got married on January 2018, I came to the country with my visitors visa in November 2018 without the intent of getting married but he proposed while I was here so I just decided to stay, and we filled in february, our interview is scheduled for May 11th ( a lot sooner than what we expected), as you can probably imagine, I don't have a SSN, Us bank account, etc.

So when we sent our application we submitted evidence of our relationship, such as pictures, tickets and reservations for the trips we went on together while we were dating and our skype call records. A couple of weeks after we filled we had the lease changed to add my name on it and changed beneficiaries on insurances as well to add each other. We tried adding me to my husband's checking account but they wouldn't accept it without a SSN, so apart from our marriage certificate, pictures, christmas gift receipts, wedding cards mailed to our address, a notice printed in the paper from our marriage, text messages, travel receipts, insurance policies, and the money transfers we make to split our expenses of rent,etc we don't have much else. Our original plan was to get my EAD so that with a social security number we could join our accounts and get a joint credit card as well at my husbands bank. Now I fear the interview is too close and we don't have a ton of additional supporting documents to take with us to the interview.

Is there anything you would recommend for us to do to try to add evidence or documents?

He can add u as an authorized user to his bank account, u guys can;
1. use your shared Netflix accounts or other accounts alike
2. Sign up for informed delivery and authorize each other on the accounts,
3. Gym memberships,
4. affidavit letters from family or friends,
5. Do u have a cellphone? If so a copy of both lines that are listed in his name.
6. Church membership

At this point u have to think up of creative ways in this modern age. Good luck!

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

thanks for sharing that post, it made me think of a lot of new topics I probably was not giving enough importance to. If you have the time and you dont mind giving me your opinion Id like to explain why this concerns me.

My husband and I got married on January 2018, I came to the country with my visitors visa in November 2018 without the intent of getting married but he proposed while I was here so I just decided to stay, and we filled in february, our interview is scheduled for May 11th ( a lot sooner than what we expected), as you can probably imagine, I don't have a SSN, Us bank account, etc.

So when we sent our application we submitted evidence of our relationship, such as pictures, tickets and reservations for the trips we went on together while we were dating and our skype call records. A couple of weeks after we filled we had the lease changed to add my name on it and changed beneficiaries on insurances as well to add each other. We tried adding me to my husband's checking account but they wouldn't accept it without a SSN, so apart from our marriage certificate, pictures, christmas gift receipts, wedding cards mailed to our address, a notice printed in the paper from our marriage, text messages, travel receipts, insurance policies, and the money transfers we make to split our expenses of rent,etc we don't have much else. Our original plan was to get my EAD so that with a social security number we could join our accounts and get a joint credit card as well at my husbands bank. Now I fear the interview is too close and we don't have a ton of additional supporting documents to take with us to the interview.

Is there anything you would recommend for us to do to try to add evidence or documents?

I do not think that you should worried. It is important that you prepare for anything and everything, though. Your case is a textbook k-1 visa case. Had you taken that route, the evidence that you submitted would have been more than enough. Are you catching my drift here? Since you two just couldn't be apart, you changed plans and filed right away, and you don't have "married couple" type of evidence. That's all fine. I do like that you took the time to document your relationship with skype transcripts, text messages, your trips, etc.
Here are some ideas for you. This is the information era and there are a zillion ways of getting creative. I'm happy to help.

- Joint checking account - sometimes banks will give you a blanket refusal without a SSN if you attempt to open the joint account online or over the phone. However, most banks have no issue if you walk into the branch. Bank of America is fine with it. All you need is a valid passport.

- Once you get the checking account, then use that as a tool to run your household - pay rent, utilities, groceries.

- Your husband can add you as an authorized user on all credit cards. It's important that you make some purchases. At this point, you may not get them in the mail before your interview. However, you can print the fact that the application was approved. Your name will display on the online account. You can print that too and bring it to the interview. As long as you show that you've applied or that it is being processed, it is considered good evidence.

- Have your husband add you to all utilities and be specific and tell the companies you need both names to display on the account. In my city, the companies won't do that. And as you can see on my document, we ended up printing pages from the online account - like account settings, account profile, authorized users- just so that we could show that both names are on there.

- joint email address - then you have payment reminders of credit cards, utilities, payment confirmations, etc all go to this email address. You can print those as evidence. Make sure you each have access to that email on your phone. Then take a screenshot from your phone which shows other accounts on your phone and that it is clearly your phone and your husband's phone.

- August Smart Lock or any smart lock. Create an owner account for each one of you and then print the log that shows when either one of you opens or locks the door.

- Surveillance footage. You can get a Canary surveillance camera for safety in your home and take screenshots of the footage that show both of you at home at times when a visitor shouldn't be there. Say early in the morning, while getting ready for work.

- Text messages that you can match up with a receipt are great. It does not have to be a poem or anything important. Something as simple as "Babe, don't forget to get bread and milk, please. We're completely out." Make sure he answers. Go back and forth a few times. Then, print that conversation and attach the receipt to it. Highlight the date and time on conversation and receipt, highlight the method of payment - hopefully it's a joint card. And include a picture of the card, too.

- That brings me to the next easiest piece of evidence. Target Red Debit Card. You get 5% off for using it. There is no extra charge associated with using it. You each get one issued on your name. Takes seconds to apply. You just link it to the joint checking account. Even if you just link it to his account, that's fine too.

- Health insurance, life insurance, etc. It's important that you print the paystubs which show he is paying for employee + spouse. It's important to show how long he's had you on the insurance. So print each paystub.

- You must be beneficiaries on life insurance and 401K. That's an easy point.

Go through my document. I think you can derive a lot of ideas from there.

- Affidavits from people who know you well and from others that dont know you two that well. Both are important. Because other financial evidence is lacking. I would go the extra mile and have the affidavits notarized. Sure, you can do them as sworn affidavits without a notary public, however, then you aren't 100% sure that the person who signed it was in fact that person. You get my point. So just eliminate any doubts and have them notarized.

- Include explanations. USCIS does not have to connect the dots for you. People assume they will and often times they do. However, it is our job to prove our relationship is real. If you introduce evidence, you have to state what it is proof of.

- Since your husband just added you to the lease, you have add secondary and tertiary evidence to that. Anyone can scribble a name onto a lease and make it look legit, right? Like Kaylip mentioned, USPS informed delivery. You can create an account with your email, another one with his email, and another with your joint email. Then you can print the daily digest - some from your account, some from his and some from the joint email. This serves as evidence that you two have unrestricted access to each other's mail. That's evidence of trust. It seems redundant and silly to have to state it but just state it. It's best to tell them what the evidence means. So on the daily digest you will see images of his mail and your mail. Not just YOUR mail.

- Fedex account. UPS account. Add both names to it. Print all of that.
- Amazon account. Same thing
- Netflix, Hulu
- Costco, Sam's club.

If you go out to dinner with friends, well, take pictures, print the text messages leading up to the dinner, pay with the joint checking check card and highlight date, time, method of payment on receipt and also print image of card. Done. There you have more evidence. You get the idea.

Let me know how else I can help.

All the best.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

thanks for sharing that post, it made me think of a lot of new topics I probably was not giving enough importance to. If you have the time and you dont mind giving me your opinion Id like to explain why this concerns me.

My husband and I got married on January 2018, I came to the country with my visitors visa in November 2018 without the intent of getting married but he proposed while I was here so I just decided to stay, and we filled in february, our interview is scheduled for May 11th ( a lot sooner than what we expected), as you can probably imagine, I don't have a SSN, Us bank account, etc.

So when we sent our application we submitted evidence of our relationship, such as pictures, tickets and reservations for the trips we went on together while we were dating and our skype call records. A couple of weeks after we filled we had the lease changed to add my name on it and changed beneficiaries on insurances as well to add each other. We tried adding me to my husband's checking account but they wouldn't accept it without a SSN, so apart from our marriage certificate, pictures, christmas gift receipts, wedding cards mailed to our address, a notice printed in the paper from our marriage, text messages, travel receipts, insurance policies, and the money transfers we make to split our expenses of rent,etc we don't have much else. Our original plan was to get my EAD so that with a social security number we could join our accounts and get a joint credit card as well at my husbands bank. Now I fear the interview is too close and we don't have a ton of additional supporting documents to take with us to the interview.

Is there anything you would recommend for us to do to try to add evidence or documents?

If you're in a high tech building with an online portal, you can print pages from the online portal that show both of your names. You could also ask the leasing office to issue a letter confirming you reside there. You can get that notarized too. One of the leasing agents is probably a notary public.

I'll keep throwing ideas your way as I think of them. I saw a post of a couple who submitted joint ownership/joint adoption record of a pet. I thought that was pretty cool.

[jzgr24]

thank you

thank you!! these are a lot of great ideas!! I really appreciate this, time to start working on all of this!!!

If you're in a high tech building with an online portal, you can print pages from the online portal that show both of your names. You could also ask the leasing office to issue a letter confirming you reside there. You can get that notarized too. One of the leasing agents is probably a notary public.

I'll keep throwing ideas your way as I think of them. I saw a post of a couple who submitted joint ownership/joint adoption record of a pet. I thought that was pretty cool.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

thank you!! these are a lot of great ideas!! I really appreciate this, time to start working on all of this!!!

- You could get pre-qualified for a joint mortgage.
- Couple's cooking lessons
- couple's salsa dance lessons
- When you print anything off the internet, make sure that you include "headers and footers" on print settings, that way the date printed and the URL will display. That adds credibility to the document. It reassures whoever sees it that you didn't just toy with some document on Photoshop.
- Some couples have been asked to draw the layout of the home - floor plan, where furniture, TV, are.
- Some couples have been asked to show their keys to the ISO who then compares them.
- If his mother was one of the witnesses who signed on the marriage certificate, point that out on the table of contents. Don't assume that the ISO will see that name and extrapolate "Oh, this is also evidence of bona fide marriage. His mother was present at the ceremony because she signed the marriage certificate". As you could see happened to the other member, helpmylife, USCIS doesn't have to do that and they won't if they don't feel like it. So point it out.
- If you have an iphone, go to:
1. Settings.
2. Privacy
3. Location services: on. And also click on "share my location" and turn that on "from this device"
4. Then go back to previous screenscroll all the way down to "system services"
5. Scroll down to significant locations. Click on that.

Significant locations will eventually display the places where you are most often. It will show "Home - 59 visits January 1st - May 1st". For that you have to save your home address as Home. The rest of the places, like your supermarket or close by target will display by their business name. So if you both turn on this feature, you can show through technology that in general you are both at the same locations at the same time. It's as close to an ankle bracelet as you can get.
I didn't turn on this feature early enough. My spouse did have it on, and was also sharing location on pictures. My spouse and my beagle have become super best buddies and go on daily long walks. There are pictures of the two of them daily. We took screenshots of those pictures because they display the exact location and date. Or I usually get a text message from my spouse with a picture that shows my beagle on a leash, obviously being walked by my spouse. There's usually a quick conversation that leads to "what do you feel like doing later?" or "what's for dinner" or "I love you"
To print text messages, I really recommend iExplorer because it prints text messages in a standard format that is accepted in courtrooms. It displays the phone number, time. As you know, it's very difficult and time consuming to scroll back to very old messages. The program also allows you to edit out lines that may not be appropriate for USCIS eyes.

We also included some "light" arguments over text. It can't all be lovey dovey every day right? Real couples argue, too. Nothing huge. It'd be about not being able to agree on a restaurant or my spouse being indecisive. You get the idea.

We also included conversations of say me going shopping for a big **** *** Aid mixer with all attachments, then I'd text a friend telling him I was trying to surprise my spouse with the **** *** aid and asking whether I should get the white one or the black one. Silly, but that conversation shows that your friend knows about your spouse.

Any text of his friends asking how YOU are doing - that's good evidence. Then get those friends to submit an affidavit and get it notarized. You can strengthen other evidence with evidence of lesser weight but it becomes more credible when combined.

All the best.

[jzgr24]

great!!

i think we are too late for the location thing, cause we have only a week to go, it didnt help much that we didnt hear about the interview with enough time because the letter got lost in the mail and our account status never changed, but so far this is what I have:

-travel receipts from when we were dating and a small vacation we took last weekend with my sister and her husband plus one more trip that we have done since we got married
-amazon receipts for xmas gifts to each other
-text messages
-skype call records
- we will get affidavits from friends who know us, know our story and went to the wedding, his parents, and Im thinking maybe the car dealer agent that sold him the car he got for me in december? we both went to see the car, options, etc, and he knows his father
-wedding announcement in the paper
-wedding card his cousin sent to our home address
-marriage license and certificate
-lease in both names
-sling, roku and netflix account in both names
-joint email account
-usps individual and joint account showing mail we both have received
-dhl label in my name to our address of documents my mom sent me
-notes I wrote to him on boarding passes before we got married
-magazines coming in my name from a subscription to show same address
-proof of being beneficiary of each other on life insurance, mutual funds
--receipt from jewel store of xmas present in his name
-money transfers from me to his checking account for rent expenses, etc
-screenshots of pictures showing location on instagram


now we will look to see if he can add me to the credit card as user, we will walk into the branch to see if we can open that joint account in person and see if we can get the target card

this will all be added in a table content along with my I-94, passports, birth certificates, marriage license and certificate, I-693, 2017 tax returns and w2 (we sent 2014,2015 and 2016 with the I-864), his last 3 months pay stubs and updated employment letters ( we already submitted this on the application but I thought updated ones may be useful)

does this sound like enough? I guess the next part is organizing them in a time line with the explanations on the table of content, Im planning on color coding them with the table of content (i did this when we sent our application) to be able to find things faster.

other question, would they keep my passport and visa while they issue the decision?

- You could get pre-qualified for a joint mortgage.
- Couple's cooking lessons
- couple's salsa dance lessons
- When you print anything off the internet, make sure that you include "headers and footers" on print settings, that way the date printed and the URL will display. That adds credibility to the document. It reassures whoever sees it that you didn't just toy with some document on Photoshop.
- Some couples have been asked to draw the layout of the home - floor plan, where furniture, TV, are.
- Some couples have been asked to show their keys to the ISO who then compares them.
- If his mother was one of the witnesses who signed on the marriage certificate, point that out on the table of contents. Don't assume that the ISO will see that name and extrapolate "Oh, this is also evidence of bona fide marriage. His mother was present at the ceremony because she signed the marriage certificate". As you could see happened to the other member, helpmylife, USCIS doesn't have to do that and they won't if they don't feel like it. So point it out.
- If you have an iphone, go to:
1. Settings.
2. Privacy
3. Location services: on. And also click on "share my location" and turn that on "from this device"
4. Then go back to previous screenscroll all the way down to "system services"
5. Scroll down to significant locations. Click on that.

Significant locations will eventually display the places where you are most often. It will show "Home - 59 visits January 1st - May 1st". For that you have to save your home address as Home. The rest of the places, like your supermarket or close by target will display by their business name. So if you both turn on this feature, you can show through technology that in general you are both at the same locations at the same time. It's as close to an ankle bracelet as you can get.
I didn't turn on this feature early enough. My spouse did have it on, and was also sharing location on pictures. My spouse and my beagle have become super best buddies and go on daily long walks. There are pictures of the two of them daily. We took screenshots of those pictures because they display the exact location and date. Or I usually get a text message from my spouse with a picture that shows my beagle on a leash, obviously being walked by my spouse. There's usually a quick conversation that leads to "what do you feel like doing later?" or "what's for dinner" or "I love you"
To print text messages, I really recommend iExplorer because it prints text messages in a standard format that is accepted in courtrooms. It displays the phone number, time. As you know, it's very difficult and time consuming to scroll back to very old messages. The program also allows you to edit out lines that may not be appropriate for USCIS eyes.

We also included some "light" arguments over text. It can't all be lovey dovey every day right? Real couples argue, too. Nothing huge. It'd be about not being able to agree on a restaurant or my spouse being indecisive. You get the idea.

We also included conversations of say me going shopping for a big **** *** Aid mixer with all attachments, then I'd text a friend telling him I was trying to surprise my spouse with the **** *** aid and asking whether I should get the white one or the black one. Silly, but that conversation shows that your friend knows about your spouse.

Any text of his friends asking how YOU are doing - that's good evidence. Then get those friends to submit an affidavit and get it notarized. You can strengthen other evidence with evidence of lesser weight but it becomes more credible when combined.

All the best.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

i think we are too late for the location thing, cause we have only a week to go, it didnt help much that we didnt hear about the interview with enough time because the letter got lost in the mail and our account status never changed, but so far this is what I have:

-travel receipts from when we were dating and a small vacation we took last weekend with my sister and her husband plus one more trip that we have done since we got married
-amazon receipts for xmas gifts to each other
-text messages
-skype call records
- we will get affidavits from friends who know us, know our story and went to the wedding, his parents, and Im thinking maybe the car dealer agent that sold him the car he got for me in december? we both went to see the car, options, etc, and he knows his father
-wedding announcement in the paper
-wedding card his cousin sent to our home address
-marriage license and certificate
-lease in both names
-sling, roku and netflix account in both names
-joint email account
-usps individual and joint account showing mail we both have received
-dhl label in my name to our address of documents my mom sent me
-notes I wrote to him on boarding passes before we got married
-magazines coming in my name from a subscription to show same address
-proof of being beneficiary of each other on life insurance, mutual funds
--receipt from jewel store of xmas present in his name
-money transfers from me to his checking account for rent expenses, etc
-screenshots of pictures showing location on instagram


now we will look to see if he can add me to the credit card as user, we will walk into the branch to see if we can open that joint account in person and see if we can get the target card

this will all be added in a table content along with my I-94, passports, birth certificates, marriage license and certificate, I-693, 2017 tax returns and w2 (we sent 2014,2015 and 2016 with the I-864), his last 3 months pay stubs and updated employment letters ( we already submitted this on the application but I thought updated ones may be useful)

does this sound like enough? I guess the next part is organizing them in a time line with the explanations on the table of content, Im planning on color coding them with the table of content (i did this when we sent our application) to be able to find things faster.

other question, would they keep my passport and visa while they issue the decision?

You get stuff done FAST! It looks great. I think you have plenty. Now, like you said, next is figuring out a practical way of organizing it all. If I may suggest keeping all the original civil documents (birth certificates, marriage certificates) separate from anything that are OK with submitting as evidence at the interview. Remember, they may want to see originals but those are yours. If you volunteer those, you are unlikely to see them again.
So I would put together a separate file and table of contents for the evidence. It should be arranged in a way that you can easily take out a specific portion and hand it to the ISO.
I would arrange them in categories
- evidence of cohabitation
- evidence of commingling of financial resources
- evidence of relationship/intimacy

A big picture timeline is very helpful when telling your story to the ISO. You want main events on there - nothing too detailed, but you want enough detail for the ISO to be able to follow along.
***these receipts (-travel receipts from when we were dating and a small vacation we took last weekend with my sister and her husband plus one more trip that we have done since we got married)*** I would suggest pairing them up with pictures and text messages. Receipts are often used as alibis to confirm that you were present at a location at a specific time and date. Anyone can photoshop themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower. Know what I mean? So if you can back up something with a receipt, do it.
We used these tab dividers. Avery 1-25 Bottom Tab Legal Exhibit Dividers. See screenshot below. I am also attaching screenshots of the master table of contents I used as a guide. I mentioned it on a previous post.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

here's the rest of the table of contents

The gal who put this together did a really amazing job with it. Her I-751 petition for removal of conditions interview was of course, waived. Post it once you're done with it if you'd like. We are happy to give you feedback here.

I knew I had forgotten something. Health care power of attorney. It costs $20 dollars. It's a legal document you should each have. Designate each other on it to make health care decisions for each other in the event either one of you is not able to. It's a sinister conversation to have as a newly wed. It's worth it though. I did not get around to doing that with my spouse before filing for AOS. But we will have it by the time our interview comes. Everyone knows that if something happens to me and I cannot breathe on my own and I end up plugged in to a respirator, I am OK with that for 30 days. On day 31, that machine must be unplugged and I shall rest in peace. If Im still plugged in and then die a slow death, I've told my spouse I'll come back to pull their toes in their sleep. LOL.

Exhibit J. She listed it there.

All the best. Great job!