Marriage based green card interview

[Dreamerdancer42]

EXACTLY !! Couldnt agree more! All these advance directive can b CHANGED! I googled

I would love to read that USCIS eyese guidelines lol Life is Life anything can happen divorce, marriage. Noone says have a child and drag your child to the interview and demand to be approved. If anyone has a little bit of idea what it means to have a child can clearly say that a chil's shared responsibility either in life or on paperwork stays FOREVER. The day after your interview you can any financial paperwork you want redone but the child. It is really even funny to argue over this.. what makes a family? 2 people in the first step having a desire to create a union and second step is expanding that union either with adoption or birth. How on Earth any paperwork can overdo this life-changing event?

Sweet G! I applaud u!! Exactly my words! I researched the advance directive- it all can b changed next day!!!!! It sounds good on paper - but bank accounts can be closed, names taken of bills, EVERYTHING can be altered or changed, one thing u can NOT UNDO is having a child together! That isNOT going anywhere,EVER! Thats is done..for life!

Now again, every case is different...but the initial " having a child as evidence" part of evidence is not questionable! Isnt that, how marriages goe normally anyway? Two people falling in love, starting families? Thats why MOST ppl get married in the first place, to start a FAMILY! Not to get a green card! In fact, if a couple doesnt have a family ...that on its own is weird, because as soon as two ppl get married, ppl ask - so..when are u starting having kids

[Houston2016]

I would love to read that USCIS eyese guidelines lol Life is Life anything can happen divorce, marriage. Noone says have a child and drag your child to the interview and demand to be approved. If anyone has a little bit of idea what it means to have a child can clearly say that a chil's shared responsibility either in life or on paperwork stays FOREVER. The day after your interview you can any financial paperwork you want redone but the child. It is really even funny to argue over this.. what makes a family? 2 people in the first step having a desire to create a union and second step is expanding that union either with adoption or birth. How on Earth any paperwork can overdo this life-changing event?

I am agree with each word!
But life is a bit more complicated than this. We all have friends who are single mom or single dad and some time the other parent not even in the picture.
My husband was on L1 visa and we weren't worry about GC at all, but when i got pregnant we decide to file and not wait for work based GC from his company as they promised. By the time of interview our baby was more than 1 year old.

On our interview we were so worry my husband forgot names of my siblings and my father, i never know his phone number and couldn't remember his previous address! but we were approved same day any way.
We had front-loaded evidences and bring with us more of them, I didn't rely on birth certificate, but it helped a lot i think.
Our IO, after she finish with comparing originals to sent copies, first she asked for was the birth certificate, and only in the very end of the interview, when she was putting all file back together she said "i haven't seen the property documents" and i provided a copy of deed.

I would say having a child make your case more favorable to approve and you don't need to be very creative to find evidence of bona fide marriage.
But don't just add bear birth certificate and expect to be approved, you still have to provide all other evidence as stated in instruction for I-130.

[aggiedubs]

It sounds like to me maybe some people who have kids are trying to justify not putting in the work to prove your marriage is bona fide. To you I ask, would you rather be safe or sorry? If you answered safe, put together a package that will leave no questions regarding the validity of your marriage left unanswered by the IO.

[Dreamerdancer42]

It sounds like to me maybe some people who have kids are trying to justify not putting in the work to prove your marriage is bona fide. To you I ask, would you rather be safe or sorry? If you answered safe, put together a package that will leave no questions regarding the validity of your marriage left unanswered by the IO.

Who told u that? That they dont want to get prepared? Who said that ever? Thats not what the point was! U missed it.

[cali2018]

Read your own posts. This thread has gone totally sideways, its become a series of rants from certain people trying to explain their morals to the rest of us. Telling, us "what family is" or "what a marriage is about". Truly again no one cares for your morals or views. USCIS does not care for your beliefs, heck USCIS does not even care if you love your partner, how madly in love you are. USCIS cares for evidence, every i130 starts by being assumed its marriage fraud and it is up to you to pass the bar it is not. There is lots of documentation on what is the best forms of evidence for an i130 and what it needs to prove.

Again as answered to begin with, having a child by itself does nothing to improve your i130 chances if you lack the other more important concrete evidence of how you met, what was your relationship, where you live, and how accountable you are to one another. If you are commiting marriage fraud and have a kid you are not **** *ally exempt.

[aggiedubs]

Who told u that? That they dont want to get prepared? Who said that ever? Thats not what the point was! U missed it.

My assumption was based off the the underlying tone in this thread of "We have a kid together? How much more proof do we need?"

[4EVER]

Hello all.
If we have kids , does it make it easier to get green card from my wife ?

Immigration is, was, and will never be, easy. Before an intending immigrant can avail of immigration benefits, the immigrant must prove that s/he is eligible to receive such benefits before her/his immigration application can be approved. There is no short cut. To be proven eligible, applicant must provide evidences. The IOs will then decide if an applicant is approved or denied based on the totality of the submitted evidences; they will look at the entire circumstances, not just one.

To ensure your wife gets her green card, help her gather all the evidences and present it in a way that will leave no doubt to the IO as to the validity of your marriage. If you want the IO to focus on your child, make it stand out:
1) Every child needs his/her parents, thus, you need to present solid 'Evidence of Relationship' between you and your wife;
2) Every child needs a home, so you must present 'Evidence of Cohabitation' where you and your wife reside to bring up your family; and
3) Every child needs security, so you must present 'Evidence of Financial Commingling', to show that you and your wife are financially committed together to provide for your child.

So even if you have children, the IO will still decide based on the TOTALITY of your evidences. That means, you still need to collect other equally-strong proof of bona fide marriage. You even have to double up on your efforts to show that you are properly bringing up your children, i.e. more documentation. So, getting a green card will never be easy, with or without kids.

Good luck and all the best!

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

USCIS has no way of knowing whether you entered the marriage in good faith from a bare bones AOS filing that has a birth certificate attached. You may even bring the children to the interview. USCIS has no way of knowing that is a true marriage. Say for instance, that the couple does not have any evidence of financial commingling, there is no strong evidence of cohabitation and they show a child's birth certificate. Just because a birth certificate shows you both as parents of a child, that does not ensure that you two are raising the child as a family, or that there must be no fraud. They have to evaluate the case based on the paper trail.

How does one manage to have and raise a child with your spouse as a family and NOT have a paper trail? True marriages are selected for Stokes interviews all the time. Why? Because they show up to the first interview unprepared.

Say couple A has a "sperm donor" arrangement/marriage. They agreed "you give me a child and I give you a green card. Then we divorce and you pay child support and we call it a day. Thus, this marriage is not a marital union and is fraudulent under immigration. And this couple, says "We are raising this child together. We are a true marriage", and they bring a joint lease, a joint account and the birth certificate to the interview.

Then, you have couple B who has a child. They're raising it together and of course, they live in marital union. Couple B ALSO comes to the interview and states "We are raising this child together. We are a true marriage", and they bring as evidence a joint lease, a joint account and the child's birth certificate.

How is the Immigration Services officer supposed to know which marriage is not fraudulent? Well, the ISO would have to go by preponderance of concrete evidence of bona fide marriage. But neither couple showed a paper trail. So both get referred to the fraud unit. And it snowballs from there.

It's important to remember if you've been married for less than two years, and have a child, you still get the 2 year conditional green card. So it is not a golden buzzer deal - let's get you to the final right now.

Just the fact that there was such a wide difference in opinions in this thread, should speak to the fact that ISOs may and will also vary in their views of what is concrete evidence of bona fide marriage. So why would you want to be confused with someone committing marriage fraud? Just err on the side of caution and show the paper trail. No one is special in the eyes of USCIS - unless you're related to POTUS.

[Dreamerdancer42]

Do u have children? Ud understand the commitment , if u did. Or anyone else, who doesnt have children yet.

I get your point, but i think were talking in circles at this point. While i understand the person asking the question and the way , he asked it, the tone was a lil dismissive - we shouldnt judge him and assume anything. We dont know him or his situation and cant assume, he doesnt have evidence of having a child, thats not possible of course. Theres always a TON besides birth certificate, espec, when the child is older. You all just assumed, thats all he had. U have vaccinate banies, pictures from delivery room, announcements, if older child activities u paid for...im almost 100% positive, that person has all of that. Thats why , ppl who have not yet started families, have to come up with such extreme evidence such as thinking anout death already

Now, your lenthy description here is off and its a long stretch. How can someone ever prove or even suggest, that two ppl had a child to get green card? Why wouldnt they just get the ?advance directive? and all of the items needed btw all JUST papers?! Much easier than creating a human, going thru pregnancy, raising a child for at least 18 years?!! Why would anyone do that as opossed to have JUST papers to show ready if all they want is a green card?! Birth certificate is not just a paper! Unlike all the other papers! Heavy story behind it. To obtain that - two ppl go thru a LOT! Unlike filling out a paper and signing it, that one or the other can unplug or decide my faith - the catch in that is - U CAN CHANGE your mind about it anytime in the future. You cant change your mind about having a child..theyre not going anywhere! Plus, why would anyone either citizen or permanent resident have a family with an imigrant, im sure, theres plenty of citizens, that can have kids. Why with an imigrant?! Most likely, because they fell in love with that person..plain and simple. Why go thru the strugle to obtain green card for someone and have a child with them, if theyre in this "compromising situation". Think about it.

Using words such as ?sperm donor? doesnt make any sense.. you have never been thru pregnancy etc., its a LOOONG process and if anyone would not have any relationship with the person, they were pregnant with, thed make them have abortion or left them but certainly NOT MARRY THEM on top of everything!! Lets not forget, two ppl that have that child (ren) also GOT MARRIED! But what you can not argue is - those two ppl had sexual relations which means, they most likely were attracted to one another thus had romantic relations! Now- i dont think anyone can argue with that!

In our case for instance- we got married, when my daughter was already over year old. I was pregnant again and that promted us to finally get hitched, make it official! Green card was NOT a priority, in fact we applied for adjustment 9 years later. Prob didnt have to wait that long, but i never had a lawyer , whod explain to me, i was ok to apply sooner!

But ultimately, the likehood , that someone had a child to get a green card is highly unrealistic! Even green card is only for ten years, Child for life! For obvious reasons- children can not be altered, gotten rid of like a piece of paper . The common sense is , if two ppl are married - it might not be ONLY because of green card, if they have a child to raise! Marriage results in having children, thats not a secret.

Sure, show evidence, you two were taking vaca with family (like us), you go to child?s recitals, prek graduation etc. all of that shows, yes - were raising this child as a family. But dont underestimate the seriousness of the fact, when children are involved!

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Do u have children? Ud understand the commitment , if u did. Or anyone else, who doesnt have children yet. I get your point, but i think were talking in circles at this point. While i understand the person asking the question and the way , he asked it, the tone was a lil dismissive - we shouldnt judge him and assume anything. We dont know him or his situation and cant assume, he doesnt have evidence of having a child, thats not possible of course. Theres always a TON besides birth certificate, espec, when the child is older. You all just assumed, thats all he had. U have vaccinate banies, pictures from delivery room, announcements, if older child activities u paid for...im almost 100% positive, that person has all of that. Thats why , ppl who have not yet started families, have to come up with such extreme evidence such as thinking anout death already

Now, your lenthy description here is off and its a long stretch. How can someone ever prove or even suggest, that two ppl had a child to get green card? Why wouldnt they just get the ?advance directive? and all of the items needed btw all JUST papers?! Much easier than creating a human, going thru pregnancy, raising a child for at least 18 years?!! Why would anyone do that as opossed to have JUST papers to show ready if all they want is a green card?!

Using words such as ?sperm donor? doesnt make any sense.. you have never been thru pregnancy etc., its a LOOONG process and if anyone would not have any relationship with the person, they were pregnant with, thed make them have abortion or left them but certainly NOT MARRY THEM on top of everything!! Lets not forget, two ppl that have that child (ren) also GOT MARRIED! I think your point is, did they get married because they had a child or for green card! Prob for both. But what you can not argue is - those two ppl had sexual relations which means, they most likely were attracted to one another thus had romantic relations! Now- i dont think anyone can argue with that! In our case for instance- we got married, when my daughter was already over year old. I was pregnant again and that promted us to finally get hitched, make it official! Green card was NOT a priority, in fact we applied for adjustment 9 years later. Prob didnt have to wait that long, but i never had a lawyer , whod explain to me, i was ok to apply sooner!

But ultimately, the likehood , that someone had a child to get a green card is highly unrealistic! Even green card is only for ten years, Child for life! For obvious reasons- children can not be altered, gotten rid of like a piece of paper . The common sense is , if two ppl are married - it might not be ONLY because of green card, if they have a child to raise! Marriage results in having children, thats not a secret.

Sure, show evidence, you two were taking vaca with family (like us), you go to child?s recitals, prek graduation etc. all of that shows, yes - were raising this child as a family. But dont underestimate the seriousness of the fact, when children are involved! Its nice to have signed papers W/adavance directive- u can change that next day. Guess, what i wont change- that baby, thats crying in the room, or asking for momma/dadda.

Im a mother. I take this subject personally .

You should not take it personally, though. You should be able to dissect the subject without thinking folks are attacking you. USCIS has no way of knowing that the immigrant spouse is involved in raising a child or going to the child's recitals UNLESS you show that evidence. USCIS does not have to assume that the marriage is bona fide because there is a child.

From your words, it is clear that you are a good mother and are not committing fraud. Ok, we got it. However, it would be very naive to think that no one is committing fraud just because you are not committing fraud.

OP asked "Hello all. If we have kids , does it make it easier to get green card from my wife ?"

Now read those words again "does it make it easier to ***get a green card from my wife***?"

Flip the coin. The wife's income is low. USCIS could easily suspect. Well, they suspect everyone of fraud. Again, just because your marriage is real does not mean that marriage fraud is not real. Marriage fraud is very real. I recently read a case of a female immigrant who married a US citizen, had a child, and a day after getting her conditional green card, left him, and claimed VAWA. She was approved. Here you go. https://www.nbcwashington.com/invest...487699471.html

Miami for example it's infested with fraudulent cases. It's common knowledge that people find recent cuban immigrants, sometimes young pregnant females to marry an intending immigrant, and then they file for AOS through the cuban adjustment act.

The fraud amendments happened for a reason. That reason is fraud. No one is above it. We all have to go through the invasive process of AOS, Removal of conditions and Citizenship. *Got mine through the 5 year rule.

And no, I do not have children, but we do plan on having them. It's not just about understanding the commitment. It's also about understanding how USCIS works. Here is a good thread for you. https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...-to-Deny/page2 They did not furnish all the evidence they had available at first, and did not state clearly what the evidence was proof of, and USCIS crossed their arms and pretended to not know what the pile of documents meant.

[Dreamerdancer42]

You should not take it personally, though. You should be able to dissect the subject without thinking folks are attacking you. USCIS has no way of knowing that the immigrant spouse is involved in raising a child or going to the child's recitals UNLESS you show that evidence. USCIS does not have to assume that the marriage is bona fide because there is a child.

From your words, it is clear that you are a good mother and are not committing fraud. Ok, we got it. However, it would be very naive to think that no one is committing fraud just because you are not committing fraud.

OP asked "Hello all. If we have kids , does it make it easier to get green card from my wife ?"

Now read those words again "does it make it easier to ***get a green card from my wife***?"

Flip the coin. The wife's income is low. USCIS could easily suspect. Well, they suspect everyone of fraud. Again, just because your marriage is real does not mean that marriage fraud is not real. Marriage fraud is very real. I recently read a case of a female immigrant who married a US citizen, had a child, and a day after getting her conditional green card, left him, and claimed VAWA. She was approved. Here you go. https://www.nbcwashington.com/invest...487699471.html

Miami for example it's infested with fraudulent cases. It's common knowledge that people find recent cuban immigrants, sometimes young pregnant females to marry an intending immigrant, and then they file for AOS through the cuban adjustment act.

The fraud amendments happened for a reason. That reason is fraud. No one is above it. We all have to go through the invasive process of AOS, Removal of conditions and Citizenship. *Got mine through the 5 year rule.

And no, I do not have children, but we do plan on having them. It's not about understanding the commitment. It's about understanding how USCIS works. Here is a good thread for you. https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...-to-Deny/page2 They did not furnish all the evidence they had available at first, and did not state clearly what the evidence was proof of, and USCIS crossed their arms and pretended to not know what the pile of documents meant.

Ok..i had no idea, ppl have children to commit fraud. I know nothing about these issues...im reacting more to words - " birth certificate is not enough" " u dont get prepared, if you have kids" " you think, youre special, just because you have kids"... etc. those statements struck a cord with me. With all these debaters here. Again...if one wants to commit a fraud ( in my eyes - im not an immigration officer)- they do it the easy way..get all necessary paperwork in place and ull b fine. Thats enough, u certainly dont have to go to extreme and have a kid with that immigrant. In my eyes. Thats what i was getting at...Still love your advice tho..one learns all the time! you have to remember , my interview is coming up and im stressed..and these words scare me...everyone starts wondering...and since I do have a child here to think about..its a sensitive issue! Ill chill , after my process is over

[NADUS]

My wife and I been together for 13Yrs but married for 1yr. We have done a lot of things together ex: travel, kids birthday party and family get together. I never thought to keep any paper trail. The only things I have is below and I hope it will be enough

1. Have life insurance on her and she is also the beneficiary for one of my live insurance(over 5 yrs old) .
2. We both are on file with the kids school and doctor office (they see her more that they see me)
3. Joint Bank account open over 3 yrs ago. This is not my primary account because I owned my home before her so all the utilities bill are in my name and withdrawal from primary account.
3. Joint cell phone bill.
4. Just add her to my health insurance.
5. Some pictures thru the yrs together. Does anyone know how many I would need as proof ?
6. Search my email account and found airline confirmations of us travel together with the kids.
7. Christmas ,birthday and mother and father day card to each other, some with yr and date.

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

Ok..i had no idea, ppl have children to commit fraud. I know nothing about these issues...im reacting more to words - " birth certificate is not enough" " u dont get prepared, if you have kids" " you think, youre special, just because you have kids"... etc. those statements struck a cord with me. With all these debaters here. Again...if one wants to commit a fraud ( in my eyes - im not an immigration officer)- they do it the easy way..get all necessary paperwork in place and ull b fine. Thats enough, u certainly dont have to go to extreme and have a kid with that immigrant. In my eyes. Thats what i was getting at...Still love your advice tho..one learns all the time! you have to remember , my interview is coming up and im stressed..and these words scare me...everyone starts wondering...and since I do have a child here to think about..its a sensitive issue! Ill chill , after my process is over

It happens. The world is backwards. VAWA is abused all the time. Officers are prohibited from reaching out to the US citizen to corroborate the story. It is a serious issue. I, for instance, have a professional license. Took an oath, etc. My license would be in jeopardy if my spouse all of a sudden turns around, files for VAWA claiming that I physically, or psychologically abused him. In the eyes of any professional board, abuse is an action of moral turpitude. They would just suspend my license until things clear up.

Regarding your interview, though, I do think that you want to go in there with a cool head. Every ISO has their own style. Some will push buttons, and some won't. They may even wonder why you and your husband waited 9 years to file for AOS. They could wonder if he did not want to file the petition for - in itself that is abuse. Or the may not wonder any of that at all.

ISOs are also looking out for immigrants. In cases of human trafficking, the interview is the last chance an intending immigrant has to beg for help, because they were brought to this country on a k-1 visa and then turned into a domestic slave. True story. It's happened.

I would just recommend making it easy for the officer to approve you. Look at your case with cynical eyes and inspect it for holes or areas that may not be clear to someone who does not know you personally. Another reason to bring a boatload of evidence is to be in control of the situation. Many report feeling more confident knowing they have a paper trail for anything or most questions they could ask. Typically, though, a boat load of evidence reassures ISOs that your marriage is real, and in your case, with such a long history, they will just keep it short and sweet.

All the best,

USCFFS

[UScitizenFilingforspouse]

My wife and I been together for 13Yrs but married for 1yr. We have done a lot of things together ex: travel, kids birthday party and family get together. I never thought to keep any paper trail. The only things I have is below and I hope it will be enough

1. Have life insurance on her and she is also the beneficiary for one of my live insurance(over 5 yrs old) .
2. We both are on file with the kids school and doctor office (they see her more that they see me)
3. Joint Bank account open over 3 yrs ago. This is not my primary account because I owned my home before her so all the utilities bill are in my name and withdrawal from primary account.
3. Joint cell phone bill.
4. Just add her to my health insurance.
5. Some pictures thru the yrs together. Does anyone know how many I would need as proof ?
6. Search my email account and found airline confirmations of us travel together with the kids.
7. Christmas ,birthday and mother and father day card to each other, some with yr and date.

I think all the items you mentioned are great. I would suggest reading through this thread. https://www.immihelp.com/forum/showt...737#post582737 There are several examples of how to stage your evidence and how to organize it. I especially like #1 4EVER's Table of contents, and the one put together by Emerald2020. I would take a look at both.

Remember that evidence of bona fide marriage is not limited to the time you've been married. It's important to showcase the longevity of your relationship. As you list the evidence on the Table of contents, always include "Since MM/DD/YY" especially if it's an old document. Because you have a long history together, I would also keep it "big picture".

You have plenty. I think you will be more than fine, and walk out of there with your 10 year green card.

All the best,

USCFFS

[Dreamerdancer42]

It happens. The world is backwards. VAWA is abused all the time. Officers are prohibited from reaching out to the US citizen to corroborate the story. It is a serious issue. I, for instance, have a professional license. Took an oath, etc. My license would be in jeopardy if my spouse all of a sudden turns around, files for VAWA claiming that I physically, or psychologically abused him. In the eyes of any professional board, abuse is an action of moral turpitude. They would just suspend my license until things clear up.

Regarding your interview, though, I do think that you want to go in there with a cool head. Every ISO has their own style. Some will push buttons, and some won't. They may even wonder why you and your husband waited 9 years to file for AOS. They could wonder if he did not want to file the petition for - in itself that is abuse. Or the may not wonder any of that at all.

ISOs are also looking out for immigrants. In cases of human trafficking, the interview is the last chance an intending immigrant has to beg for help, because they were brought to this country on a k-1 visa and then turned into a domestic slave. True story. It's happened.

I would just recommend making it easy for the officer to approve you. Look at your case with cynical eyes and inspect it for holes or areas that may not be clear to someone who does not know you personally. Another reason to bring a boatload of evidence is to be in control of the situation. Many report feeling more confident knowing they have a paper trail for anything or most questions they could ask. Typically, though, a boat load of evidence reassures ISOs that your marriage is real, and in your case, with such a long history, they will just keep it short and sweet.

All the best,

USCFFS

You are wonderful! Yes, all valid points and u are correct, i will look at us as the officer and sure everything youre saying, ive gone thru in my head! That question you had asked is the first thing, i would ask , if i were to interview us! He actually petitoned fpr me back in 2009, right after we got married pr close after- im not sure. Now- it got approved, fairly fast but it stated , that I am not eligible to adjust while in the US. Which scared me and confused me! To my knowledge, i was eligible - came on J1 visa WITHOUT the two year requirement, never been convicted of any crime, had maybe one apeesing ticket I had a child and the thought of returning home and trying to do counselor processing was not an option thx to my overstay. And to apply for adjustment and the posibility to have it denied scared me so much, that we never did try to adjust!! I know , I know... but i was terrified at even a slight possibility of losing my child! My husband back than was willing to move if that were the case, but what he would do job wise, how would it all work out with him not knowing the language etc. So than we are, where we are today.

Just now i was going thru our evidence - since 2007 when we dated - i have just emails lovey dovey between us and pictures. Than i have some for each year, pictures for all years. I have videos too- do they ever wanna see those? Pictures from vacations with his parents, xmass with my family, summer with my mom, niece.. everyone is involved. Poctures from daughter’s 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,5th and 6th bday celebrations, her recitals, plays, school. We have bills for all years from 2008-2014 and rest i have to print- i have each month so its a lot. We dont have both names of bills - because i never knew how to and now its seems tacky 3 weeks before interview. What we do have is - gas on my name , power and comcast in his, some years comcast was in mine. So both our names are listed on dif bills. I think its obvious i wouldnt pay gas somewhere, had i not live there. I have mail etc. also year 2012 we have our daughter?s preschool payment receipts with both parents names and same address on it. I will have affidavits from his family also and they are also our joint sponsors.