Anyone know anything on i-751?

[kow]

The closest thing to actual details I've ever seen on this anywhere on the net was a blog post by someone who talked to a processor of these forms. It was basically the same vague material list as my lawyer gave me. You pay like $550.00 and you send copies of a lot of bills and photos and titles and deeds three-months before a deadline. The more the better..

What is too little though? We only have taxes paid on property, income tax, car insurance, big ticket purchases invoices mostly internet, and photos. I get the impression this is too little because it's about the same as we had when we got the green card and the lawyer said we'd have to have a lot more next time, which is kind of crazy because what else are typical people suppose to have?

[rayb]

Kow,

You are describing the processing pretty accurately. The required evidence is similar to that expected at an Adjustment of Status interview. But this is a low-priority USCIS procedure, and its processing steps seem to be calendared for staff to pick up the file after several months, and then ask for updated info with an RFE. About 3 out of 10 I-751 submittals do ask for more evidence, sometimes as long as 11 months after submittal. The processing times seem to vary by region of the country, probably faster on West Coast, very slow in some East Coast areas, especially Pennsylvania.

As with the Adjustment of Status interview, the burden of I-751 evidence is focused on proof of cohabitation (both names on rental/lease/ownership documents) and commingling of financial affairs (detailed bank statements for several months. Other indicators are drivers's licenses with same address, utility bills in immigrant's name, AND ESPECIALLY CHILDREN BORN TO MARRIAGE, jointly-filed tax returns.

--Ray B



UOTE=kow;410722]The closest thing to actual details I've ever seen on this anywhere on the net was a blog post by someone who talked to a processor of these forms. It was basically the same vague material list as my lawyer gave me. You pay like $550.00 and you send copies of a lot of bills and photos and titles and deeds three-months before a deadline. The more the better..

What is too little though? We only have taxes paid on property, income tax, car insurance, big ticket purchases invoices mostly internet, and photos. I get the impression this is too little because it's about the same as we had when we got the green card and the lawyer said we'd have to have a lot more next time, which is kind of crazy because what else are typical people suppose to have?[/QUOTE]

[inadmissible]

The immigration officer at my adjustment interview told us that if there was just one document we would submit with the future I-751, it should be a birth certificate.

[rayb]

That doesn't stand the test of logic, as the I-751 has use of birth certs only of children born during the marriage, not of the principals.

But of all documents one might submit, joint rental/lease agreements and joint tax returns probably carry the most weight.

--Ray B

The immigration officer at my adjustment interview told us that if there was just one document we would submit with the future I-751, it should be a birth certificate.

[inadmissible]

That doesn't stand the test of logic, as the I-751 has use of birth certs only of children born during the marriage, not of the principals.

--Ray B

Hi Ray, that is what she cheekily implied. Essentially, she was saying, "go make babies".

[rayb]

Well, it wasn't bad advice. But for the large percentage of older guys (60+) who petition and marry younger women from abroad, having children during the first two years of marriage doesn't happen as often than with younger men.

But to look at this from another perspective...what are the issues that would be likely to cause a denial of the I-751 procedure?
1. Living apart
2. Having no joint accounts
3. Not filing income tax returns as "joint-married" or not even as "married-separate"

--Ray B

Hi Ray, that is what she cheekily implied. Essentially, she was saying, "go make babies".

[kow]

Well, it wasn't bad advice. But for the large percentage of older guys (60+) who petition and marry younger women from abroad, having children during the first two years of marriage doesn't happen as often than with younger men.

But to look at this from another perspective...what are the issues that would be likely to cause a denial of the I-751 procedure?
1. Living apart
2. Having no joint accounts
3. Not filing income tax returns as "joint-married" or not even as "married-separate"

--Ray B

I've actually heard plenty of second hand stories about American guys who basically marry a new immigrant women every 3-4 years. I'm assuming they are just throwing money at a lawyer who really knows how the system works. I can afford a lawyer too but I get the impression it's pretty easy to fail any of three stages of marriage with even the slightest lack of finances or material evidence.

These guys basically fly stranger women in and marry them and breeze through the process somehow..

These guys I've heard about all make at least 40k a year too, so maybe that has something to do with it.. I just barely got past the first stage with my 21k a year because of the $19,900 poverty guideline for the two-person household.. I'm not a older guy and only got that quick after coming back to the country because I have engineering experience..


It all seems pretty arbitrary, but evidently either money guarantees approval or there are shortcuts..