what is enough "evidence" for I-751??
Nov 6th 2002, 2:26 pm
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
what is enough "evidence" for I-751??
the 90 days before my "conditional" permanent resident status expires starts this friday...and i have gathered everything i can together to mail the petition off to VERMONT at this earliest possible date.
i'm just wondering if i have included enough "evidence" of a happy and legit marriage for the past two years.
we don't own property in common...my husband owned his own home when i moved here to upstate NY. we are both in our 50s and have had no problems or hassles with this whole process to date.
i will provide the following: copy of our jointly filed 2001 income tax return, copy of my husband's health insurance plan from work which shows me as insured, copy of our auto insurance identification card which shows us both as insured on the same policy, a letter from our bank stating that we maintain a joint bank account (with very little funds in it...since we have our own checking accounts), and two affidavits testifying that we have been happily married, etc...from my husband's mother and his brother (since we don't really have any non-relatives who have known us well enough for the past two years).
we don't have any insurance policies listing each other as beneficiaries...altho, in NY, a spouse is automatic beneficiary, i think. i can't think of anything else to use as evidence...and i'm just hoping this is enough.
any thoughts or experiences with this?
i'm just wondering if i have included enough "evidence" of a happy and legit marriage for the past two years.
we don't own property in common...my husband owned his own home when i moved here to upstate NY. we are both in our 50s and have had no problems or hassles with this whole process to date.
i will provide the following: copy of our jointly filed 2001 income tax return, copy of my husband's health insurance plan from work which shows me as insured, copy of our auto insurance identification card which shows us both as insured on the same policy, a letter from our bank stating that we maintain a joint bank account (with very little funds in it...since we have our own checking accounts), and two affidavits testifying that we have been happily married, etc...from my husband's mother and his brother (since we don't really have any non-relatives who have known us well enough for the past two years).
we don't have any insurance policies listing each other as beneficiaries...altho, in NY, a spouse is automatic beneficiary, i think. i can't think of anything else to use as evidence...and i'm just hoping this is enough.
any thoughts or experiences with this?
Nov 6th 2002, 2:49 pm
#2
Banned
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,933
Re: what is enough "evidence" for I-751??
Originally posted by mikell
the 90 days before my "conditional" permanent resident status expires starts this friday...and i have gathered everything i can together to mail the petition off to VERMONT at this earliest possible date.
i'm just wondering if i have included enough "evidence" of a happy and legit marriage for the past two years.
we don't own property in common...my husband owned his own home when i moved here to upstate NY. we are both in our 50s and have had no problems or hassles with this whole process to date.
i will provide the following: copy of our jointly filed 2001 income tax return, copy of my husband's health insurance plan from work which shows me as insured, copy of our auto insurance identification card which shows us both as insured on the same policy, a letter from our bank stating that we maintain a joint bank account (with very little funds in it...since we have our own checking accounts), and two affidavits testifying that we have been happily married, etc...from my husband's mother and his brother (since we don't really have any non-relatives who have known us well enough for the past two years).
we don't have any insurance policies listing each other as beneficiaries...altho, in NY, a spouse is automatic beneficiary, i think. i can't think of anything else to use as evidence...and i'm just hoping this is enough.
any thoughts or experiences with this?
the 90 days before my "conditional" permanent resident status expires starts this friday...and i have gathered everything i can together to mail the petition off to VERMONT at this earliest possible date.
i'm just wondering if i have included enough "evidence" of a happy and legit marriage for the past two years.
we don't own property in common...my husband owned his own home when i moved here to upstate NY. we are both in our 50s and have had no problems or hassles with this whole process to date.
i will provide the following: copy of our jointly filed 2001 income tax return, copy of my husband's health insurance plan from work which shows me as insured, copy of our auto insurance identification card which shows us both as insured on the same policy, a letter from our bank stating that we maintain a joint bank account (with very little funds in it...since we have our own checking accounts), and two affidavits testifying that we have been happily married, etc...from my husband's mother and his brother (since we don't really have any non-relatives who have known us well enough for the past two years).
we don't have any insurance policies listing each other as beneficiaries...altho, in NY, a spouse is automatic beneficiary, i think. i can't think of anything else to use as evidence...and i'm just hoping this is enough.
any thoughts or experiences with this?
http://www.geocities.com/ranjini_m/removalofconditions.html
and the list of documents we sent. You may get an idea of what other documents you could use besides the ones you already have. The ones you have seem sufficient in themselves, however.
Best wishes
Nov 6th 2002, 2:57 pm
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
thanks for that advice...
we do have other joint tax returns and will include them too...i just thought the most recent would be sufficient...
i figured we had enough evidence but started to worry when i read that others included airline tickets, bills addressed to both (which we don't have...i pay some of the bills but they are in my husband's name)...and wondered if i should gather envelopes from mail addressed to me at the same address ... or things like xmas cards, invitations, etc that are addressed to both of us at this address...
just seemed like overkill to me...but then, you can probably never have too much evidence!
as i said, we have had no problems to date...i'm a canadian citizen, we have no children living with us, we're in our 50s...probably not raising any red flags with anyone...
i will file the first day i can...and NOT before the 90 days begins...
thanks again...
mikell
we do have other joint tax returns and will include them too...i just thought the most recent would be sufficient...
i figured we had enough evidence but started to worry when i read that others included airline tickets, bills addressed to both (which we don't have...i pay some of the bills but they are in my husband's name)...and wondered if i should gather envelopes from mail addressed to me at the same address ... or things like xmas cards, invitations, etc that are addressed to both of us at this address...
just seemed like overkill to me...but then, you can probably never have too much evidence!
as i said, we have had no problems to date...i'm a canadian citizen, we have no children living with us, we're in our 50s...probably not raising any red flags with anyone...
i will file the first day i can...and NOT before the 90 days begins...
thanks again...
mikell
Nov 6th 2002, 3:23 pm
#4
Banned
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,933
Originally posted by mikell
...and wondered if i should gather envelopes from mail addressed to me at the same address ... or things like xmas cards, invitations, etc that are addressed to both of us at this address...
just seemed like overkill to me...but then, you can probably never have too much evidence!
mikell
...and wondered if i should gather envelopes from mail addressed to me at the same address ... or things like xmas cards, invitations, etc that are addressed to both of us at this address...
just seemed like overkill to me...but then, you can probably never have too much evidence!
mikell
Just don't worry about sending "too much" evidence. Just overwhelm them with as much evidence as you can. That has been my strategy every step of the way -- it works!!
Good luck,
Nov 6th 2002, 6:16 pm
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: what is enough "evidence" for I-751??
"Ranjini" wrote
> That should work. I sent in birthday cards, xmas cards etc. Just to
> show that you live at the same address. And spread everything over the
> duration of your marriage.
> Just don't worry about sending "too much" evidence. Just overwhelm them
> with as much evidence as you can. That has been my strategy every step
> of the way -- it works!!
Although there is annecdotal evidence that sending in a huge wad of evidence
for an I-751 can backfire because the examiner at the service center says,
"Screw this, I'm not going to wade through all this; I'll send it to the
local office for an interview and they can look at it".
My view on this is provide evidence in as many categories as you can but
don't go overboard on a particular category. For instance, a couple of
statements over the years from one joint checking account rather than a copy
of every statement from every joint account.
Andy.
--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.
> That should work. I sent in birthday cards, xmas cards etc. Just to
> show that you live at the same address. And spread everything over the
> duration of your marriage.
> Just don't worry about sending "too much" evidence. Just overwhelm them
> with as much evidence as you can. That has been my strategy every step
> of the way -- it works!!
Although there is annecdotal evidence that sending in a huge wad of evidence
for an I-751 can backfire because the examiner at the service center says,
"Screw this, I'm not going to wade through all this; I'll send it to the
local office for an interview and they can look at it".
My view on this is provide evidence in as many categories as you can but
don't go overboard on a particular category. For instance, a couple of
statements over the years from one joint checking account rather than a copy
of every statement from every joint account.
Andy.
--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.
Nov 6th 2002, 7:18 pm
#6
Banned
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 1,933
Re: what is enough "evidence" for I-751??
Originally posted by Andy Platt
"Ranjini" wrote
> That should work. I sent in birthday cards, xmas cards etc. Just to
> show that you live at the same address. And spread everything over the
> duration of your marriage.
> Just don't worry about sending "too much" evidence. Just overwhelm them
> with as much evidence as you can. That has been my strategy every step
> of the way -- it works!!
Although there is annecdotal evidence that sending in a huge wad of evidence
for an I-751 can backfire because the examiner at the service center says,
"Screw this, I'm not going to wade through all this; I'll send it to the
local office for an interview and they can look at it".
My view on this is provide evidence in as many categories as you can but
don't go overboard on a particular category. For instance, a couple of
statements over the years from one joint checking account rather than a copy
of every statement from every joint account.
Andy.
--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.
"Ranjini" wrote
> That should work. I sent in birthday cards, xmas cards etc. Just to
> show that you live at the same address. And spread everything over the
> duration of your marriage.
> Just don't worry about sending "too much" evidence. Just overwhelm them
> with as much evidence as you can. That has been my strategy every step
> of the way -- it works!!
Although there is annecdotal evidence that sending in a huge wad of evidence
for an I-751 can backfire because the examiner at the service center says,
"Screw this, I'm not going to wade through all this; I'll send it to the
local office for an interview and they can look at it".
My view on this is provide evidence in as many categories as you can but
don't go overboard on a particular category. For instance, a couple of
statements over the years from one joint checking account rather than a copy
of every statement from every joint account.
Andy.
--
I'm not really here - it's just your warped imagination.
Nov 6th 2002, 8:00 pm
#7
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Mikell
We filed with Vermont for the removal in May, 2002. Suggest strongly that you include as much as possible for the two years since approval but also include documentation from the prior year(s) of marriage.
You can read what we sent, as well as the experiences of others using Vermont, by reading:
http://www.kamya.com/interview/intro.html
Go to I-751 at the top of the page if it brings you to the first page of the URL instead of to the I-751 segment.
Note that Vermont is taking 360 days or better to approve I-751's. You might well want to apply for naturalization (if that is your goal) at this time next year even if you have not heard from Vermont on the I-751. My husband is planning on doing that in May, 2003 as he wants to be a US citizen and the filing of the N-400 usually pushes them to process the I-751.
Rete
We filed with Vermont for the removal in May, 2002. Suggest strongly that you include as much as possible for the two years since approval but also include documentation from the prior year(s) of marriage.
You can read what we sent, as well as the experiences of others using Vermont, by reading:
http://www.kamya.com/interview/intro.html
Go to I-751 at the top of the page if it brings you to the first page of the URL instead of to the I-751 segment.
Note that Vermont is taking 360 days or better to approve I-751's. You might well want to apply for naturalization (if that is your goal) at this time next year even if you have not heard from Vermont on the I-751. My husband is planning on doing that in May, 2003 as he wants to be a US citizen and the filing of the N-400 usually pushes them to process the I-751.
Rete
Nov 6th 2002, 8:09 pm
#8
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Postscript to previous post:
The site doesn't tell you what we sent; only how we assembled it. FTR, we included:
1. Letters from employers stating marital status claimed, beneficiary names for health, dental, 401K and life insurances provided by employer
2. Tax transcripts for all four years of our marriage up to 2001.
3. Cards (with envelopes) and electronic cards sent for our various anniversaries
4. Photos from a wedding we attended in Manawaki, Canada for Jim's niece with a copy of the hotel receipt and named all the people in the photographs (3 were included)
5. Affidavits from my sister and father, a good friend, my daughter and one from me as the USC half of the marriage
6. Cover page from magazine that is in both our names
7. Our joint membership in the Bronx Zoo
8. Newspaper from the Guard welcoming their newest Canadian recruit. The article gave my name and occupation as well.
9. Copy of joint car insurance
10. Copy of a cancelled checks randomly picked from over the last four years from our joint account and a recent bank statement
This was about it. So we are hoping to foregoing another interview in NYC.
You should receive the I-797 Notice of Action in about ten days from receipt of the application by Vermont extending your green card for one year.
Good Luck.
Rita a/k/a Rete (And we are an older couple, too. 50's and 60's here)
The site doesn't tell you what we sent; only how we assembled it. FTR, we included:
1. Letters from employers stating marital status claimed, beneficiary names for health, dental, 401K and life insurances provided by employer
2. Tax transcripts for all four years of our marriage up to 2001.
3. Cards (with envelopes) and electronic cards sent for our various anniversaries
4. Photos from a wedding we attended in Manawaki, Canada for Jim's niece with a copy of the hotel receipt and named all the people in the photographs (3 were included)
5. Affidavits from my sister and father, a good friend, my daughter and one from me as the USC half of the marriage
6. Cover page from magazine that is in both our names
7. Our joint membership in the Bronx Zoo
8. Newspaper from the Guard welcoming their newest Canadian recruit. The article gave my name and occupation as well.
9. Copy of joint car insurance
10. Copy of a cancelled checks randomly picked from over the last four years from our joint account and a recent bank statement
This was about it. So we are hoping to foregoing another interview in NYC.
You should receive the I-797 Notice of Action in about ten days from receipt of the application by Vermont extending your green card for one year.
Good Luck.
Rita a/k/a Rete (And we are an older couple, too. 50's and 60's here)
Originally posted by Rete
Mikell
We filed with Vermont for the removal in May, 2002. Suggest strongly that you include as much as possible for the two years since approval but also include documentation from the prior year(s) of marriage.
You can read what we sent, as well as the experiences of others using Vermont, by reading:
http://www.kamya.com/interview/intro.html
Go to I-751 at the top of the page if it brings you to the first page of the URL instead of to the I-751 segment.
Note that Vermont is taking 360 days or better to approve I-751's. You might well want to apply for naturalization (if that is your goal) at this time next year even if you have not heard from Vermont on the I-751. My husband is planning on doing that in May, 2003 as he wants to be a US citizen and the filing of the N-400 usually pushes them to process the I-751.
Rete
Mikell
We filed with Vermont for the removal in May, 2002. Suggest strongly that you include as much as possible for the two years since approval but also include documentation from the prior year(s) of marriage.
You can read what we sent, as well as the experiences of others using Vermont, by reading:
http://www.kamya.com/interview/intro.html
Go to I-751 at the top of the page if it brings you to the first page of the URL instead of to the I-751 segment.
Note that Vermont is taking 360 days or better to approve I-751's. You might well want to apply for naturalization (if that is your goal) at this time next year even if you have not heard from Vermont on the I-751. My husband is planning on doing that in May, 2003 as he wants to be a US citizen and the filing of the N-400 usually pushes them to process the I-751.
Rete
Nov 6th 2002, 11:12 pm
#9
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 14
thanks to all for the great advice...especially rita (who i always remember as giving excellent info/advice a couple of years ago when we were going through our initial steps...the information was invaluable!)
i guess i should have saved some of those old invitations, cards etc. with envelopes we received over the past two years...can't seem to find anything addressed to both of us now! with hindsight, i'd advise others to put those kind of things aside right after receiving your "conditional" status. i just didn't think of all this until recently.
my husband thinks i'm worrying without cause...he's sure i have gathered enough...and believes it shows we are still living together...and asks..."how can anyone prove they are happily married??"
anyway...i'm going with what i have...to my mind, it should convince anyone that we are a normal 50-something suburban couple with a normal married relationship. health insurance, auto insurance, joint tax statements, joint bank account ...all with both our names and same address...can't imagine that this wouldn't be enough...and the two affidavits from in-laws.
i'm glad to hear that the notification shouldn't take too long, at least, since we are planning a winter vacation to jamaica a week after my card expires...so i am hoping to get that letter and extension before we leave in late february!
i will check back with the board later with an update...in order to provide more info for others who are biting their fingernails too!
again...many thanks!
mikell
i guess i should have saved some of those old invitations, cards etc. with envelopes we received over the past two years...can't seem to find anything addressed to both of us now! with hindsight, i'd advise others to put those kind of things aside right after receiving your "conditional" status. i just didn't think of all this until recently.
my husband thinks i'm worrying without cause...he's sure i have gathered enough...and believes it shows we are still living together...and asks..."how can anyone prove they are happily married??"
anyway...i'm going with what i have...to my mind, it should convince anyone that we are a normal 50-something suburban couple with a normal married relationship. health insurance, auto insurance, joint tax statements, joint bank account ...all with both our names and same address...can't imagine that this wouldn't be enough...and the two affidavits from in-laws.
i'm glad to hear that the notification shouldn't take too long, at least, since we are planning a winter vacation to jamaica a week after my card expires...so i am hoping to get that letter and extension before we leave in late february!
i will check back with the board later with an update...in order to provide more info for others who are biting their fingernails too!
again...many thanks!
mikell
Nov 6th 2002, 11:59 pm
#10
Concierge
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 46,383
Originally posted by mikell
my husband thinks i'm worrying without cause...he's sure i have gathered enough...and believes it shows we are still living together...and asks..."how can anyone prove they are happily married??"
again...many thanks!
mikell
my husband thinks i'm worrying without cause...he's sure i have gathered enough...and believes it shows we are still living together...and asks..."how can anyone prove they are happily married??"
again...many thanks!
mikell
Enjoy your trip in February.
Rita
