kthx

Hi guys,

I am basically done with my package. One question: do you think tax transcripts you receive from IRS are good enough or should I send tax documents we got from work too? They would have our addresses and stuff.

And second, could you look and see if this cover letter looks good and whether I am missing something?

The contents of the package:
- Form I-751
- Copy of the permanent resident card
- Copy of the marriage certificate
- Copies of the drivers licenses
- Copies of joint tax returns for the years of 2007 and 2008
- House insurance for the years of 2007 through 2009
- Employer letters verifying our employment in the same company
- Copies of insurance listing both of our names on both cars spanning 08/05/2008 through 02/05/2010
- Copies of companies life insurance plans listing each other as beneficiaries
- Copy of the sales contract for the house we bought together in November 14, 2007
- Copy of the mortgage documents for the house
- Bills for 2007: paychecks; joint checking account statement; dentist bills spanning 2007-2009; electric bills; letter from the landlord to verify we lived together Feb 22nd – May 10th in 2007 prior moving to Dallas; copy of the receipt for the insurance claim made by Daisy (while being beneficiary on John's account)
- Bills for 2008: paychecks; cable TV bills; electric bills; car payment bills; joint checking account statements; tax statements for the property tax on the house; homeowners association bill; car registration receipts; home insurance.
- Bills for 2009: paychecks; cell phone bills; electric bills; car payment bills; trash service bills; home owner’s association bill; joint checking account statements; cable TV bills; car registration receipts.
- Additional documents: pictures spanning years 2005 – 2009; copies of boarding passes for our recent vacation to San Francisco; 2 letters from our friends attesting to our marriage.

ian-mstm

Transcripts will be sufficient... and USCIS prefers them.


Looks good to me!

Ian

Matthew Udall

If you are using an attorney, don’t forget the G-28 and I think it is nice if the attorney includes a copy of his or her current bar card on the top of the filing. Also, I didn’t see the filing fee on your list.

You certainly have a lot of good evidence. Usually that is not a bad thing, but I’m also in favor of finding a balance between submitting a “well documented” submission vs. a submission that engages in “overkill”.

I was touring the division that processes I-751s at the CSC a few years ago, and I asked the officer how they decide which I-751s they are “not” going to adjudicate and instead send to the local CIS office for another spousal interview. She said they randomly select a number of cases (usually around 10%) to send to the local office as a form of quality control, and they also forward cases where the officer suspects fraud. But she then said that the officers are “only human” and sometimes an officer will pull a case that is too thick (overkill) and will refer that case for another interview at the local office. They really “shouldn’t” do that, but sometimes an officer will take the position, “hey, let the local office deal with this one”.

Oh, and don’t be a binder boy.

Edit to add a bit more: Also, when I submit a copy of the permanent resident card, I usually submit a copy of the front and back of the card. Seems silly, but better safe than sorry.

jeffreyhy

Hi Matt,

Doesn't seem silly at all given that the I-751 instructions say "Submit copies of both front and back sides of the card."

I know you don't put your trip reports in the public area of your web site any longer, but do you continue to make visits to the various CIS facilities?

Regards, JEff

kthx

Not using an attorney. Yep, I didn't write the check yet, will do tonight.

However, do you think my application is overkill? Should I remove some documents? I just sorted the documents the way they are seen in here: required documents such as green card copy, marriage certificate and then main supporting documents such as tax transcripts, house mortgage, insurance. And then bills and different correspondence for years 2007, 2008, 2009 and then "additional docs" with pics and some copies of boarding passes. I labeled them with stickies.

What do you mean by that?

Yep, did that

Matthew Udall

The entire website is down and has been for a while, but its going back up soon. I actually didn't mind not having it up for the past few months. Business still came in, and I did a bit of traveling this past 9 months. Last trip (end of July through mid August) was a stint in Michigan where my fiancée and I married.

I visit facilities whenever possible, and read the AILA liaison reports so I can still keep up (although the reports sometime don't contain the same K-1/family based questions I ask when I go for a visit). Right now there is an invitation for AILA members to tour the Nebraska Service Center. I've been so many times, I'm not sure I'll go again this year.

meauxna

Well congratulations to you, how exciting!!

A toast to many years of happiness for you and your missus, Matt!

Noorah101

Congratulations, Matt!

Noorah101

It means don't hole-punch and put everything in a binder. Just clip everything together with a bulldog clip.

Rene

Matthew Udall

Thanks Meauxna and Rene. Yes, exciting times. Northern Michigan in beautiful, and we also had fun driving through parts of the upper peninsula and visiting Mackinaw Island after the ceremony. Lots of traveling this year…. From Key West to Anchorage with many points in between. My bride has been on sabbatical over the past 9 months, so that gave us the opportunity to travel a bit.

To the OP, Rene is correct about my binder boy comment. Don’t make it difficult for them. If they have to disassemble your submission only to put it in the proper order and format, then you increase the odds of them losing an item or two during that process.

kthx

Yes, I just used paper clips, to separate "sections". But as for my question: do I have overkill case on my hand or should I just keep it this way?

Matthew Udall

Swing by the office so I can look it over. But seriously, how much you submit is a judgment call you have to make. I can’t do that for you. Sorry.

And to add a bit to the binder boy comment, its not just fasteners and hole punches. I don’t think it is a wise idea to use those clear pages (or perhaps sleeves is a better way to describe this) with evidence inserted into the clear sleeve. They just have to take it all apart, which again increases the chance for lost items. Best of luck with your case.

jeffreyhy

Matt,

Congratulations!

Which reminds me of another question - do you still brew? And if so, is she going to let you continue now that it's her kitchen?

Cheers, JEff

Matthew Udall

I just noticed the “stickies” comment. One of the first things that happens with a case is that it goes through the pre-sorting process (right after the slit and peek process). The pre-sorting process (at least this is how it was the last time I visited) consists of perhaps a dozen (or fewer) contract workers sitting around a big table that they all share where they pull everything apart and reassemble cases in the format they want. Part of that process is to remove any tabs (I know they sometimes talk about “where” to put the tab, but from what I can tell they usually just remove them). This is probably the part of the process where items can be most easily lost from the file. Their pile of papers (from pulled apart cases) is sometimes a jumbled mess.

Instead of tabs, I will for example, make copies of photos I want to submit in my client’s case. I’ll staple those photocopy pages together. I’ll then label the first of the photo pages using a pen and I’ll highlight that notation with bright yellow ink. There is no way they are removing “that”.

Matthew Udall

I haven't brewed for a couple of years now. Too busy, and I still have boxes to unpack from my move to Sacramento in January 08. But I did make a lot of progress on those boxes this past weekend.

Lots of other changes. I just couldn't resist the temptation of getting $4500 out of my old decrepit Jimmy, so I traded it in on the last day of the CARS program and bought a shinny new Nissan Cube. Weird looking car, but a lot of fun.