Evidence of Bona Fide Marriage for I-130 Petition

To acquire a inexperienced card in your partner, you’ll begin the method by submitting Kind I-130, Petition for Alien Relative with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Providers (USCIS). Additionally, you will must submit proof of a bona fide marriage. “Bona fides” is Latin and interprets to “good religion.” It’s often utilized in a authorized context to explain one thing as being real. This goes past submitting a wedding certificates. Misunderstanding can result in a denial. We’ll clarify why.

Submitting the I-130 petition is simply step one within the family-based immigration course of. It’s essential that you just set up a legitimate spousal relationship at this level, but additionally time and again. USCIS officers are further cautious granting inexperienced playing cards to spouses of the U.S. petitioner.

In reality, immigration officers will ask further questions in regards to the relationship in the course of the inexperienced card interview. As a conditional resident, the scrutiny will proceed. A wedding certificates is important, however extra proof is required to show a bona fide marriage. It’s by no means too early to start gathering this proof.

CitizenPath helps our clients by means of this course of. Along with serving to you put together the I-130 petition, you’ll get submitting directions personalized in your solutions on the petition. Our service gives an inventory of particular paperwork so that you can submit together with your I-130 petition. Clients that use our service get a money-back assure of approval.

What’s a bona fide marriage?

A bona fide marriage is one that’s actual. Every partner is genuinely in love with the opposite and each intend to remain collectively eternally. That is in distinction to a wedding that was entered for the needs of circumventing immigration legal guidelines – in any other case generally known as a fraudulent marriage or sham marriage.

USCIS is extraordinarily efficient at figuring out fraudulent marriages. It’s essential that you just show to USCIS that your marriage is the true deal. A wedding certificates is just a doc that proves you might be married. It doesn’t display the way you and your partner are literally planning to dwell a life collectively. You’ll want to offer copies of different paperwork that show your bona fide marriage. If attainable, you’ll need to show that you’re residing collectively, becoming a member of your funds, spending time collectively, and maybe having youngsters. These are good indicators that your marriage is the true factor.

Instance Proof to Show a Bona Fide Marriage

You will want to submit a number of supporting paperwork as a part of your I-130 petition bundle. Proof of your bona fide marriage is a giant half. This text gives an exhaustive record of examples, but it surely’s not crucial that you just embody all the things. In lots of circumstances, notably for not too long ago married {couples}, it can might not be attainable to acquire many of those paperwork.

For those who and your associate haven’t but married however are exploring the potential for a inexperienced card, now could be the time to begin gathering proof. As you progress by means of your engagement, marriage, and eventual transfer to america, take into account the record that follows. You possibly can proactively accumulate the proof you’ll must show a real, bona fide marriage.

Joint Possession or Lease of Property

Joint possession of actual property or different main property is compelling proof of a bona fide marriage. When you’ve got owned property collectively (previous or current), collect proof equivalent to a deed displaying each spouses’ names. Different related paperwork might embody the acquisition contract, closing papers, mortgage settlement, mortgage account statements, property tax payments, residence restore paperwork, and utility payments.

For those who leased property collectively, collect proof of the rental settlement, hire receipts, utility payments, and any correspondence between you and the owner. Examples of paperwork to show a bona fide marriage might embody:

• Lease agreements or mortgages in each spouses’ names that exhibits you lived collectively and/or have leased or purchased property collectively.
• When a joint lease or property deed isn’t attainable, ask your landlord to put in writing a letter that each spouses dwell on the house. Or present hire receipts displaying each spouses’ names.
• Copies of gasoline, electrical, phone, web and different utility payments.
• Auto registrations displaying joint possession or addresses.
• Copies of each spouses’ drivers licenses displaying an identical deal with
• Letters from family and friends addressed to both partner or each spouses and mailed to an deal with the place you have been residing collectively. The letters may also help present proof of a relationship however ought to ideally embody a postmarked envelope to show you lived collectively.
• Letters between the couple earlier than the wedding, together with the postmarked envelope.

Joint Monetary Property

When you’ve got a financial institution or different monetary account collectively, present the data–from the account opening data to the present account assertion. Somebody who’s “faking” a wedding for the needs of getting a inexperienced card is mostly not prepared to mix monetary property. That’s why these are sturdy examples of a bona fide marriage:

• Joint financial institution statements (checking or financial savings accounts).
• Proof that one partner has made the opposite a beneficiary on his or her retirement account (e.g. 401(okay), pension, and so on.)
• Different funding accounts (e.g. shares, mutual funds, and so on.)

Joint Accountability for Monetary Liabilities and Welfare

It’s significant to point out that you just share duty for monetary loans, different monetary liabilities, and are typically taking steps to take care of one another’s long-term welfare. Examples of paperwork that present you’ve taken on debt collectively or have insurance coverage collectively embody:

• Joint earnings tax returns filed with federal, state or native authorities.
• Bank card statements that embody the names of each spouses.
• Loans or credit score traces for an car or main buy (e.g. home equipment) that embody the names of each spouses.
• Wire transfers, financial institution transfers, or checks from one partner to the opposite.
• Proof that one partner has made the opposite a beneficiary on his or her life or medical insurance.
• Different insurance coverage statements for auto, life, residence, or renter’s insurance coverage.
• Letter from an employer displaying designation of the partner because the particular person to be notified in occasion of an emergency.
• Wills, trusts, or energy of legal professional, naming each spouses.

Proof of Elevating Youngsters Collectively

Having youngsters collectively positively isn’t a requirement. Some {couples} going by means of the immigration course of might have been married for a number of years or have youngsters from a earlier marriage. Examples of paperwork that present you might be elevating youngsters collectively embody however should not restricted to:

• Start certificates(s) of kid(ren) born to the wedding (with each dad and mom named on certificates)
• Medical data from a physician that claims you might be pregnant or are in search of fertility remedy
• Adoption certificates displaying that you just’ve adopted a toddler collectively
• College or medical data for the kid itemizing the stepparent as an emergency contact

Proof of Relationship and Shared Actions

After all, a conjugal relationship is about greater than financial institution accounts and long-term monetary planning. Plus, you most likely don’t have many mixed financials for those who’re younger and not too long ago married. Your relationship most likely contains many actual moments which might be proof of your real affection for one another. Your experiences with each other in addition to family and friends rely for one thing. Examples embody:

• Proof of journeys the couple has taken collectively or to go to each other, together with payments and receipts reflecting lodge stays, automobile rental, aircraft tickets, or excursions collectively whereas on the journey. You may additionally present corresponding passport stamps for those who traveled collectively.
• Proof of any correspondence between spouses, together with letters, birthday and vacation playing cards, telephone payments, e mail, Fb conversations or another social media account.
• Receipts from items that you just purchased for each other (equivalent to items of affection or marriage ceremony rings).
• Proof of wedding-related bills or correspondence with distributors equivalent to marriage ceremony costume, groom’s swimsuit, catering, flowers, leisure, videographer or photographer. Ideally, the receipt ought to title the couple and day of the occasion.
• Different proof of the marriage equivalent to invites, marriage ceremony sign-in e book, spiritual certificates, or a newspaper announcement of the engagement and marriage ceremony.
• Start certificates of youngsters born into the connection or medical data from a physician that claims you might be pregnant or are in search of fertility remedy.
• Images that present each spouses collectively, ideally with household and mates. Ideally the images will span all through the connection, earlier than the wedding, in the course of the marriage ceremony, and after the marriage. It’s possible you’ll assemble the images in an album with a textual content field to explain the context of the picture. Describe the why, when, the place, who of the picture.

Basic Steerage

Until in any other case indicated in your submitting directions, copies of the paperwork listed above are acceptable. Extra proof is mostly higher. However don’t overwhelm immigration officers with a stack of paperwork to type by means of. If the paperwork are voluminous, present a consultant pattern. For instance, when you’ve got a joint checking account for the 2 years that you just’ve been married, submit one assertion for each three months. Embrace the oldest, most present, and a sampling from the center. For images and different communication, use a spread that spans the size of your relationship and incorporates essentially the most persuasive proof of a bona fide relationship. When getting ready proof for his or her shoppers, most immigration legal professionals will even arrange proof in separate classes (equivalent to those listed above) and kind into divided, labeled sections. You need to use a easy cowl sheet for every part.

Acquiring paperwork from the above record could be troublesome for a lot of new {couples} that haven’t lived collectively for very lengthy or are within the strategy of relocating to america. On this state of affairs, it’s comprehensible you’ll have much less documentation proving that you just’ve co-mingled monetary sources and extra consideration might be on different proof. For {couples} with out plenty of proof, letters from family and friends may also help make the distinction. These letters of assist used for authorized functions are generally known as affidavits.
 

Affidavit for Bona Fide Marriage

Affidavits are letters from third events (mates, household, spiritual leaders, neighbors, and so on.) that may present written testimony of the bona fides of the conjugal relationship. Every affidavit should comprise the complete title and deal with of the particular person making the affidavit and date and place of origin of the particular person making the affidavit. Moreover, it ought to embody full data and particulars explaining how the particular person acquired his or her information of your marriage. This is a chance for the affidavit writer to clarify why she or he believes your marriage is the true factor. The writer can write about his or her experiences with you, attendance on the marriage ceremony, information of your plans for the longer term or another anecdote that demonstrates you’ve a bona fide marriage.

RECOMMENDED: I-130 Affidavit Pattern for Spouses

Most Vital Proof for a Bona Fide Relationship

USCIS weighs some proof extra closely than different proof. In different phrases, they may take into account a few of your paperwork to be extra convincing proof of a bona fide marriage as in comparison with different paperwork. Typically, proof that exhibits you might be combining your monetary life collectively is powerful proof. Paperwork equivalent to joint tax returns, financial institution accounts, and life insurance coverage are nice. These are actually arduous to faux. Alternatively, images, love letters, journey, and affidavits carry much less weight. A very decided particular person might faux these things.

Purple Flags for a Fraudulent Marriage

Some components in your relationship is usually a purple flag for immigration officers. They establish components that point out the potential for a faux or fraudulent marriage. Based on the Adjudicators Subject Guide (AFM), a information previously utilized by USCIS officers to make determinations on immigration circumstances, there are a number of components that might warning indicators of attainable marriage fraud. If a number of of the next conditions applies to your relationship, it’s seemingly that your case will obtain some further scrutiny:

• Massive disparity of age;
• Incapacity of petitioner and beneficiary to talk one another’s language;
• Huge distinction in cultural and ethnic background;
• Household and/or mates unaware of the wedding;
• Marriage organized by a 3rd occasion;
• Marriage contracted instantly following the beneficiary’s apprehension or receipt of notification to depart america;
• Discrepancies in statements on questions for which a husband and spouse ought to have frequent information;
• No cohabitation since marriage (though there could be legitimate causes);
• Beneficiary is a buddy of the household;
• Petitioner has filed earlier petitions in behalf of overseas nationals, particularly prior spouses.

By themselves, these components won’t disqualify you. There could be reputable explanations. You’ll should be prepared to clarify these variations and discrepancies. And extra persuasive proof of a bona fide marriage needs to be submitted with the Kind I-130 petition. In these conditions, you might also need to take into account a session with an immigration lawyer.

Inexperienced Card Interview

Regardless when you’ve got your inexperienced card interview at U.S. embassy (consular processing) or USCIS workplace (adjustment of standing), the subject of a bona fide marriage will come up once more. The immigration official will ask questions till she or he is happy that you’ve got a legitimate, good-faith marriage and earlier than granting any immigration profit. You possibly can anticipate the officer to ask questions equivalent to:

• The place and the way did you meet?
• Who proposed marriage and the way?
• What actions do you get pleasure from doing collectively?
• What did you serve at your marriage ceremony (to eat or drink)?
• Do you utilize contraception (contraception)? If that’s the case, what type?
• Do the 2 of you attend common spiritual companies? The place and when?
• Have you ever met your partner’s household?

Once you attend the inexperienced card interview, take a duplicate of the I-130 petition that was filed in your behalf, copies of all of the proof that you just submitted, and up to date copies of statements and paperwork if relevant.

Eradicating Situations on Residence

In case your marriage is lower than two years previous on the time you might be granted a inexperienced card, you’ll be designated a conditional everlasting resident. USCIS will situation a two-year inexperienced card (as an alternative of the conventional 10-year inexperienced card). After two years as a conditional resident, you’ll must file Kind I-751, Petition to Take away Situations on Residence, with a purpose to convert to a lawful everlasting resident with a 10-year inexperienced card. In the course of the petition course of, and presumably an I-751 interview, you’ll once more want to offer proof of your bona fide marriage. Once you put together for this course of and proactively collect the paperwork that you just’ll want, it’s very attainable to keep away from the interview.

RECOMMENDED: Suggestions for Avoiding the I-751 Interview After Conditional Residence

About CitizenPath

CitizenPath gives easy, reasonably priced, step-by-step steering by means of USCIS immigration functions. People, attorneys and non-profits use the service on desktop or cell gadget to arrange immigration varieties precisely, avoiding pricey delays. CitizenPath permits customers to strive the service at no cost and gives a 100% money-back assure that USCIS will approve the appliance or petition. We offer assist for the Petition for Alien Relative (Kind I-130), Adjustment of Standing Software (Kind I-485), Petition to Take away Situations of Residence (Kind I-751), and a number of other different USCIS varieties.

Word to Reader: This submit was initially printed on Could 9, 2017, and has been modified with enhancements.