This blog will focus on staying organized before your upcoming USCIS interview and tips on what type of evidence to gather for the marriage based green card process. Don't wait till the last minute!
If you have been handling the paperwork for your immigration case by yourself so far, it may be wise to make an exact copy of what you submitted to USCIS. This will help you keep track of what was already submitted. You may run into receiving a Request for Evidence ("RFE") issued by USCIS asking you to submit evidence that may have been previously provided. I know, it can be frustrating. But believe it or not, this does happen.
Maybe the RFE is requesting new evidence that wasn't provided before. Don't panic! Just read the document line by line to see what is being requested. Respond to the RFE in a timely manner providing the requested documents.
If you respond to the RFE, you will want to make sure you have a copy of the notice itself and your exact submission to USCIS. Keep all of this in the same folder or file you put in the initial application with the supporting evidence. Two words: Stay organized. Waiting till the last minute will only cause you more anxiety and frustration. Plus, if you want to retain an immigration attorney to accompany you for the interview, you will have the file ready to be reviewed so neither side is wasting precious time!
If you are a newly wed couple or you have been married for more than 2 years but did not have enough evidence to submit to USCIS during the initial stage of filing the applications, don't worry. Here is a list of evidence you may start gathering while your marriage based green card process is pending, including but not limited to:
(1) Joint tax returns
(2) Affidavits from friends or family that attended your wedding
(3) Affidavit from your pastor at church
(4) Evidence of joint bank accounts and credit card statements
(5) Joint auto insurance
(6) Health insurance
(7) Life insurance with your spouse listed as the beneficiary
(8) Cell phone bills reflecting a shared cell phone plan
(9) Proof of vacation or honeymoon together
(10) Gift receipts of any purchases for each other
(11) Anniversary, wedding, valentine day cards for each other
(12) Photographs during the marriage with friends and family
(13) Mortgage or lease agreement with both names mentioned
(14) Driver's license with same address listed for both
(15) Birth certificate if you have child together during the marriage
Make sure to have the original documents with you when you appear at the interview and to save even more time, having a set of copies to hand to the interviewing officer will be helpful. The main focus is to stay on top of your paperwork so you don't deal with more delays.
(This blog was written by Attorney Poonam Minhas to provide general information on how you can stay organized when filing applications with USCIS. It is always recommended that you work with an experienced immigration attorney if you have any complications or need guidance on how to navigate the immigration process in the United States. Should you have any questions pertaining to your particular case, you may contact an experienced immigration attorney for a consultation.)
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