If you are getting ready to file a marriage-based green card case or any other family-based petition, you may be wondering what information is required to show that your relationship is legitimate?
My name is Audra Doyle, and I'd like to talk about that today. This is actually a topic that I really enjoy discussing, and I have a lot of creative ideas that I will share with you to prove that your marriage is legitimate and real. We'll also talk a little bit about other relationships.
How to show that your relationship is legitimate
When immigration receives your marriage-based green card application, they come from a place where they feel suspicious of a lot of these cases. And it is your job to prove to immigration that this is not just a marriage to receive a green card, but a marriage based on love, admiration, and respect. And we need to show that you and your spouse are planning a future together.
Typical documents
So, let's dive into the documents that I normally recommend to my clients. The first thing is that if you have filed a joint tax return, we definitely submit that. We also look for other documents that are joint financial documents such as a bank account that includes both of your names. In addition, you should have the same home address and bills that have both of your names on them, including utility bills, cellphone bills, cable bills, even things like amazon prime or your Netflix subscription.
Memberships
The next thing I look for are memberships. So, if you have memberships in clubs such as Costco, or a gym membership, or even a church or mosque membership with both of your names, we submit those documents.
Insurance and more
The next category is related to insurance. We look to see if you have health insurance, car insurance, life insurance, renter’s insurance or home owner’s insurance together. Speaking of renting or home ownership, whether you rent or own, we definitely like to show both of your names on those documents.
Other options
And finally, there's another thing that I will look for if my clients are a little light on their other documents because not everyone is going to have everything. For example, if they already have children together, or even if they have a pet, and both of their names are on the pet’s adoption papers or on the veterinarian bills, we like to show those types of things as well. So definitely get creative with your documents. I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Relationships
Let's also talk about your relationship with other family members in cases other than a marriage-based application. To establish a relationship with other family members, for example, if you are filing for your parents, we have to show their names on your birth certificate to demonstrate that they are in fact your parents.
Fathers
This is especially true for fathers. If you’re filing for your father, you definitely need to show that the father has been in your life through the years. And sometimes I submit school records, or documents to show that the parent is paying for child support or for school tuition. We need to show that the father has been in the child's life. It's a little bit easier for the mother because everyone can tell who the mother is. After all, she had the baby.
Once again, I hope this information has been helpful to you. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me.