Filing Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, is a critical step for a conditional resident to become a 10-year green card holder. But petitioners should not overlook the importance of the supporting documents that they should send with Form I-751.
While it is necessary to file the I-751 petition within the 90-day period before the card expires, the supporting documentation that goes with the form is just as important.
Proof of a Bona Fide Marriage
You’ll need to submit proof that you have a bona fide marriage, but a marriage certificate isn’t enough. Submit evidence indicating that the marriage upon which you were granted conditional status was entered in “good faith” and was not for the purpose of circumventing immigration laws. There is no list of prescribed documents. It’s your job to come up with different documents that serve as evidence that you entered the marriage with the intent to stay married for a life time.
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Mistakes on your I-751 petition can cause costly delays or a denial.
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Submit copies of as many documents as you can to establish the merits of the relationship from the date of marriage to the present date, and to demonstrate any circumstances surrounding the end of the relationship, if it has ended.
All couples should consider this requirement from the beginning of the marriage. Proving a good faith marriage should start on day one so that you have sufficient evidence to send with Form I-751 for the purposes of establishing your genuine marriage.
The documents may include, but aren’t limited to, the following examples:
- Birth certificate(s) of child(ren) born to the marriage
- Lease or mortgage contracts showing joint occupancy and/or ownership of your communal residence
- Financial records showing joint ownership of assets and joint responsibility for liabilities
- Any other documents that you consider relevant to establish that your marriage was not entered for the purpose of evading U.S. immigration laws
- Photographs of married couple together
- Affidavits
All of the evidence above is made more effective if it starts at the time the marriage began up to the present time. Affidavits should be supported by other types of evidence listed above.
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