No Marriage Evidence Cuz We Just Got Married

USCIS is tricky.

They know that some people apply for a green card based on a recent marriage.

And they know that you won’t get your social security number until they give you work authorization.

So how in the heck are you supposed to get a bank account or sign a lease if you don’t have the identity documents needed.

In today’s video, Jim teaches about the difference between the marriage evidence that you need to initially file the case as compared to the marriage evidence that you should be able to bring to your interview towards the end of the processing of your case.

BONUS: Jim also talks about how USCIS really likes to pull one more trick on these recently married folks. Tune in.

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[lejlaland]

Thank you for creating videos like these! By the way, our I-130 got approved the week of Thanksgiving!!! Now working on the green card application. What a relief because it was beyond processing times. I guess our expedite requests ( 3 of them lol) and contacting our senator did help! :) Good luck to everyone currently in the process!

[besphotos]

Thanks for the info. I am in similar situation but I did not get EAD and SSN in order to work and get more documents before interview, the officer said, we don’t have enough evidence and up to date, status of case is completed and must be reviewed. Documents submitted at the interview were lease agreement, marriage certificate, pictures of our marriage ceremony and other pictures with friends, evidences of wedding cards from friends. What’s your advice? Grateful for your response

[SeanCox]

Hi Jim! I hope you’re well. This was one of my fears. But, I’d really like to know what people who are going through consular processing can do with regards to marital evidence. Obviously, people who go through consular processing don’t receive a SSN until they enter the US. What happens to those people bud?

[brunogrande]

What if we married abroad ? I`m from Brazil and she`s from the US. I don`t have a social security so can`t have bank accounts or any of that, I do have tons of evidence of meeting, family, friends and etc, but financial ones I`m super thin.

[ColdWarrior]

Hi, Jim. Enjoy watching your videos, but I do find to be rather unfairly cynical of USCIS at times. As one with years of adjudicative experience, I can tell you that the delay between the EAD being issued and the I-130/I-485 interviews being scheduled is certainly not intentional. USCIS is not out to get people, figuratively speaking, especially with the change in administration. I find the current administration is far more pro-applicant than pro-adjudicator, and as the old Mayorkas sayings go, "Get to yes" and "Why focus on finding fraud when you could focus more on approvals", (loosely quoted, he told a group of ISOs at the California Service Center that.)

For the reasons you mentioned in your video, (i.e. not being able to open up a bank account, not being sign a lease without a SSN), we understand that and find it just as frustrating as you and the applicants. Yes, every now and then you'll encounter unpleasant ISOs (same as when you encounter unpleasant people in any walk of life), but as adjudicators, we're constantly hounded for numbers (approvals) by management, and nothing is more frustrating than having to continue a case for an RFE for bona fides (and then having to justify to your supervisor and director why you continued the case) because management believes the quickest way to get numbers is by scheduling applicants as soon as possible. At my duty station, our Chief of Staff began advising ISOs to approve cases with nothing but a marriage certificate and proof of U.S. citizenship as evidence. Although I've had this happen with nearly every case since the Biden administration took office, I've observed that many couples are still able to provide ample documentation of a bona fide marriage that do not involve finances, and I have still put my approval stamp on them. Anyways, sorry for the rant, and I hope you don't mind commentary from the "other side" of the immigration world.

And of course, have to include the disclaimer in here. My opinions in no way reflect the views of the agency.

[focuson]

Thanks for your advice.
I have an emergency, i need to talk you.tell me how i can do it

[patrickgray]

good day how long after your married should you start your filing documents ?

[fatunbi]

Hey, what about marriage overseas? How can family or friends attest our marriage?? please and thank you!

[tondabago]

Hello I'm a US citizen and my man is from Yemen we getting married in Egypt in September how soon can I work on getting my man to the US

[eslamtarek]

how long it take i-130 for a spouse applied by a us citizen in Nebraska service center to be approved after it been under actively reviewing

[Ohemaa-ricalia]

Hello sir,

We starting filing our spouse petition in September 2022. We didn’t know it’s not than that way. we got married in December 2022.

Our case has been denied.
What do we do now please?

[shaniquethomas]

Can you be married to someone who's in a different state and would live in separate states for a few years?

[Joeystv]

So I proved wedding pictures on the evidence of relationship would I put more of my wedding pictures for my bona vide marriage

[akpanmoses]

what if my spouse lives abroad ? what evidence can I provide?