I-751, Removing Conditional Status
If you’ve been tracking our status, welcome back! I’ve had a long break but it’s time to revive those government form application skills. Almost two years after obtaining a green card, Kristien and I now must petition the Government to remove her conditional status. This means submitting a I-751 form.
The required form information is minimal: name, address, where we got married, a copy of her green card, and our signatures. There are other fields but the most important part is the evidence that proves your marriage is valid. We attached several pieces of information that would prove the marriage is not just for show.
- Bank statement showing the account is held in both of our names
- 2006 and 2007 tax returns, both filed jointly married
- Confirmation of our jointly-accessible safe deposit box
- Verification of car insurance; 1 car, 1 policy, two drivers
- Sworn affidavits from my parents that our marriage is, in fact, a real relationship.
We sent the forms, evidence, and $545 check via USPS certified mail. The check includes the cost of the form processing and a biometrics appointment, which is scheduled later.
Sent Form I-131
Form I-131, Application for Travel Document is used to obtain advanced parole. For a temporary resident to travel outside the United State and return without abandoning his or her visa status, this is necessary. It’s required for Kristien to travel back to Belgium before she officially has her status adjusted.
This is one of those e-forms you may have seen on the USCIS web site. The I-131 has a $170 fee. This isn’t cheap but waiting for the I-485 to process to completion isn’t viable with our current plans.
Even though the form is e-filed, supporting documents are required. You’ll also have to send:
- Confirmation Receipt of E-filing form I-131
- 2 passport photos
- Copy of I-797, Notice of Action
- Copy of I-797, Notice of Action, ASC Appointment Notice
- Copy of driver’s license
- Copy of passport information page
It’s nice to have the driver’s license because it serves as another layer of identification for government forms. The burden for this document wasn’t bad. The online aspect expedites delivery but it also generates the actual I-131 as a PDF for your own records.
Sent I-485
Today we submitted to the government Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This has been, by far, the most expensive form fee ($395). Aside from the original petition for the K-1 visa, it also required the most work in terms of preparation. The package included the following:
- Personal check ($395) for I-485 and biometric services
- Form I-485
- Copy of birth certificate (front and back)
- Translation of birth certificate
- Copy of K-1 passport with non-immigrant visa
- Two passport style photos (in bag attached to form G-325A)
- Copy of medical exam with vaccination record
- Form G-325A
- Copy of Form I-94 (front and back)
- Form I-864 Affidavit of Support
- Most recent pay stub
- Signed verification from employer
- Tax returns for the years 2003 – 2005 with W-2s
- Copy of Form I-797 NOA 2 (approval of I-129F Petition)
- Copy of marriage certificate (dated March 1, 2006)
All forms now reflect Kristien’s new married name.
The 485 has very specific instructions. I found conflicting information on where to submit the form but it ultimately went to Chicago. In one instance I found a government web page that said to submit to the Local USCIS office. Fortunately, the page was dated and was older than the form’s information. Also, the form is electronically fillable, which saves a lot of time.
The translation of the birth certificate need not be professionally done. Simply attach a signed statement attesting that the person submitting is fluent or competent in the English language.
The I-864 is not fillable from the USCIS web site. I went to Visa Journey and found a fillable version and compared the two. They were exactly the same. This is one form that caused a lot of work. The reason is because I needed the three most recent tax years for supporting documentation. That means 2005 taxes had to be completed. Another delay was getting the Notary stamp and signature.
For something including this much information take it directly to the post office, send it certified mail with a delivery receipt. The peace of mind is well worth it.
I-129F packet is complete
Saturday afternoon I finished printing and copying the petition packet for Kristien. Not including dividers, the end result is 49 pages. A lot of preparation helped to speed the process. I sorted through all the photos, e-mails, and travel documents I wanted to include. Scanning documents and pasting them into Word took the longest amount of time. Also, picking appropriate e-mails from the several hundred over the past five years was no small task.
Here’s what I included:
- USPS Money Order for $165
- Cover Letter
- I-129F
- I-129F Supplement
- G-325A (Petitioner)
- G-325A (Beneficiary)
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
- Letters of Intent to Marry
- Photographs
- Receipts and Travel Documents
- E-mails
It’s going in the mail tomorrow, certified, with a return receipt.