One of the most popular immigration processes in the United States is applying for a Green Card through a U.S. Citizen spouse. This process raises many questions such as how long the process will take, what are the requirements, what documents are needed, etc. However, perhaps the most popular question that we receive from clients is “how to prove that someone has a bona fide relationship with their U.S. Citizen spouse?”.

First, it’s important to understand what a bona fide marriage is. A bona fide marriage is a marriage that is entered into in good faith and not for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits. This essentially means that the marriage must be legitimate and that the couple must be doing what a normal married couple usually does. But what does a normal married usually do?

Most importantly, USCIS believes a normal married couple should be sharing a home together and be sharing financial resources. Additionally, USCIS reviews other factors such as whether the couple is holding themselves as being married out to the public and whether the couple is spending time together and is engaging in activities as a family. Though, USCIS can essentially take any type of evidence as consideration to prove whether they have a bona fide marriage.

Nevertheless, the following are specific examples of evidence that may be submitted to prove a bona fide marriage: wedding and engagement photographs, joint bank account statements, joint tax returns, joint credit card, joint utility bills, joint lease or mortgage agreements, birth certificates of any children born to the marriage, travel itineraries, affidavits from friends and family.

Do you want to learn more what bona fide marriage means or about the Green Card application? Call us at (915) 314-2363 to schedule a consultation!