485 questions

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lexis300

Registered Users (C)
So ill be sending in my 485 next week and I have a couple of questions.

1. Do i need to staple the whole packet?
2. Is Cover letter necessary?
3. Do I need to make copies of my passport pages with my pictures and info. on it? I know I have to send visa pages, but is it necessary to also send info pages?
4. Do I also need to send marriage cert. with the 485?
5. Taxes, do I need copies to send for the last three years or just the previous year to send to them?

Thanks in advance. . .
 
I did a cover letter for the 485 and bullet listed everything I included in the packet and placed everything in that order. I made sure I double checked my list of stuff with what the 485 application says. You'll see pretty quickly that stapling won't help (way too much stuff!), so I bound everything with a folding clip. Cover letter also helps IO file easier and to recognize what type of file it is. Yes, copy your entire passport. Yes, you definitely need the marriage certificate (original is best). Tax stuff-they only require you to submit most recent tax year, you can send 3 years if you think it helps to prove consistent income. make sure (I made this mistake) that you send W2 / 1099s if you are submitting copies and not the tax transcripts.
 
lexis300 said:
So ill be sending in my 485 next week and I have a couple of questions.

1. Do i need to staple the whole packet?
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The whole thing together? No, I wouldn't.
2. Is Cover letter necessary?
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No.
3. Do I need to make copies of my passport pages with my pictures and info. on it? I know I have to send visa pages, but is it necessary to also send info pages?
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Yes.
4. Do I also need to send marriage cert. with the 485?
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A copy of it, yes.
5. Taxes, do I need copies to send for the last three years or just the previous year to send to them?
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Currently they only ask for the most recent tax return you have filed.
 
catjupp said:
Yes, copy your entire passport.
Yes, you definitely need the marriage certificate (original is best).
make sure (I made this mistake) that you send W2 / 1099s if you are submitting copies and not the tax transcripts.
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Only copies of first & last pages and stamped pages (if any) are required.
Send certified copy of marriage certificate.
Tax Transcript (free from IRS) are enough. W2/1099 are not required.
 
dr_lha said:
Actually you only need to send a copy of the "certified copy" of the marriage certificate!
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So, the "certified" copy is really the original one?
 
The original is held by the County Clerk's office, and you can never get your hands on that. What you can get off the clerks office for $10 (or whatever) is a "certified copy" which is a copy of the original, usually on special embossed paper with a stamp. You don't need to send this to USCIS, only a photocopy of it, i.e. a copy of the certified copy.

Confused? ;)

BTW - notarization has nothing to do with this, and no, nothing you send to USCIS has to be notarized any more.
 
Anahit said:
You mean notarized? And why?
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No, you need certified copy (not notarized).
You need to go to city office (where all records are kept). They issue certified copy of your certificate for small fee (usually costs around $15).
Photocopy of cerified copy would work, but you can't see stamp (embossed)on photocopy. Just to be safe, I sent the ceritified copy, though I'm sure that was not required.
 
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No "original" documents are required. If USCIS doubts the document is real, they will simply ask for the "original" at your interview.

I put "original" in quotes because of course in this case, the original is itself a copy. Note in the instructions UCSIS doesn't ask you to send a certified copy of your marriage certificate, but mearly a copy. ;)
 
Thank you dr_lha and int0928, for clarifying it for me.
One more question. Doesn't the married couple get a certified copy of certificate when they get married?
I put "original" in quotes because of course in this case, the original is itself a copy. Note in the instructions UCSIS doesn't ask you to send a certified copy of your marriage certificate, but mearly a copy.
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Doesn't this mean that you just need a copy of what you have?
 
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Anahit said:
Doesn't the married couple get a certified copy of certificate when they get married?

Doesn't this mean that you just need a copy of what you have?
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Original marriage certificate is kept at at county clerk office. Couple has to pay for certified copy. I didn't get original marriage certificate, though I have original marriage license.
Certified copy is basically photocopy of original certificate with county clerk office stamp on it.
 
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int0928 said:
Original marriage certificate is kept at at county clerk office. Couple has to pay for certified copy. I didn't get original marriage certificate, though I have original marriage license.
Certified copy is basically photocopy of original certificate with county clerk office stamp on it.
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OK. The one I am looking at right now, says:
County of Los Angeles Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
License and Certificate of Marriage...
It has 2 stamps at the bottom - county and state, and the county clerk's signature.
Looks like a certified copy to me.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. For my questions here is what im going to do.
1. I will be using ACCO fasteners or heavy clips and tabs on the bottom.
2. i will be using cover letter
3. i will be copying all of my passport pages
4. A copy of marriage cert. will be sent
5. Only recent tax will be sent out.

Once again thanks for all your replies. ;)
 
Copying all of your passport is a needless waste of trees. Just send in the info and visa pages.
 
485- guidelines

HI,

if you look at USCIS web site , it tells you to only send copy of passport pages that contains visa, only if if you have had a visa issued within the last year.
 
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