When applying for a marriage green card, how can we prove we live together?

Question: I am applying to adjust status on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen. We have been living together for two years. How can we prove we live together? 

Answer: You will need to provide as much documentary evidence as possible showing that you and your spouse share the same address. 

Why do you need to prove cohabitation to USCIS?

When you apply for a marriage green card, you must prove that you and your spouse have a bona fide relationship, which means a relationship entered for love and not primarily to obtain an immigration benefit. When determining whether a relationship is bona fide, one of the most important factors that USCIS considers is whether the couple lives together. Thus, the parties must submit evidence of cohabitation with their application.

What evidence can I use to prove cohabitation to USCIS?

There are many ways to prove to USCIS that you and your spouse live together. Common forms of evidence that demonstrate cohabitation include:

  • Deed to property that includes both spouses’ names,
  • Mortgage or loan documents that include both spouses’ names,
  • Property insurance cards, agreements, or statements that include both spouse’s names and display the same address,
  • A lease agreement that includes both spouses’ names,
  • Utility bills that include both spouse’s names and display the same address: electricity, water, gas, trash, cable, internet, and phone bills,
  • Driver’s licenses of both spouses that display the same address,
  • Bank statements of both spouses that display the same address,
  • Life and health insurance statements that include both spouse’s names and display the same address,
  • Correspondence to both spouses that displays the same address,
  • Affidavits from family, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and others that attest to the fact that both spouses share the same address. 

If you have lived together at more than one address, you should provide evidence of cohabitation at your prior addresses. 

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