How far back do i need to provide evidence that my marriage is genuine?

[JaneGat]

Soooo....My husband and i have talked quiet a bit online...im just wondering how far back do i need to show that we have been keeping in contact throughout our relationship. Like do i start when we got married? Or before that? Cause right now i have about 355 pages of FB chat since last year August till this year in May. I also have MSN history of that long too..not sure how many pages but pretty sure its gonna be close to the same amount haha. Im also providing phone records ( we talk on the phone about 6 hours each day....yay for unlimited long distance calling lol ), text messages, and also receipts to show that we have bought xbox live to play together online haha....so yeaa...if anyone can tell me how much i should limit to the chat history..that would be awesome..
Umm also i stayed with him from December 2011 until June 2012.....and while he was at work we also talked on fb chat haha..so do i need to show them that? or just prove to them that i was there with him...and then not print out a whole bunch of pages of chat history

 

[NBaker]

Try to put yourself in the position of the person(s) reviewing your file who doesn't know you at all. What would you need to prove you are in a genuine relationship?

Are all those pages likely to be read? I wonder. Would evidence of all kinds from as many sources, people to support your relationship not be of assistance - perhaps stronger than hundreds of pages between only two individuals.

By all means submit all of those, but do not rely only on that and telephone calls to provide proof. Corroboration from other verifiable, credible sources are likely to be helpful.

 

[Pippin]

People put engagement and wedding announcements in newspapers (is that too old school these days?) Reference letter from the Minister who married you and can vouch that you took a marriage preparation course if you did. I doubt that I would be convinced that a couple were married if their main purchase was an xbox, LOL. What about rental agreement with both names, utility bills, joint bank/credit card statements, car insurance, pictures of special occasions with family (each Christmas?) How far back does the relationship go that you can show evidence? As NBaker states, and a favourite suggestion of mine as well, think like a VO, not only in WHAT evidence you provide, but the QUANTITY (would YOU want to scroll through a pile of someone else's chats? If you do send them, perhaps select an old one, from start of relationship and a couple in between to show planning of wedding, etc)

 

[JaneGat]

hmmmm alright, thanks guys for the help!

Does everything have to be paper form? Or can i send in a CD with a video on it...cause i have written him songs and then recorded myself singing it for him...haha...which would be pretty embarrassing if someone else saw it...but if i can include it that would be alright lol but i have a feeling that its only paper stuff and no storage devices whatsoever

 

[Pippin]

I think you can rest comfortably that the VO does not need to witness the CD. What evidence do you have other than electronic evidence between the two of you? I think that is where you need to focus. Either you are extremely young or you are missing the seriousness of this exercise. If you list the time line and evidence you have accumulated to date, perhaps others can give you some suggestions of where to strengthen your position.

 

[JaneGat]

Well i know this is serious but i just wanted to send in everything i have since they might think this marriage isnt genuine considering we met online lol, but since we dont live together...we dont have a joint bank acc like normal couples do, or anything that we both have signed together. We have been married since January this year, and have known him since 2009.

So far i have...
-Facebook chat logs that go back to June 2010 till now
-MSN history that goes back until September 2010
-Seaworld receipts and pictures that we went there together
-Also a ton of bus/trolley tickets cause we explored his city alot when i was with him for 6 months
-Wedding pictures and pictures with his family, and my family (but not that many .. )
-Im currently saving my text message history, so that has just started being saved.
-Also just started keeping track of our call history to one another
-Im getting my mom to write a letter about how our relationship is genuine.
-We took about 1700 pictures together.........but im guessing they just dont want to see pics of just us...they want to see a lot of pics with his and my family with us ..right?

I dont know if anyone would know this...but is there a way to set up a bank account with both Canada and USA joined accounts? I cant find any info on it at all..
But i still have about 7 months until i have to prove that my marriage is genuine...so if i keep on saving everything that im saving right now...im gonna end up with SOOOOO much to send lol. so..chat history...send them a couple convos a month to show that we have been keeping in contact?

Thanks so much for your help, i really appreciate it!!!

 

[Pippin]

OK...now we're getting somewhere. You were together for 6 months. Haul out the receipts for shared living expenses (rent, utilities, insurance in both names, etc), date stamped envelopes bearing both your names or several different envelopes/documents showing you both residing at the same address in that 6 month period. Receipts for wedding expenses. Copy of an invitation along with receipt for printing showing the date. References from people unrelated to your family. I guess where I am coming from is, it is easy enough to save/create history from now onward, it is the nuts and bolts stuff of everyday living that provides the most convincing proof of a genuine relationship as opposed to holidaying with a boyfriend.

 

[JaneGat]

Only problem is that i dont have my name on any shared living expenses. The only mail i got was from people sending us congratulations cards lol. I wish i thought about all this sooner, cause now its definently too late to get any of that stuff. Also do i need to provide chat history when my husband and I were only friends? Or start when we actually became a couple?

 

[Pippin]

What about your credit card bills? Did they not come to you at the same address you shared? Shared bank account? Is your name on your husband's American account and his on your Canadian account or are they still in your individual names? What have you done to combine your assets, write wills after marriage? What did you change after January? Passports?