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How Strong Is Your Marriage Evidence?
Check off the documents and records you already have. We show you where you stand, your RFE risk, and what to add before you file. Takes 2 minutes. No account needed.
How long have you been married?
Are you currently living together?
Check what you have
Joint Finances
Financial commingling is the evidence USCIS weighs most heavily — hard to fabricate, easy to verify.
Shared Residence
Documents proving both spouses live at the same address.
Relationship Timeline
Evidence showing your relationship across time, not just a single moment.
Social & Family
Affidavits, shared social life, and family documentation that corroborates financial proof.
Check at least one item to score your package.
How USCIS Evaluates Bona Fide Marriage Evidence
USCIS applies a “preponderance of the evidence” standard to marriage petitions — it does not require proof beyond any doubt, but it does require that a genuine marriage is more likely than not. Officers evaluate evidence under the “totality of circumstances” framework, meaning no single document is decisive, but some carry far more weight than others.
Financial commingling is consistently weighted highest because it is genuinely difficult to fabricate: joint tax returns, shared bank accounts with months of activity, and mutual insurance beneficiary status all require documented legal and financial entanglement. Officers give these documents significantly more credit than social evidence like photos or affidavits, which are easier to produce without a genuine shared life.
The most common cause of a Request for Evidence (RFE) on a marriage petition is a thin evidence package — particularly one that lacks financial documentation. Variety across evidence categories matters more than volume within a single category. A package with two joint financial documents, a lease, recent photos, and one affidavit outperforms a package with 300 wedding photos and nothing else.
Sources: USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 6, Part B, Ch. 6; 8 CFR 204.2(c); USCIS Vol. 1, Part E, Ch. 6.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does USCIS look for to prove a marriage is real?
USCIS uses a 'totality of circumstances' standard — no single document is required, but financial commingling carries the most weight. Joint tax returns, shared bank accounts, joint insurance, and a joint lease or mortgage are the most persuasive types of evidence because they are hard to fabricate.
How much evidence is enough for a marriage green card?
USCIS does not specify a minimum number of documents, but immigration attorneys generally recommend evidence across at least four to five different categories: finances, shared residence, a relationship timeline, and third-party affidavits. Breadth across categories matters more than volume within a single category.
What triggers a Request for Evidence (RFE) on a marriage-based green card?
The most common RFE trigger on marriage petitions is insufficient evidence of a bona fide marriage — particularly when applicants lack joint financial records. Other common triggers include missing or incomplete I-864 documentation, missing certified translations of foreign documents, and timeline gaps in the evidence submitted.
We don't have a joint bank account yet — will USCIS deny our application?
Not automatically. USCIS evaluates the totality of your circumstances. However, the absence of joint finances is the single most common RFE trigger. If you don't have a joint account, opening one before you file — even with a short history — is better than none, and you can offset the gap with strong evidence in other categories.
We got married recently — will USCIS be more skeptical?
A short marriage does not by itself raise fraud concerns, but USCIS understands that recently married couples may not yet have joint tax returns or long-standing financial accounts. Focus on communication records, travel documentation, and a clear relationship timeline showing how you met and married. A well-organized explanation letter also helps.
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