Bona Fide Marriage Evidence
Updated October 28, 2026
A marriage-based green card depends on showing the marriage is real, or “bona fide”: that you married to build a life together, not for immigration. The official form instructions for Form I-130 and Form I-751 list the kinds of documents that show this. Officers look at the evidence you filed and the newer evidence you bring to the interview.
Evidence the form instructions list
| Evidence | Notes |
|---|---|
| A joint lease or mortgage | The I-130 instructions list “a lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence”. Bring all pages, signed, and earlier leases you shared. |
| Joint ownership of property | Deeds or mortgage statements showing both names |
| Joint bank accounts | The I-751 instructions say “with transaction history”: several months showing both of you use the account |
| Joint tax returns | Complete returns or IRS transcripts; for an I-751, each year since the marriage |
| Insurance naming each other | Health, auto, renters or life insurance, as a covered person or beneficiary |
| Joint utility bills | A shared phone plan counts as a shared bill |
| Joint loans and assets | Car title in both names, joint credit cards, retirement accounts naming each other |
| Birth certificates of your children | Children born to you both are listed evidence |
| Affidavits | Sworn statements from people who know you as a couple, with each person’s full name and address, date and place of birth and details of how they know. They support other evidence; they don’t replace it. |
Other relevant documentation
The instructions also accept “any other relevant documentation”. Officers commonly look at:
- Photos together over time, with dates and short captions. Choose 15 to 30 across the relationship (family, trips, the wedding), not hundreds.
- Travel records from trips together: boarding passes, itineraries, hotel bookings.
- Communication history for couples who lived apart: a summary of call logs and a handful of representative messages.
If you are missing something
- No joint account is not fatal, but you need other proof of combined resources: shared bills, transfers between you for rent, one paying the other’s expenses. Be ready to explain how money works in your home.
- Filing taxes separately is allowed. Show both returns list the same address and know why you chose it.
- No joint lease: a letter from the landlord or homeowner confirming you both live there, plus mail, IDs, bank statements or bills addressed to each of you at that address.
- Living apart for work, school or the military: proof of why, plus visit records, call logs and shared expenses.
Bring evidence dated after you filed, too: officers often want to see that the marriage continues. Build a list for your own situation with the free evidence checklist, and see what to bring.
This guide is not legal advice. Your appointment notice and official instructions always come first.
Check your knowledge
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What do the I-751 instructions say joint bank account evidence should include?Answer: DThe I-751 instructions specifically ask for joint bank accounts "with transaction history", showing both of you actually use the account.
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How do affidavits from friends and family fit into your evidence?Answer: CSworn statements from people who know you as a couple are listed evidence, but they support other documents rather than replacing them.
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You don't have a joint bank account. What should you show instead?Answer: BNo joint account is not fatal. Show other ways you combine resources, such as shared bills, transfers between you for rent or one paying the other's expenses, and be ready to explain how money works in your home.
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About how many photos is a good curated set for the interview?Answer: AChoose 15 to 30 photos across the relationship, with dates and short captions, not your whole phone. Have your phone ready in case the officer asks to see more.
Walk into your green card interview ready, together
- All 399 interview questions in 14 categories, from how you met to Stokes-style detail questions, with tips for every one
- Couple Check: each of you answers privately, then you see every mismatch side by side before the officer does
- Unlimited 35-question mock interviews, with every question you weren't sure of saved to practice again