Evidence of bona fide marriage: the full list
Published October 27, 2026
A marriage-based petition (Form I-130, and Form I-485 when the spouse adjusts status in the US) has to show that the marriage is bona fide: entered into to build a life together, not to get a green card. The regulation behind the I-130 lists the kinds of evidence that do this and says the list is not exhaustive. This page sorts that list by the weight it usually carries, and covers what to do when one category is thin. It is general information, not legal advice; the form instructions, and a lawyer where the case is complicated, control.
The list, strongest first
| Evidence | Examples | Why it carries weight |
|---|---|---|
| A shared home | Lease or deed with both names, mortgage statements, utility bills, mail to each spouse at the same address, driver's licences or IDs with that address | Living together is the clearest sign of a shared life, and the paper is issued by third parties |
| Shared money | Joint bank account statements showing both spouses using it, joint credit cards, joint tax returns, each spouse named as beneficiary on insurance or retirement accounts | Commingled finances are hard to arrange for show over months |
| Children | Birth certificates naming both parents | Usually decisive on its own |
| Shared obligations | Health or car insurance covering both, a car title or loan in both names, a gym or phone plan in both names | Ordinary paperwork of a couple |
| Time together | Photos across the relationship with family on both sides, trips with bookings in both names, the wedding | Shows the relationship to other people, over time |
| Communication | Messages and call history over the relationship, especially periods spent apart | Shows the daily texture of the relationship; strongest where the couple lived apart |
| Other people's knowledge | Signed statements from friends and relatives who know the couple: see the affidavit guide | Supports the documents; does not replace them |
The first two rows do most of the work in most cases. The others fill in the picture, and matter more when the first two are thin.
How much to send
Enough to cover the whole marriage, and no more. For documents that repeat monthly, such as bank statements and bills, a few months spread across the period make the point; every page of every month does not add anything. Officers read packets that are organized: a cover letter listing each exhibit with page numbers, each exhibit labelled, and documents in date order.
Landed! Customs line is huge, see you in 40 min
I'm at arrivals with the sign 😂
Messages and photos without drowning the officer
Couples often have tens of thousands of messages, and the instinct is to print them. A four-hundred-page chat exhibit is unreadable. What works better:
- A one-page calendar of how many messages were exchanged each month, so the officer sees continuity at a glance.
- A sample of ten to forty pages, spread evenly across every month, with dates, times and both names. Everyday messages are the point: plans, groceries, families, bills.
- A note on method: where the export came from, how many messages it holds, how the sample was chosen.
- Photos in date order, one or two to a page, each captioned with who, where and when. Use originals from the camera roll so the date inside the file survives.
- English translations of any messages in another language, with the translator's statement the instructions describe.
When the paper trail is thin
Recently married couples, couples who have not yet lived together, and couples where one spouse is abroad often have little joint paperwork. That is common and explainable. Say why in a short statement from each spouse, in dates: how you met, when you married, why you live apart or why the lease is in one name, and what your plans are. Then lean on what you do have: trips together, the wedding, photos with both families, messages over the whole relationship, money sent between you, and statements from people who know you as a couple. Add joint documents as they appear; you can bring newer ones to the interview.
At the interview
Bring originals of what you sent as copies, plus anything newer: recent statements, bills, photos and messages since filing. Interview evidence answers the same question with the most recent months.
Proof of Relationship builds the calendar, the message sample, the translations and the photo pages from your chat export and photos, as one PDF under 4 MB. It organizes what you supply; it does not decide what your case needs.
Common questions
What is the best evidence of a bona fide marriage?
Records that show a shared life and are issued by third parties: a joint lease or mortgage, joint bank accounts both spouses use, joint tax returns, insurance covering both, and children's birth certificates. Photos, messages and affidavits support those.
Can text messages be evidence of a bona fide marriage?
Yes, as supporting evidence, and especially for periods spent apart. A monthly summary plus a dated sample spread across the relationship reads far better than a printed chat.
How many photos should we include?
Enough to cover the relationship and the people in it: often ten to twenty, in date order, captioned, including both families. Coverage matters more than quantity.
What if we don't live together yet?
Explain why in a short statement and show the relationship another way: visits and trips with bookings, the wedding, photos with family, messages over time, money sent between you, and statements from people who know you as a couple.
Turn your chat export and photos into an organized evidence PDF →More guides: K-1 visa evidence: proof of relationship · I-751 evidence · Affidavit of bona fide marriage: sample and template · I-130 request for evidence on the marriage