Family-based immigration applications are one of the most common ways to immigrate to the United States. And with that application comes the obligation to prove a valid relationship. Sometimes it may be as simple as providing a birth certificate, but usually it requires more. For some people, finding relationship evidence like utility bills, money wires, or bank statements can be difficult. Enter: 3rd party relationship affidavits. This is where you ask friends or family members to write a sworn affidavit about the purported relationship. Before we talk about what not to put into an affidavit, let’s talk about what you should put into an affidavit…

DO include the following in an affidavit:

• Your name and your contact information (address, phone number);
• An explanation about how you know the people that you’re writing about;
• A story or two that shows that you’ve personally witnessed the relationship in action;
• A notarized stamp with your signature and the date

That’s it! Super simple. Here’s a short sample for you.

January 15, 2023

Dear Officer,

I am writing this letter for my friends, Jose and Linda. I met Jose when we were 12 year old kids in New York. Ten years later, we are still good friends and get together at least once a month. He met his new wife, Linda, at a party a couple of years ago and they’ve been together ever since. He introduced me to Linda early on in the relationship and we’ve spent many weekends together. Linda and Jose will frequently come over to have dinner with me and my wife. We eat, share stories, and sometimes play games. We always have a lot of fun! I’ve known Jose for a long time and I can honestly say that I’ve never seen him so happy. He and Linda enjoy a lot of the same activities and they seem to be very supportive of each other. Jose told me that he and Linda are planning to start a family soon. I know they’ll both make excellent parents and I look forward to our kids playing together one day. If you have any questions about their relationship, I will be happy to take a call. My contact information is below.

Sincerely,

Frank Silver [signed and with a notary stamp]

Tele # 123-123-1234

123 New York Street, New York, NY 12345

Now, let’s talk about what a relationship affidavit should NOT contain. It should NOT contain the same information as any of the other affidavits you’re using. That’s the most important thing I can tell you so I’ll say it again. A relationship affidavit should NOT contain the same information as any of the other affidavits you’re using. As an example, what do you think about the following?

• Written by Thomas: “Jose and Linda are very happily married. I have known Jose for 3 years and met Linda last year after they got Jose is a caring husband and he loves to treat his wife to nights out on the town where they enjoy dinner and dancing.”

Sounds good, right? But imagine you’re the immigration officer and you flip past that letter onto a different letter and it reads as follows:

• Written by Rebecca: “Jose and Linda are very happily married. I have known them for 2 Jose is a caring husband and he loves to treat his wife to nights out on the town where they enjoy dinner and dancing.”

Now what do you think? I’ll tell you what I think. To me, it doesn’t sound genuine anymore. Sure, Rebecca says she has known Jose and Linda for a different amount of time, but the meat of what is written is the same as what is in Thomas’ letter. And if I were the immigration officer, I’d no longer give much weight (if any) to either of these affidavits. You’re better off just using one affidavit than five affidavits that all say essentially the same things.

These affidavits can really strengthen cases where there is not much other supporting documentation so make sure you get several and make sure they follow the rules above. Another helpful tip is to include photos with the affidavits to support what is said in the affidavit. For example, along with the letter written by Frank Silver, include a photo of Frank spending time with Jose and Linda. That will certainly strengthen your case!

Last Updated: 4.15.2023 (*Note that immigration rules, regulations, and practices change frequently. Make sure to check for updated information since the posting of this article.)