7 Tips to a Better Immigration Declaration

Some immigration applications require personal declarations by the applications.  For example, if you are filing an I-751 and you divorced the spouse who sponsored your immigration to the United States, you'll need to write a declaration explaining what happened.  If you're filing an I-360 as a battered spouse, you'll also need to write a declaration detailing the abuse.

Here are a few rules of thumb when you're writing your declaration

1.  Be truthful.  I can't state this enough.  You are applying for immigration benefits.  The last thing you want to do is lie or stretch the truth.
2.  Be detailed.  How did you meet your spouse?  Why did you like them?  What did you do together?  What was normal life like?  What happened to change that?  How are they now?  (I cannot write enough questions for every scenario, but rest assured, your declaration should be detailed).
3.  Be relevant.  I said detailed.  I didn't say write about your pet turtle (unless this is particular point of contention), your mother's sister's husband's brother-in-law's opinion, etc.  Write about the subject of your waiver or application and be prepared to answer detailed questions at your interview about every last tiny detail of your declaration.  The interviewer may not ask every tiny detail, but her or she might.  You never can be sure.
4.  Be organized.  Have a section devoted for each point of the declaration. For example:  a section for how you met your spouse; a separate section on what life was like married; a separate section about the down-fall of the marriage; etc.
5.  Be objective.  What would you think if you read this declaration?  Consider asking a very blunt friend (or better yet, an attorney) to review it.  Does it make you look like a crazy person?  Is it unintelligible gibberish?  If you find that your first draft is terrible, drenched with tears and written with a trembling hand, set the declaration aside and look at it later with a clear head.  Make more drafts if you have to.  It's worth the work to have a better declaration. 
6.  Be correct.  Be correct in your dates, your grammar and spelling.  Type your declaration.  Sign it with a blue pen (it will distinguish the original from the copy). 
7.  Be humble.  If you are a client writing your own declaration and have an attorney reviewing it, take your attorney's advice on edits, etc.  The attorney wants you to have the best declaration possible.  He or she wants to see it be truthful, relevant, detailed, organized and correct.  It's usually in your best interest to listen and make the needed changes.

Good luck! 

This legal guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a client/attorney relationship. A client/attorney relationship is created by signing the retainer agreement. For a more complete or individualized advice, please hire an immigration attorney.