Your Declaration
The immigration law for which you are applying requires that you provide evidence of a legitimate marriage and domestic violence. You need to provide a declaration which addresses your marriage, the domestic violence against you, and your good moral character.
You should begin your declaration with the following statement:
I, (your name), hereby declare the following:
Then you should continue with your declaration using some of the suggestions outlined below.
SECTION 1: THE MARRIAGE
Describe how, when and where you met your husband. Include dates, if possible. Be sure to include as many details as possible. See the following example:
I met my husband in 2000. I met him in the same place I was born, in Jalisco, Mexico, when I was 20 years old. We had lived in the same apartment building. He lived on the top floor, and I lived on the bottom floor. We became friends during that time. I first felt friendship towards him, but I knew he wanted more. But at that time, we were committed to other relationships. Then, I had moved away from that apartment. I would hear about him from time to time because we still lived in the same town. Four years later, he started to come around my house to see me and talk to me again. That’s when I knew he was still interested. Neither one of us were seeing other people. We started dating and quickly became a couple.
Emilio took me out to eat, to the movies, and for walks in the park. We would go for long drives in the car and just talk. Very soon, I fell in love with Emilio and I knew that he loved me, too. I thought that Emilio was very good-looking. He was also very serious – kind of quiet and reserved. Even though he was serious, it wasn’t in a bad way. He wasn’t immature or a mama’s boy and I liked that.
SECTION 2: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Describe how and when your husband began his abusive behavior towards you. You may want to focus your description on the first, worst, and last incidence of violence. Include dates, if possible. Be sure to include information about both physical and mental/psychological abuse. Do not make generalizations without explanations. For example, do not say, “My husband used to hit me all the time.” Instead, give specific examples of when he hit you by giving dates, and specific details of what happened. See the following example:
On January 5, 2005, Emilio and I began to fight because he arrived home very late without telling me where he’d been or when he’d be home. He was drunk when he got home. He left at 6 PM, telling me that he needed to take his friend Luis to work. He didn’t return until after midnight. He didn’t even bother to call me or leave me a note. Before I went to bed, I closed and locked the door because I didn’t want any problems with Emilio. Emilio finally came home sometime after 1:00 AM. He pounded really hard on our bedroom door, but I didn’t open it to let him in. He must have had or found a key, because he was able to open the door. He walked in and stopped right in front of me. Emilio and I began to fight. He was yelling and me and his tone of voice was very aggressive. I tried to leave the bedroom, but he pushed me aside. He continued to yell at me and get right in my face like he was going to hit me. I told him that if he hit me, I was going to call the police. His only response was, “Oh yeah?” Then, Emilio pushed me really hard against the nightstand. The pain was horrible! Although I didn’t realize it until later, I had broken my wrist.
SECTION 3: GOOD MORAL CHARACTER
Write about your good moral character, including your lack of problems with the law; your position in, and contributions to, your community; and your role in the positive development of your children. See the following example:
I am a good mother, daughter, and friend. I have dedicated my life to my family and have always worked so that my children can have a better life. I want to be sure that they have a good future. I want them to be independent, strong and respectful of all people. I want them to live a life free of violence. Please give me an opportunity to construct a new life for my family.
The last section of your declaration should include the following statement:
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Then, sign and date your declaration.
You can write in English or Spanish. However, if you write in Spanish, please remember that someone in our office will need to translate your declaration. Please type your declaration on a computer or print it in very neat handwriting on the included paper.
If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at (616) 301-7461.
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