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An I-751 affidavit is a signed letter describing a couple's real marriage. Friends and family write it to support the couple's Form I-751 petition with USCIS. This page offers a sample letter, a printable affidavit template and writing tips.
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An I-751 affidavit sample shows the parts of a good letter: who the writer is, how they know the couple and what they have seen of the marriage. The sample below uses made-up names and details, so replace each detail with what you have really seen.
To: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Re: Form I-751 petition of Anna Baker and Daniel Baker
My name is Maria Lopez. I was born on March 4, 1985, in San Diego, California. I live at 12 Oak Lane, Portland, Oregon 97201, and my phone number is (555) 010-2345. I am a close friend of Anna and Daniel Baker.
I have known Anna and Daniel for six years. We met at a neighborhood cookout in 2019, and now we see each other nearly every weekend. Last summer I helped them paint their first apartment, and they talked all day about the trip they plan to take to visit Daniel's parents.
In November 2025 I spent Thanksgiving at their home with Daniel's sister and her children. Anna cooked, Daniel set the table, and they hosted the day together. They finish each other's sentences, and they clearly care for one another.
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct. Executed on October 12, 2026.
Signature: Maria Lopez
The closing line follows the form of an unsworn declaration in 28 U.S.C. § 1746: the writer signs and dates the statement as true and correct under penalty of perjury.
The template on this page holds the same parts. Answer its questions, and it places your answers in a printable letter. Then add your own stories so the text sounds like you.
An I-751 affidavit of friends is a signed letter from someone who knows a married couple well and can describe their shared life. It supports the couple's Form I-751, the USCIS petition to remove conditions on residence.
The letter goes by several names: an affidavit letter of support for I-751, an affidavit of bona fide marriage, or a letter of support. Each name means the same thing, a personal account of the marriage from someone outside it.
The letter is a testimony, not proof on its own. It adds a personal view next to documents such as a lease, a joint bank account and photos. It does not replace those documents.
8 CFR 216.4(a)(5) lists affidavits of third parties having knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship among the evidence a Form I-751 may include, next to a lease showing joint tenancy and birth certificates of children born to the marriage.
A friend's letter of support for Form I-751 is different from the financial affidavit of support a sponsor signs earlier in a family green card case. The friend's letter speaks about the relationship. It says nothing about money or income.
The best writer of an affidavit for Form I-751 is someone who knows the couple well and has seen their relationship firsthand over time. The writer of the letter is called the affiant. Typical writers include:
A writer who knew the couple before the wedding can describe how the relationship grew. Living nearby or meeting the couple often helps too, because it gives the writer more to describe.
Several letters from different people give a fuller picture than a single letter. Each writer covers what they saw, in their own words, so the letters do not read like copies.
The writer can share an opinion that the spouses love each other and plan to stay together. That opinion carries weight only when it rests on things the writer observed personally.
An I-751 affidavit letter includes the writer's details, their connection to the couple, specific memories of the marriage and a signed, dated closing. A clear letter usually covers:
The list above is a practical outline, not an official checklist: for the details USCIS asks about each person who writes an affidavit, read the current Form I-751 instructions on uscis.gov. A plain page with these parts, in this order, is easy for a reader to follow.
A notary is one way to swear the letter, and 28 U.S.C. § 1746 gives another: where a federal rule calls for a sworn affidavit, a written statement signed and dated as true under penalty of perjury, in the form the statute sets out, serves with like force and effect. 28 U.S.C. § 1746 does not cover a deposition, an oath of office or an oath that must be taken before a specified official other than a notary public. The sample above closes in the statute's form.
To write an affidavit for an immigration marriage case, gather the couple's names and key dates, list your memories in time order, then draft, review, sign and date the letter.
A good affidavit letter sounds like the person who wrote it, not like a contract. Use short sentences, everyday words and the names you really call the couple. Avoid copying phrases from samples word for word: a reader who sees several letters notices when they share the same lines. Write the way you would describe the couple to a friend, then read it aloud once and cut anything that sounds stiff.
You can also build the letter with the template above. Answer its questions, add your own stories, then download and print it, or finish it on another device later.
Specific, firsthand details make an affidavit letter stronger than general praise, because they show the writer really knows the couple and their daily life.
| Weak line | Stronger line | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| They love each other. | They hosted our holiday dinner together and planned the menu as a team. | A shared home and shared tasks |
| I have known them a long time. | We met at a neighborhood cookout and now see each other most weekends. | How and how often you see them |
| They are a real couple. | I helped them move into their apartment and paint the kitchen. | A household they set up together |
| They will stay together forever. | They spent a whole afternoon planning a visit to Daniel's parents next summer. | Plans, not promises |
Small things count. A couple shopping at the local Sunday market together is the kind of everyday moment that shows a real shared life.
A letter that only says the writer has known the couple for a long time and believes in their love gives the reader nothing new. Stories about a vacation, a family barbecue or a weekly routine do.
Write only about what you have seen or heard yourself. Keep a signed copy of the letter before you hand over the original.
The affidavit letter works best as part of the couple's evidence of a shared life, next to documents rather than in place of them. Documents couples often send with it include:
Before writing, ask the couple which evidence they already plan to send, so your stories support it instead of repeating it. If their photos show a trip, describe what they said and did during that trip.
The letter adds a human voice to papers that otherwise show only names and dates. It explains the everyday context behind them in plain words.
A friend's affidavit can still help when the marriage has ended, by describing the real relationship the writer saw while it lasted and the hopes the couple shared.
In that case the letter shows that the couple married with real feelings and a wish to build a life together, even though the marriage did not last. Details that show this include:
The petition takes a different path after a divorce or a spouse's death. An immigration attorney can explain that path and what evidence fits it.
A final check helps the affidavit letter stand next to the rest of the couple's evidence. Read it once more with the couple's paperwork in front of you, then go through this list.
Yes, the template on this page builds an I-751 affidavit sample letter with your own answers that you can download as a PDF, print and sign. You can also fill it in with the PDF editor, or print a blank copy and write by hand.
Yes, the friend or relative who knows the couple writes the affidavit letter personally, in plain everyday words rather than formal language. The FormsPal template asks straightforward questions and places your answers in a ready document, then you add your own stories and small observations.
Yes, you can answer the questions on this page from a phone or a computer to build the letter online, then save your progress and finish on any device. Download and print it when it is ready.
The letter has no set length, and a page of specific stories says more than several pages of general praise. Stop when you have told what you saw.
Several friends can start from the same sample, but each finished letter needs its own stories and wording. Letters that repeat each other's sentences read as less personal, so each writer describes the moments they saw, in their own voice.
Leave out anything that would weaken an honest, firsthand account of the couple and their marriage, such as:
Honest, specific observations demonstrate familiarity far better than general praise.
After signing the affidavit letter, keep a signed copy for yourself and give the original to the couple. Hand it over so they can add it to their I-751 package with the rest of their evidence.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
