biggish data

US life V's OZ Life

I'm am interested in hearing what your life in the US is v's what your life in OZ was? I've grown up in the city and am over it, my hubby is from a country town in the US where we will move to 2yrs from now. (i've been there 4 times now and i do love the country town feel, it has 60,000 people)

In Oz we have good jobs that earn us excellent money, however we can't afford a house, childcare is expensive, cars are expensive not to mention registration. We have no lifestyle as we can't afford to do anything as we live pay check to pay check, and we can't cut costs anywhere else then we already have.

After many hours on the phone to my sister in law she said it's cheaper there and more affordable, We can get a house and land for $60,000 next to her, thats a deposit here. Her hubby earns $30,000 a year they go camping, fishing, four wheeling, hunting, holidays in the us and she's not working. They have three kids and a $57.000 morgage.

Anyways enough rambling

have you found it cheaper? easier? more affordable? how have you adjusted? How did your parents take the news you were moving O/s thats a big issue for me.

Any help advise on your experience would be great

Thanks
Emerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-04-04 22:04:00

Packing tips for shipping boxes Overseas

We are moving from Sydney Australia To Roswell New Mexico. I have a quote for shipping 30 tea chest boxes for $1000 including paperwork etc.

My question is, Whats the best way to pack the boxes? We are taking

Clothes
Toys
Photo albums
books
nick nacks

Now whats the best way to pack all of these to protect them. Do i put clothes in bags etc?

Any tips and advise on packing the above would be appreciated.

Thanks

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-09 06:00:00

Flying into Hawaii from Sydney Aus

thanks aussiewench i'll have a look see what i can find.

My ticket was booked through Travelocity online. Qantas puts on a special flight that takes you all the way to the mainland with a layover in Honolulu. Normally this flight only takes you as far as Hawaii itself apparently. I did find that booking through flight center etc was more expensive when I was making my enquiries.

Thanks, it looks like we can fly from Sydney, Honolulu, Phoneix, Albuquerque......

I am hoping to drop into flight centre or STA Travel to see what they can offer also.

Thanks

Emerald

I flew Sydney, Honolulu, LAX, Florida, with Honolulu as my POE. Flew Qantas end of July just gone with ticket costing $1400US. I will check who hubby booked flight through if you like, but I do know it was online.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-12 21:26:00

Flying into Hawaii from Sydney Aus

Thanks, it looks like we can fly from Sydney, Honolulu, Phoneix, Albuquerque......

I am hoping to drop into flight centre or STA Travel to see what they can offer also.

Thanks

Emerald

I flew Sydney, Honolulu, LAX, Florida, with Honolulu as my POE. Flew Qantas end of July just gone with ticket costing $1400US. I will check who hubby booked flight through if you like, but I do know it was online.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-12 05:55:00

Flying into Hawaii from Sydney Aus

Hi there,

we are hoping to have all my visa done etc to be out of here by June. We will be travelling with 3 kids under 5 and our destination is Roswell New Mexico.

Normally we fly, Sydney to San Fran, San Fran to Albuquerque, stay overnight in albuquerque then a 3 hour drive to Roswell New Mexico.

If we can't fly to san fran then we go

Sydney to La, La to Phoenix or denver, then to albuquerque, then stay over. The next day we then do the 3hr drive to Roswell New Mexico.

As you can see it's pretty tiring doing all that with 3 kids.

Hubby and i thought maybe it's better if we fly from Sydney to Hawaii, stay in Hawaii for 2 days, then fly to San Fran or La, and so on so on, Stopping still in Albuquerque for the night also.

We think this will be easier on the kids and on us, and gives us that little break in Hawaii before we arrive and go head strong into setting ourselves up.

So who has flown into Hawaii from Sydney? Was it cheaper to do it this way? Who did you fly with? what was immigration like with your visa (i'm applying for the spousal visa). Where is a good place with kids to stay? We arn't fussy on how expensive a hotel etc is... just a bed to land on and some down time.

Any thoughts/ ideas, experiences,i'd love to hear!!!

Thanks

Emerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-06 15:55:00

hi Guys,

Can anyone who has done DCF recently tell me how many tax returns your USC had to supply? Hubby hasn't done his for 6yrs (didn't know he had too) and the tax lady here (that does US taxes) said we should be right with the last 3yrs?

IS this correct? i heard the consulate only ask for the last 2yrs of taxes to be supplied?

Just wanted to find out b4 filing, as we are trying to get the niggly bits out the way now.

Thanks
Emerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-09-09 06:54:00

Off the visa topic here............thought i'd ask some fellow Aussies.... We have a DVD collection here that we are hoping to bring with us. But as they are PAL and not NTSC we are wondering if you can buy a multi region palyer over there?

We have a few NTSC ones here and they play on our DVD as it's multi region. Can you purchase these sort of players over there? If so where from?

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-23 07:16:00

THanks for that poi, it dosn't make sense but it might when i'm not reading it so late lol.

We still havn't found out where to send my application. Hubby is goin gto call the Texas place 2mrw, in the mean time i'm trying to do what i can to make it easier on us when it's time to submitt the paperwork.

I'm going to go get my criminal check 2mrw, does anyone know where the results get sent? Is it back to me?

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-14 06:52:00

yes my 3rd bubs and FINAL bubs lol. If i have anymore i'll end up more :wacko:

.

We had a baby boy, so we are complete. We have 2 girls aged 5yrs 2yrs an bubs who is 1 week old.

Looks like everyones got some visa under way, hubby and i are trying too lol... I have done alot of the paperwork so thats good.

ok found out it was serendip is the one
her signature is showing
03 - 06 - 2007 - NVC Received
03 - 07 - 2007 - I-129F left NVC, onwards to Sydney, Australia!
there ya go answered my own question lol

No worries Em....ooh I missed that, you had your third bubs...congratulations...!!!

Mornin Kath..

Edited by Emerald, 08 March 2007 - 05:10 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-08 17:10:00

'Poi_n_J'

That would be great if you can let me know who he rang/info he got.

Thanks

Wow so soon.....Good luck Paul, you will ace it.....

Emerald: Joshua rang someone in the States to find that out , I can find out who over the weekend if ya want cos my guess is you'll have better luck calling there than trying to get something out of Sydney Consulate who still seem out of commission.....lol.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-08 16:33:00

Well i'm still not sure where to file lol, my husband is going to call the consulate in Sydney next week to find out if we can file in Bangkok or Texas. He is from New Mexico, it's where we will be returning to live and raise our family. He lived there for most of his life, except went to colorado for 2yrs, but returned to New Mexico. His residence is there (ie=mum/dads house).

I'm just wondering which is going to be quicker. Texas or Bangkok.

Another question???

While im' still trying to sort this out, i thought i could be working on my police check and medical... How do i get an immunisation record? Do i get some blood test? If so what do i ask for?

Kath/Rob- thanks for the PM will PM you back, we had our 3rd bubs a week ago so it's hectic around here, plus with no sleep and this visa stuff my brain is fried lol.

My Pic is of the White Sands In New Mexico..

now does this mean ya going for cr1 not k3...im get quite confused between those lots...

dont forget ya police check too...

with this interview do you get the visa in your passport then you leave or do you have to wait for that in another interview??? (dont mind me im just trying to get my head around it all)

great news for ya mate am happy for you and cheryl...

kath

p.s. you can do that now ya half way there lol

Edited by Emerald, 08 March 2007 - 05:57 AM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-08 05:56:00

Hi all

Just a question. I emailed the Consulate in Sydney about the visa issues etc since they cancelled accepting the I-130 abroad. and they sent this reply

Thank you for your inquiry.

If you have been out of the US less than 6 months of continuous residence abroad and have a US address, you must file with a USCIS domestic service center in the United States.

If this doesn’t apply to you, more information will be posted soon on the USCIS website for petitioners resident abroad about where to file.

Please refer to their website on www.uscis.gov.

The final interview will be held in Sydney

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit

American Consulate General, Sydney

So i went to this link

FILING ABROAD

Do i have to file with the Bankok office in Thailand? as my husband has been living in Aussie for 6yrs (in May). I thought we would be filing in Texas as thats where his US address falls under. But from what i am reading we can file outside the US but at a USCIS international office that covers our area.

As we are in OZ, i think we fall under the Bankok USCIS.

Now i'm totally confused.

Anyone else in my shoes? Most of what i'm reading on here it's people that havn't been married for as long as us. It's more those coming out to marry their loved ones.

I'd love to hear from anyone whos US spouse has been here for sometime.

Thanks

Edited by Emerald, 05 March 2007 - 10:26 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-03-05 22:24:00

Wow what alot of information. I need to wait till my kids are in bed to research this. I did'nt realise i wouldn't be able to work on the k-3 straight away, and thats NOT what i want. I need to be able to have the choice of working or not seen i have kids.

My question is, Someone said you can still go the DCF route, BUT the only differance is your sending the I-130 to the USA and then you can continue with the rest of the visa stuff back here in Sydney.

1. Is this true?
2. I have no clue where to send my I-130 as hubby is here with me in Australia. Do i send it to where his address in the US is? (he's from new mexico so i think it's the Texas center)

I'm in Sydney South!!

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-02-23 14:45:00

Meauxna,

I emailed the consulate in Sydney to check on the filing of I-130 at the Sydney office after reading the "End to DCF filing abroad post here" I Wanted to check it with them. The reply i got after giving them all our information was this

Mrs. ******

Please refer to the attachments.

The quickest process would be filing of the K3 visa.

For more information, please refer to the following website: http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

Regards IV

So i just asssumed this was the way to go...............what other way is there for us if DCF dosn't come back......

I was adivsed the K-3 route, but i'm so totally confused as to where to send anything.
E, how were you advised about the K-3?

Based on everything you have written in the past, I am curious how you decided that a non-immigrant visa was a good solution for you?

At any rate, I still encourage all USCs living abroad to hold off filing I-130 until some news comes from the Consulate about where overseas you can file.

Edited by Emerald, 21 February 2007 - 04:12 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-02-21 16:11:00

Hello Everyone,

I thought i'd pop in here so that i can communicate with other Aussies.......My hubby is the USC and i am the aussie. We have been married 5yrs now and hubby has lived here for 5yrs. We were just about to file for the DCF at the Sydney Consulate when WHAM they changed the whole bloody thing.

Who else has been affected by this change? What visa process have you decided to go with now. I was adivsed the K-3 route, but i'm so totally confused as to where to send anything. I just got all the DCF stuff worked out :blink:

.......

I'd love to communicate with others in SYD going through this change etc....... We were hoping to get to the US by August for our daughter to start school in the US... Now we have no idea when we will be going.

We just sold everything adn moved in with my parents (this was to be for 6months max). There is me, hubby 3 kids, mum dad my sister and BIL all lving together, so as you can see we wer pretty shocked with the change and are now wondering how long we'll be all living here.........i guess the good thing is we get to save more $$$ for the move.

So anyone else out there who is about to start the whole K-3 visa process, it would be great to hear from you.

THanks
Emerald

HI Nycangel, Welcome to the Aussie forum! Good luck with getting an earlier interview date. Your only hassle might be that they have a certain quota of Visas they are allowed to give out per month as far as I know so that may stop you getting a better interview date. When you get to the interview make sure they take your SO's passport for the Visa. They have been stuffing that up lately and giving the passports back.

Hey Priscilla, I finally saw your wedding photos, ok it took me a while to find the gallery...I am a bit slow! They are beautiful! I loved your dress.

AND...thanks Everyone for your kindness, you're a bunch of sweeties , I just had a crappy day yesterday, but today was better except that I ate an 150g block of choccy in one sitting...grrrr . It's funny cause I am generally a positive person but this Visa process makes you flip out from time to time. One minute you are excited about being reunited and your new life together, the next minute you are overwhelmed and paranoid about the paper work and then there are those moments that you miss your loved one so much it hurts. Jake and I don't argue much so I am glad for that, but long distance arguments on the phone are the worst. I definitely think it has made us stronger as a couple and we tend to laugh at things rather than get into a tizz about it these days.

Hey Kath, Jake didn't understand about recycling either, he just throws everything in the trash. I have a lot of work ahead of me...he is addicted to pizza and thinks it covers the 5 food groups...NOT!

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-02-21 05:13:00

Hi everyone,

I thought i'd pop in over here, as we are about to embark on the Visa Journey ourselves. I'm the oz citizen and hubby is the Us citizen. hubby has been living here for 5 1/2 years now and, we have 2 kids and one on the way. We are currently living in Sydney and are moving to Roswell New Mexico where hubby is from.

I've been working on and looking into the paperwork. I've finally had time to sit down and get it filled out. We are looking at filing after Christmas, so i'm very very nervous there.

We are working on other stuff like, taxes, joint sponsors, criminal history checks etc.

I'm nervous about the move, but thats because i will miss my family and i have kids to think of in this move. I'm excited at the same time, stressed etc, i guess this is all normal.

Well i just wanted to pop into the thread and say hello and that we are jumping on the visa journey wagon.

Also, can anyone tell me, on the walk in on thursdays to lodge our application, do we go to the US Citizen section, or do we have to wait in the normal area? We've always gone to the US Citizen section when filing birth abroads for the kids, as hubby is living here.

Merry christmas to everyone, happy and safe new year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Emerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-12-22 04:05:00

K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on how much it cost you to move to the USA from aussie. We are in Sydney and will be moving to Roswell New Mexico (yes yes yes the land of UFO's). We will be moving three kids under 6yrs and 2 adults!.

We arn't planning on moving furniture or anything like that just some personal belongings ,we are going to sell up here and re buy there. So mainly what did you land in the USA with, how much did it cost you to re set yourselves up?

if thats ok to ask, hope it's not to personal but with 3 kids we need to be financially planned b4 we head over

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-03-30 02:19:00

Where do i send the I-130

Oh it's so hard, i am lucky that my hubby is here with me and has been for 5yrs. What those that are going through without their loved ones, i couldn't imagine.

I wish they would hurry up and say yes or no, I have kids to think of and wanted to get our eldest to the US to start her first year in school there. But now with this change, we don't know when that'll be.

SO frustrating....i just want to get the visa application started...........so frustrating.

Were in the same boat now, Emerald.

Our case was being 'pre-processed' in Auckland, but my husband is not a resident of New Zealand.
New Zealand previously waived that restriction, but can no longer accept petitions from USC still resident in the U.S.

So...were stuck with K3.
Were also trying to decide if its a good idea for me to visit my husband for a couple of months while we wait this out, as we had planned to be together at this point and the law came into effect for us a week before our interview.
Were a little upset to say the least and spending some time together would be helpful at the moment.

In the last email I received from the consulate here, they said that petitions would not be accepted from USC, but in a matter of time they'd be accepted once again from USC resident in foreign countries.

You may still be in luck, but I know....the waiting to know is just difficult.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-02-21 05:19:00

K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Procedures

Where do i send the I-130

After all this DCF hassle, we now have to go the K-3 route, however i have no idea where we send anything? He is living here in AUstralia, and has done for the past 6yrs. He is from New Mexico in the USA, and we will be moving there.

Do i send it to the Texas Service center?

What is the best way to get it there? Ie- registered, couriered, normal?

Thanks
Emerald

Edited by Emerald, 21 February 2007 - 04:44 AM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2007-02-21 04:42:00

I just spoke to my hubbies best mates on the phone, but we have to call her back in an hour as the Dr was calling her as her kids are sick!!

Her and her husband are happy to joint sponsor me. They earn $20,000 each per year, and they have a morgage (yet to find out what the house is worth - what they owe on it) she will use this as an asset.

So to meet the poverty guidelines for 5 people is $29,250 (Best mate, mates wife, 2 x kids + me =5).

Now they earn $20,000 each, so does that mean that we have to make up the differance of the missiing amount per joint sponsor.

Ie: earn $20,000

so is it $29,250 - $20,000 = $9250

$9250 x 4 or 3??? gives me the differance in assets i need to show to help out.

Also if we have 2 joint sponsors only earning $20,000 each, do i have to show the differance in assets x 2.

Oh have a i confused anyone? Think i confused myself lol

Emerald, now you are ready for the Advanced part.
Matey and Matey's wife live together, aka in the same houshold. They can combine their incomes by adding I-864A to their I-864 (it is attached in the download).

The Matey household annual income is now $40, 000.
They need to show annual income of $29,250, so they are clear. They do not need to include their home equity or other assets.

Your Hubby is going to complete an I-864 with his+yours assets value.

Y- i thought if they didn't meet the guidelines then i had to make up the differance x 3 in assests. Think i confused myself there.

Oh excellent Meauxna, so their income can be combined as they live in the same house!!!! I'm relieved. Thanks heaps for that i now can relax lol

Thanks guys for your patience and help.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-26 19:04:00

Emerald,

A Joint Sponsor's household must be able to meet the financial requirements on its' own.

You can, however, have different Joint Sponsors for the different immigrants - one Joint Sponsor does not need to sponsor all 3 of you.

Yodrak

I just spoke to my hubbies best mates on the phone, but we have to call her back in an hour as the Dr was calling her as her kids are sick!!

Her and her husband are happy to joint sponsor me. They earn $20,000 each per year, and they have a morgage (yet to find out what the house is worth - what they owe on it) she will use this as an asset.

So to meet the poverty guidelines for 5 people is $29,250 (Best mate, mates wife, 2 x kids + me =5).

Now they earn $20,000 each, so does that mean that we have to make up the differance of the missiing amount per joint sponsor.

Ie: earn $20,000

so is it $29,250 - $20,000 = $9250

$9250 x 4 or 3??? gives me the differance in assets i need to show to help out.

Also if we have 2 joint sponsors only earning $20,000 each, do i have to show the differance in assets x 2.

Oh have a i confused anyone? Think i confused myself lol

Yodrak,

So him and his wife won't meet the guidelines?

Are we better off getting just one of them, and then my BIL to do it? My bil apparently earns $30,000 USD with overtime, our friends earn $20,000USD each.

Or would we go with his mate that earns the $20,000USD and add his house as an asset?

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-26 15:28:00

I thought a joint sponsor had to be related to you for some reason. Thats why i was stressing out big time as hubbies family really arn't that helpful or understanding of this process. They think it's a bit of a joke and the US gov will just accept waht you tell them.

This is a HUGE relief as we can rely on hubbies best mate and his wife rather then my SIL and BIL, or can we use both?

WIth a joint sponsor do you have to do the x 3 thing?

Thanks for your patience.

Where did my post get moved too????
Ah, well that *would* be a relief, to know that anyone who is willing and meets the requriements can be your Joint Sponsor.

So, you have a new candidate.
Get him a copy of the I-864 (send him the uscis.gov link) and have him start reading it.
If his income is sufficient for HIS household + you, you do not need an affidavit from the SIL/BIL crowd.

The 3X thinkg ONLY applies to you using your own assets. I would need to double check this, but I think you'll find that Joint Sponsors who want to use assets use 5X? At any rate, is Matey going to use Income or Assets?

PS: Your post was moved to the IR/CR Forum, which is a good place for it---more people to see it and contribute.

I just spoke to my hubbies best mates on the phone, but we have to call her back in an hour as the Dr was calling her as her kids are sick!!

Her and her husband are happy to joint sponsor me. They earn $20,000 each per year, and they have a morgage (yet to find out what the house is worth - what they owe on it) she will use this as an asset.

So to meet the poverty guidelines for 5 people is $29,250 (Best mate, mates wife, 2 x kids + me =5).

Now they earn $20,000 each, so does that mean that we have to make up the differance of the missiing amount per joint sponsor.

Ie: earn $20,000

so is it $29,250 - $20,000 = $9250

$9250 x 4 or 3??? gives me the differance in assets i need to show to help out.

Also if we have 2 joint sponsors only earning $20,000 each, do i have to show the differance in assets x 2.

Oh have a i confused anyone? Think i confused myself lol

Edited by Emerald, 25 October 2006 - 08:33 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-25 20:31:00

wow thanks that makes more sense now....thank you so much for your patience and help. i finally get it!!!! hard but get it lol
heheh.. I'll be more convinced when you feed it back with your situation in mind.

It still looks 'doable' for you, but you and your husband have to be able to fill in the right spots on the form, and make a decent argument to your CO.

Hang in there with it!

Thanks heaps you've really really helped me understand this now. Whats really eased our minds is this part about joint sponsors.

A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting your family member with you. A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant.

I thought a joint sponsor had to be related to you for some reason. Thats why i was stressing out big time as hubbies family really arn't that helpful or understanding of this process. They think it's a bit of a joke and the US gov will just accept waht you tell them.

This is a HUGE relief as we can rely on hubbies best mate and his wife rather then my SIL and BIL, or can we use both?

WIth a joint sponsor do you have to do the x 3 thing?

Thanks for your patience.

Where did my post get moved too????

Edited by Emerald, 25 October 2006 - 07:05 AM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-25 07:03:00

I-864 Basics

The I-864 Affidavit of Support is a contract between a sponsor and the applicant that is required for some immigrant visas. In this contract the sponsor agrees to provide financial support for the applicant until he/she becomes an American citizen or can be credited with 40 quarters of work (usually ten years). The sponsor must show that he/she has income equal to or greater than 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for his/her household size.
See Form I-864P for current Poverty Guidelines:
http://www.uscis.gov...iles/I-864p.pdf

There are two ways the US Citizen spouse can show that his/her intending immigrant (you) will not become a public charge:

-Sufficient annual income in the US

-Sufficient assets that can be converted to cash with 12 months

http://travel.state..../info_1328.html
May the petitioner/sponsor count assets to meet the 125 percent minimum income requirement?

Yes. The sponsor counts his/her income first. Next he/she counts the personal assets and/or the income and assets of household members who have signed an I-864A. If, using all of those sources, the minimum income requirement is met, the affidavit would be "sufficient."

To be counted, the cash value of assets must equal five times the difference between the sponsor's income and 125 percent of the poverty line for the household size.

For example, a petitioner/sponsor with a household size of four and an income of $18,000 would need assets equal to five times the difference between his/her income and the income required for a family of four at the current federal poverty guidelines level. He/she would also need to show evidence of mortgages, liens, and liabilities against the assets.

Note from me:
This guideline was reduced further in July06. The cash value of assets must now only equal three times the difference between the sponsor's income and 125 percent of the poverty line.
Final Rule highlights:
http://www.visajourn...?showtopic=4054

If you have zero income, the "difference" to make up is all of it; you must have assets that are 3X the poverty guideline INCOME amount.
Emerald, this is the difference between the $30k you think and the $90K I think.

Regarding your husband's employment letter:
Can a credible offer of employment for the visa applicant replace or supplement an insufficient Affidavit of Support?

No. The law does not allow for consideration of offers of employment in place of the I-864. A job offer may not be counted in reaching the 125 percent minimum income.

A job offer can be taken into consideration in determining the ability of the applicant to overcome an ineligibility on public charge grounds, but it does not meet any requirement for presenting an I-864

me: So, the letter will be useful to show you won't be bums, but can not be entered as income (unless of course he does already work there.....) on the I-864.

Is a "sufficient" I-864 the only consideration for meeting any public charge issues at the time of the visa interview?

No. Even though the I-864 is a contract and the U.S. government prohibits giving immigrants most federal means-tested public benefits for at least the first five years after their arrival in the U.S., consular officers look at other public charge issues. They will look at the complete financial situation of the sponsor and the applicant. This means looking at the age, health, education, skills, financial resources and family status of the applicant and the sponsor. They will confirm to the extent possible that the applicant will have adequate financial support and is not likely to become a public charge.

http://www.uscis.gov...eets/affaqa.htm
What is a joint sponsor?

A joint sponsor is a person who is not the petitioner for the sponsored immigrant but who meets the citizenship, residence, and age requirements and who meets the 125 percent minimum income requirement for his or her household size. Joint sponsors are permitted when the petitioner cannot meet the income requirements or has died before all family members have immigrated. Joint sponsors must accept joint legal responsibility for supporting sponsored immigrant(s) and reimbursing the cost of any means-tested public benefit used until the sponsored immigrants naturalize, can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work, depart the United States permanently, or die.

INCOME REQUIREMENTS

1. What does the requirement that the sponsor demonstrate the ability to maintain an income at 125 percent of the poverty level mean?

Sponsors will be judged on their ability to support the immigrants they are sponsoring at 125 percent of the poverty level for their household size based on the information they provide in the affidavit of support and accompanying documentation. This information must demonstrate that the sponsor and his or her household can reasonably be expected to maintain an income at or above the level required to provide for themselves and all immigrants they have sponsored or are sponsoring.

me: this means income, commonly known as 'a job'. Income and assets are different things.

7. Does a sponsor need to show proof of current employment?

A sponsor is not required to be employed, so long as the sponsor's income from sources other than employment, or the income of other qualifying persons in the household and/or assets are sufficient to reach or exceed the poverty line for the sponsor's household size. However, it is anticipated that in most cases the sponsor will need to be employed and show proof of employment to meet the income requirements.

20. How are assets used to demonstrate ability to sponsor an immigrant?

If a sponsor does not have sufficient income to meet the income requirement for the number of persons supported, he or she may list assets which are readily convertible to cash within one year for support of the sponsored immigrant(s). To qualify, the net worth of these assets needs to be five times the difference between the sponsor's income and the poverty line for the sponsor's household size.
(me: note this is now three times, not five times)

21. What assets can be used?

Any type of asset can be used if it is readily convertible to cash within a year. Liquid assets, such as savings deposits, stocks, bonds, and certificates of deposit will be viewed most favorably because they would be most accessible for the support of sponsored immigrants. Other assets, such as property, may also be acceptable if they can be sold within a year.

22. What evidence of assets is required?

Evidence establishing ownership and the value and location of assets is needed. Additionally, information on any liens and liabilities relating to these assets must be provided. For bank accounts, bank statements for the most recent 12 months, or a letter from the bank stating the date the account was opened, a history of deposits and withdrawals for the past year, and the current balance are needed.

More about Joint Sponsors:
http://www.uscis.gov...doi/affsupp.htm
Who can be a joint sponsor, and when is a joint sponsor allowed?
If the visa petitioner's household income is not sufficient to meet the requirements of INA section 213A and 8 C.F.R. § 213a, INA section 213A permits a joint sponsor to sign an affidavit of support, in addition to the affidavit of support signed by the visa petitioner. A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting your family member with you. A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant. The joint sponsor (or the joint sponsor and his or her household) must reach the 125 percent income requirement alone. You cannot combine your income with that of a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement.

And more on assets:
If you cannot meet the minimum income requirements using your earned income, you have various options:

You may add the cash value of your assets such as money in savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and property. To determine the amount of assets required to qualify, subtract your household income from the minimum income requirement (125 percent of the poverty level for your family size). You must prove the cash value of your assets is worth five times this difference (the amount left over). (me: again, note this is three times now, not five times)
Example for a household size of 4:
125 percent of 2006 poverty guideline: $25,000

sponsor's income: $19,500

Difference: $5,500

Multiply by 5: x 5

Minimum Required Cash Value of Assets: $27,500

me: Again, if you have zero income and want to use assets only, you are taking required income per year needed for your household ($29250) multiplied by three to come up with assets required of $29250 X 3 = $87750.

Form I-864 Instructions:
http://www.uscis.gov...files/I-864.pdf

There are very specific, step by step instructions for completing the form itself.

wow thanks that makes more sense now....thank you so much for your patience and help. i finally get it!!!! hard but get it lol

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-24 15:58:00

Well i just spoke to my SIL and my BIL earns $33, 800 USD a year. They own both their cars one valued at $6000 one valued at $4000 and both are owned, paid up in full.

They are happy to joint sponsor us. With that and the savings we have will that be sufficient? Plus Hubbys job offer he'll only earn $18.000USD to start off with and the employer is happy to give him a letter.

Is this better for us? Get my BIL to joint sponsor me?
hi again E,

What is BIL's household size? Him + his spouse +... not sure if it is the same person you spoke of before.
Use his household size + you and then look on the poverty guidelines to see if his inicome is sufficient.
They would probably not list their vehicles as assets if the income is sufficient.

Your savings can't be combined onto one document with them. You can only document what you have and make the best case you can, as z suggested before. But no, you can not add your asset value with their income/assets.

To clarify from earlier... please see that the amouYour husband proves that you have about ($29,250 x 3) = $87,750 in assets as is required on the I-1864.

nt of annual income one has to show is one thing... that comes from the poverty guidelines and that is where you got the $29000+ amount that you wanted to prove. You seemed unsure about the 90,000 figure I used when you were talking about your savings. The figure for assets is different than the annual income figure. Hopefully that is more clear to you now after reading the I-864 and z's explanation?

Sorry that would help..... his household size is him+spouse+3kids (she is pregnant with number 4) so do i add number 4. bubs won't be born before we do the visa application. Will be due in June/July.

i read the I-864 and am still a bit confused at about the whole thing.... i don't know if i'm just stupid or totally missing it.

I don't get how you do this

Your husband proves that you have about ($29,250 x 3) = $87,750 in assets as is required on the I-1864.

where do you get the x 3 from? i can't see that anywhere on the form? I just get that the poverty guidelines say we have to prove $29,250 Thats it, so i am not getting how you come up with the figures

Sorry if i'm frustrating, i just can't get this in my head. And if my BIL can't sponsor us then i dont know what we are going to do if we have to get this $87,750 to prove,. Sorry this ist just so confusing.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-23 22:38:00

Emerald,

There are a few scenarios that you could explore.

1:
Your husband moves to America before you do. He establishes his job there first. If he does that, then he'll have his employment letter and a few check stubs to show the Consular Officer. In that case, if he makes $25K, then you'd have to establish approximately $15K in assets, which you said you have in savings. You can document your maternity leave deposits as well.

The calculations are:

Household size of 5 = $29,250
Your husband makes = $25,000 per year

Difference: $4,250

$4,250 x 3 = $12,750 is what you'll need in assets to make up the difference.

2:
Your husband proves that you have about ($29,250 x 3) = $87,750 in assets as is required on the I-1864.

3:
You and your husband find a willing joint sponsor.

If I were you, I think I would try to secure a joint sponsor regardless of these scenarios. Your financial picture does not look all that good considering you have two kids and your new baby.

-Z

Z

So a letter from his employer may or may not be accepted? So he's better off going to get his job first?

WIth the joint sponsor which i can probably get my SIL and BIL to do, does that void out all our assest money. Like i think he earns about $25,000 USD (my BIL). They have a house for $50,000 but not sure how much they owe. Two cars, a camper valued $20,000. I believe for 7 people (BIL, SIL & 4 x their kids +me) the poverty guidelines for them is $37,000 USD.

With his pay and the house/cars.camper as assets would that cover us for the poverty guidelines?

DO they also take into consideration our savings that we have? to go along with what money/assets our BIL SIL have?

I'm understanding it more the way you've explained it. Just not sure if we can combine all our money/assets etc to get us over the poverty guideline. IT definatly seems allot better/easier to get a joint sponsor.

Thanks

Emerald,

The letter from his future employer will likely be accepted.

Your assets are not totally void. You can present them at the interview to the Consular Officer as additional proof. Your husband will still have to fill out the I-864. You can try to convince the Consular Officer that your financial situation is not as bad as it seems. It is at his or her discretion to approve the Affidavit.

But, to be on the safe side, it is advisable to secure a joint sponsor.

According to the I-864, "You may use the assets of the intending immigrant regardless of where he or she resides. The intending immigrant must provide evidence of such assets with this form. Form I-864A is not required to document the intending immigrant's assets." I interpret that sentence to mean that you can combine your assets with that of the joint sponsor's. However, that is only my interpretation and you should read the instructions carefully to reach your own conclusion. You may want to call the Consulate and ask for an explanation as well.

It's the big picture that the Consular Officer is looking at. He or she wants adequate proof, based on your finances (or that of a joint sponsor), that you, as the immigrant, will not become a public charge in the United States.

As far as your joint sponsor's financials, I'm not particularly sure how to determine what they have and if it will be sufficient. You haven't provided enough information.

Read the I-864 and what it says about cars:
"Assets may supplement income if the consular or immigration officer is convinced that the monetary value of the asset could reasonably be made available to support the sponsored immigrant and converted to cash within one year without undue harm to the sponsor or his or her family members. You may not include an automobile unless you show that you own at least one working automobile that you have not included."

--Z

Thanks Z

I read the I-864 today, i'm going to speak to my SIL about joint sponsoring me and see what that say. She's our only hope as hubbies other relatives are a right off.....

Well i just spoke to my SIL and my BIL earns $33, 800 USD a year. They own both their cars one valued at $6000 one valued at $4000 and both are owned, paid up in full.

They are happy to joint sponsor us. With that and the savings we have will that be sufficient? Plus Hubbys job offer he'll only earn $18.000USD to start off with and the employer is happy to give him a letter.

Is this better for us? Get my BIL to joint sponsor me?

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-23 21:15:00

Emerald,

There are a few scenarios that you could explore.

1:
Your husband moves to America before you do. He establishes his job there first. If he does that, then he'll have his employment letter and a few check stubs to show the Consular Officer. In that case, if he makes $25K, then you'd have to establish approximately $15K in assets, which you said you have in savings. You can document your maternity leave deposits as well.

The calculations are:

Household size of 5 = $29,250
Your husband makes = $25,000 per year

Difference: $4,250

$4,250 x 3 = $12,750 is what you'll need in assets to make up the difference.

2:
Your husband proves that you have about ($29,250 x 3) = $87,750 in assets as is required on the I-1864.

3:
You and your husband find a willing joint sponsor.

If I were you, I think I would try to secure a joint sponsor regardless of these scenarios. Your financial picture does not look all that good considering you have two kids and your new baby.

-Z

Z

So a letter from his employer may or may not be accepted? So he's better off going to get his job first?

WIth the joint sponsor which i can probably get my SIL and BIL to do, does that void out all our assest money. Like i think he earns about $25,000 USD (my BIL). They have a house for $50,000 but not sure how much they owe. Two cars, a camper valued $20,000. I believe for 7 people (BIL, SIL & 4 x their kids +me) the poverty guidelines for them is $37,000 USD.

With his pay and the house/cars.camper as assets would that cover us for the poverty guidelines?

DO they also take into consideration our savings that we have? to go along with what money/assets our BIL SIL have?

I'm understanding it more the way you've explained it. Just not sure if we can combine all our money/assets etc to get us over the poverty guideline. IT definatly seems allot better/easier to get a joint sponsor.

Thanks

Emerald,

The letter from his future employer will likely be accepted.

Your assets are not totally void. You can present them at the interview to the Consular Officer as additional proof. Your husband will still have to fill out the I-864. You can try to convince the Consular Officer that your financial situation is not as bad as it seems. It is at his or her discretion to approve the Affidavit.

But, to be on the safe side, it is advisable to secure a joint sponsor.

According to the I-864, "You may use the assets of the intending immigrant regardless of where he or she resides. The intending immigrant must provide evidence of such assets with this form. Form I-864A is not required to document the intending immigrant's assets." I interpret that sentence to mean that you can combine your assets with that of the joint sponsor's. However, that is only my interpretation and you should read the instructions carefully to reach your own conclusion. You may want to call the Consulate and ask for an explanation as well.

It's the big picture that the Consular Officer is looking at. He or she wants adequate proof, based on your finances (or that of a joint sponsor), that you, as the immigrant, will not become a public charge in the United States.

As far as your joint sponsor's financials, I'm not particularly sure how to determine what they have and if it will be sufficient. You haven't provided enough information.

Read the I-864 and what it says about cars:
"Assets may supplement income if the consular or immigration officer is convinced that the monetary value of the asset could reasonably be made available to support the sponsored immigrant and converted to cash within one year without undue harm to the sponsor or his or her family members. You may not include an automobile unless you show that you own at least one working automobile that you have not included."

--Z

Thanks Z

I read the I-864 today, i'm going to speak to my SIL about joint sponsoring me and see what that say. She's our only hope as hubbies other relatives are a right off.....

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-23 02:37:00

Emerald,

There are a few scenarios that you could explore.

1:
Your husband moves to America before you do. He establishes his job there first. If he does that, then he'll have his employment letter and a few check stubs to show the Consular Officer. In that case, if he makes $25K, then you'd have to establish approximately $15K in assets, which you said you have in savings. You can document your maternity leave deposits as well.

The calculations are:

Household size of 5 = $29,250
Your husband makes = $25,000 per year

Difference: $4,250

$4,250 x 3 = $12,750 is what you'll need in assets to make up the difference.

2:
Your husband proves that you have about ($29,250 x 3) = $87,750 in assets as is required on the I-1864.

3:
You and your husband find a willing joint sponsor.

If I were you, I think I would try to secure a joint sponsor regardless of these scenarios. Your financial picture does not look all that good considering you have two kids and your new baby.

-Z

Z

So a letter from his employer may or may not be accepted? So he's better off going to get his job first?

WIth the joint sponsor which i can probably get my SIL and BIL to do, does that void out all our assest money. Like i think he earns about $25,000 USD (my BIL). They have a house for $50,000 but not sure how much they owe. Two cars, a camper valued $20,000. I believe for 7 people (BIL, SIL & 4 x their kids +me) the poverty guidelines for them is $37,000 USD.

With his pay and the house/cars.camper as assets would that cover us for the poverty guidelines?

DO they also take into consideration our savings that we have? to go along with what money/assets our BIL SIL have?

I'm understanding it more the way you've explained it. Just not sure if we can combine all our money/assets etc to get us over the poverty guideline. IT definatly seems allot better/easier to get a joint sponsor.

Thanks

Edited by Emerald, 22 October 2006 - 03:54 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-22 15:49:00

1. Yes i'm expeting bub no 3 in march.

2. Our BIL father is going to give him a job that probably pays around $25,000 USD that will continue as long as my husband needs a job for, and BIL Father is the owner of the business and is happy to give hubby the job and write a supporting letter.

3. My income of $2000 a month will continue in the USA uptill september 2007, in which i then go to unpaid maternity leave for 2yrs b4 i have to resign from my job. My husband will get one pay of $3000 for the month we leave as he is planning on working upto 2 weeks before we leave.

4. Assests are $24,000 savings in a term deposit. Plus whatever we get for the car $2000, household furniture probably only around $2000, savings hopefully around $4000.

If we go in June 2007 , our accountants going to file our taxes for us in July/August and when we get them back we should get around $5000 maybe a bit less..BUt that we won't get until september when we are hopefully already there.

So all up we have so far $24,000 + hoping on $8000 extra b4 we go. I will get $2000 a month upto september, and taxes coming back for us should be another $5000 in september.

I fryed my brain before loooking it all up, i found the I-184 form guidelines, but where is the actual form\ to do a trial.

We have will have 3 kids by the time we go, so i say i'd have to put bub 3 on the form.

Emerald,

Congrats!

Poverty guideline for household size of 5 is $29,250.

Anyway, I think it may prove useful for your husband to establish his job in the United States first. That way, he'll have his employment letter and a few check stubs to show the Consular Officer. In that case, if he makes $25K, then you'd have to establish $15K in assets, which you have in savings. You can document your maternity leave deposits as well.

That's what I would do if I were in your situation. (And maybe your husband can take the kids with him ahead of time.)

Other than that, you'll definitely need a joint sponsor.

(And it's possible you'd need a joint sponsor for the above situation I outlined, but it is arguably less likely since he has a job and you have savings.)

In any case, you've got to prove to the Consular Officer that you will not become a public charge in the United States. In order to do that, you need to make your financial picture work for you. Because you have three kids to raise, you have more to prove.

Good luck!

--Z

Z

The other poster said it was $90,000USD to prove? So is it $90,000 or $29,250?

This is where i am totally confused.....

Also if you get a joint sponsor, does that void out your savings, hubbies job money etc??

Edited by Emerald, 21 October 2006 - 08:10 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-21 20:09:00

Debts do not factor in unless the item is being used as an asset, and then, seemingly only with real estate

bit confused here, if they are joint sponsoring, wouldn't they have to show assets and what they earn? The house would be an asset then, which they owe on. So would that count?

No he can't work before he gets there. He can go before us, but then i'd have 3 kids on my own on the plane, and he'd prefer to travel with me to help.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-20 17:44:00

Thanks for your help. With the co-sponsors though, do we have to show the $24.000 or near abouts that we have, plus what they have? Of do they just go off the co-sponsors.

If you have a Joint Sponsor (not "co") and their income and/or assets are sufficient (you shouldn't be submitting them if they are not sufficient), then it's OK for your own USC's I-864 to be 'insufficient'.

2. Our BIL father is going to give him a job that probably pays around $25,000 USD that will continue as long as my husband needs a job for, and BIL Father is the owner of the business and is happy to give hubby the job and write a supporting letter.

I fryed my brain before loooking it all up, i found the I-184 form guidelines, but where is the actual form\ to do a trial.

Again, can USC husband 'start' this job before he gets to the US? The employment letter will be good, but it is up to the Consular Officer to decide if that income can 'count'.

Start using US dollar figures, it will make life easier for everyone. The website xe.com is very fast and useful.

Get the latest I-864 here: http://www.uscis.gov...forms/i-864.htm

No my hubby can't start the job before he gets there as its a physical job re-locating and setting up mobile homes.

I have to find out what my BIL is earning but i believe its around the $30,000 USD mark. The joint sponsors , They have a morgage of $56, 000 for a house they brought. Does this count if they owe on it? They have a camper worth $20,000USD they are paying off, does this count? Two cars and the land the house is on.

Yes it's hard re the employment letter, i've heard stories where it's accepted, stories where it's not.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-20 16:02:00

Emerald,

Are you expecting now?

I have no idea if that will change your household size prior to the birth of the child. It might, if you are expecting.

If you're not expecting, then your household size is 5 according to your post.

You really have to take a look at the I-864. In another thread, I believe you said your husband's income was going to continue upon entering the United States. If his income will continue and is above the poverty guideline for your household size, then showing assets is just more proof that you will not become a public charge.

You need to determine a few things:

What's your husband's employment status going to be when he enters the United States?
Is that income above the poverty guideline for your household size?
What else can you show, in assets, to further prove that you, the immigrant, will not become a public charge?

Once you answer these questions, you'll have a clearer idea on what you may or may not need to do.

Why don't you do a trial run of the I-864 and see what it looks like?

1. Yes i'm expeting bub no 3 in march.

2. Our BIL father is going to give him a job that probably pays around $25,000 USD that will continue as long as my husband needs a job for, and BIL Father is the owner of the business and is happy to give hubby the job and write a supporting letter.

3. My income of $2000 a month will continue in the USA uptill september 2007, in which i then go to unpaid maternity leave for 2yrs b4 i have to resign from my job. My husband will get one pay of $3000 for the month we leave as he is planning on working upto 2 weeks before we leave.

4. Assests are $24,000 savings in a term deposit. Plus whatever we get for the car $2000, household furniture probably only around $2000, savings hopefully around $4000.

If we go in June 2007 , our accountants going to file our taxes for us in July/August and when we get them back we should get around $5000 maybe a bit less..BUt that we won't get until september when we are hopefully already there.

So all up we have so far $24,000 + hoping on $8000 extra b4 we go. I will get $2000 a month upto september, and taxes coming back for us should be another $5000 in september.

I fryed my brain before loooking it all up, i found the I-184 form guidelines, but where is the actual form\ to do a trial.

We have will have 3 kids by the time we go, so i say i'd have to put bub 3 on the form.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 23:29:00

Why is it $90,000 i was told only $29,000 for the poverty guidelines was to be met, so how do you get $90,000 Thats just impossible.

We dont have that , we will just make the $29,000 in aussie

So how does it work if i can get his sister to co-sponsor me. how do we calcluate it then? She has herself, husband and 3 kids. If she co=sponsors how do we calculate the gudelines then?

$90K is for a lump sum, also known as 'assets'. Please see the I-864 for the explanation.
$30K is for annual, ongoing income.

If sister wants to sponsor just YOU (kids and hub are USCs and don't need sponsoring) then Sis adds up her household, plus you. Her household is 5, plus you = 6. I-864P says her INCOME (or that of her AND her husband if he agrees) must be $33,500/year or better.
If she doesn't make that much on her own and husband agrees to put up his income for the paperwork, she and he would complete an I-864-A.

Have a download and read through the I-864 that's posted at uscis.gov--I think it will all make more sense then.

Oh i am freaking out now!!!! I don't know how to tell hubby this one, we thought it was only the $29,000 we needed.

Thanks for your help. With the co-sponsors though, do we have to show the $24.000 or near abouts that we have, plus what they have? Of do they just go off the co-sponsors.

There is no way hubby can go over before me, i'd have to take 3 kids on the plane....oh i am freaking out...

Off to find the 1-864 to read

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 21:55:00

[quote name='Emerald' post='516997' date='Oct 20 2006, 12:23 PM']
[quote name='meauxna' post='516972' date='Oct 20 2006, 12:06 PM']
[quote name='Emerald' post='516953' date='Oct 19 2006, 06:51 PM']
Sorry my money is Australian dollars. Is the $29,000 supposed to be in US Dollars. God thats so freaking hard.......how do they expect you to come up with that...

Our house hold size will be 5 ( 3 kids USC and 2 adults, me and hubby the USC)

Our dates.

We want to be in the USA by June 2007, we will probalby only have $24.000 AUSSIE by march, plus whatever we can sell and save. We are due for another lump sum of $4000 approximatly, maybe more in August/September from our taxes. I get paid maternity leave of $2000 a month for 6months. Starting in march, ending in September.

HOpe that helps. if you need more let me know. This is the part thats freaking us out as we just can't rely on hubbies famly for co-sponsorship.
[/quote]

Yes, the poverty guidelines are for income in US dollars that will continue in the US. I notice that London often gives a bit of slack in this department, and I wonder if Sydney doesn't too, perhaps due to the English speaking you'll-get-employment-easier factor? (I don't necessarily agree that that theory is correct).

The poverty guideline for a family of 5 is $29250.. call it 30K. This number may go up effective April of 07, as it does every year.
To cover this with assets alone, you take 3X the PG or 30K X 3 = $90,000 USD in cash, or things of value that can become cash within 12 months. Often, this is real estate or some sort of investment account (stocks, mutual funds etc).

This money must be available and documented at the time the I-864 is submitted, and visas can not be issued without it.
I can not see how the future tax refud will be of any use to you for the I-864; I'm sure it will be a welcome how do you do when it arrives, however.
You will have a temporary income for a finite period of time; again, while it will be a nice pad in the bank account, I am unsure how Sydney will categorize it.
You will have USD cash in hand of about $18K, with 90K needed.

Any chance that Hubby could begin work (in some capacity) for BIL early? Will his annual salary be +30K?
[/quote]

Why is it $90,000 i was told only $29,000 for the poverty guidelines was to be met, so how do you get $90,000 Thats just impossible.

We dont have that , we will just make the $29,000 in aussie

So how does it work if i can get his sister to co-sponsor me. how do we calcluate it then? She has herself, husband and 3 kids. If she co=sponsors how do we calculate the gudelines then?

Edited by Emerald, 19 October 2006 - 09:34 PM.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 21:33:00

Sorry my money is Australian dollars. Is the $29,000 supposed to be in US Dollars. God thats so freaking hard.......how do they expect you to come up with that...

Our house hold size will be 5 ( 3 kids USC and 2 adults, me and hubby the USC)

Our dates.

We want to be in the USA by June 2007, we will probalby only have $24.000 AUSSIE by march, plus whatever we can sell and save. We are due for another lump sum of $4000 approximatly, maybe more in August/September from our taxes. I get paid maternity leave of $2000 a month for 6months. Starting in march, ending in September.

HOpe that helps. if you need more let me know. This is the part thats freaking us out as we just can't rely on hubbies famly for co-sponsorship.

Yes, the poverty guidelines are for income in US dollars that will continue in the US. I notice that London often gives a bit of slack in this department, and I wonder if Sydney doesn't too, perhaps due to the English speaking you'll-get-employment-easier factor? (I don't necessarily agree that that theory is correct).

The poverty guideline for a family of 5 is $29250.. call it 30K. This number may go up effective April of 07, as it does every year.
To cover this with assets alone, you take 3X the PG or 30K X 3 = $90,000 USD in cash, or things of value that can become cash within 12 months. Often, this is real estate or some sort of investment account (stocks, mutual funds etc).

This money must be available and documented at the time the I-864 is submitted, and visas can not be issued without it.
I can not see how the future tax refud will be of any use to you for the I-864; I'm sure it will be a welcome how do you do when it arrives, however.
You will have a temporary income for a finite period of time; again, while it will be a nice pad in the bank account, I am unsure how Sydney will categorize it.
You will have USD cash in hand of about $18K, with 90K needed.

Any chance that Hubby could begin work (in some capacity) for BIL early? Will his annual salary be +30K?

Why is it $90,000 i was told only $29,000 for the poverty guidelines was to be met, so how do you get $90,000 Thats just impossible.

We dont have that , we will just make the $29,000 in aussie

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 21:23:00

I can't quite work out your dates, so I'm not sure if this helps. Also, if your figures are in US $$ or ?? And household size?

However, if you can document a source of income that will continue once you are in the US, that will be looked at favorably, but of course it will not be an ongoing income. So, it will be useful, I'm just not clear how at the moment.

The finances are accounted for until the visa interview, which is when you turn in the I-864 normally.

I do not think that future tax refunds will be counted in your favor.

i'll be very interested to hear the outcome of this question----we have saved £5000 and i am entitled to a lump sum of £10,200 when i leave the UK, with a lifetime annual pension of £3500----all together, even with a bad exchange rate, this should cover us for the poverty guidelines, i think, if i'm reading things correctly...please correct me if i'm wrong!!!

anna
Anna, your question is a little bit different. If you have your lump sum available to include on the I-864, you'll have left your position. Not sure if you want to do that before you get your visa. I do not know for certain what a ConOff would do with a future payment like that.

As for your lifetime annual pension.. that might do something for you. My husband gets his pension *payments* monthly, that income follows him around the globe and it is income for the I-864 purposes. Since there are different terminologies, you might want to clarify what you mean by that sum, and how it will be dispersed.

Sorry my money is Australian dollars. Is the $29,000 supposed to be in US Dollars. God thats so freaking hard.......how do they expect you to come up with that...

Our house hold size will be 5 ( 3 kids USC and 2 adults, me and hubby the USC)

Our dates.

We want to be in the USA by June 2007, we will probalby only have $24.000 AUSSIE by march, plus whatever we can sell and save. We are due for another lump sum of $4000 approximatly, maybe more in August/September from our taxes. I get paid maternity leave of $2000 a month for 6months. Starting in march, ending in September.

HOpe that helps. if you need more let me know. This is the part thats freaking us out as we just can't rely on hubbies famly for co-sponsorship.

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 20:51:00

I have just found out that i can get 6months paid maternity leave from work, which means when i leave here for the USA i will be getting paid by my employer up untill september. I then will be on 2yrs unpaid after september.

We are hoping to go by June 07 if all goes well with the visa stuff. WE are hoping to move in with my parents for 5months b4 we leave to save more money.

My question is. By june we should have around $20,000 saved to go, will still have to sell up some stuff and add on the money we save by living at mums. Which once debst are paid up should be around $4000. We will get another $4000-$5000 in AUgust from taxes.

My question is......

Will the consulate take into consideration i'll be getting paid while in the USA by my employer of $2000 a month up till september. (in which i should have a job there if we go in June if the one with my BIL's family falls through). OUr BIL father who is going to employ hubby is going to send a letter to us stating his position and salary.

Do we have to show the consulate that we have $29.000 now before we go, or can we show that we have $20,000 now and are due to get another $8000, in taxes and savings, plus i will be paid $2000 a month for 6mnths.

We really want to fly over by june to settle as our eldest daughter will be in school in August for her first year in the USA. SO we want to be settled by then.

ANy help??

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-10-19 15:36:00

G325A question

[Ah ok then that explains it, I spent yesterday printing up the forms, so i figured i'd read it somewhere. Brain information overlaod

Thanks Yodrak

Emerald,

You got the idea from form I-864.

Yodrak

Yodrak,

I just checked it and your right. I have no idea where i got that from, I will check the form i had saved on disk, hubby and i started to fill it out and it said last 3 years tax return amounts, and under that it said savings/assets etc. Will cehck what form i was lookin at.

Thanks
Phew

Emerald,

No, it does not.

Yodrak

..... We looked at the G 235a form and its asking for hubbies assets.

.....

EMerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-06 15:13:00

G325A question

Yodrak,

I just checked it and your right. I have no idea where i got that from, I will check the form i had saved on disk, hubby and i started to fill it out and it said last 3 years tax return amounts, and under that it said savings/assets etc. Will cehck what form i was lookin at.

Thanks
Phew

Emerald,

No, it does not.

Yodrak

..... We looked at the G 235a form and its asking for hubbies assets.

.....

EMerald

Emerald

Female

Australia

2006-11-06 15:03:00