So I am a university student, and only work part-time, so I need a co-sponsor for my fiance's visa.

So I asked my sister (who is an attorney) and sent her the forms today. She has been screwed over financially by co-signing for a good friend in the past, so she has chosen to say no to my request. My parents are also wary because they also have co-signed for someone...

It's not that my family doesn't trust me, they just don't like the situation that they would put themselves into... I feel no support from my family.

Is there any way around getting a co-signer? Has anyone else had a problem similar to mine?

I need

there's no way around it. you're going to have to find someone to co-sponsor. Or you could immigrate to Canada?? there isn't an income requirement for spouse sponsorship for Canadian immigration. You will need to either get married or co-habitat for a year before he can sponsor you.
maybe serious conversations with your parents will cause them to change their mind-is there some other reason that they don't want to help you be together? maybe they just need to see you as a couple, but you obviously can't force anyone to sponsor you.

good luck

I have the exact same issue. I am petitioning for my husband.

I just decided to try to work two jobs full time and file 07 taxes and do back taxes on the little money I made in the past.

I'm hoping that uscis will look more at current income than anything else.

We'll see what happens. Either way, me and my hubby have decided that if we aren't approved, I will just move to his country (which is cheaper to live in anyway-Gambia) or relocate to another country altogether.

Remember, you are a couple now and where you live shouldn't have a bearing on your marriage.

Yeah, I don't know about it... I spoke with my sister about it, and she said that she has talked to my mom a little bit about it. They both want to make sure that I'm not doing this for the 'wrong' reasons. They want to know that I'm doing this for love and not just to get my fiance into the country.... ugh. They haven't gotten to know us as a couple, so they wouldn't know. grr

That can be frustrating. I always suggest in situations like that, that you get to know the affidavit of support inside out, that way you can have a real conversation about it with your co-sponsor. Sometimes parents don't have confidence in what their children are doing and take some convincing - knowing your stuff goes a long way toward showing that you know what you are doing.

How close are you to finishing your degree and landing a job? I ask because the I-134, which you'd need for the visa, are *not* legally binding. They're an administrative requirement that the consulate uses to assess whether you'll be able to adjust status successfully.

As it turned out, we didn't need it, but my dad was willing to co-sponsor for the I-134 but not for the green card (which is legally binding.) And in that time I landed a second job that made it certain I wouldn't need a sponsor.

it sounds like they might be trying to protect you (I'm not saying that you need protection, just that's what they may be trying to do). My parents weren't overly fond of my husband the first time they met him-which I think is fairly common. Parents and sibs always think that you are being foolish, in pretty much any circumstance. Now they've gotten to know the hubby, they of course love him but it takes time.

Can your boy come visit you for Chirstmas, spending time with your fam?

Well, I have 2.5 years left... so landing a good job isn't really an option for me

Well, I have been living with him for about 8 months now, and I am going to be moving home and starting school again (I took a semester off to be with him). He will be helping me move home on Christmas day, and will be seeing my family then, but that is only one day... They just haven't had time to get to know him.

The thing is, I decided to move home because I don't like being away from family, but they are making me almost regret my decision. It would be so much easier to immigrate to Canada.

Hmm. You could work and go to school part-time, but the problem with that is that immigration can take so long that you'd be putting your education on hold in a way that wasn't predictable. It took us over a year from K-1 filing to green card in hand, and we had a very easy journey. Personally, that wouldn't be something I'd be comfortable doing.

What does he do? Could he find work in your area and get a work visa to come down?

You have a few separate problems here:
1) How to get through the immigration hoops that require you to show an income.
2) How to survive the first few months until he can find work.

The two problems can have separate solutions. You can solve 2) through a combination of savings, housing arrangments, budgeting, etc. And 1) could be solved with a co-sponsor if you get one. I would start by reading the FAQs here, and learning as much about the affadavit of support as you can, because people aren't always clear what it means.

Would you consider moving to Canada? You could finish your education up there, maybe?

Yes, he has an education and a lot of work experience, so him working is not a problem... and we should be able to get by on my student loans, part time job, living with my parents, and his savings.

I just need to prove to immigration that I can do it, and I can't because I don't make enough. I'm talking with my parents more about it... and my dad seems very understanding, but he isn't completely sure.

And I have already been living in canada for 8 months, and I miss home too much. We have decided that we both want to live in the states.