Guys I've been posting all over the forums on this and I'm sorry if I'm getting on people's nerves, but it's freaking me out and I can't find the answers

So been researching better now...I still don't understand where people (seems like most people) are getting that you have to submit the past 3 years worth of tax returns for the Affidavit of support?

I've read that it varies embassy by embassy. Here's what I and my mother (my co-sponsor, the one with the actual money) have gotten together:

1. Letters from our employers with salary, start date, standing in company
2. Several of our most recent paystubs
3. a letter from the bank giving the details of our account - current balance, when it's opened, what's been deposited in the last year.

Oh, my mom's well over the poverty line btw so we're not doing assets or anything. I make a penance and am a student so they're probably just gonna toss mine aside.
I've read that if you make plenty of salary, the ONLY thing you have to provide is tax returns?? When I've yet to see anything providing tax returns at all. On the instructions for the I-134, it says to give these only if you're self-employed which we're not.


Here's the link I've found for the London embassy's requirements from the sponsor with the I-134: link

It says:

To substantiate the information regarding income and resources the sponsor should attached two or more of the following items to the affidavit.

notarized copies of his or her latest federal income tax return;

a statement from his or her employer showing salary and the length and permanency of employment;

a statement from an officer of a bank regarding his or her account, the date the account was opened and the present balance;

any other evidence adequate to establish financial ability to carry out his or her undertaking toward the applicant for what might be an indefinite period of time.


_____________________________________

So, according to this, to fulfill the London embassy's requirements I must provide two of the above, and I've provided 3 (with 'other' being paystubs). Yet people are still acting like tax information (3 years specifically, why?) is the most important part.

Sorry guys, I'm just freaking out. If it varies by embassy I guess I just wanted to know other UK'ers' experiences Thanks.

I think what you've got sounds good to me. I'm going to do tax returns just because that will be easier for me than going to the bank president for a letter. The page you referenced it the same one I had bookmarked. Somewhere in the K1 info or maybe the London info, I also read that it's only 100% of the poverty level for the K1, not the 125% required later on for the Adjustment of Status.

Why does it only need to be 100% poverty level for the K1, when you need to AOS withing 90 days anyway? I thought it clearly states it has to be 125%

I went through London a couple of weeks ago, and they wanted the signed, original affidavit of support, and that was IT
I had all manner of other bumph, and it never even came out of its folder... not saying it's not best to be prepared, but I wouldn't stress too much if I were you

I did CR-1, so they should have been more strict, since it's the eqivilent of AOS, I had 3 years tax returns and they only kept one. I had photocopies of my MIL's passport, bank account statment, recent pay stubs. They didn't ask for any of it. If that's what they're like for CR-1, you'll be fine for K-1.

Thanks a lot guys You're like...awesome.

My SO is killing himself stressing out over there - this and finals week for university together. We're both like...AAAHHH just now

Look on the bright side if you can do finals week you can handle getting a visa it is only slightly harder.

Well at least you know that he is very well versed in the subject of his visa interview

...after which he will say 'was that IT?!'

I sent the I-134, three years of taz returns, letter from employer, and a letter from the bank...sounds like it might be overkill, but as STP says, better to be prepared....

Darren is starting to show signs of stress...always can tell, he watches StarTrek NG NON-STOP while we're online...but I never give hima hard time about it, since he still talks to me....

NINE days to go, but who's counting?

LOL sounds like Kris though he watches comedians!!! Now if only we had 9days to go as well.

Prettiest -

You gave them JUST the affidavit? No supporting documents?

That is what we did 2.5 years ago.

I'm still just worried about the tax stuff. It's obviously the best proof to show and if it were all my business and up to me, I'd totally get it. But it's my mom's and she's like...already been bugged to death about all this, and I wasn't too clear at first on everything needed either, lots my fault, etc Didn't want to have to bug her again for tax things and I've never even made enough to file so pfft to that one.

Man if only there was a secret Trekkie handshake when you go in the embassy for automatic approval You know I've never even seen Star Trek.

My sweetie and I never really get to see each other these days...this semester has killed us both and our technologies right now suck, it's hard. I'm flying over in like a month though and we really, really need it, this is all bah. But it's SO exciting with the end in sight, god life's about to get so good

green congratulations in advance when Darren does get through Whoo hoo!

Go here:

http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/86988.pdf

....and read directly from the FAM about the I134. It begins partway down on Page 16.

Rebeccajo how do you find this stuff

Oi ...it's just inconsistent, you know? This is the guidebook for the adjudicators, I guess, in which it very much prioritizes tax returns. But in the I-134 instructions it doesn't even mention them as an option, let alone a main necessity, except if you're self employed; and then with the London embassy's specific instructions, it just says provide at least 2 of 4 types of evidence.

Man I don't know Blargh. I'm just worried that it's been so long with ours. We got our NOA2 at the end of February and Iain only just sent packet 3 back to them this WEEK, that sounds really really terrible right? o_O I know it's good for four months but it also says asap. But it was send to his permanent address in Edinburgh and he's in school in London and couldn't go home for a good while, and the post office at his school is really crap and basically open to anyone who wants to steal your mail so we were afraid to have it forwarded.

I think I'm probably going to end up sending everything in without the tax returns info. I guess the worst that'll happen is they request more and we're held up a couple weeks which is no problem. I don't think they're gonna issue a bonds thing for us or anything like that, no way is he going to be a public charge. We'll just cross our fingers and hope I guess

Thanks.

The info on I134 is inconsistent because......well read the instructions for it.

Insofar as proof of income goes, it only states 'sufficient'.

Your best way of knowing what you need is to go by recent anecdotal evidence. London traditionally is not really tough on the financials. Lately I read they want the most recent year's tax return. They never need three unless the person is self employed.

yep

I had the other stuff - a letter from his employer, some pay stubs, three lots of tax returns - and they never even mentioned it; just took the affidavit, said thank you very much, and went on to the next bit

seems like I timewarped

LOL....

Nah, I don't think it's 'timewarping'. I've heard of it happening now and then. We were like you - we had a mountain of information (in fact I carried it all in a wheeled case). But when Wes was interviewed, the guy asked for the affidavit and because that is what he asked for, that's all I gave him. I even asked (after he seemed satisfied) if he needed anything else and he said 'no'.

Here at VJ we rely on anecdotal consular accounts to come up with methods for preparing for interview. A few months ago it appeared London was requesting tax returns from all beneficiaries (they had never particularly wanted them before). At the time this started happening, I wondered if it was really a new requirement or just a new CO on the window.

The I134 is a 'yardstick' document. There's little about it that's set in stone and that confuses people.

wow, a wheeled case; that's true dedication

when did they stop allowing partners to attend the interview? I saw a number of people turned away while I was in line (and I know a lot of people here had to leave someone waiting outside, to pace nervously around the square like a new father outside the delivery room )

I'm not sure. I think it was a year or so ago.

Really sad that they've stopped allowing it, IMO. It's one of our best memories.

So what happens if you don't have enough evidence at the interview, do they just have an interview stage RFE sort of thing and reschedule it, or is it worse than that? I guess that's still pretty bad if you have to travel...meh I really need to hit my mom up for tax stuff. I don't know how difficult that is for her to get, just didn't wanna bug her again. I'm lame and barely understand what a W-2 is.

I read on the London Embassy site the other day that you're not allowed to bring people with you. But it also said that they don't let people wait around outside their building so not to show up more than 30 minutes ahead of time, and that you'll have to wait outside and not inside.
I think it sounds like people do have to wait outside, but the 30 minutes thing...just makes it sound like they're gonna arrest you if you're there or something I don't think they enforce a lot of these rules. I guess it really is just luck.

If they need more paper from you, they just give you a blue sheet of paper detailing what you need to provide, with the number of the courier on it. You would be asked to submit the additional paperwork with your passport, as soon as you have the missing info. All being well, they issue the visa and send your passport back with the visa in it and the MBE.

You don't have to do another interview

AWESOME

Omg I'm so exciting. It's getting warmer and warmer and we're all gonna be done and whoo hoo!

Immigration isn't really that bad. Maybe the pain makes it better. I'm actually upset Iain doesn't have to take a history test just to get in as a resident, I wanted him to have to hit the books and be moaning about that

Hi guys, I posted this in one of the other forums (sorry if that is a terrible faux pas) but thought it might be more of a London embassy thing, so have reposted it here. All help much appreciated!
On the instruction from the Embassy it states that the affadavit of support should be signed jointly by both husband and wife (for the co-sponsor obviously - my fiancee is not already married!). I can't see this mentioned anywhere else though, and the form does not look designed for two people? What are other people's experiences and views?

And following on from the previous discussion in this thread, this is what we are hoping to provide, please shout if it does not look enough...
1 years federal tax returns
Letter from employer
Letter from bank
Do I need pay stubs as well, or will the above be sufficient?

Many thanks, getting closer to the finish line now!
David

Hi David,

You sound good to me on your affidavit evidence I don't think you need paystubs but if you have any throw them in there, why not. But the London Embassy's site says it wants at least two of four pieces of evidence (tax returns, bank letter, employment letter, or "other") so you're totally good to go. Sounds like the tax return basically is the biggie guarantee people usually use.

As for the signature question...so your co-sponsor is married, you're saying? I don't think this means that the co-sponsor's spouse also has to sign at all. Your co-sponsor presumably makes a big enough salary to meet all of the requirements, so his/her ties to his/her spouse shouldn't matter as far as I know, even if they have joint bank accounts or something.

If you can't get a definite answer, you can always do this: Have just the one co-sponsor sign, and then attach a sheet to the form saying that the co-sponsor's spouse is fully supportive of the sponsorship as well, and then have them sign and date it. I wouldn't have them both sign the form though, definately, that doesn't seem like the proper procedure to me and might get rejected.

My father completed an I134 for me (which we never needed but carried anyway) that was unsigned by my mother.

If you have the evidence of that persons income (tax return, paystubs, employment letter - whatever) there's no need to have the other spouse sign. That would kind of be like them attesting to that persons income.

Thanks for your replies. It is a little mystifying though, as the instructions from the embassy clearly states that it should be signed from the spouse, if the co-sponsor is married. You have to love how easy they make these things!

Ask your mom if her tax preparer has a pdf of her returns. That way she can just email them to you. I emailed mine to my fiance.