Can anyone help me out with my situation please? My fiancee has interview in Mumbai consulate in April. I have sent I-134 along with employment letter, pay stubs (December - (reflects whole year income) to February), Savings account bank letter, tax returns for (2006 to 2004).

Now, the question is that I graduated from University in 2005 and didn't start my full time job until Sep, 2005, which is reflected in 2004 and 2005 tax returns (below poverty line income). However, my income in 2006 tax return reflects full time job and pay (about 300% more than 125% poverty guidelines for the household of 2 people), and hv savings about (7k). Do I need to worry that my income from 2004 and 2005 will disqualify me as a sponsor? Can anyone please tell me how do they determine affidavit of support qualification? I am really nervous. Any suggestions.

Greatly appreciate everyone's help.

Add in your most recent pay stubs. How far back? It's up to you. But I do not think you have anything to worry about for 2004 & 2005. It's your current status that matters.

Thank you very much for your help. We had to submit our documents in the first week of March to the Consulate that is the only reason I provided pay stubs until February. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I don't think you need to worry about the financial part. Also since you're a recent graduate I would think they would understand. Your occupation is probably decent so no problem. I think there are threads in the Foreign Embassy South East Asia sections where someone might be able to give you more info for your consulate.

Good Luck!

I think you're fine. I graduated in December 2006 and, assuming I can start a job within the next few weeks, people have told me that I'll be okay by the time the interview rolls around. (I'll probably get a co-sponsor just to be safe, but you should have no problems!)

Hi, please don’t worry, no need at all to be nervous! India requires only ONE year of tax returns & income verification. You have that for 2006 so no problem.

I returned from India in August 2005 and did not start working here in USA until Jan 2006. I have one full year of tax returns well over 125% poverty guidelines and I never gave a second thought to the years before. they mainly only want current proof of income. Some other countries may ask for 3 years of tax returns, but not India, from what I’ve heard and read.

Thank you very much for your response.



Thank you for your response. Greatly appreciated.

Thank you. My fiancee is being interviewed in 1st week of April. When she was at VFS to submit all the documents, they did ask for 3 years of tax returns, so we had to provide them with the same and that is the only reason I am worried little bit

I have a cuestion about this I-134 thing, let me explain you all my situation, maybe someone can give me an answer...
my girlfriend is finishing college so she will start working soon and probably make more of the needed in the povertyline, also her father is going to support us like a co-sponsor... that will be enough?

thanks and God Bless

Since her father is the co-sponsor, and I assume he is working and/or has assets to show that he would be able to support you, yes it would be enough.

Good luck!

Oh! My guy is going now to the VHS office maybe they will ask him the same! Live & learn!

Hey how did it go? Please let me know. Thanks.

Hi! Well my guy went to VFS office on Monday and returned to roundly scold me for causing him tension and forcing him to over-prepare. He gave my 2006 tax return and they did NOT ask for other years. They accepted all his other documents and didn’t ask for anything else. I had him hand over 6 months of my pay stubs, letter from employer, letter from bank, and bank statements for 6 months, as well as my own list of annual deposits (bank didn’t include that info). All other required and maybe-required docs were handed over (I-134, DS156, DS156K, DS230, copies of his passport, original birth certificate, police certificates, medical, intent letters, my passport copies). As well as proof of relationship like our old snail mails from 2001 onwards, emails, phone cards, Yahoo chats, etc.

Now he has gone to his village for a week for a classmate’s marriage. Interview training will resume upon his return on April 2nd!

Hey sorry for that. But, I guess over-prepared is better than under-prepared. Sorry for scolding though. I just shared my experience with you.

Hi don't worry about it! You didn't have anything at all to do with the scolding. I have over-prepared my guy throughout this process. As you said, I COMPLETELY agree that over-preparing is MUCH MUCH better than under-preparing!!

The news is that my fiancee received her visa Yeahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!She will be here within next 2-3 weeks. This is what happened at the consulate:

Security Guard called everyone in sharp at 7 AM instead of 7:30 AM inside the consulate. She submitted her Original Appointment Letter and Medical Report at the Window. The lady at the window returned following documents to my fiancee:

(1) Telephone bills that we submitted at VFS
(2) Emails that we submitted at VFS
(3) 2004 and 2005 Income Tax Returns
(4) one DS-156 form, submitted with Packet 3

Then, she had to wait for couple hours until her turn came around 11 AM. She asked for translator, however, she ended up talking in English anyway and never used the translator. The questions were:
(1) Who has filed petition for you? My Fiance
(2) What is his name?
(3) How did you two meet?
(4) What did you like about your fiance? She answered "Nature"
(5) What about his nature? Caring, Sensitive blah blah.......
Okay, you got visa and please marry him within 90 days once you reach to US. Your passport will be couriered to you (yeah literally the lady didn't even let my finace finish her answer).

This was it. It took only 4 minutes including Oath, Signing DS-156K, and, Interview questions. The lady who interviewed her quickly browsed through the pictures that I submitted originally with I-129F at the same time when she was asking questions to my fiancee. **Also, when she was asking questions, she didn't even let my fiancee finish her answers.

**My fiancee went to VFS same day in the evening to pick her passport, but, it was not ready and consulate didn't hand it over to VFS until today, so she had to stay one day extra in Mumbai. Well, she received her passport and yellow envelope today (which you are not suppose to open and you are supposed to hand it over to the Immigration Officer at Port of Entry).

Thank to God and everyone's prayers. What a painless interview!!!!!!!!!!

Wow GREAT!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!! Thanks so much for the info!! It sounded very smooth and easy!

When they said the passport would be sent by courier, did your fiancée ask at that time if she could pick it up in person? It is better to wait a day and get the visa immediately, then wait and wait for the mail to come!

Hey.. Congrats knm, I'm so glad to see that it went super easy.


I have got my CR-1 interview appointment for May 3rd at Chennai. I have to submit all the papers at VFS in 2 weeks or so.
My wife, the USC, is with me in Kochi, she has been in India since 2005 June, and is not working anywhere. We are using her parents as Co-sponsors(using I864A).
As the day gets closer I get a little nervous, and now I'm confused a bit on something..

My wife has her tax return filed in 2006, and it is for the year of 2005 right?
and the returns of her parents also is of the year of 2005 which is submitted in 2006.
Now its the time for the return of the year 2006 to be filed, and I was wondering whether we should include the return of the year 2006 also.
My wife doesnt have to file it since she was here in India in 2006 and was not working. But her parents who are back in the US also didnt file it yet.
I remember reading it somehwere that we should include the tax return of the year 2006 only if we send packet 3 after May 2007. In my case I've sent packet 3 at the begining of Feb this year. And we should be ready with all those docs at the time of sending packet 3. right?
So what I gather from those facts is that we need only the tax returns of 2003 2004 and 2005.

We have the latest pay stubs and bank statements etc. of the parents.

Could you guys please validate this and let me know whether this is enough?
Reading your posts makes a few butterflies in my stomach.



Pleeease help me
-Geophil

Hi Geophil,

April 17, 2007 is the deadline for filing US taxes for 2006. Your co-sponsors should certainly have their taxes filed by then, they can fax you a copy of the tax returns for the interview. Interviews in the month of April will probably not demand the tax returns for 2006 (because deadline not past yet) but it is possible they will want them at your May interview.

In case the taxes are not filed, you can request a letter of explanation from the co-sponsors, just in case they ask for the returns at the interview. Alternately, the co-sponsors can fill out the tax forms, and send it to you with explanation why they have not been submitted to the IRS so far.

In case there is no way you can get the returns for 2006, there is an excellent chance that the recent pay stubs and bank statements etc., along with previous 3 years tax returns, will be sufficient. So try not to worry too much about it. Good luck!!

Thank you so much Eleen for your comforting words,
What you said makes sense to me, and I called parents today morning and they are going to send the latest one, which they filed couple weeks ago. Express post would take a week or so I guess. And they are sending their latest pay stubbs W2 and bank statements etc. so that would be enough I believe.
But my wife has not filed it this year, since she in india and also she is not working here either. So should we make a letter explaining why she didnt file it this year?
And since my wife is not working, that wouldnt affect negatively on the way they process the afidavit of support right?

Also I have a Job offer from our Head Quarters in the US. So can I use that in some way to assure them that I woudnt be a public charge?
In the forms there are no options to indicate the potential job offers or income of the beneficiary as long as the person is not currently in the US.

Your thoughts on this will be very much appreciated.

You have tons of proof (more then I ever saw!) so I am sure there will be absolutely no worry for you!

Yes, include your job offer – it is an excellent reference showing you will not be a public charge!

All the evidence that your wife’s parents (co-sponsors) are sending you is more than sufficient, I am sure.

I was in India many years and did not file US tax returns because I did not work (2006 was the first year I EVER filed tax returns!). It will NOT negatively affect the process, because you have sufficient co-sponsors. (recently a friend here on VJ in my local area, got approved though she has not filed taxes in years and is on cash aide here in USA. Her co-sponsors were sufficient to get her fiancé’s visa approved.)

You can have your wife write a letter of explanation, I sent a similar letter to my fiancé. He didn’t hand it over to the VFS but it is ready in case they ask for an explanation at the interview, though I doubt they will. Most likely the explanation letter will only serve to give us peace of mind!

Yes, She did and Consulate officer told her that we will courier it to you. They answered like that as all approved Visas are disseminated by VFS.

***You can pick up your passport and visa from the VFS on the date of your interview in the evening (not true for Chennai,New Delhi, Kolkata. Appears that have to wait until next day per VFS Website) if it's ready. In some cases, you might have to wait for next day (like my fiancee did). If you don't pick up your passport from VFS on the day VFS receives it from the Consulate, then they usually courier it out in the same evening or next day via "Blue Dart" courier.


Applicants interviewed at the US Consulate, Chennai. Applicants may receive their passport in all probability the next working day after the interview. Most passports are returned within 2- 3 businessdays of the interview. This are their timings.

Application Centre Counter Passport Collection Timing
New Delhi U.S. Visa Application centre International Trade Tower, S-2 Level, Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110019 1400hrs-1600hrs
Chennai U.S. Visa Application centre Gowthami Towers, 2 A, First Street, Cenatoph Road, Teynampet, Chennai - 600 018. 1600hrs-1700hrs
Mumbai US Visa Application centre Tirupati Apartments, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Opp. Mahalakshmi Temple, Mumbai - 400026. 1730hrs-1800hrs
Kolkata U.S. Visa Application centre Om Towers, 4th floor, 32 Chowringhee Road, Next to Park Street Metro, Kolkatta - 700 071. 1400hrs-1600hrs


This is really helpful link. Check it out.

https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/ApplnForms/CourierSystem.aspx

Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hey thanks TONS for the link & the info! We will use it for sure!

Hey Best of Luck for the interview. God bless you both.