Hello

I am currently filling out the I-654 form. I have two questions.

1. Part3 ( Wife- USC petitioner, 2 children also USC, husband beneficiary ). I checked the box Nr 9. Iam sponsoring the following family members immigrating at the same time..... I listed in a-e myself, my children, and my husband (immigrant). I got a household size including my father as joint sponsor and his wife of 6. Was that correct so far? Do I need copies of the I-864 for each family member? I do not really classify myself and my USC children as immigrants, wich confuses me a little.

2. My father (joint sponsor) does not meet the poverty guidelines, he is off by 3000.00 dollars. If we use assests to meet requirements (amount needed 15.000) can we use my assests savings of 30.000 dollars? I read somewhere you cannot mix income from sponsor and joint sponsor but it did not say assets? Thanks alot for your help

kind regards

Cindy

Hello there. I am assuming that you are currently living overseas. You do not need to include your father or his wife as they are not part of your household. On your I-864, if it's just you, your husband, and your two children, you should have a household total of 4.

I assuming your father is living in the US with his wife and has no dependants. He would fill out a separate I-864 with a household size of 3 (himself, his wife, and your husband). So your father only has to make enough money for 3 people. If he still doesn't meet the requirement, you can transfer some of your savings into one of his accounts. The assets shouldn't be mixed either.

I hope that makes sense!

Okay, I think I need to give some more information. I am assuming your two children are your biological children and US citizens. Therefore, you were incorrect to check 9 on section 3. You are only sponsoring your husband. Your husband should be listed in section 2 and you should check 8 on section 3 and check yes. 9 and 10 of section 3 should be blank.

You should have a total of 2 I-864 forms - one you fill out and one from your father.

Thanks for the quick answer. I am a little confused now. If my father has a household size of 3 on his form and I have a size of 4 on my form wich poverty guideline amount do we use?

What will happen is that they will see you do not meet the requirement for a household of 4, but as long as your father meets the requirement for a houehold of 3 it doesn't matter. You are required to fill out the form even though you don't meet the guidelines because you have to file as the main sponsor.

Your father as the joint sponsor only has to make enough money for his own household including your husband. Your separate forms are judged against different guidelines.

Hi to all.

Let me say that I have zero personal experience on the topic of cosponsers, so please do push back if I am thinking wrong - headed on this.

That said, are you sure, MargotDarko, that this is how the household size is calculated for co-sponsors? I thought the point of a sponsor (main or co) is to shoulder the financial responsibility for the immigrating beneficiary(s) so they will not become public charges. If that is the case, then what good would it do for the co-sponsor to demonstrate that they can support their EXISTING family (size)? It seems to me that in the fiducuary role the sponsor is agreeing to take on, the govt would be looking for them to demonstrate that they can shoulder the financial obligations that they currently have (their EXISTING household size) PLUS the incremental costs of the additional immigrating beneficiaries. Otherwise, what would be the point? The co-sponsor would simply prove that he has the financial wherewithall to support his existing family that existed before the immigrating beneficiaries arrived and will continue to have the financial wherewithall to support his PREVIOUSLY EXISTING family after the immigrating beneficiaries arrived. In other words, in this particular case, why wouldn't the father have to demonstrate the financial capacity to support his existing household, PLUS the net addition of 3 immigrating beneficiaries, all of which he is agreeing to support by signing on as their co-sponsor?

Please allow me to repeat: I have ZERO personal experience on this topic. I am only trying to 'make logical sense' out of the situation based on the concept of what a sponsor (main or co) agrees to do when they sign on. If anyone can help enlighten me, I would be in your debt. Thanks!

Warm Regards,
Samby

You are right that a sponsor or co-sponsor has to show they can support their existing household plus the immigrant. The only immigrant in this case is the OP's husband. The OP is not an immigrant and neither are her two children - all 3 are USCs. So the household for her father is himself, his wife, and the immigrant (the OP's husband).