Filing I-864 in Tokyo as a future student

[potatoboss 0]

My husband is going for his visa interview in Tokyo next week, but I am still unsure how I should fill out my I-864. I have a joint sponsor and co-sponsor, so it doesn't really matter whether I can pass the poverty threshold or not, but I really don't know what to put for "current individual income" (q. 23)!

My situation -- I just left my job of over 2 years in June, and I will be going to school this fall. So right now I have no income, but I am getting a scholarship from my school. For Q. 23, do I write...

a) Zero, since I have no job

B) Total income since January 2009

c) The amount of my scholarship for 2009

d) b+c

e) Income reported on 2008 1040

e) None of the above -- what else?

Thanks for your help!

[potatoboss 0]

ugh, the smiley should be choice "b" and the second "e" should be "f". sorry for my n00bishness!

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

I would put a note to see addendum. Then add a typed letter explaining the situation that you just quit and are awaiting a scholarship. I think in the case of USCIS, more information is always better. My I-130 so far is as thick as a textbook and I'm not quite finished gathering supplemental info. and having it translated.

Edited July 8, 2009 by DieNörglerin

[potatoboss 0]

I would put a note to see addendum. Then add a typed letter explaining the situation that you just quit and are awaiting a scholarship. I think in the case of USCIS, more information is always better. My I-130 so far is as thick as a textbook and I'm not quite finished gathering supplemental info. and having it translated.

Thanks for the suggestion! I will go ahead and try that. Unfortunately that means more translating for me

[Anh map 2,098]

This is your expected current year income. Earned income plus scholarship. The attached addendum is a good idea.

[Der Bücherwurm 1]

Thanks for the suggestion! I will go ahead and try that. Unfortunately that means more translating for me

It would be ok for you to just write and translate a note like that into English. Just keep in mind that you shouldn't translate official documents yourself even if you can. For things like marriage certificates you need to take it to a certified translator to do and they should stamp it or provide some proof that they are qualified to translate. I'm sure you probably did that anyway. Just wanted to make sure. We've spent so much money on translating documents from Farsi into Turkish and then into English and then paying more to have certain things notarized on top of it all.

[kaffy 2]

I would put zero. You have a co-sponsor so you fulfill the I-864 requirements without any issues

ps- when we filed DCF in Australia my husband (USC) had quit his job in May and was returning to grad school in September. We submitted our I-864 in July and put $0 for Question #23

[potatoboss 0]

First of all, thank you everyone for all the advice! I just wanted to follow-up...

I decided to go with b+c, the income I earned plus my scholarship, and even included all the supplementary info, but they didn't even check it. They just wanted the I-864, 2008 tax return and copy of my passport. I guess they are flexible with what to put there since it is a vague question.

And the result? My husband received his visa today!

Edited July 15, 2009 by potatoboss