TN to CR-1?

[ZoesMom 0]

Ok - I'm ready to get this paperwork started but am not sure about whether in our case it would be better to use a lawyer or not.

My husband and girls are the American's and Australians (the girls are in the process of getting Canadian passports..) - I'm Canadian and Australian. We married in June 2005 and became Australian citizens in 2009. We moved to the US with me on a TN visa at the end of Feb this year. My last date of entry into the US was May 31. My husband has zero income and is home taking care of the girls - I work full time with annual income of 95,000 - my current contract ends in July 2011 but I have been offered to stay on for at least a few years - not in writing though. I have about 60,000 in my sole bank account - our joint account is used for my pay and paying bills.

I consulted a lawyer who told me the fees would be $2500 for him and $1500 filing fees. Given the sponsorship issues I'm wondering if I should go ahead with the lawyer - if it is still relatively simple I'd rather save the money and do it myself though...

Any suggestions?

[Leigh Ann 8]

Ok - I'm ready to get this paperwork started but am not sure about whether in our case it would be better to use a lawyer or not.

My husband and girls are the American's and Australians (the girls are in the process of getting Canadian passports..) - I'm Canadian and Australian. We married in June 2005 and became Australian citizens in 2009. We moved to the US with me on a TN visa at the end of Feb this year. My last date of entry into the US was May 31. My husband has zero income and is home taking care of the girls - I work full time with annual income of 95,000 - my current contract ends in July 2011 but I have been offered to stay on for at least a few years - not in writing though. I have about 60,000 in my sole bank account - our joint account is used for my pay and paying bills.

I consulted a lawyer who told me the fees would be $2500 for him and $1500 filing fees. Given the sponsorship issues I'm wondering if I should go ahead with the lawyer - if it is still relatively simple I'd rather save the money and do it myself though...

Any suggestions?

I'm not entirely sure about using your own income on the form, but on the whole, it's pretty straightforward. One more thing, though, the sponsor - typically the USC - has to have enough money to support not just himself and the USC but also any dependents (i.e. your daughters). You need to check the forms to figure out what 125% of the poverty line is for that and then figure out how much you're required to prove (if you do it in assets).