Worry - what if I lost job before visa interview?

[Hiker 9]

I am hoping to get the NOA2 in the next couple weeks or so (after having sent in the RFE a week ago). I'm getting ready to prepare the I-134. Things are not going all that well at work and there is significant chance I could lose my job before the interview, and much bigger chance of losing job before filling out all the AOS forms later on (which IIRC also require affidavit of support).

I'll hope for the best, but should that happen, will I be okay? I have earned over 100k for many years and have all the tax transcripts and W-2 forms to prove it. I also have already made well more than enough for tax year 2011 to meet the salary requirement for this year should job end all of a sudden. But, is that enough or does there need to be ongoing employment either at interview or at AOS? I realize I would not be able to get a letter from my company if I was not working there, but I'd have everything else showing income.

And no, there isn't any chance of a co-sponsor (no siblings, and a poor elderly mother).

I apologize for having to ask a "what if" question, but this has been weighing me down lately worrying about it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I am hoping to get the NOA2 in the next couple weeks or so (after having sent in the RFE a week ago). I'm getting ready to prepare the I-134. Things are not going all that well at work and there is significant chance I could lose my job before the interview, and much bigger chance of losing job before filling out all the AOS forms later on (which IIRC also require affidavit of support).

I'll hope for the best, but should that happen, will I be okay? I have earned over 100k for many years and have all the tax transcripts and W-2 forms to prove it. I also have already made well more than enough for tax year 2011 to meet the salary requirement for this year should job end all of a sudden. But, is that enough or does there need to be ongoing employment either at interview or at AOS? I realize I would not be able to get a letter from my company if I was not working there, but I'd have everything else showing income.

And no, there isn't any chance of a co-sponsor (no siblings, and a poor elderly mother).

I apologize for having to ask a "what if" question, but this has been weighing me down lately worrying about it.

If there is no chance for a co-sponsor then you should be very active in securing other employment. Fortunately the requirements are so low that even a fairly easy to get job in reatil would cover the requirements. Unless you have a large family size. Unemployment, while usually enough to qualify is not generally considered "permanent" and I doubt you could get a visa on that alone

[Hiker 9]

If there is no chance for a co-sponsor then you should be very active in securing other employment. Fortunately the requirements are so low that even a fairly easy to get job in reatil would cover the requirements. Unless you have a large family size. Unemployment, while usually enough to qualify is not generally considered "permanent" and I doubt you could get a visa on that alone

It is just me in the family, which I think makes the amount I need about $25,000 per year? Most retail jobs around here don't pay quite enough to even make that amount, typically a meager $8 or $10 an hour... I don't know how anyone with those jobs survives unless they live with parents. If I did find a job that only paid $18,000, is my understanding correct that proving assets that cover 5 years of the difference would push me over the limit? e.g. 5 years * (25000 - 18000) = $35,000 of assets needed? (I own a plot of land that exceeds that value, other than the house I live in.) Or did I not understand those requirements properly?

I develop software, which is very difficult to find a new job for right now... every unemployed friend of mine in that business has been unemployed for a long time. Plus, my current job while at risk is also a very good job at a prestigious international company that not a single person here would not have heard of... any job move would be a downgrade so I do hope to keep current job.

And yes, I figured unemployment would not count for anything.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

It is just me in the family, which I think makes the amount I need about $25,000 per year? Most retail jobs around here don't pay quite enough to even make that amount, typically a meager $8 or $10 an hour... I don't know how anyone with those jobs survives unless they live with parents. If I did find a job that only paid $18,000, is my understanding correct that proving assets that cover 5 years of the difference would push me over the limit? e.g. 5 years * (25000 - 18000) = $35,000 of assets needed? (I own a plot of land that exceeds that value, other than the house I live in.) Or did I not understand those requirements properly?

I develop software, which is very difficult to find a new job for right now... every unemployed friend of mine in that business has been unemployed for a long time. Plus, my current job while at risk is also a very good job at a prestigious international company that not a single person here would not have heard of... any job move would be a downgrade so I do hope to keep current job.

And yes, I figured unemployment would not count for anything.

It cannot be "just you" as it has to be at least you and your fiancee. The amount for two people is under $19,000 per year. I do not know where you live but almost all retail jobs around here pay in the $10 per hour range, some a little less and minimum wage is $8.15 in Vermont. Even a full time minimum wage job would get you very close but the market demands drive a higher wage here. Our son makes $10/hr working for a drive in theatre, at a full time job that is more than $20,000 per year. Our other son walked into the local grocery store on the corner the day after he arrived for the summer, was hired immediately at $10 per hour stocking shelves and they worked him 45-60 hours per week. what I am saying is that it is not (or should not be) difficult for you to earn enough to meet the very low requirements for the affidavit.

Do you know your area well? Drive a cab. Most cab companies are usually looking for drivers and the pay is a lot more than you might imagine, well above what is needed for the affidavit of support. Provided you have a good driving record and no criminal history you can get a cab lisence pretty quick in most places.

I hope you keep your job too, but it is not very prestigious to tell your fiancee you have to delay your plans because your prestigious job laid you off. I would start looking around just in case.

[Hiker 9]

Oh, it only has to be the poverty level, not 25% over it? Somehow I thought that would push the amount to $25,000 but I didn't look into it much because I earned more than that.

Interesting suggestion on driving a cab, but that would not go well. If I was laid off, I would prefer to collect unemployment until I got a job in my industry again, since the unemployment amount would be the maximum and would probably be a little more than a retail service job. So, it would be bad to have to take a retail job so I could report real income instead of unemployment income, and distract from my continued job search in my own industry.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Oh, it only has to be the poverty level, not 25% over it? Somehow I thought that would push the amount to $25,000 but I didn't look into it much because I earned more than that.

Interesting suggestion on driving a cab, but that would not go well. If I was laid off, I would prefer to collect unemployment until I got a job in my industry again, since the unemployment amount would be the maximum and would probably be a little more than a retail service job. So, it would be bad to have to take a retail job so I could report real income instead of unemployment income, and distract from my continued job search in my own industry.

Check the guidelines, I-864P but last I checked 125% of the guideline for 2 people was $18,000+

I am in the position of hiring people and I will hire someone that got laid off and worked driving a cab (and have, which is why I mention it) long before I would hire someone that got laid off and sat on their @ss. Also in most states if you are "underemployed" you can do both, work and collect a reduced amount of unemployment, but combined it makes for a pretty good income. I recently hired a guy that had driven a cab for a few months and made $1000+ per week (including about $300 in cash tips) working 60 hours per week. Hey, not bad, and beats a maximum $450 in unemployment all to hell. He managed to find a job even driving 12 hours per day 5 days per week. The good thing is with these jobs you can work Saturday and Sunday and have a couple days off during the week for interviews if you get any.

Job searches nowadays amount mostly to online work. You can work a regular 8 hours and still do your job search in your underwear at 10 pm. Real income is real income. I always admired the dignity of someone willing to work for themselves or their family and I CAN discriminate on that matter. Long term unemployed tend to be that way because they ARE long term unemployed.

But maybe let your fiancee know that her plans will be delayed because you need to do a job search.

[Used to be broken 147]

It is just me in the family, which I think makes the amount I need about $25,000 per year? Most retail jobs around here don't pay quite enough to even make that amount, typically a meager $8 or $10 an hour... I don't know how anyone with those jobs survives unless they live with parents. If I did find a job that only paid $18,000, is my understanding correct that proving assets that cover 5 years of the difference would push me over the limit? e.g. 5 years * (25000 - 18000) = $35,000 of assets needed? (I own a plot of land that exceeds that value, other than the house I live in.) Or did I not understand those requirements properly?

I develop software, which is very difficult to find a new job for right now... every unemployed friend of mine in that business has been unemployed for a long time. Plus, my current job while at risk is also a very good job at a prestigious international company that not a single person here would not have heard of... any job move would be a downgrade so I do hope to keep current job.

And yes, I figured unemployment would not count for anything.

$18,388 is the 2011 amount for 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. And you can combine your replacement income with assets. So if you make $14,000 a year just to get through the process you can use $4388 x 3 = $13,164 in the bank to make up the difference between wages and the needed amount by the guideline. If as you say you are making 100k a year then its reasonable to assume you have assets, if not bank cash during this time so you do just in case you need it to survive or for the petition requirements.

You can also qualify using unemployment and assets, or assets alone depending on which consulate you go through.

Chances are given your last 3 years income you will not even be asked about current job and you don't have to offer that you are currently unemployed unless asked.

Also its 3 years assets (difference between income and requirements) for a spouse not 5.

Edited September 12, 2011 by Used to be broken