Food Stamps

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I have tried to do some research about this topic, but I can't seem to find an answer that I can feel comfortable with. What I want to know is whether or not me apply for Food Stamps will mess up my fiances K1 eligibility or not. I do have a job & I am working full-time, but I just need a little help right now. I'm only making about $1,000 a month & am hoping to go back to college soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

One thing to keep in mind is that as a USC you NEVER surrender any rights or benefits of being a citizen. You DO have an obligation to show you can support your fiancee, TWICE.

You COULD do that while receiving food stamps since the goal for the visa/AOS is 125% of poverty line and you can get food stamps up to 300% of poverty line for your family size. So even if you did make enough to sponsor your fiancee (you don't) you could STILL qualify for food stamps.

At any rate your income is not sufficient to qualify for the affidavit of support so you are going to need a co-sponsor in any case. Provided your co-sponsor makes enough, whether you get food stamps or not is irrelevent, there are no questions regarding food stamps on either the I-134 or the I-864

NOTHING in either affidavit prevents YOU or US citizen children from receiving benefits at any time.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

In my state, single men do qualify for food stamps. But the point is, as others have pointed out, what will it look like to the interviewer?

As I explained, it will not be discussed at the interview. Benefits of US citizens are not surrendered and are not a matter for the interview.

She will need a co-sponsor anyway

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Not all publicly funded benefits will be considered in deciding whether someone is or is likely to become a public charge. The focus of the public charge definition is on cash benefits for income maintenance and institutionalization for long-term care at government expense. Examples of benefits that will not be considered for public charge purposes include:

Medicaid and other health insurance and health services (including public assistance for immunizations and for testing and treatment of symptoms of communicable diseases; use of health clinics, prenatal care, etc.), other support for institutionalization for long-term care, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Nutrition programs including Food Stamps, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, and other supplementary and emergency food assistance programs:

Housing assistance

Child care services

Energy assistance, such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Emergency disaster relief

Foster care and adoption assistance

Educational assistance, including benefits under the Head Start Act and aid for elementary, secondary, or higher education

Job training programs

In-kind, community-based programs, services, or assistance (such as soup kitchens, crisis counseling and intervention, and short-term shelter).

Look, this is simple. This applies to the immigrant, not the US citizen

Each benefot to a citizen has its own requirements. The requirement for the citizen to sponsor an immigrant is an income of 125% of the poverty line. Even when calcualted for two people this is 250% of the poverty line for one person, actually a little less than that.

The requirements for other benefits vary greatly, up to 300-400% of the guidelines for medicare, food stamps, etc. Sometimes more for heating assistance, etc. IF you qualify for food stamps, even a little bit, you will fid you also qualify for may communtiy based charities such as food banks, free transportation, free school meals, electric assistance, etc.

So a US citizen could EASILY qualify to sponsor an immigrant with $20,000 income and ALSO qualify for food stamps and medicaid. The amount of food stamps would be adjusted and the OP may be disappointed to leanr it may only be $25 per month or so for a single man. With kids, yeah, you get a lot of food stamps, but for one single guy...not so much. Likewaise, medicaid is not necessarily FREE, it is subsidized. You will stil lhave to pay a premium based on your income, but much less than getting your own policy and generally better insurance.

Your fiancee will NOT be eligible for these benefits, only you or US citizen children

It will have -0- effect on your visa or AOS. They do not ask.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

It's perfectly legal for the USC to receive food stamps and other benefits, and you receiving food stamps shouldn't affect the K1 procedure. However, if the petitioner/USC has been on benefits for most of their lives and it clearly shows a pattern then it is indeed up to the IO to determine the likelyhood of the beneficiary becoming a public charge. That's why the petitioner is always the primary sponsor.

Higlighted part is correct. There are no questions regarding what benefits a US citizen has received. It will affect nothing.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ok, so I'm still a little confused. Here's what I have going on. I make $9/hr & I usually work about 35hrs/ week (full-time according to most employers). $9 x 35hrs = $315. After taxes I usually bring home about $288, so that's what I usually base my budget & all of my finances on. When filling out any financial information on forms I do use my earnings amount from before taxes unless it asks for my total take home amount. I really don't know if I would even be eligible for foodstamps, like I said, I don't want to do it & I haven't really tried to research it that much. I do feel like it would help me until I can find an extra or better job though. I just thought that I would ask on here to see if it would affect the K1 process first.

9 x 35 is $315 per week times 52 is your gross income used for qualifying for the affidavit. x 52 is $16,380. No tenough. Deliver pizzas two nights per week and you are there! Or work 5 MORE HOURS per week

The only way to see if you are eligible for food stamps is to fill out the application

It will not affect the K-1, only your income or the income of the co-sponsor will affect that

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I don't think single men without dependent children are eligible for food stamps. I believe senior citizens and single parents with children can receive them (depending on income level).

Off topic for just a second... I'm not demeaning you at all, but how on earth can you even think about getting married with your current financial situation? Just the petition ($340) will be 1/3 of your monthly income. The medical and physical will be more than 1/2 of what you earn in a month and AOS fees are MORE than what you earn in a month?

$1000 net per month will not cloth, feed and shelter 2 people - no matter how simple the lifestyle.

I'd consider a second job with better advancement opportunities before you start the process wherein you are totally responsible for another individual.

Hope I have not offended you.

Single men are eligible, but not for much. The food stamps will open many other benefits to him.

I do not judge his situation and maybe they have agreed to live in a refrigerator box, I don't know and don't care, not my business and they are adults...make your bed(box) and sleep on (in) it.

Besides, one would hope his fiancee will eventually contribute income after a few tough months.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Wrong. One of the things you must show to the CO is that they beneficiary won't be a public burden. If the petitioner is on food stamps then they are themselves a "public burden" and their fiancee will be also. I know someone who was on government and union disability and more than double the poverty guidelines but they were rejected at the consulate because of this.

another concerning thing with the OP is the tourist visa bit. My first impression is this will turn in to one of those "my fiancee is here on a tourist visa and we want to adjust status" situations.

My advice to the petitioner is to get your financial house in order and then start the process. Yes it is difficult to wait but it is just as difficult to try to support a family if you can't afford to support yourself.

Nonwe of this is correct. Please refrain from giving incorrect naswers based on what one would wish for. It takles a lot of posts to correct this mess.

The US citizen is NEVER, EVER restricted from the benefts of being a US citizen for any reason.

A US citizen can easily qualify to sponsor an immigrant under one definiton of poverty (125%) AND qualify for food stamps under another definition of poverty (300%)

A US citizen can qualify to sponsor an immigrant with ZERO income, ZERO assets, while collecting EVERY FORM of welfare there is ...IF he has a co-sponsor.

I do not have to like it and you do not have to like it, but them's the facts! I always presume the OP wants the facts, not opinions of the facts.

[ecirnala 9]

How on earth did everyone miss this part?

No offense taken. I know that it does sound kinda crazy, but I don't plan on being at this income level forever & I am looking for a better or extra job right now. I have about 7yrs experience in all areas of landscaping & about 5yrs experience in sales & management. I also have some of my own landscaping equipment, have access to a huge wealth of knowledge, & have a consultant who has over 30yrs in the business. I am currently working at an outdoor equipment shop where I can get a substantial discount on equipment & have work done for almost nothing. So for right now, I'm just trying to set myself up for starting my own business & being able to survive the first 5yrs of business. My fiance also owns her own private school in Indonesia, where she has about 75 student currently enrolled & even does private tutoring & mobile learning where they will come to you. Right now things are a little hard, but with a little bit of hard work I think that we are set up to be very successful in the future.

It's on the 1st page. This was over way before everyone started getting all upset about everything. I'm sorry that I even asked. My bad, it was just a question. I appreciate any of you who sincerely wanted to help answer the questions that I and others had, but if some of you who had negative comments or something to prove would have just taken the time to read the entire post and all of its pages, you would've seen that this had turned into a non-issue. My fiance & I are hard working individuals who have good morals & a strong faith & who believe in hard work, not just a couple of lazy scumbags who only want to live off of the government & have as many kids as humanly possible to ensure that we will always get a check. We don't like that kind of thing either.

[ecirnala 9]

And hell yeah, I put a smiley at the end!

[dukeandduchess 141]

People are giving you advice based on your question.

IF you don't have 125% of poverty line you WILL need a co-sponsor.

Your fiancee's income/job history are not considered. At all. They didn't even look at any of my financial stuff and I make more than my fiance and one of our co-sponsors.

It's not personal. These are things you need to know if you plan on applying for the K1 visa.

[ecirnala 9]

Like I said, I really do appreciate everyone who was honestly trying to help. It just bothered me when comments & advice turned into passive aggressive insults.

[Robert&Karen 264]

Like I said, I really do appreciate everyone who was honestly trying to help. It just bothered me when comments & advice turned into passive aggressive insults.

Don't expect a lot of love when you admit being too poor to care for your own needs and now you want to saddle taxpayers with a family. Most of us here QUALIFIED with the 134 and 864 to sponsor someone and take it very seriously. You are trying to end run the system at the expense of taxpayers.

[ecirnala 9]

Don't expect a lot of love when you admit being too poor to care for your own needs and now you want to saddle taxpayers with a family. Most of us here QUALIFIED with the 134 and 864 to sponsor someone and take it very seriously. You are trying to end run the system at the expense of taxpayers.

[/quote

Who the hell are you to pass judgement on me? You don't know me, nor have you ever even spoke to me. You're the one who admitted accepting foodstamps before, not me. I only asked about it. As a matter of fact, I stated that I didn't want to even get them. I have never gotten any assistance of any kind & have always worked very hard for what I have. Just because I may be going through some rough times at the same time that I am trying to learn about the K1 process doesn't mean that I am trying to beat the system or burden anyone with my expenses. Maybe you should read the entire post from now on.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I have tried to do some research about this topic, but I can't seem to find an answer that I can feel comfortable with. What I want to know is whether or not me apply for Food Stamps will mess up my fiances K1 eligibility or not. I do have a job & I am working full-time, but I just need a little help right now. I'm only making about $1,000 a month & am hoping to go back to college soon. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I am not sure, and I don't mean this mean spirtied but I hope with every fiber of my being, that the US Government would not let you sponsor another person to come to this country, while you are receiving tax payer funded benefits to support yourself.

[joonphon 7]

If you're in MN, I don't think you'll be able to get food support or any assistance at all, unless you're making less than 681/month (gross income.)

Don't be mad at VJ members who seem to be judging you. They probably interpret your post different than others who understand your situation.

It's a wonderful idea that you're looking for another job. I'm sure w/ your experience you'll get something. Might want to put school on hold? or go to school part time? I'm sure you'll figure it out because you know yourself the best! Good luck!