NOA2 approved today! Need co-sponsor??

[bgreen19 2]

Hi all! I got the text message we'd been waiting for today. Our I-130 was approved at the NBC and it's now on to the NVC. How long can I expect to wait to hear from them? What things should I do ahead of time to prepare for the next phase at the NVC??

We're so excited!

My only concern now is that my income last year was below the 125%. I now have a good job with the Department of Veterans Affairs and make well over the 125% and also have VA disability income. I've asked this question before but I hope to get more of a response now as I'll be needing to send my I-864 in soon....

Will I need a co-sponsor because last year I was below 125%???? Or will they look more at my current income which is above the 125%??? HELP PLEASE!!!!

[Bob & Joana 2]

If you can prove that you currently are making above 125% with pay stubs(most recent 3 in a row), and/or a letter from your employer stating all your personal information and confirming your salary they probably will not require it. I am in a similar situation in that I did not work at all in 2011(I was living in ph with my wife), and I only worked from July to October in 2012(I moved back to US in july, then back to PH to be there for my daughter's birth). The NVC processed it no problem with provided pay stubs showing that I do work 40hrs a week, and a letter from my employer that stated my estimated income(more tricky for me since my job is tip-based) for a 40hr week by 52 weeks per year to estimate a yearly salary. However, the final decision is done by the CO at the interview. Our interview(I cant be there) is TODAY, so I'll update you on whether or not the above is good enough or if they may require a co-sponsor or other evidence.

Edit: After about 2 weeks from receiving NOA2, you should call NVC and get your MNL case number, so you can pay AoS and IV fees ASAP and then send in your I-864 and DS-230 packages for fastest processing time. You will also need your spouse to email for DS-3032 appointment of agent, so that all correspondences from NVC go directly to your email. Doing this saved me weeks of time, since my wife is slow to react to these things. The spouse will need to sign the DS-230 packet(part 1), so factor that she will need to complete that part(you cant save the form and just send it to her), and then Fedex a signed copy(do NOT sign part 2!!!) to you along with any other original documents(recent NBI clearance), NSO certified Birth and marriage certs, etc!

Edited April 16, 2013 by Bob & Joana

[Hank_ 9,173]

Hi all! I got the text message we'd been waiting for today. Our I-130 was approved at the NBC and it's now on to the NVC. How long can I expect to wait to hear from them? What things should I do ahead of time to prepare for the next phase at the NVC??

We're so excited!

My only concern now is that my income last year was below the 125%. I now have a good job with the Department of Veterans Affairs and make well over the 125% and also have VA disability income. I've asked this question before but I hope to get more of a response now as I'll be needing to send my I-864 in soon....

Will I need a co-sponsor because last year I was below 125%???? Or will they look more at my current income which is above the 125%??? HELP PLEASE!!!!

I thought your disability payments exceeded the 125% ($19K yearly) ~

Your other topic

[bgreen19 2]

I thought your disability payments exceeded the 125% ($19K yearly) ~

Your other topic

Is 19k above the 125%? Yes I had 19k in disability payments last year but I'm just worried because of the latest tax returns. The previous 2 years were above the limit because I was still active duty military. And now my current job is above the limit. Just want to make sure I get everything correct and if I need to ask a family member to be a co-sponsor (i REALLY don't want to).

If you can prove that you currently are making above 125% with pay stubs(most recent 3 in a row), and/or a letter from your employer stating all your personal information and confirming your salary they probably will not require it. I am in a similar situation in that I did not work at all in 2011(I was living in ph with my wife), and I only worked from July to October in 2012(I moved back to US in july, then back to PH to be there for my daughter's birth). The NVC processed it no problem with provided pay stubs showing that I do work 40hrs a week, and a letter from my employer that stated my estimated income(more tricky for me since my job is tip-based) for a 40hr week by 52 weeks per year to estimate a yearly salary. However, the final decision is done by the CO at the interview. Our interview(I cant be there) is TODAY, so I'll update you on whether or not the above is good enough or if they may require a co-sponsor or other evidence.

Edit: After about 2 weeks from receiving NOA2, you should call NVC and get your MNL case number, so you can pay AoS and IV fees ASAP and then send in your I-864 and DS-230 packages for fastest processing time. You will also need your spouse to email for DS-3032 appointment of agent, so that all correspondences from NVC go directly to your email. Doing this saved me weeks of time, since my wife is slow to react to these things. The spouse will need to sign the DS-230 packet(part 1), so factor that she will need to complete that part(you cant save the form and just send it to her), and then Fedex a signed copy(do NOT sign part 2!!!) to you along with any other original documents(recent NBI clearance), NSO certified Birth and marriage certs, etc!

Thanks so much for the info!!! Please let me know how your interview goes. That will really help put my mind at ease if they go by your current income. Good luck!!!!

[Bob & Joana 2]

Is 19k above the 125%? Yes I had 19k in disability payments last year but I'm just worried because of the latest tax returns. The previous 2 years were above the limit because I was still active duty military. And now my current job is above the limit. Just want to make sure I get everything correct and if I need to ask a family member to be a co-sponsor (i REALLY don't want to).

Thanks so much for the info!!! Please let me know how your interview goes. That will really help put my mind at ease if they go by your current income. Good luck!!!!

Well bad news, she passed her interview but they are saying my income is not sufficient even though I made the equivalent of 22k/year...since my W2 will only show my earnings for the 3.5months I did work we need a joint sponsor.

[bgreen19 2]

Well bad news, she passed her interview but they are saying my income is not sufficient even though I made the equivalent of 22k/year...since my W2 will only show my earnings for the 3.5months I did work we need a joint sponsor.

Wow, so sorry!!

What do you mean you made the equivalent of 22k a year?

Are you currently working with an income of above 125%??

[Bob & Joana 2]

Wow, so sorry!!

What do you mean you made the equivalent of 22k a year?

Are you currently working with an income of above 125%??

yeah I think the minimum was around 18,900 or so...I only worked 3.5months and made over $6500USD, which is approx 1857/month...if I worked the full year(multiply by 12) it ends up at around $22285. The problem is that I didnt work the full year so my W2 only shows my 2012 earning as $6500, as such they assume thats what I make even though I provided a letter of employment as well as a letter stating why I didnt work Jan-Jul15, Nov-Dec. This really sucks I doubt calling the embassy will help any but Im gonna do it anyways.

[bgreen19 2]

Well bad news, she passed her interview but they are saying my income is not sufficient even though I made the equivalent of 22k/year...since my W2 will only show my earnings for the 3.5months I did work we need a joint sponsor.

So you're saying they denied you because of last years taxes being below the 125% even though your current income is above the 125% requirement??

From everything I've asked and read they go by your current income. Now I'm very worried.

[Bob & Joana 2]

So you're saying they denied you because of last years taxes being below the 125% even though your current income is above the 125% requirement??

From everything I've asked and read they go by your current income. Now I'm very worried.

Well it seems like my "current income" they decided is based solely what I earned in 2012, even if I only worked for 3.5months of the year. Even though I have documentation that I work full time, and my employer gives an income of just under 22k(I work a tip-based job so he cant say I make an exact amount he can only estimate, which was lower than the actual).

[bgreen19 2]

Well it seems like my "current income" they decided is based solely what I earned in 2012, even if I only worked for 3.5months of the year. Even though I have documentation that I work full time, and my employer gives an income of just under 22k(I work a tip-based job so he cant say I make an exact amount he can only estimate, which was lower than the actual).

So you currently have a job with an estimated annual salary above 125% and were denied? If thats the case I am in the same boat. I only worked a couple months last year but make well over the 125% now.

[Bob & Joana 2]

So you currently have a job with an estimated annual salary above 125% and were denied? If thats the case I am in the same boat. I only worked a couple months last year but make well over the 125% now.

Yeah my current job I make above the 125%. In 2013, without any changes in pay if I continue to work the whole year there my taxes would show around 22k at the end of the year. I really think what happened is they ignored the letter that said I only worked 3.5months in 2012, and assumed that I somehow earned $6500 for the whole year. And didnt care that my letter of employment confirmed this amount. If you are in a similar situation(your 2012 W2/tax return doesnt show above 125%), I'd recommend you bite the bullet and get someone to fill out and sign for joint-sponsor but dont submit it unless the embassy does like they did to me and says it isnt enough.

[bgreen19 2]

Yeah my current job I make above the 125%. In 2013, without any changes in pay if I continue to work the whole year there my taxes would show around 22k at the end of the year. I really think what happened is they ignored the letter that said I only worked 3.5months in 2012, and assumed that I somehow earned $6500 for the whole year. And didnt care that my letter of employment confirmed this amount. If you are in a similar situation(your 2012 W2/tax return doesnt show above 125%), I'd recommend you bite the bullet and get someone to fill out and sign for joint-sponsor but dont submit it unless the embassy does like they did to me and says it isnt enough.

I really don't have anyone to use as a co-sponsor. I can't believe they denied you because of last years income if you now make above the 125%. I've read numerous threads on here where they went off current sustained income even if last year was below 125%. I'm sure you saw them too. I don't know what to do now.

[Bob & Joana 2]

I really don't have anyone to use as a co-sponsor. I can't believe they denied you because of last years income if you now make above the 125%. I've read numerous threads on here where they went off current sustained income even if last year was below 125%. I'm sure you saw them too. I don't know what to do now.

Spoke with embassy staff, they couldnt tell me WHY the CO decided it wasnt enough, and said I have to send an email if I want to know. Honestly, since I can get a joint-sponsor(although I really dont want to) its going to take a lot longer to wait around for an email reply so I am just going to submit it anyways. Just for kicks I'll send the email still to see what they are going to say. My case is going to be a little different than yours, as it is possible they say it isnt enough because they dont believe in the amount of tips I reported for 2012. Maybe if you have a letter giving a more absolute number from the VA, they may feel that holds more weight. Im at a loss on this but since im at their mercy at this point I gotta do whatever it takes. Keep in mind, a co-sponsor does NOT need to be related to you or the beneficiary. If you have even a close friend or anyone that'll sign it they'll accept that. Otherwise you can hope you get a more generous CO than she did and they push it through.

[bgreen19 2]

Has anyone else had an experience like this at their interview? Being denied based on last years taxes even though your current income is above the 125% requirement???

[Hank_ 9,173]

Is 19k above the 125%? Yes I had 19k in disability payments last year but I'm just worried because of the latest tax returns. The previous 2 years were above the limit because I was still active duty military. And now my current job is above the limit. Just want to make sure I get everything correct and if I need to ask a family member to be a co-sponsor (i REALLY don't want to).

According to the latest I864P for two people the amount is $19,387 for 2013 (it went up from last year). Still your disability income does count, so for sure include the documentation for that. My wife was approved and they accepted the documents I provided showing what I receive.

http://www.uscis.gov...form/i-864p.pdf

Edited April 16, 2013 by Hank_