Please Help, Overwhelmed and don't know where to start.

[Zaffodil 0]

Forgive me if this has been discussed, if it has, can someone kindly direct me with a link to the topic. I don't even know if I'm posting in the right place.

I'm a US citizen with PR in Canada. My husband is Canadian. Our son will soon be dual once I get his paperwork filed at the nearest embassy. I've been living here with my husband for 9 years and have been a homemaker the whole time. I'm a stay at home mom and we'd like it to stay that way but we want to move back to the US so we can be closer to my family for help with the next child we hope to be having soon. Our conundrum is, as far as I know, I need to be able to sponsor my husband which means I need to there before him and bringing in X amount of income. Is this true? Is there a way we can move down as a family with him being the breadwinner once we get there? We'll be married for 10 years in January. I don't know if the amount of time we've been married makes a difference? Any help or advice someone could give me on where to get started would be greatly appreciated. I'm seriously overwhelmed with this whole process and don't even know the right place to begin. Thank you to whomever can lend a hand.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Forgive me if this has been discussed, if it has, can someone kindly direct me with a link to the topic. I don't even know if I'm posting in the right place.

I'm a US citizen with PR in Canada. My husband is Canadian. Our son will soon be dual once I get his paperwork filed at the nearest embassy. I've been living here with my husband for 9 years and have been a homemaker the whole time. I'm a stay at home mom and we'd like it to stay that way but we want to move back to the US so we can be closer to my family for help with the next child we hope to be having soon. Our conundrum is, as far as I know, I need to be able to sponsor my husband which means I need to there before him and bringing in X amount of income. Is this true? Is there a way we can move down as a family with him being the breadwinner once we get there? We'll be married for 10 years in January. I don't know if the amount of time we've been married makes a difference? Any help or advice someone could give me on where to get started would be greatly appreciated. I'm seriously overwhelmed with this whole process and don't even know the right place to begin. Thank you to whomever can lend a hand.

Yes, if you wanted to financially sponsor your husband, you'd need to make the required amount.

Since you don't, it's not the end of the world. If you both have enough savings or liquidable assets, you can use those. Else, you can find a joint sponsor who makes enough money to sponsor with you.

You or your joint sponsor needs to make 125% of the poverty line for themselves and their entire household + sponsored immigrants. If you want to use assets, you need 125% of the guidelines + 3 x the deficit amount you don't make to cover it in assets/savings.

Here's some folks discussing using assets to sponsor (a little old, but stil good): http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/235004-i-864-no-us-income-but-enough-assets-ok/

And here's the DoS guidelines on the form you'd be completing for financial sponsorship: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3183.html

Finally, here's the guide for the I-130/IR-1 petition process you'll be doing: http://www.visajourney.com/content/i130guide1

Edited July 4, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Ryan H 3,895]

Moved from Bringing Family Members of US Citizens to America forum to IR-1/CR-1 Process & Procedures.

[The Mean Lady 604]

You will either need to have enough physical liquid assets to make up for the lack of income or you need a joint sponsor.

IE you can ask a parent or sibling or even a friend to sponsor your husband on the financial aspect.

Please keep in mind that doing so is a huge commitment even though it just looks like a signature on a piece of paper.

Make sure you look up the legal responsibilities of a sponsor.

Your marriage length does nothing more than act as "evidence" of a real relationship which is barely even questioned when it comes to canadians.

Your bigger hurdle will be that you must prove domicile in the US.

Many spouses living in "abroad" in canada end up having to move back to the US to fulfill the high requirements of montreal.

You'll need things like job offer letters and proof of enrolling your child in school (if old enough) and a lease, etc etc.

You can read more about that here:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/164618-proving-domicile-when-not-living-in-the-us/

[Zaffodil 0]

Thank you all so much for your help. This does give me a starting point and at least helps me get started on even knowing where to begin.