F-1 TO AOS with questions about income, taxes, and birth certificate translations!

[Rangm021 11]

Hello everyone! I am writing to you all because I'm currently in the process of applying for AOS. I've done some research but still have a few questions in mind and I feel you all would be able to answer them best.

I am an F-1 student currently on OPT (my OPT ends next week). I recently completed an internship with Disney, which is where I met my now-husband. We got married in November. Now, we've moved to Pennsylvania where he is in college. We have an apartment together, are on the same telephone plan, and are getting a joint back account this upcoming week.

As I was filling out the paperwork, I had quite a few questions come to mind:

1. I originally came to the US with my parents on a tourist Visa when I was 7 years old. We all overstayed the visa, but I left the US after completing high school graduation, the week before I turned 18. My parents stayed in the U.S. I studied in Mexico for two years, before applying for an F-1 Visa in 2012. It was granted and I went to school in the United States. I graduated in May 2015 and began my internship with Disney. The Biographical information sheet asks about my parents and their current place of residence. Will the fact that they are in the US illegally affect me OR my parents when I apply?

2. My husband made 18,490 dollars last year, which is a couple hundred dollars short of the poverty line. We were thinking of using my savings account ($5000), as well as one of my two vehicles to reach that amount. My understanding is that the assets have to have 3x the value of what we're short based on income. However, I've read from multiple posts that it is the CURRENT income that matters. My husband was also on a Disney internship, so that job ended two weeks ago. He's been applying in multiple places and has interviews set up. He got hired for a part time job, and is awaiting results of a few other interviews. If he provides employment letters with the yearly income based on these two jobs, and our assets suffice to equal 3X what we're missing in income, will that suffice, or is our only option getting a joint sponsor?

3. We just filed our taxes jointly for the 2015 year. It is my understanding that we have to provide his W-2, as well as any 1098 forms, etc. During the previous year (2014), my husband worked for the school, and had a brief summer job the year before that (2013). He filed taxes last year, and we have that information readily available. As for the year 2013, it is my understanding that you DO NOT have to file taxes if you make under the minimum required amount to file taxes. Is this correct, and if so, what do we put on the space requesting tax info for the 3rd most recent tax year.

4. I have a Mexican birth certificate which is in Spanish. I consider myself 100% proficient in translation and speaking, and have already translated the birth certificate. I do, however want to make sure that a self-translated, self-certified document is acceptable to submit, or if it is best to pay for a translation service?

I apologize for the long post, but I wanted to make sure to provide you with as much relevant information, in hopes that this post and its consequent replies can help other readers find answers to complicated questions

[Rangm021 11]

Additional Question:

I am planning to use an automobile as an asset. What kind of documentation do i need to provide to demonstrate ownership of the car? photos/registration/titles?

[Darnell 8,478]

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