questions regarding I-864 (merged threads)

[lunchboxthermos 1]

hi all, just a quick question as i fill out my AOS...

according to the i-864 FAQs, i fall under the "What kinds of employment abroad can be counted as US domicile?" since i am "Employment temporarily stationed abroad as a missionary by a religious denomination/group or by an interdenominational mission organization within the United States"

does my letter of employment & pay stubs prove this? is that all the proof i need? or do i need to write a letter explaining my situation? (i noticed on the i-864, there isn't a question specifically asking this, just the usual about country of domicile & employment).

would appreciate any advice! thank you

[milimelo 4,494]

I'd write a letter and attach it to I-864.

[lunchboxthermos 1]

I'd write a letter and attach it to I-864.

sounds good. thank you!

[lunchboxthermos 1]

hi all,

i am starting to gather my financial documents, and have been reading through some of the issues that people have run into and it's really making me nervous (and paranoid) that i'm going to send in wrong items (particularly with the tax forms)! so i was wondering if you could please help clear some things up for me regarding some of the items on the document cover sheet that was sent to me:

1. document cover sheet - got it

2. original signed affidavit of support - this is the actual i-864 document, yes?

3. photocopies of financial documents

IRS tax transcript - i ordered the 2015 year one online, is that correct? do i need to order all previous years as well?? and i wasn't sure which one to order account transcript vs return transcript?

federal income tax returns - i need to turn in my 1040? just from the last year?

form w2 - my employer is already sending me pay stubs and a letter of employment; do i need to ask for the w2 form as well?

evidence of income - again, employer is sending me a printout of payments and letter of employment. what other evidence is needed?

proof of relationship - as in my marriage certificate? (husband is beneficiary)

proof of US status - is this my passport? do i include it here or below in the next section??

social security earning statement - according to official US visa website, this is only for people who fill out the i-864W, right? so n/a for me.

proof of assets - n/a

4. photocopies of supporting documents

adoption docs - n/a

birth cert - got it

court & prison records - n/a

marriage cert - got it

marriage termination - n/a

military records - my husband fulfilled his required military many years ago, and document is in chinese. no need to be translated, correct?

petitioner documents - i don't understand what is supposed to go here. aren't all the necessary documents already given an order in this checklist?

valid passport - got it (all pages, like i-130, yes?)

police certs - husband has his already; do i also need one (as the USC)?

translations - it was my understanding that since our interview would be here in taiwan, that the local documents from my husband would NOT need to be translated. is that still correct?

would so much appreciate your help in answering my questions. i feel like i'm taking the SATs all over again (though it was ages ago) and totally over-thinking things, but then over-thinking THAT and goodness it makes me crazy. thank you in advance.

Edited October 5, 2016 by lunchboxthermos

[lunchboxthermos 1]

i feel like my anxiety is at an all-time high!! i wonder if anyone who has finished their i-864 form can help me with a few of the questions:

part 4, item 14 (military service (to be completed by petitioner sponsors only)):

- so does this mean that my joint sponsor (my sister) can skip this question? does she still need to check "no"? or just leave both yes/no blank?

part 5, items 1-8 (sponsor's household size):

- question 1 says to provide the number i entered in part 3, item 28, which is 1 (my husband, who is also the beneficiary). question 2 says to count myself (another 1). question 3 says if i am married, enter 1 for my spouse (another 1). the rest are not applicable to me. however, when i get down to question 8, it tells me to add together all numbers 1-7 above, but that adds up to 3 for my household size!! that is not correct, since my household is just my husband and myself. i am so confused with this part!

part 7 (use of assets to supplment income - optional):

- the small print says "if your income, or total income exceeds the poverty guidelines, you are not required to complete this part," but my income is not enough, which is why i have a joint sponsor. am i required to enter in my savings and checking accounts?? can i skip this section altogether or must i fill out any assets i have (which is pretty much none, except for my bank acct)?

regarding the supplemental page (which i am adding after the form itself), there are a few things that i needed more space to write. i am wondering if i can put them all on ONE page (with my name and case # up top), all appropriately labelled, or must i have a separate supplemental page for EACH item? my mailing address could not fit into the boxes in the actual form, so i needed extra space on both address parts (pt. 2, item 2b; pt.4, item 2b). i also have a short bit (part 4, item 5) explaining my domicile.

would really appreciate any help!

[Mamed 18]

i feel like my anxiety is at an all-time high!! i wonder if anyone who has finished their i-864 form can help me with a few of the questions:

part 4, item 14 (military service (to be completed by petitioner sponsors only)):

- so does this mean that my joint sponsor (my sister) can skip this question? does she still need to check "no"? or just leave both yes/no blank?

part 5, items 1-8 (sponsor's household size):

- question 1 says to provide the number i entered in part 3, item 28, which is 1 (my husband, who is also the beneficiary). question 2 says to count myself (another 1). question 3 says if i am married, enter 1 for my spouse (another 1). the rest are not applicable to me. however, when i get down to question 8, it tells me to add together all numbers 1-7 above, but that adds up to 3 for my household size!! that is not correct, since my household is just my husband and myself plus your sister. i am so confused with this part!

part 7 (use of assets to supplment income - optional):

- the small print says "if your income, or total income exceeds the poverty guidelines, you are not required to complete this part," but my income is not enough, which is why i have a joint sponsor. am i required to enter in my savings and checking accounts?? can i skip this section altogether or must i fill out any assets i have (which is pretty much none, except for my bank acct)? I skipped

regarding the supplemental page (which i am adding after the form itself), there are a few things that i needed more space to write. i am wondering if i can put them all on ONE page should be OK (with my name and case # up top), all appropriately labelled, or must i have a separate supplemental page for EACH item? my mailing address could not fit into the boxes in the actual form, so i needed extra space on both address parts (pt. 2, item 2b; pt.4, item 2b). i also have a short bit (part 4, item 5) explaining my domicile.

would really appreciate any help!

[mbunband 2]

Hello,

I will try to answer your questions to the best of my ability.

Part 4, Item 14: This question is pertaining to you, so if you are not in the service, just check "no"

Item Number 14. Military Service. Select “Yes” if you are the petitioning sponsor and on active duty in the U.S. Army,

Marines, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard, other than for training. If you provide evidence that you are currently on active

duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Coast Guard and you are petitioning for your spouse and/or minor child, you will

need to demonstrate income at only 100 percent of the poverty level for your household size, instead of at 125 percent

of the poverty level. (See Form I-864P, Federal Poverty Guidelines, for information on the poverty levels.) Select “No”

if you are not on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Coast Guard. This provision does not apply to joint and

substitute sponsors.

Part 5, Item 1-8:

So just to clarify, the total number should be "2", correct? I was confused at this part as well for my petition, but for Item 1, I put "1" and left Item 3 at "0" since your husband (beneficiary) is the person you are sponsoring on the affidavit.

Part 7:

Part 7. Use of Assets to Supplement Income (Optional)

Only complete Part 7. if you need to use the value of assets to meet the income requirements. If your Current Annual

Household Income (indicated on Part 6., Item Number 15.) is equal to or more than needed to meet the income

requirement as shown by the current Federal Poverty Guidelines (Form I-864P) for your household size (indicated on

Part 5., Item Number 8.), you do not need to complete this Part. If your total household income does not meet the

requirement, you may submit evidence of the value of your assets, the sponsored immigrant’s assets, and/or assets of a

household member that can be used, if necessary, for the support of the intending immigrant(s). The value of assets of all

of these persons may be combined in order to meet the necessary requirement.

Only assets that can be converted into cash within one year and without considerable hardship or financial loss to the

owner may be included. The owner of the asset must include a description of the asset, proof of ownership, and the basis

for the owner’s claim of its net cash value.

You may include the net value of your home as an asset. The net value of the home is the appraised value of the home,

minus the sum of any and all loans secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other lien on the home. If you wish to include

the net value of your home, then you must include documentation demonstrating that you own it, a recent appraisal by a

licensed appraiser, and evidence of the amount of any and all loans secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other lien on the

home. You may not include the net value of an automobile unless you show that you have more than one automobile, and

at least one automobile is not included as an asset.

Since you mentioned you have a joint sponsor, you may need to provide their assets. But since you only have a bank account, you should be okay. I didn't encounter this issue, so don't quote me on it as I am not quite familiar with joint sponsors.

Also, you should be okay with one page. As long as everything is neat and legible as you had mentioned.

Hopefully this helps. Some of the information I just pulled from the instructions, which I am sure you have already looked over as well.

Edited October 5, 2016 by mbunband

[dwheels76 5,468]

hi all,

i am starting to gather my financial documents, and have been reading through some of the issues that people have run into and it's really making me nervous (and paranoid) that i'm going to send in wrong items (particularly with the tax forms)! so i was wondering if you could please help clear some things up for me regarding some of the items on the document cover sheet that was sent to me:

1. document cover sheet - got it

2. original signed affidavit of support - this is the actual i-864 document, yes?

3. photocopies of financial documents

IRS tax transcript - i ordered the 2015 year one online, is that correct? do i need to order all previous years as well?? and i wasn't sure which one to order account transcript vs return transcript?

federal income tax returns - i need to turn in my 1040? just from the last year?

form w2 - my employer is already sending me pay stubs and a letter of employment; do i need to ask for the w2 form as well?

evidence of income - again, employer is sending me a printout of payments and letter of employment. what other evidence is needed?

proof of relationship - as in my marriage certificate? (husband is beneficiary)

proof of US status - is this my passport? do i include it here or below in the next section??

social security earning statement - according to official US visa website, this is only for people who fill out the i-864W, right? so n/a for me.

proof of assets - n/a

4. photocopies of supporting documents

adoption docs - n/a

birth cert - got it

court & prison records - n/a

marriage cert - got it

marriage termination - n/a

military records - my husband fulfilled his required military many years ago, and document is in chinese. no need to be translated, correct?

petitioner documents - i don't understand what is supposed to go here. aren't all the necessary documents already given an order in this checklist?

valid passport - got it (all pages, like i-130, yes?)

police certs - husband has his already; do i also need one (as the USC)?

translations - it was my understanding that since our interview would be here in taiwan, that the local documents from my husband would NOT need to be translated. is that still correct?

would so much appreciate your help in answering my questions. i feel like i'm taking the SATs all over again (though it was ages ago) and totally over-thinking things, but then over-thinking THAT and goodness it makes me crazy. thank you in advance.

1. document cover sheet - got it

2. original signed affidavit of support - this is the actual i-864 document, yes? Yes that's correct

3. photocopies of financial documents

IRS tax transcript - i ordered the 2015 year one online, is that correct? do i need to order all previous years as well?? and i wasn't sure which one to order account transcript vs return transcript? Either send most correct transcript or Tax form and W2. One or the other. It's optional to send all 3 years.

federal income tax returns - i need to turn in my 1040? just from the last year? Either send most correct transcript or Tax form and W2. One or the other. It's optional to send all 3 years.

form w2 - my employer is already sending me pay stubs and a letter of employment; do i need to ask for the w2 form as well? This is why its best to send Tax Transcripts it includes everything needed.

evidence of income - again, employer is sending me a printout of payments and letter of employment. what other evidence is needed? That's it and its optional not required.

proof of relationship - as in my marriage certificate? (husband is beneficiary) Your marriage certificate. Don't forget translation

proof of US status - is this my passport? do i include it here or below in the next section?? Not needed for Sponsors only Joint sponsors

social security earning statement - according to official US visa website, this is only for people who fill out the i-864W, right? so n/a for me. Correct

proof of assets - n/a

4. photocopies of supporting documents

adoption docs - n/a

birth cert - got it

court & prison records - n/a

marriage cert - got it

marriage termination - n/a

military records - my husband fulfilled his required military many years ago, and document is in chinese. no need to be translated, correct? Wrong everything not in english must be translated.

petitioner documents - i don't understand what is supposed to go here. aren't all the necessary documents already given an order in this checklist? You have already included your documents. You can also send in extra evidence if you so choose not required.

valid passport - got it (all pages, like i-130, yes?) This is part of the beneficiary IV package. You need a photocopy of his bio-page of your husbands passport. Not you the petitioner.

police certs - husband has his already; do i also need one (as the USC)? No this is the IV (immigration Visa application) only the beneficiary.

translations - it was my understanding that since our interview would be here in taiwan, that the local documents from my husband would NOT need to be translated. is that still correct? Nope you are sending this to NVC everything must have translation

[nycmycity 3]

d

[nycmycity 3]

hi all,

i am starting to gather my financial documents, and have been reading through some of the issues that people have run into and it's really making me nervous (and paranoid) that i'm going to send in wrong items (particularly with the tax forms)! so i was wondering if you could please help clear some things up for me regarding some of the items on the document cover sheet that was sent to me:

1. document cover sheet - got it --GREAT!

2. original signed affidavit of support - this is the actual i-864 document, yes? THAT IS CORRECT!

3. photocopies of financial documents

IRS tax transcript - i ordered the 2015 year one online, is that correct? do i need to order all previous years as well?? and i wasn't sure which one to order account transcript vs return transcript? YOU MAY SUBMIT ALL THE IRS TRANSCRIPTS FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS IF YOU WANT, BUT THEY ONLY REQUIRE THE 2015 ONE. WHEN YOU ORDER ONLINE, THERE IS AN OPTION IN THE DROP DOWN MENU THAT RECOMMENDS YOU TO SEND THE RETURN TRANSCRIPT FOR IMMIGRATION PURPOSES. THEREFORE, DO THE RETURN TRANSCRIPT.

federal income tax returns - i need to turn in my 1040? just from the last year? YES, 1040 FROM 2015.

form w2 - my employer is already sending me pay stubs and a letter of employment; do i need to ask for the w2 form as well? IF YOU ARE SENDING IN THE 2015 IRS TRANSCRIPT, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SEND THE W2.

evidence of income - again, employer is sending me a printout of payments and letter of employment. what other evidence is needed? THAT IS ALL YOU WOULD NEED. HOWEVER, I AM COPY/PASTING WHAT IS ON THEIR SITE JUST SO YOU HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT IS EVIDENCE OF INCOME.

proof of relationship - as in my marriage certificate? (husband is beneficiary) FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THIS IS NOT A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE RELATIONSHIP THEY ARE ASKING FOR. THIS "PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP" FALLS UNDER THE "FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS" CATEGORY ON "DOCUMENT COVER SHEET." IF YOU HAVE A JOINT SPONSOR WHO IS YOUR IMMEDIATE RELATIVE, HE WILL HAVE TO FILL OUT I864-A AND IN THAT CASE YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THE PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A JOINT SPONSOR WHO IS AN IMMEDIATE RELATIVE, THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU. IF THEY WANTED A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE FOR THIS PART, THEY WOULD NOT ASK FOR A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE UNDER THE "SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS" CATEGORY ON THE CHECKLIST YOU ARE READING. I HOPE I'M MAKING MYSELF CLEAR ON THIS.

proof of US status - is this my passport? do i include it here or below in the next section?? AGAIN, THIS APPLIES IF YOU HAVE A JOINT SPONSOR, THEY ARE ASKING FOR A PROOF OF US STATUS FOR THE JOINT SPONSOR. OR ELSE THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU EITHER. IF YOU ARE SKEPTICAL, SENDING YOUR US STATUS THAT PROVES YOU ARE A US CITIZEN OR A PERMANENT LAWFUL RESIDENT IN THE US WOULDN'T HURT. HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THIS.

social security earning statement - according to official US visa website, this is only for people who fill out the i-864W, right? so n/a for me. YOU ARE CORRECT ABOUT THIS.

proof of assets - n/a

4. photocopies of supporting documents

adoption docs - n/a

birth cert - got it

court & prison records - n/a

marriage cert - got it YOU WERE CONFUSING THIS FOR THE "PROOF OF RELATIONSHIP" ABOVE WHEN YOU MENTIONED SUBMITTING MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE IN THE "FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS" CATEGORY. YOU DO NEED MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE FOR THIS PART

marriage termination - n/a

military records - my husband fulfilled his required military many years ago, and document is in chinese. no need to be translated, correct? YOU ARE SUBMITTING THIS TO NVC. ANY DOCUMENT THAT YOU SUBMIT IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH MUST BE TRANSLATED. ONCE AGAIN, MUST BE TRANSLATED.

petitioner documents - i don't understand what is supposed to go here. aren't all the necessary documents already given an order in this checklist? THIS APPLIES IF YOU ARE APPLYING FOR AN IR5 (PARENT OF A U.S CITIZEN) OR F4 (BROTHER OR SISTER OF A U.S CITIZEN). IN YOUR CASE THIS DOES NOT APPLY

valid passport - got it (all pages, like i-130, yes?) JUST MAKING SURE THIS IS THE BENEFICIARY'S PASSPORT AND NOT YOURS

police certs - husband has his already; do i also need one (as the USC)? ONLY HUSBAND'S IS REQUIRED. YOU DO NOT NEED ONE.

translations - it was my understanding that since our interview would be here in taiwan, that the local documents from my husband would NOT need to be translated. is that still correct? THAT IS NOT CORRECT. ALL DOCUMENTS, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, MUST BE TRANSLATED IF THEY ARE IN A LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH.

would so much appreciate your help in answering my questions. i feel like i'm taking the SATs all over again (though it was ages ago) and totally over-thinking things, but then over-thinking THAT and goodness it makes me crazy. thank you in advance. I'M AT THE SAME STAGE OF THE PROCESSING AS YOU. I FEEL LIKE I'VE READ THE WHOLE WEBSITE TO GET A FEELING FOR WHAT I'M DOING TO DO THINGS RIGHT SO I COULD PASS MY SAT SITUATION IN THIS CASE.

YOU HAVE A GREAT DAY. HOPE THIS INFORMATION HELPS!

EVIDENCE OF INCOME

If you completed Form I-864, I-864A, or I-864EZ and the income reported on this form or your tax return reflects income below the poverty guidelines for the year the form was submitted, submit evidence of your income. This can include the following documents:

• For those who are employed by an individual or company, submit a photocopy of an employment letter, pay stub, or pay advance (direct-deposit receipt) that meets the criteria below:
  • Includes your name and the company’s name;
  • Is on signed, business letterhead (you cannot sign the letter yourself); and
  • Is issued within the last three months.
• For those who are self-employed, obtain a photocopy of one of the following:
  • Your business license.
  • A signed letter on business letterhead that was written within in the last three months.
  • A contract between you as an independent contractor and a company.
• For those who are unemployed or retired, submit a photocopy of ongoing income from other means, such as:
  • retirement benefits;
  • other household members' income; or
  • other significant assets.
• If you are currently self-employed in any of the following ways, you do not need to obtain submit evidence of income:
  • Babysitter, elderly caretaker, construction worker, handyperson, housekeeper, landlord, musician, nanny, seamstress, tailor, artist, or writer.

Edited October 7, 2016 by nycmycity

[Ryan H 3,812]

~~~Similar topics merged; please ask all your questions about the I-864 in this thread instead of starting multiple threads on this form.~~~

[lunchboxthermos 1]

hi all,

once again i want to confirm (my papers are almost sorted, but just have this one thing):

i keep reading in various places (and on the official NVC site) that if the interview will take place at the same country using the same language as our documents, then they do NOT need to be translated. and yet some people are still insisting it needs to be! i'm so confused.

our interview will be here in taiwan, and all of my husband's documents are from the taiwan offices. so it will be in the same language.

question regarding the translations - does it have to be notarised? or can i (as a fluent bilingual) translate it myself?

would appreciate your help (and patience) in clarifying.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Document translation requirements are Embassy/Consulate (or in your case AIT) specific. Either go to the AIT website or contact the AIT to find out what their document translation requirements are.

[lunchboxthermos 1]

for Part 5 (household size) - do i have to enter 0 for all the other boxes that don't apply to me? household is 2. do i write in 0 for all the other ones? or just leave blank?

[lunchboxthermos 1]

hi all, i'm so terribly confused right now!!! i have all my acct transcripts & tax return transcripts documents from the past 3 years in front of me (as well as the W-2s that were filed), but i am just not understsanding how to fill out Part 5 of the I-864!!

some quick bg: i always get a refund each year from taxes as my salary is not that huge. i have faithfully filed taxes each year; each year, my total income is a different amount. for these questions, i'm looking at my IRS tax return transcripts

-------

part 6, question 2: current individual annual income:

based on the tax return transcript, is that "wages, salaries, tips, etc."? or is that "total income"? or is that something else? if it is "total income", then i have a negative number. does that mean i write "zero" for this question?

part 6, question 19a-c: my total income (adjusted gross income on IRS form 1040EZ) as reported on my fed income tax returns:

on my tax return transcript, the "adjusted gross income" is also still in the negative for all 3 years. do i use that number? or is there something else i am supposed to enter in as the total income? the form i used to file was the 1040, not the 1040EZ. does that matter?

would really appreciate someone's help in answering these questions. i'm getting super paranoid reading about peopel geting RFEs for these questions and i just want to get it right and not get delayed! thank you!