I-134 affidavit of support - sponsor doesnt work

[trudi 1,317]

My fiance and I will be sponsoring the proccess together. In addition to my money he will be filing I-134 also. If bank statements are enough and he doesnt need to show proof of employment then we are fine.

From what I read in the links guys posted here, London is not as strict as application part in US. I should probably look into AOS forums related to money proof at the Green Card stage.

London may not be as strict as some other embassies but they will not approve the visa unless you can prove you meet the financial requirements of the I-134, I would worry about passing this hurdle before looking at AOS because from what you've said you are going to struggle.

[JFH 12,189]

I believe for I-134 we only need to proof that he can (I can) suport myself for 3 months+ until I get a work permit.

5k to live on for 3 months is more than enough, especialy when I wont need to pay anything for accommodation or travel.

Lets assume they approve my K-1. Will they deport me if my green card will be denied?

You have a wedding to pay for also. Plus the AOS fees. You won't see much change from your £5k after those have been taken into consideration. Then there is health insurance. No NHS in the USA! If you fall and break your leg what then? It sounds like he's getting $500 a month. So he can barely feed the two of you, let alone anything else. I know you say the car is paid off but the petrol isn't. Neither is the insurance or the maintenance and repairs. Depending on which state you will be living in you may not be able to get a driver's licence on a K-1 until after you are married.

And this free accommodation with grandma. What happens if she dies or is taken into a home? Or has an argument with him and decides she does not want him around the house anymore? Such things have happened.

In all honesty, it would have been better for you to wait until he was financially stable or get married a do a CR-1 visa which would allow you to work immediately. I really don't get the fascination with a K-1 visa in the U.K. Why anyone (aside from pensioners or those who have no need to work) would put themselves in a situation where they could not work for months confuses me from a financial and career path perspective. Especially when you are marrying someone that you will be supporting. And all to get there a few months quicker. You can continue to visit during the spouse visa process. But what's done is done.

I arrived in the USA on my IR-1 spouse visa on Monday of this week. We have been together almost 5 years and married since September 2014. Almost 5 years apart - 2 of them married. It can be done if your relationship is strong. The reason we waited is because we initially wanted my husband to live in the UK so we went through the U.K. spouse visa process but that was denied and then I was scheduled for brain surgery to cure my epilepsy and we wanted that to be finished before we started my US visa journey. I was going to face brain surgery alone because my husband is banned from the UK. You do what you have to do.

I am on paid annual leave from my job in the U.K. until December 31 and start a new job in Seattle on January 3. Much better arrangement.

[Kasulia 1]

You have a wedding to pay for also. Plus the AOS fees. You won't see much change from your £5k after those have been taken into consideration. Then there is health insurance. No NHS in the USA! If you fall and break your leg what then? It sounds like he's getting $500 a month. So he can barely feed the two of you, let alone anything else. I know you say the car is paid off but the petrol isn't. Neither is the insurance or the maintenance and repairs. Depending on which state you will be living in you may not be able to get a driver's licence on a K-1 until after you are married.

And this free accommodation with grandma. What happens if she dies or is taken into a home? Or has an argument with him and decides she does not want him around the house anymore? Such things have happened.

In all honesty, it would have been better for you to wait until he was financially stable or get married a do a CR-1 visa which would allow you to work immediately. I really don't get the fascination with a K-1 visa in the U.K. Why anyone (aside from pensioners or those who have no need to work) would put themselves in a situation where they could not work for months confuses me from a financial and career path perspective. Especially when you are marrying someone that you will be supporting. And all to get there a few months quicker. You can continue to visit during the spouse visa process. But what's done is done.

I arrived in the USA on my IR-1 spouse visa on Monday of this week. We have been together almost 5 years and married since September 2014. Almost 5 years apart - 2 of them married. It can be done if your relationship is strong. The reason we waited is because we initially wanted my husband to live in the UK so we went through the U.K. spouse visa process but that was denied and then I was scheduled for brain surgery to cure my epilepsy and we wanted that to be finished before we started my US visa journey. I was going to face brain surgery alone because my husband is banned from the UK. You do what you have to do.

I am on paid annual leave from my job in the U.K. until December 31 and start a new job in Seattle on January 3. Much better arrangement.

I am sorry to hear about how hard your journey was but I am happy that in the end all worked out! Good examples are always encouraging ?

I don't want to go deep into our financial details but my £8k (this is what I will have by the time I leave the country) won’t be touched for any expenses until I get green card and find the job.

As I mentioned before, we have plenty of money to live on. And I won’t be supporting him for sure ?

My question was more orientated towards him not having job, which is regular stable income and what is the least amount him/me should be showing in this case?

Also, I just found out he will be getting $1000 a month from School. Grandma's house is his inheritance - and only his.

My choice of K-1 is perfect for us because as photographer it will give me enough time to establish my business connections and do some free work for my portfolio. We also plan to do 2 months road trip around US during that time. As entrepreneurs we don’t need visa to keep the wheel spinning ?

I feel that I sound like someone who doesn't know where they are getting themselves into. This is not the case. I worked in the states before and I have been travelling to Cali (this is where I will live) at least once a year for past 5 years. This year I am making 4 trips. I also planned and organised 2 medium sized weddings in Nevada so I know what are the costs.

I know how much things costs in US, I know how the system works, I studied financial part of their healthcare, pensions, mortgages etc. I know their culture very well.

Anyways I told him to go and get the job! He can leave it as soon as we get a green card ?

Thank you everyone for your intake!

[yuna628 9,528]

Hi OP, you've asked a few questions here and have been given solid answers already. Here are some thoughts from me, a person who used a co-sponsor in London. London, as you may have heard is a lot less strict than other embassies. If using a cosponsor they will only want to see the I-134 and supporting financial documents from that cosponsor, and not from your fiancé. In addition, London does allow for self-sponsorship. Unfortunately the amount you quoted, while nice and all, will not be enough to pass the test. While London is very generous in allowing someone to self-sponsor, the point is that you have enough to pass the test that you will not become a pubic charge. Something that can be a real possibility in America. A single unfortunate accident can result in hospital bills enough to bankrupt person even on the best of days. The I-134 is a non-binding document, which means it's virtually only about as good for the length of your visa. But after that there is the further responsibility of applying to adjust status for your green card. The financial documents for that are binding and quite strict. Your fiancé would need to provide their documents, as well as any joint sponsor. A person reviewing your AOS is going to probably want to know where your fiancé's money is coming from, if they are paying taxes, and since you can't work you will not be proving anything to them with your small savings. You are going to need someone else to sponsor you. Getting a K1 is sort of like a two-fold process. Some people just want to focus on the K1 and worry about the rest of it (the green card later), only to discover it's a lot more of a fuss than they realized. To me the couple applying for a K1 should study both processes, so that they can be aware and save up for the costs and waiting period that will follow the wedding. So I'd encourage to do that.

I believe for I-134 we only need to proof that he can (I can) suport myself for 3 months+ until I get a work permit.

5k to live on for 3 months is more than enough, especialy when I wont need to pay anything for accommodation or travel.

Lets assume they approve my K-1. Will they deport me if my green card will be denied?

5K may seem like enough to you, but it will not be enough for that embassy. My fiancé had significantly more savings than you, and I do not believe they would have accepted that either. The embassy isn't dumb, and they well know how things are in America when it comes to financial security. If you can I would strongly suggest that you seek out a co-sponsor for your K1 and a joint sponsor for your AOS. Keep the following in mind too: along with AOS you can file for an EAD/AP (temporary work and travel document). But these documents will not arrive right away. They can take up to a further 90 days to be in your hands. Beyond that, your green card if granted could take up to nearly a year to arrive. Your fiancé doesn't sound like he has a lot of finances coming in while he's studying. So even though you'll be living in a house without the expense of rent or heat or water bills - you will have the cost of food, clothing, transportation, other essentials, the cost of the wedding, the cost of AOS fees, and most importantly the cost of health insurance. If you do not purchase health insurance you will be penalized and fined in taxes every year. This counts for citizens and immigrants. Your savings will dry up quickly, and there is no way your fiancé could, with his current intake support you for those things even if they wanted to.

My fiance and I will be sponsoring the proccess together. In addition to my money he will be filing I-134 also. If bank statements are enough and he doesnt need to show proof of employment then we are fine.

From what I read in the links guys posted here, London is not as strict as application part in US. I should probably look into AOS forums related to money proof at the Green Card stage.

I am sorry to hear about how hard your journey was but I am happy that in the end all worked out! Good examples are always encouraging ?

I don't want to go deep into our financial details but my £8k (this is what I will have by the time I leave the country) won’t be touched for any expenses until I get green card and find the job.

As I mentioned before, we have plenty of money to live on. And I won’t be supporting him for sure ?

My question was more orientated towards him not having job, which is regular stable income and what is the least amount him/me should be showing in this case?

Also, I just found out he will be getting $1000 a month from School. Grandma's house is his inheritance - and only his.

My choice of K-1 is perfect for us because as photographer it will give me enough time to establish my business connections and do some free work for my portfolio. We also plan to do 2 months road trip around US during that time. As entrepreneurs we don’t need visa to keep the wheel spinning ?

I feel that I sound like someone who doesn't know where they are getting themselves into. This is not the case. I worked in the states before and I have been travelling to Cali (this is where I will live) at least once a year for past 5 years. This year I am making 4 trips. I also planned and organised 2 medium sized weddings in Nevada so I know what are the costs.

I know how much things costs in US, I know how the system works, I studied financial part of their healthcare, pensions, mortgages etc. I know their culture very well.

Anyways I told him to go and get the job! He can leave it as soon as we get a green card ?

Thank you everyone for your intake!

Your EAD as a I said will be the document to arrive first before the green card, if you apply for it. And you cannot do anything that even resembles working until you have it. Nor can you essentially obtain a state ID, or drivers license until you have it either. How do you know though if you will be able to attain a job that will - pay enough so that you can pay for your own healthcare, pay enough and pay for your healthcare, or find a job at all? Job market is hard in the US. As an immigrant you will have to fight twice as hard to be chosen over a citizen. My husband is a very qualified man, and even he had his troubles finding employment until recently. It pays well, but does not offer the hours he hoped for, and we still have to pay for healthcare out of pocket. Photographers are more or less, freelancers, and I don't believe you'll be finding a job that will offer insurance if that is the area you stick with to start out on. That expense is going to be on you. You have stated he won't be relying on your savings, but then state you are going to go on a road trip? Who will be paying for that exactly? Will you file for AOS immediately after marriage? Are you going to hold off on your plans to travel across country until you receive your documents or show up for biometrics appointments?

Ordinarily, as a person who has proven using a cosponsor for this entire process can be successful I would say absolutely seek out a cosponsor/joint sponsor to take you through the process if your US fiancé is not intending on seeking out employment yet. But in review of everything you've said, it's hard to conclude that you will actually be financially stable enough to proceed anyway. You can of course try, and I know how hard it is to be apart from the person that you love. Relationships can and do survive over long distance for long periods of time if the couple is strong enough to endure it. But there are numerous people that for whatever their reasons don't feel it can. If I were in your shoes I would wait until you were in a better financially stable place, some savings will not overcome that. I hope this perspective is not offensive to you. If you intend to proceed, seeking out a cosponsor will be your start point.

[yuna628 9,528]

You have a wedding to pay for also. Plus the AOS fees. You won't see much change from your £5k after those have been taken into consideration. Then there is health insurance. No NHS in the USA! If you fall and break your leg what then? It sounds like he's getting $500 a month. So he can barely feed the two of you, let alone anything else. I know you say the car is paid off but the petrol isn't. Neither is the insurance or the maintenance and repairs. Depending on which state you will be living in you may not be able to get a driver's licence on a K-1 until after you are married.

And this free accommodation with grandma. What happens if she dies or is taken into a home? Or has an argument with him and decides she does not want him around the house anymore? Such things have happened.

In all honesty, it would have been better for you to wait until he was financially stable or get married a do a CR-1 visa which would allow you to work immediately. I really don't get the fascination with a K-1 visa in the U.K. Why anyone (aside from pensioners or those who have no need to work) would put themselves in a situation where they could not work for months confuses me from a financial and career path perspective. Especially when you are marrying someone that you will be supporting. And all to get there a few months quicker. You can continue to visit during the spouse visa process. But what's done is done.

I arrived in the USA on my IR-1 spouse visa on Monday of this week. We have been together almost 5 years and married since September 2014. Almost 5 years apart - 2 of them married. It can be done if your relationship is strong. The reason we waited is because we initially wanted my husband to live in the UK so we went through the U.K. spouse visa process but that was denied and then I was scheduled for brain surgery to cure my epilepsy and we wanted that to be finished before we started my US visa journey. I was going to face brain surgery alone because my husband is banned from the UK. You do what you have to do.

I am on paid annual leave from my job in the U.K. until December 31 and start a new job in Seattle on January 3. Much better arrangement.

This. Right there.

You will say you don't understand why a person chooses a K1. I would in part agree with your reasoning, that it does have drawbacks - the largest one is not being able to work immediately (which you can do with a spouse visa). But, in my and my husband's experience, it didn't matter if he had the best degree in the world, an EAD, or a green card, the best resume, or go on a million interviews after applying to a million jobs. If a company isn't interested in hiring an immigrant for whatever reason, then they aren't going to hire them. My husband has been in a 'pre hiring' process for a couple of months with one job after being on the job hunt since he received his EAD (you can see when on the timeline). It's a discouraging process and he nearly considered asking an acquaintance at a local pizza joint for a minimum wage job just for something... anything because we were about to lose our health insurance. This is a person with an equivalent to a masters degree and had a job previously working a US-based company in the UK. We are blessed that his new employer finally got off their butts just a week ago to make a decision. So yes, while having a green card off the bat is great, depending on the field of work, the job market in the state, and attitude towards immigrants, experiences vary. Both he and our entire life savings has seen us through the hard times we've had this year, including an auto accident with injuries. Our joint sponsor has also been very kind to us in supporting our living arrangements, and that is all we will ever ask of them. Our bills are our responsibility, even if things got even rougher for us. So while I would say the K1 does work for some people, and it worked for us, I would also say the CR1 may give the comfort of being able to look for work and can be less overall hassle, but I hope it does not lure some immigrants into a false sense of security that they will find the great job they want immediately after landing. We did the long distance thang for 10years (and our 12th year of knowing each other coming up soon!). It always makes me smile when I see those who also brave it out for long periods of time, and endure just to make things work in the face of really harsh challenges. And I know you've had some terrible ones!

At the time K1 was indeed quicker (or so we thought *sarcastic lolz*), we didn't feel like going around the marriage in the US way (because there's no way in heck you can do it in the UK at this point), and that UK job was soul-killing. Neither one of us could take it anymore. I don't feel that having a CR1 would have made much difference in hiring prospects (though it's clear half the employers didn't understand what an EAD vs a green card).

Edited December 22, 2016 by yuna628

[DelilahBrz 48]

If his income on his IRS forms for 2016 are not 125% of the poverty guidelines, you will be denied.

You might be able to slide by for your 90-day visa...but then you will run into trouble when filing AOS

Edited December 23, 2016 by DelilahBrz