Income test under Trump proposal places tougher hurdles for families to get green cards

[Michelle M 133]

3 hours ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

I myself fully agree here. One, people go into this whole ordeal and half of them have no clue what to expect, just assume file some paperwork and poof, magic happens.

Same with the financial part, everyone's situation is different, understood; but if you can barely support yourself how can you then support someone else?

I don't like the whole co-sponsor deal personally either, and I'm sure some people will rant about us not liking it either. 

Because you're right on costs, it isn't just about the filing fees, medical, interview, plane tickets, ect... what about when they get here? New furniture maybe? Down payment on a car? Just extra food and date nights? All of those add up very 

quickly and a lot of people don't even consider that before hand. I took a 5k loan out of my 401k knowing we would need extra on top of it all; but that's planning and realizing a head of time just the minimum won't cut it.

So no offense to anyone; but the whole co-sponsor thing doesn't work for me either.

Never thought I would agree with anything you say on this forum but guess I'm wrong.

 

I agree with you wholeheartedly.

 

Maybe it's cultural but asking a family member to co-sponsor would put me and my husband in a bad light therefore, I cannot understand why people so freely do it, even though it's legal.   

[AshMarty 359]

16 minutes ago, Derik-Lina said:

Before I write anything, let me assure you that Trumps gets and will always get what Trump has wanted, from Presidency to 460 Billion Dollars from the Saudis. He might not always get 100 % of he is after, but he gets a nice chunk. That said, this income guidelines, government benefits and sponsorships must be revised. My mother and now my siblings have never ever gotten a penny from the government nor from anyone. This is the land where work is available. One can have two and three jobs. And for someone to get on Government assistance of any sort, while working under the table and sucking us all dry, they ought to go to jail, let alone deported. I have seen recent Immigrants park their BMW s and Merceidez and use Foodstamps  at the grocery store while in brand-name clothes; DISGUSTING. To make matters even worse, I d hear them complaining about our government. Yes, I heard them; I am fluent in 6 languages. I have confronted some in the past, but have kept my mouth shut recently as I have grown up to realize nothing ever changes. As for Sponsorship, I am sorry to say this, but if you are jobless with 4 kids and live with your Mom, you have no business bringing anyone to Marry. Marry here and get a job. I am sorry to have sounded harsh, but I become furious when I see people with 2 and 3 co-sponsors fly thru the system as I wait forever. I have worked and paid taxes for the last 30 some years. I make enough to support three families, but yet, my wife and I must wait and wait and even wait more just because we happened to be from the wrong part of the world. I hope I did not offend anyone, but I felt I had to share as this is something that has bothered me forever.

HAha. I am not really sure way you are replying to my comment with your rant. I was just correcting someone's comments that 40,000 was upper class, because it isn't. It is upper lower class or lower middle class status in the US.

[AshMarty 359]

17 minutes ago, Pennycat said:

Huh that is crazy. I mean, just now my area's census tracts are broken down. We live in a pretty nice neighborhood, that is broken up into what looks like 4 or 5 census tracts. The one we're in is long and skinny, it follows the main street with all the shops/bars/restaurants and the more residential streets that run parallel (so like one block of main street, the street to the north and the two streets to the south, including the side streets that connect them). Then there's one block that is a little island all to itself. Anyway, the median income for that island tract is $100k more than the one for mine, and mine is not-too-shabby even for the overall area (DC metro area). What in the heck is this about?!

 

Any idea how they set these things and...why?

If you go to the website you can see where you personally fall in your region and country. I was surprised to find my husband and I are in the upper 25% of our region and country. I guess you tend to hang out with people that are in a similar income class as you, so it always just seems like we are getting by like everyone else but apparently we are comfortably in the upper 25% according to census statistics... it is always eye opening.

Edited October 11, 2018 by AshMarty

[Apple Bee 272]

3 hours ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Well I know close family naturally will; but it's always funny seeing people (usually the beneficiary) posting on here flat out asking for a stranger to be their co-sponsor for K-1 or CR-1 visas. 

Whaaat? People have actually asked that of others here???

[NikLR 13,220]

Other countries don't allow joint sponsors.  I think they should be allowed but only in rare situations.  We never would have asked for a joint sponsor.  

[Pennycat 880]

Just now, AshMarty said:

If you go to the website you can see where you personally fall in your region and country. I was surprised to find my husband and I are in the upper 25% of our region and country. I guess your tend to hang out with people that are in a similar income class as you, so if always just seems like we are getting by like everyone else but apparently we are comfortably in the upper 25%... it is always eye opening.

Yeah, I know where we are in our city/neighborhood on the whole (well off for the city as a whole, middle class at best for our neighborhood) but it is just crazy to see the census tract carved out like that, to a $100k/year difference. it's like they had a scalpel to be able to achieve that! I wonder... maybe it's students? A college has a DC satellite campus within the census tract. The students don't live on this "campus" (it's really just a building) and I think rent all over the DC area while they were here for their DC semester. 

 

I'm not complaining, mind. It is just totally bizarre to see walk one block, gain $100k in median income, especially because the reality of what those blocks look like/who lives there (I've lived in this exact building for 10 years, the neighborhood for 13)... really don't change too much.

[Unlockable 7,306]

4 hours ago, Ben&Zian said:

Well I know close family naturally will; but it's always funny seeing people (usually the beneficiary) posting on here flat out asking for a stranger to be their co-sponsor for K-1 or CR-1 visas. 

 

32 minutes ago, PersaisX said:

Whaaat? People have actually asked that of others here???

Oh yes. We have seen it a few times.

[JFox762 18]

I reported $27000 on my AoS though I am morr on track to earn $30k by end of year.

 

I also have a house with at LEAST $110K equity. No mortgage... just a  Home Equity loan of $7k. 

 

I didnt list my house since I figured I met the guideline. 

 

Do I need to wait and go get an assessment of my house by a realtor!??? We are at the NVC stage. 

 

My pay might on the low side... but I also dont have to pay one fourth to one third of my income towards housing. My wife and I have a plan to have her work and pay off our home equity loan and be debt free in a matter of a few months.

Edited October 11, 2018 by JFox762

[virgie6810 12]

When is this supposed to take effect?  Congress does not have to vote on it.

[Jemera 15]

If this new guideline goes through, it doesn't take into account USC who married and lived abroad for many years then come back for whatever reason and have 0  or close to 0 reported income for the past few years due to waver of income earned overseas. In my case, I had been living in my husband's country where we married. I had to come home to care for a sick parent and now I'm waiting and waiting, unable to work outside the home because I have a full load caring for my dad. Fortunately, I have assets and rental income that I pay taxes on to put me over 125% but if it was 250%? Yeah, I would have had to choose between helping my dad or staying in Singapore with my husband. My husband does have a job waiting for him here but we can't count that future income since they are not the sponsor. I think USC who have been married abroad for over a set number of years (5?10?) and are returning home should be in a separate category anyway because our situation is quite different. Many countries give breaks to returning citizens, just not the US.

[Mrsjackson 300]

Unless I’m mistaken the topic is not about joint sponsors but raising the poverty guideline astronomically.

 

If someone makes 125% for their household then they are able to support their relative without the government. They may be eating canned soup instead of steak and so what? You shouldn’t need to be rich to bring a loved one here. You also shouldn’t expect the rest of the country to support your foreign relative via benefits. But that’s why 125% has been the guideline - it shows help from the country won’t be necessary. Raising the guideline is wrong and it’s a very deliberate way of closing the US off to people from less desirable (S***hole according to trump) countries.

[E & J 2018 132]

5 hours ago, Jaquelly said:

My family wouldn't. LOL

Neither would mine. I don't understand how anyone would want to do this and be "on the hook", in case things do not workout. I wouldn't cosponsor anyone..... anyone!!!

[AshMarty 359]

Just an interesting blurb. People making less than 130% or 138% of the poverty line qualify for government assistance programs but also making less than 130% or 138% qualifies you to sponsor someone for immigration. 

"Programs That Use the Poverty Guidelines

* The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps) is available to those who earn 130 percent of the federal poverty level. Households must also have less than $3,500 in assets with an elderly or disabled person, or $2,250 or less in households without an elderly or disabled member.

 

* Medicaid is available to families whose income is 138 percent of the poverty level. The Affordable Care Act provides insurance subsidies for households between 138 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level. 

 

Other programs include Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program."

 

Edited October 11, 2018 by AshMarty

[Mrsjackson 300]

1 minute ago, AshMarty said:

Just an interesting blurb. People making less than 130% or 138% qualify for government assistance programs but making less than 130% or 138% still qualify you for immigration.

"Programs That Use the Poverty Guidelines

* The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps) is available to those who earn 130 percent of the federal poverty level. Households must also have less than $3,500 in assets with an elderly or disabled person, or $2,250 or less in households without an elderly or disabled member.

 

* Medicaid is available to families whose income is 138 percent of the poverty level. The Affordable Care Act provides insurance subsidies for households between 138 percent and 400 percent of the poverty level. 

 

Other programs include Head Start, the National School Lunch Program, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program."

 

If you’re and immigrant your agreement with the US government is that you do not use these benefits regardless of qualifying for them. 

[AshMarty 359]

3 minutes ago, Mrsjackson said:

If you’re and immigrant your agreement with the US government is that you do not use these benefits regardless of qualifying for them. 

I am not arguing immigrants and the use of these benefits....... I find it interesting the government is contradicting itself.

 

In one statement it says you should be able to take care of yourself at 125% of the poverty line but than on the other hand it says 130% is not enough income to support yourself. 

 

 

Edited October 11, 2018 by AshMarty