Original Wet Ink i-864 and Joint Sponsor Questions

[Kore385 0]

I'm a US citizen repatriating with my Japanese spouse. I have been living abroad for the last six years and have an AGI of zero under the foreign earned income exclusion. I am still employed, but this employment will terminate upon my reparation and not count towards my sponsorship. From what I have read I should:

 

1. File an I-864 as the petitioner and include copies of my last three years of tax returns (I can do this).

2. Have a joint sponsor also file an I-864 with their last three tax returns and W-2 forms. (My father has agreed to fill this role, however he hasn't filed for 2019 yet due to the July 15, 2020 COVID-19 extension)

 

That seems straight forward (aside from the definition of recent tax year in this instance) and I understand that I can submit scanned forms online.

(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/visas-news-archive/20161228_ink-signature-no-longer-required-on-affidavits-of-support.html)

However, my spouse needs to take originals of these forms into the Tokyo Consulate for her interview... I see conflicting information about this online. Some say you need the wet ink originals and others say that copies are fine...Others say it depends on the particular embassy's procedures.

 

Do I need to have my father mail the wet ink original to Japan? I am a bit concerned with the state of the post and had a few issues with the current COVID-19 situation...Of course we don't know when in person visa processing will resume, but we'd like to have everything ready when the time comes. 

 

 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

16 minutes ago, Kore385 said:

I'm a US citizen repatriating with my Japanese spouse. I have been living abroad for the last six years and have an AGI of zero under the foreign earned income exclusion. I am still employed, but this employment will terminate upon my reparation and not count towards my sponsorship. From what I have read I should:

 

1. File an I-864 as the petitioner and include copies of my last three years of tax returns (I can do this).

2. Have a joint sponsor also file an I-864 with their last three tax returns and W-2 forms. (My father has agreed to fill this role, however he hasn't filed for 2019 yet due to the July 15, 2020 COVID-19 extension)

 

That seems straight forward (aside from the definition of recent tax year in this instance) and I understand that I can submit scanned forms online.

(https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/visas-news-archive/20161228_ink-signature-no-longer-required-on-affidavits-of-support.html)

However, my spouse needs to take originals of these forms into the Tokyo Consulate for her interview... I see conflicting information about this online. Some say you need the wet ink originals and others say that copies are fine...Others say it depends on the particular embassy's procedures.

 

Do I need to have my father mail the wet ink original to Japan? I am a bit concerned with the state of the post and had a few issues with the current COVID-19 situation...Of course we don't know when in person visa processing will resume, but we'd like to have everything ready when the time comes. 

 

 

Riyadh asked for wet ink originals as late as 2018.  It really is consulate specific.  If their list says original, they probably want the signed copies

Edited May 5, 2020 by Nitas_man

[payxibka 10,044]

Department of State came out with a policy a couple of years ago indicating "wet" signature no longer required