What to submit for wife's affidavit of support when we have a joint sponsor

[vvindmarks 1]

My wife and I are working on the Affidavits of Support necessary for her to sponsor me, the beneficiary. She did not earn enough in recent years to sponsor me so her dad has agreed to be my sole joint sponsor and he alone makes well over the requirement for his household size plus me. My question is about what information we should provide for my wife’s affidavit, which I know is less important since her dad’s will be very straightforward as he has earned a consistent amount for the last three years and we have his tax return transcripts in order. For 2022 and 2023 she did not work and has verifications of non-filing for these years (which I have read may not be necessary). However, in 2024 she worked for ~4 months and made a few thousand dollars and filed her taxes accordingly and she started a different job about three months ago which she is still working and plans to continue to work. 

 

We put her current position and place of employment down under ‘Part 6. Sponsor's Employment and Income’ on her form, but I’m not sure what to put under her current individual annual income since I know they normally want 6 months of paystubs or a letter from her employer about her projected salary if she hasn't filed taxes for that job yet. I don’t know if it would seem like we were misrepresenting her current income if we just put her total income from last year when she briefly worked her previous job since she has already surpassed that this year. 

 

I assume we should check ‘No’ for ‘Have you filed a Federal income tax return for each of the three most recent tax years?’, then put zeros (or is it N/A?) under 16.b. and 16.c., then should we also click the box by ‘I was not required to file a Federal income tax return as my income was below the IRS required level and I have attached evidence to support this.’ and provide her verifications of non-filing? 

 

I have read that some people just retroactively file their taxes for previous years with their income as zero to make this simpler but I think my wife had to file hers via mail this year because I don’t have an SSN which I assume would be the same issue if we tried to do her previous years.

 

Also, should we be filling out ‘Part 7. Use of Assets to Supplement Income’? Because it only says to skip it if your household helps you to meet the requirement and I don’t see anything about joint sponsors here. I know she won’t meet the requirement on her form alone regardless, We’re just not sure how incomplete we should leave it.

 

We also made notes under ‘Additional Information’ stating for page 7 part 6.b. and 6.c. “Not required to file that year. Income too low.”

 

I know we’re probably overthinking this since the joint sponsor is straightforward and my wife’s affidavit won’t pass the requirements anyway but we still aren’t totally certain what to submit. We would hate for an oversight on this part of our application to cause issues or delays.

 

Thanks!

[OldUser 9,601]

1 hour ago, vvindmarks said:

For 2022 and 2023 she did not work and has verifications of non-filing for these years (which I have read may not be necessary).

Do the most, don't do the least

[OldUser 9,601]

1 hour ago, vvindmarks said:

Also, should we be filling out ‘Part 7. Use of Assets to Supplement Income’? Because it only says to skip it if your household helps you to meet the requirement and I don’t see anything about joint sponsors here. I know she won’t meet the requirement on her form alone regardless, We’re just not sure how incomplete we should leave it.

 

 

Leave it out if she doesn't have qualifying assets

[pushbrk 13,582]

2 hours ago, vvindmarks said:

My wife and I are working on the Affidavits of Support necessary for her to sponsor me, the beneficiary. She did not earn enough in recent years to sponsor me so her dad has agreed to be my sole joint sponsor and he alone makes well over the requirement for his household size plus me. My question is about what information we should provide for my wife’s affidavit, which I know is less important since her dad’s will be very straightforward as he has earned a consistent amount for the last three years and we have his tax return transcripts in order. For 2022 and 2023 she did not work and has verifications of non-filing for these years (which I have read may not be necessary). However, in 2024 she worked for ~4 months and made a few thousand dollars and filed her taxes accordingly and she started a different job about three months ago which she is still working and plans to continue to work. 

 

We put her current position and place of employment down under ‘Part 6. Sponsor's Employment and Income’ on her form, but I’m not sure what to put under her current individual annual income since I know they normally want 6 months of paystubs or a letter from her employer about her projected salary if she hasn't filed taxes for that job yet. I don’t know if it would seem like we were misrepresenting her current income if we just put her total income from last year when she briefly worked her previous job since she has already surpassed that this year. 

 

I assume we should check ‘No’ for ‘Have you filed a Federal income tax return for each of the three most recent tax years?’, then put zeros (or is it N/A?) under 16.b. and 16.c., then should we also click the box by ‘I was not required to file a Federal income tax return as my income was below the IRS required level and I have attached evidence to support this.’ and provide her verifications of non-filing? 

 

I have read that some people just retroactively file their taxes for previous years with their income as zero to make this simpler but I think my wife had to file hers via mail this year because I don’t have an SSN which I assume would be the same issue if we tried to do her previous years.

 

Also, should we be filling out ‘Part 7. Use of Assets to Supplement Income’? Because it only says to skip it if your household helps you to meet the requirement and I don’t see anything about joint sponsors here. I know she won’t meet the requirement on her form alone regardless, We’re just not sure how incomplete we should leave it.

 

We also made notes under ‘Additional Information’ stating for page 7 part 6.b. and 6.c. “Not required to file that year. Income too low.”

 

I know we’re probably overthinking this since the joint sponsor is straightforward and my wife’s affidavit won’t pass the requirements anyway but we still aren’t totally certain what to submit. We would hate for an oversight on this part of our application to cause issues or delays.

 

Thanks!

Your wife's affidavit is NOT less important.  If her income was below the filing threshold during any of the years, she just checks that box, and hand writes which years, if not all.  Your petitioner is always the primary sponsor.  The joint sponsor is also needed, but both forms and sets of supporting documents must be correct and sufficient.

 

If your wife is currently employed then you state her current income.  Here's the formula.  Take the gross income from a full pay period and multiply it by the number of pay periods of that length in a full year.  So 1k a week is 52k a year, etc.  That's her current income.  Tax returns are about the past.  No need to state and document liquid assets in this case.

[vvindmarks 1]

31 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

Your wife's affidavit is NOT less important.  If her income was below the filing threshold during any of the years, she just checks that box, and hand writes which years, if not all.  Your petitioner is always the primary sponsor.  The joint sponsor is also needed, but both forms and sets of supporting documents must be correct and sufficient.

 

If your wife is currently employed then you state her current income.  Here's the formula.  Take the gross income from a full pay period and multiply it by the number of pay periods of that length in a full year.  So 1k a week is 52k a year, etc.  That's her current income.  Tax returns are about the past.  No need to state and document liquid assets in this case.

I see, thank you very much! Yes we will certainly ensure that she as the primary sponsor has a complete and accurate affidavit. In this case with her current income, should we request a letter through her work about her anticipated income since she hasn't worked there long enough to show the suggested six months of pay stubs? And should we attach her verifications of non-filing or is this not necessary?

[pushbrk 13,582]

2 hours ago, vvindmarks said:

I see, thank you very much! Yes we will certainly ensure that she as the primary sponsor has a complete and accurate affidavit. In this case with her current income, should we request a letter through her work about her anticipated income since she hasn't worked there long enough to show the suggested six months of pay stubs? And should we attach her verifications of non-filing or is this not necessary?

No need.  One current pay stub is enough.  The six months thing is an artifact.  Modern pay stubs show year to date income anyway.  Just bring a more up to date stub to the interview.