Chances of RFE When Using Non-Taxable Income (VA Disability Benefits) and Assets for I-864

[Chema10 0]

Hello everyone,

I'm currently going through the adjustment of status process through marriage to a U.S. citizen and wanted to get some feedback or insights regarding the likelihood of receiving a Request for Evidence (RFE), specifically related to the documentation I submitted for Form I-864.

My husband is a U.S. Navy veteran and receives monthly VA disability benefits, which are considered non-taxable income. In 2024, he did not have taxable income because he was receiving only these benefits while also completing an MBA funded by the GI Bill. We filed a tax return showing $0 income for 2024 and included IRS tax transcripts for 2022 and 2023.

In addition to this, I submitted evidence of personal assets exceeding $30,000 USD in savings and investment accounts, along with a formal job offer that begins on June 30, 2025.

My questions are:

• Has anyone had a similar experience where non-taxable income like VA disability benefits was used as part of the I-864?

• What was your experience with RFEs in such cases?

• Are there any additional steps you would recommend to reduce the chances of receiving an RFE?

I've been careful to document everything thoroughly and included a letter of explanation that outlines our situation. I understand that USCIS does recognize non-taxable income like VA disability for the purposes of the Affidavit of Support, but I’ve also read that they tend to be conservative when evaluating financial eligibility, especially when no taxable income is reported.

Any guidance or shared experience would be truly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

[Crazy Cat 44,121]

8 hours ago, Chema10 said:

I understand that USCIS does recognize non-taxable income like VA disability for the purposes of the Affidavit of Support,

Yes, they do.  Qualified income does NOT have to be taxable.  It has to be documentable. 

[Chema10 0]

7 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Yes, they do.  Qualified income does NOT have to be taxable.  It has to be documentable. 

Thank you so much for responding me!

I’ve been working with SimpleCitizen, but honestly, I’m having some issues with how they’re handling things. They’re insisting that he needs to file taxes, and when I sent them he’s income documentation which I really made sure was well-organized and legally valid the attorney basically just dismissed it right away. She said it’s not “traditional income” and didn’t even review it properly.

 

I was pretty confident in what I submitted, because I did my research and I know that kind of income is taxable and can count for immigration purposes. But they told me that USCIS sometimes doesn’t follow their own written guidelines and that AILA warns about those inconsistencies which honestly made me second-guess myself, even though I know my documents are in order.

 

What bothers me most is that they didn’t evaluate my case individually. They just assumed it wasn’t usable without really looking into it, which feels super unprofessional. Now I’m in this back-and-forth with them, and it’s frustrating especially when I’ve worked hard to document everything right.

Im still trying to figure out the best way to move forward.