Documents are accepted but NVC messaged the following

[adivish 4]

"The income reported as stated on form I-864, I-864A is insufficient to overcome the public charge grounds of inadmissibility for visa issuance. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos and https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p. A consular officer will decide if you meet these requirements at the time of the interview. Note: You, as the sponsor, and any other sponsors household members and joint sponsors, must provide updated or additional evidence for the applicant to present at the time of their interview such as: * Other income * Assets * Proof of current employment Note: You submitted documentation to the National Visa Center through the Consular Electronic Application Center CEAC. You can continue to upload documents to CEAC up until the date of your visa interview."

 

However, we live abroad, working for a non-US company and the sponsor is making 25% above the threshold. We also submitted the sponsor's 12 months' bank statement along with the past 3 years' tax return transcripts, all of which have more or less the same income. Since we plan on moving only next year, we aren't able to provide a job offer at the moment but I don't think that it would be a problem in securing work in the future.

 

If we get a co-sponsor, shouldn't their income be 300% of the deficit? We aren't even sure what or how much the deficit is. Any advice would be so so helpful!

 

Thanks!

[Lil bear 4,655]

15 minutes ago, adivish said:

"The income reported as stated on form I-864, I-864A is insufficient to overcome the public charge grounds of inadmissibility for visa issuance. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos and https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p. A consular officer will decide if you meet these requirements at the time of the interview. Note: You, as the sponsor, and any other sponsors household members and joint sponsors, must provide updated or additional evidence for the applicant to present at the time of their interview such as: * Other income * Assets * Proof of current employment Note: You submitted documentation to the National Visa Center through the Consular Electronic Application Center CEAC. You can continue to upload documents to CEAC up until the date of your visa interview."

 

However, we live abroad, working for a non-US company and the sponsor is making 25% above the threshold. We also submitted the sponsor's 12 months' bank statement along with the past 3 years' tax return transcripts, all of which have more or less the same income. Since we plan on moving only next year, we aren't able to provide a job offer at the moment but I don't think that it would be a problem in securing work in the future.

 

If we get a co-sponsor, shouldn't their income be 300% of the deficit? We aren't even sure what or how much the deficit is. Any advice would be so so helpful!

 

Thanks!

You need a new joint sponsor with a higher income. “Co sponsoring” is not an option .. Only when the petitioner is using household  members income to add to their income. 
The other alternative is that the  petitioner relocate to the US 4-6 months prior to the interview, secure s  job that meets “ current income” requirements and complete a new I 864 with documentation for the beneficiary to take to the interview. 
 

Please fill out your visa type and country details and your  timeline, as these details are critical to getting the best and  most  accurate replies. 

[adivish 4]

@Lil bear sorry, i just joined this forum today. i've filled up my profile details, if that helps in any way. And yes, I meant a joint sponsor. I'm surprised that we have to use a joint sponsor even though the sponsor's income is higher than the threshold. Is there something I'm missing? All the other documents were seemingly approved.

 

At the moment, we both live and work in Vietnam and have been here for over 5 years. The kicker is that we are also expecting a baby early next year so unfortunately, relocating in the near future seems difficult. We were hoping to get the interview and then move once and for all. 

[Theersink 48]

46 minutes ago, adivish said:

"The income reported as stated on form I-864, I-864A is insufficient to overcome the public charge grounds of inadmissibility for visa issuance. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos and https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p. A consular officer will decide if you meet these requirements at the time of the interview. Note: You, as the sponsor, and any other sponsors household members and joint sponsors, must provide updated or additional evidence for the applicant to present at the time of their interview such as: * Other income * Assets * Proof of current employment Note: You submitted documentation to the National Visa Center through the Consular Electronic Application Center CEAC. You can continue to upload documents to CEAC up until the date of your visa interview."

 

However, we live abroad, working for a non-US company and the sponsor is making 25% above the threshold. We also submitted the sponsor's 12 months' bank statement along with the past 3 years' tax return transcripts, all of which have more or less the same income. Since we plan on moving only next year, we aren't able to provide a job offer at the moment but I don't think that it would be a problem in securing work in the future.

 

If we get a co-sponsor, shouldn't their income be 300% of the deficit? We aren't even sure what or how much the deficit is. Any advice would be so so helpful!

It is most likely due to the sponsor not being domiciled in the US. You can't use your current income from a non US job or any job if you have no domicile in the US. In addition to the Job requirement the sponsor will have to show intent of domicile at time of interview. You stated it will likely be a year before you are ready, I would start planning these things out now. Even with a joint sponsor I think you have to show intent to domicile. See this page for the FAQ on I-864. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/i-864-affidavit-faqs.html#aos22

Hopefully user pushbrk will pop in and give us his seemingly unending wisdom on the subject. When he does pay attention.

[adivish 4]

@Theersink we were able to establish domicile though. The sponsor has parents living in the US which also used to be their permanent address which is where we will be living until we're able to find a place for ourselves. We submitted driver's licence, voter registration, American bank account information and letters of intent from both, the sponsor and host. AFAIK, these are the only documents that are possible for people applying from abroad since expecting investments, property deeds etc. are a bit unrealistic since we haven't physically lived there. Ideally, we're hoping to move by next summer, if everything goes according to the expected timeline from here on out. 

 

So if foreign income isn't accepted, does that mean the current income is technically $0? So if the poverty threshold is $30K, the joint sponsor is going to have to show 300% of that amount which is $90k? Sounds absurd but is that correct? 

[S2N 539]

26 minutes ago, adivish said:

So if foreign income isn't accepted, does that mean the current income is technically $0

For immigration purposes $0 will count as it won’t continue in the U.S.

 

26 minutes ago, adivish said:

So if the poverty threshold is $30K, the joint sponsor is going to have to show 300% of that amount which is $90k? Sounds absurd but is that correct? 

The standard is 125% of federal poverty guidelines for the household: See page 13-14 of instructions. Also see current guidelines by household size.

 

Note the JS has to meet it for their entire houses (immigrant, themselves, spouse, and any children or dependents.) So if it’s a sibling with a spouse and two kids it’d be a household size of 5, current threshold of $47,062

Edited Wednesday at 03:40 AM by S2N

[adivish 4]

@S2NYes, the sponsor is currently well above the 125% with their non US job but like you mentioned, I supposed it will be counted as $0 since it's not US income. 

 

So the JS will have to meet the threshold for themselves, their spouse and my spouse and I? So that's 4 people, is that correct? Can I add both parents as joint sponsors? Just as a hypothetical, in case they aren't able to meet the threshold, they have to use additional assets right? And those have to be to the tune of 300% of the deficit? Am I getting this right?

[S2N 539]

1 minute ago, adivish said:

So the JS will have to meet the threshold for themselves, their spouse and my spouse and I? So that's 4 people, is that correct? Can I add both parents as joint sponsors? Just as a hypothetical, in case they aren't able to meet the threshold, they have to use additional assets right? And those have to be to the tune of 300% of the deficit? Am I getting this right?

They are not sponsoring you: you’re a U.S. citizen so the government has certain obligations towards you. Household size would be your wife, the JS, and their spouse: three people.

 

You could use your parents, yes. If they don’t meet the threshold, they can try on assets which need to be 300%; they generally can’t use their primary residence to qualify. In your hypothetical they would need at least $100,000 in liquid assets if they have no income (or if their income is $23k, they’d need $30k, etc.)

[pushbrk 13,990]

21 hours ago, adivish said:

"The income reported as stated on form I-864, I-864A is insufficient to overcome the public charge grounds of inadmissibility for visa issuance. To avoid delays, an additional Affidavit of Support Form I-864 from a joint sponsor may be submitted. For more information visit https://nvc.state.gov/aos and https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p. A consular officer will decide if you meet these requirements at the time of the interview. Note: You, as the sponsor, and any other sponsors household members and joint sponsors, must provide updated or additional evidence for the applicant to present at the time of their interview such as: * Other income * Assets * Proof of current employment Note: You submitted documentation to the National Visa Center through the Consular Electronic Application Center CEAC. You can continue to upload documents to CEAC up until the date of your visa interview."

 

However, we live abroad, working for a non-US company and the sponsor is making 25% above the threshold. We also submitted the sponsor's 12 months' bank statement along with the past 3 years' tax return transcripts, all of which have more or less the same income. Since we plan on moving only next year, we aren't able to provide a job offer at the moment but I don't think that it would be a problem in securing work in the future.

 

If we get a co-sponsor, shouldn't their income be 300% of the deficit? We aren't even sure what or how much the deficit is. Any advice would be so so helpful!

 

Thanks!

In many cases, that notice can simply be ignored, but you have not provided enough information for us to know.  If the sponsor is the US Citizen Petitioner, and their job will continue once in the USA, just ignore it.  If the liquid assets of the petitioner and applicant combined are well over three times the income requirement, ignore it.  This is a stock message anytime the "total income" number on the latest tax return is below the 125% of the poverty line.  

 

Please clarify the source(s) and amounts of whatever it is the Petitioner is using to qualify?

[adivish 4]

@pushbrk thanks for taking the time to respond. The sponsor's job will continue in the same field but since they're working for a non US company here, they will have to find a new, US based company to work at. As mentioned, their income is well above 125% of the poverty threshold. The tax returns for the most recent 3 years have also been above 125%. Since their income was higher, we didn't see the need to submit any assets as such. We thought that the income would suffice. Should we now consider a joint sponsor whose income is above 125% as well? Do you think they're just looking for a joint sponsor as collateral?

[Theersink 48]

24 minutes ago, adivish said:

they will have to find a new, US based company to work at.

Current income doesn't matter then unless the petitioner is continuing employment with the same company they currently work for. Doesn't matter if they intend to find something in the same field of work. For immigration purposes the petitioner's income is $0. Unless a job is secured through a US based company prior to the interview you will need a joint sponsor showing 125% of poverty level. You will not be able to use semantics of continuing field of work but not the same company on the consulate officer. They will want to see income earned when you arrive in the US, not what you have now.

 

So basically your choices are either have a joint sponsor or the petitioner can come to the US before the beneficiary, secure a job and use that income for the AOS.

[pushbrk 13,990]

38 minutes ago, adivish said:

@pushbrk thanks for taking the time to respond. The sponsor's job will continue in the same field but since they're working for a non US company here, they will have to find a new, US based company to work at. As mentioned, their income is well above 125% of the poverty threshold. The tax returns for the most recent 3 years have also been above 125%. Since their income was higher, we didn't see the need to submit any assets as such. We thought that the income would suffice. Should we now consider a joint sponsor whose income is above 125% as well? Do you think they're just looking for a joint sponsor as collateral?

Note the question about current income asks for the current income YOU ARE USING TO QUALIFY.  Income that will not continue from the SAME SOURCE once in the USA cannot be counted.  Same field but different company is NOT the same source.  You will need a qualified joint sponsor, and to complete a new accurate affidavit from the petitioner accurately showing zero current income.  

[adivish 4]

@pushbrk @Theersink thank you both for your inputs! We'll get a joint sponsor and try this again. I'll update you all with the results!

[Theersink 48]

On 10/21/2025 at 8:33 PM, adivish said:

Since we plan on moving only next year

I just want to mention that if you aren't planning on moving right away you will want to hold off on submitting everything to NVC and getting DQ (Documentary Qualified). Once you do that they will schedule your interview and you are kind of at a point of no return. A visa issued is only good for so long, IIRC it is the date of the medical exam expiration. So Vietnam embassy is about 3 months to schedule after DQ, roughly 2 month notice on the interview. So IF you were DQ in OCT you would likely get the visa in about 4-6 months. You do not want to try and enter with only a day or two left on the VIsa expiration. I would not DQ at NVC until you are 100% ready to move. You do not want your medical and visa expiring. That opens up a whole lot of trouble and stress. You can delay at NVC indefinitely as long as you contact them once a year. 

Again, just some more info in case you were not aware.

[adivish 4]

@Theersink Thank you for the heads up! We're actually planning on moving by next June. So we thought if we submit our docs now, our interview would get scheduled sometime in Feb and then we'd still have up to 6 months from then to move. The sponsor is a teacher so the school year ends sometime at the end of May/early June so we'd be moving about 3-4 months after our interview which we'd inform the consular officer about of course. Do you think that timeline sounds feasible?