Financial Requirements, Two incomes, and Questions for Co-Sponsorship?

[2znick 0]

Me and my fiancé have been engaged for a year and known each other for three years. I have visited her twice and we were looking into the financial requirements.
I make $24,000 a year from my main job shown on my W2, and as a financial and service contractor for my family's business I get paid $5000 on a 1099.
This is only for the year of 2025. I live in Georgia if that info helps.

My questions are...
1) What is the minimum financial requirement to sponsor her, I see the minimum is 125% above federal minimum wage, but when i do the math on google where it says its 15,000ish for a single household, it's like 30k... but everywhere I'm seeing says its only 27,000ish... is my math really wrong here?
2) If I don't reach the minimum requirement, can I co-sponsor for a k1 visa? There is conflicting information on this too where they say you can't and can. If i could, id feel safer having my brother who agreed to help me to cosponsor if it was something he could do.
3) Do they even take my two separate incomes as valid qualification for my total income? Normally people only have one job with a higher average pay.
4) I also see conflicting information online that shows that they will check for the past 3 years of income, and some websites say you only need the most recent year.
I need to know the validity of this so that i can find out if im wasting my time trying to get the requirements for a K1 and if i should just go try getting a spousal visa (if the K1 doesn't allow co-sponsors that is).

Please help, I'm making shots in the dark to anyone who can help me.

Edited 8 hours ago by 2znick

[pushbrk 14,410]

Don't pit websites against each other.  Use this sight and pay attention to the senior members' advice.  You do not mention the country your future spouse is coming from, but to my knowledge only Philippines and Thailand US Immigrant visa units do not allow co-sponsors for a K1 visa.  All accept for an immigrant spouse visa (CR1 or IR1).  Download the I-864p and see the minimum required income from that official source.  If it's just the two of you, it's $27,050.  Just meeting the minimum assures nothing, but not meeting it certainly does.

 

Your two jobs complicate things.  You are considered both employed and unemployed.  For an I-864, you will complete the tax section by entering the "total income" number from the tax returns, and then also state your current income from both jobs. If you are not taking any business deductions from the 1099 job, then your current income will be the total of both. Otherwise it will be the income from the W2 job, plus only the taxable income from the 1099 source.

 

You posted your question in the spouse visa process forum here.  You'll need to make a choice whether to bring a fiancee or to bring a spouse.  You cannot bring a spouse unless you are married.  Is that your plan?

[2znick 0]

3 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Don't pit websites against each other.  Use this sight and pay attention to the senior members' advice.  You do not mention the country your future spouse is coming from, but to my knowledge only Philippines and Thailand US Immigrant visa units do not allow co-sponsors for a K1 visa.  All accept for an immigrant spouse visa (CR1 or IR1).  Download the I-864p and see the minimum required income from that official source.  If it's just the two of you, it's $27,050.  Just meeting the minimum assures nothing, but not meeting it certainly does.

 

Your two jobs complicate things.  You are considered both employed and unemployed.  For an I-864, you will complete the tax section by entering the "total income" number from the tax returns, and then also state your current income from both jobs. If you are not taking any business deductions from the 1099 job, then your current income will be the total of both. Otherwise it will be the income from the W2 job, plus only the taxable income from the 1099 source.

 

You posted your question in the spouse visa process forum here.  You'll need to make a choice whether to bring a fiancée or to bring a spouse.  You cannot bring a spouse unless you are married.  Is that your plan?

Yes, she is from the Philippines, and I am in the USA.
I do not plan to apply business deductions to myself, so that will help in my case.
I am very early into the process. Although we have been seeing each other for a long time, we haven't decided yet between deciding to marry her for spousal, or begining the K1.
Seeing your response is very enlightening, this means we do meet the financial requirement, however i worry.

Do they not check the past 3 years of income on average? When I read the I-864p I see that they say it will be an optional benefit to show a stable income for the 3 most recent incomes, but I sure hope they don't see it as something to hold me against. (Section 6, numbers 16a. 16b, 16c.)

If the future, if processing a K1 is not strong, I'd rather go marry her and process the visa that way instead. so, in short.... we haven't made a choice to move forward until we know for sure what plan is best. I've been at this for 3 years and I'm young, but I'd even immigrate to her if the country love won't let her come through, and she has shown the same resolve.

Apologies if it makes it seem like I was putting websites against each other, this is actually the only place i put my voice out while on other sites I have only read information the wealth of confusing information.

Based on the information you tell me, I saw hope. However, based on how you worded your post, it makes me question if there was a feeling from you that immigration would deny me based on what extra optional qualifications that I am not giving. I have photos, stories, family interactions, years of bonding conversations and affirmations... I really hope some pen pusher isn't going to see me and her and say, "This guy technically follows the qualifications, but he's pushing it, denied".... That's why we are so worried on which we should get married and do a spousal visa, or fiancé k1. Sorry for the long explanation, I am just really worried and recently got a pay increase with a foreseeable contract increase pay from my family's business. We also anticipated waiting a year so we can have two years of good income, but we cry often knowing how close we are to finally trying close the distance gap.

Edited 3 hours ago by 2znick

[pushbrk 14,410]

8 minutes ago, 2znick said:

Yes, she is from the Philippines, and I am in the USA.
I do not plan to apply business deductions to myself, so that will help in my case.
I am very early into the process. Although we have been seeing each other for a long time, we haven't decided yet between deciding to marry her for spousal, or begining the K1.
Seeing your response is very enlightening, this means we do meet the financial requirement, however i worry.

Do they not check the past 3 years of income on average? When I read the I-864p I see that they say it will be an optional benefit to show a stable income for the 3 most recent incomes, but I sure hope they don't see it as something to hold me against. (Section 6, numbers 16a. 16b, 16c.)

If the future, if processing a K1 is not strong, I'd rather go marry her and process the visa that way instead. so, in short.... we haven't made a choice to move forward until we know for sure what plan is best. I've been at this for 3 years and I'm young, but I'd even immigrate to her if the country love won't let her come through, and she has shown the same resolve.

Apologies if it makes it seem like I was putting websites against each other, this is actually the only place i put my voice out while on other sites I have only read information the wealth of confusing information.

Based on the information you tell me, I saw hope. However, based on how you worded your post, it makes me question if there was a feeling from you that immigration would deny me based on what extra optional qualifications that I am not giving. I have photos, stories, family interactions, years of bonding conversations and affirmations... I really hope some pen pusher isn't going to see me and her and say, "This guy technically follows the qualifications, but he's pushing it, denied".... That's why we are so worried on which we should get married and do a spousal visa, or fiancé k1. Sorry for the long explanation, I am just really worried and recently got a pay increase with a foreseeable contract increase pay from my family's business. We also anticipated waiting a year so we can have two years of good income, but we cry often knowing how close we are to finally trying close the distance gap.

 

8 minutes ago, 2znick said:

Yes, she is from the Philippines, and I am in the USA.
I do not plan to apply business deductions to myself, so that will help in my case.
I am very early into the process. Although we have been seeing each other for a long time, we haven't decided yet between deciding to marry her for spousal, or begining the K1.
Seeing your response is very enlightening, this means we do meet the financial requirement, however i worry.

Do they not check the past 3 years of income on average? When I read the I-864p I see that they say it will be an optional benefit to show a stable income for the 3 most recent incomes, but I sure hope they don't see it as something to hold me against. (Section 6, numbers 16a. 16b, 16c.)

If the future, if processing a K1 is not strong, I'd rather go marry her and process the visa that way instead. so, in short.... we haven't made a choice to move forward until we know for sure what plan is best. I've been at this for 3 years and I'm young, but I'd even immigrate to her if the country love won't let her come through, and she has shown the same resolve.

Apologies if it makes it seem like I was putting websites against each other, this is actually the only place i put my voice out while on other sites I have only read information the wealth of confusing information.

Based on the information you tell me, I saw hope. However, based on how you worded your post, it makes me question if there was a feeling from you that immigration would deny me based on what extra optional qualifications that I am not giving. I have photos, stories, family interactions, years of bonding conversations and affirmations... I really hope some pen pusher isn't going to see me and her and say, "This guy technically follows the qualifications, but he's pushing it, denied".... That's why we are so worried on which we should get married and do a spousal visa, or fiancé k1. Sorry for the long explanation, I am just really worried and recently got a pay increase with a foreseeable contract increase pay from my family's business. We also anticipated waiting a year so we can have two years of good income, but we cry often knowing how close we are to finally trying close the distance gap.

The only thing you are "pushing" is that your financial qualifications are marginal.  Time to study the differences between the two visa processes from start to green card, and make the right decision for your situation.

[TBoneTX 49,472]

*** Thread is moved from the CR-1 Process forum to the "What Visa" forum" -- OP is undecided.  ***

===================================

See the comparison, as compiled by our fine member Crazy Cat:

K-1 
  More expensive than CR-1
  Requires Adjustment of Status after marriage (expensive and requires a lot of paperwork)
  Spouse cannot leave the US until she/he receives approved Advance Parole (up to 9 months)
  Spouse cannot work until she/he receives EAD (up to 9 months)
  Some people have had problems with driver licenses, Social Security cards, leases, and bank accounts during this period
  Spouse will not receive Green Card for many months after Adjustment of Status is filed
  A K-1 might be a better choice when 18-21 year old children are immigrating also
  In some situations, marriage can affect certain home-country benefits, making a K-1 a better choice
  A denied K-1 is sent back to USCIS to expire
  K-1 entrant cannot file for citizenship until after having Green Card for 3 years
  Once an I-129F has been approved, delaying the case is difficult to impossible if the need arises
  If US spouse declines to participate in Adjustment of Status, the foreign spouse will have a very difficult avenue to legally remain in the US
  Current Presidential executive order (travel bans) don't allow K-1 visa holders from some countries to enter the US

CR-1/IR-1
  Less expensive than K-1
  No Adjustment of Status(I-485, I-131, I-765) required
  Spouse can immediately travel outside the US
  Spouse is authorized to work immediately upon arrival
  Spouse receives Social Security Card and Green Card within 2 or 3 weeks after entering the US
  Opening a bank account, getting a driver license, etc. are very easily accomplished with GC, SS card, and passport
  Spouse has legal permanent Resident status IMMEDIATELY upon entry to US
  The clock for citizenship filing starts immediately upon entry to the US
  A CR-1/IR-1 case can be delayed indefinitely at NVC if the need arises
  Current Presidential executive order (travel bans) exempt immediate relatives of US citizens

[pushbrk 14,410]

I'll add that since you both work remotely, if you can do that from the Philippines, you might find that a very good option.  Philippines now has digital nomad visa option.  I have friends in the Philippines who are married and both work remotely, but often that is working nights Philippine time.