Ishmael J.

Hi, thanks for your thoughts. 

I should have provided more info. We started this process over two years ago when I was living in the US with my son and my wife was in Japan planning to live with us in the US. Just recently though, at about the same time she received her visa and entered the US for a week in late April, she took a great new job in Japan. My son and I subsequently decided to move back to Japan and we arrived here in late June. 

You're both right that we have probably wasted a great deal of time and money. But we started the process with the intention for her to immigrate to US. 

We are wishing there was a way to hold on to the Green Card even while we are here. But it looks like there is not?

Thanks for your helpful reply. Unfortunately we are still very unsure about how to handle this situation.

My wife and I are both in Japan now. The fact is that we will probably not be returning to the US as main residence anytime in foreseeable future. But since we put so much time, effort and money into this process we would definitely like to go through with final step of doing the biometrics and getting Green Card.

We received a second appointment letter in the mail already. Her appointment was scheduled for July 7 again in Syracuse. She was unable to attend so I returned the letter to the Alexandra address. We are now waiting for her new appointment time. My wife will begin a new job here in Japan on August 1 and after that will have no time, presumably, to visit ASC for biometrics. 

We are debating between which of the following options and hoping someone might have some ideas:

1) take the copy of the previous appt letter to the Guam ASC and try to walk-in

2) wait for new appt letter and then take it to Guam office

3) wait for new appt letter and attend at appointed time at Syracuse office

I know that option 3 is the best but we have no idea whether her new appt will be before August 1. Is option 1 at all a possibility?

Can anyone help with this?

Hello, 

My wife's visa app was approved back in early April and she entered the country for a week at the end of April and early May. She then returned to Japan as she is still wrapping things up there.

We were unaware of the Biometric Services Appointment and were expecting that a green card would just be sent in the mail. Her first BS appointment was scheduled for June 15 in Syracuse NY. As she was unable to attend I returned the letter to the office in VA before the appointment date and checked the unable to attend box.

Now I guess we are waiting for the appointment to be rescheduled? The problem is that we will both be in Japan over the summer (i.e. she is there now and I and my son are headed there this Sunday).

If we are able to receive the re-appointment letter, could we possibly take a brief trip to somewhere like the Hawaii field office and do biometrics there??

Anybody? Getting ready to mail this thing off....

Yay! Finally going to be submitting the AOS and IV packages today!

But wondering about the cover sheets. I have one "document cover sheet" that I received in the mail and my wife has another, over in Japan. The ones received in the mail have a long checklist. I'm thinking to use the one I have for a barcoded cover sheet for the AOS package. For the IV package, I downloaded a cover sheet with barcode from the payment portal. It does not have a checklist, but appears to be the right document. I'm planning to use that for cover sheet for IV package.

Is this ok? Why the two different styles of cover sheets?

Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for!

Thanks you very much. I've advised here to renew.

A different question: Could someone very kindly point me in the direction of the step by step guide for preparing the packet of materials (I-864 etc) that I need to send to NVC. I thought there was a really great guide on here but I can't seem to find it. Thanks!

Thanks!

I was worried because we used her current passport on I-130 app and on the apps I'm filling out now. But she will have to use new passport at interview. From what I understand her new Japanese passport will even have new passport #. Just bring both passports to interview?

HI,

So we are still in the process of applying for an IR-1 visa for my wife. We have an NVC case number and I've paid fees. I've also nearly gotten everything around for the application form, financial documents and supporting documents.

Now a question. My wife's Japanese passport is set to expire in early November. What to do?

Rcripps, thanks for all your help. Hope you can reunite in Japan or US in very near future!

Thanks! But bummed to learn I need the transcripts...

Yes. That is the plan of attack. Just need to get back to Japan first so I can get income info.

Thanks!

But I was just looking over the instruction sheet and found this....

"If you were required to file a Federal income tax return during any of the previous three tax years but did not do so, you must file all late returns with the IRS and attach an IRS-generated tax return transcript documenting your late ling before submitting Form I-864. "

Yikes. Looks like they do want transcripts.

Thanks! Really hoping that the IRS does not want to waste their time with me!

OK. So this is what I am planning. Please let me know if this sounds alright......

I will file this years taxes as well as previous two years ASAP. I will note annual income as reported for each of those three years on lines 19.a, b, and c of I-864. I will check "yes" on line 18a, since I will have then filed for previous three years. I will also include only copy of submitted 1040 for 2015.

Does this work?

Hmm....my understanding was that transcripts are only recommended, not a requirement, no?

Thanks!

I am planning to file with a co-sponsor anyway as it seems most fail-proof.

Waiting for the transcripts seems like the best option, but I've read that it can take 10 months for late tax transcripts!! Really don't want to wait that long.

Thanks for moving to appropriate sub-forum! And for the kind responses!

Ok. So all three years will be needed it seems. Should I submit past three years and wait for them to be processed, then acquire tax transcripts before submitting I-864? Or should I just submit 1040s and take the chance of an RFE?

Hi!

Our I-130 app was approved in late April, and my wife (Japanese) and I (American citizen) are in the process of putting together the various documents needed for the NVC process. Unfortunately, I haven't filed taxes in the US in a number of years and I'm very concerned that this is going to derail our application process. Looking for any help you can offer on overcoming the following obstacles!

For tax year 2015 I made 25,000 in Japan and 5,000 in US. I filed for an extension to file my US taxes and will hopefully be submitting in the next week. I am also planning to get taxes filed for at least 2013 & 2014 ASAP. During those two years I was over the minimum to file but well under the line for taxable foreign income.

First question: is it absolutely necessary to have filed all three previous years before submitting the I-864? I know that it is possible to check "no" on line 18.a. ( i.e. Have you filed a federal tax return for each of the past three years). But is a "no" on this line an automatic red flag for the reviewers? Is this really only acceptable if you are also able to check line 20 and provide evidence that you were under threshold requiring you to file? If you have a joint sponsor are they willing to overlook issues with petitioner tax records?

As I made 30,000 in 2015 our app would be over the poverty line for a household of 3 for that year. However, my Japanese income for 2015 is no longer continuing at that level and my current US income is below poverty line (graduate student). My income for the two previous years was also below poverty line.

Second question: Would my income for 2015 alone be sufficient for the review process? Or will additional measures (assets, joint sponsor) be required?

Many thanks in advance!!!

.We are working on the I-864 filling out the form on the computer.

Part 5 item#1 Instructions say: Provide the number you entered in Part 3., Item Number 28. If you or someone else is completing Form I-864 on a computer, this box will auto-populate.

​Part 3, item# 28 we have 1 for my wife. How come the box doesn't auto populate to 1?

And it will not let me enter 1 for myself for Part 5 item#2. Any ideas

Thanks again

HI, I am having this exact same problem. What might I being doing wrong. I'm using preview on my Macbook.....

Hello everyone! Pleased to make your acquiantance! And happy to have found this very knowledgeable forum!

Ok, so here's our situation. Looking forward to your kind help and advice!

My wife is Japanese and I am a US citizen.

We have been together for fifteen years total. We met in the US in 2000, but lived in Japan together from 2002-2004 and again from 2007-until July 2015. After July 2015, I returned to the US.

We were married in 2008 in Hawaii.

Our son was born in 2009 in Japan.

My son and I returned to the US in July 2015 and my wife remained in Japan temporarily. Now we are preparing to apply for a visa to get her over here.

I still have a valid spousal visa in Japan.

However, it looks like there is no longer any DCF at Tokyo Consulate, and that I might not be able to file that way anyway since, although I'm still a resident of Japan, I'm not actually residing there.

So what is our best option? What do you recommend?

And a few final concerns. I was a student for my first few years in Japan and got into the bad habit of not filing my US taxes. After completing university I worked in Japan and paid taxes there, but did not file US taxes. I didn't make much money so I doubt I owe anything here. I was the primary caregiver for our son.

I am back in the US and will be paying taxes from next year but I'm afraid that not filing taxes in the past might be a problem for getting my wife over here now? And also, I currently only make about 20,000 a year (grad student) and I'm also concerned that this low figure might be a problem? Will I need a co-signer?

Look forward to any advice!