Silove

You don’t have to file until April 15 so the previous year would be acceptable. You should be able to download that from the IRS website very quickly. 

We're submitting i-864a coz my joint sponsor files his taxes "married jointly "

You fill out an I-864 and your sponsor fills out an I-864 and their spouse fills out an I-864a

Your brother's wife will need to do the I-864a. If they file Joint = Yes.  If they live in the same Household =Yes. If they live in a community property state= Yes. Make sure you have the tax transcripts.
 
If you do not submit it then the CO will issue you a 221(g) and as a DCF they may require you to bring it in later rather than submit it by email or dropbox. 
 
DCF isn't processed like other spousal visas.  It is best to be over prepared and get it done on the first interview.  COs do not see many of these and you don't want any issues.
 
File in you timeline and consulate so we can see your info rather than having to research your posts.  Fortunately you are London so the wait isn't that bad.

1. Approved but expired.
2. Yes, sure, it doesn't hurt. 

You file at the USCIS Office in Mexico City:  https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/mexico-uscis-mexico-city-field-office
 
File in person.  They will go thru the petition and give you the NOA1 on the spot.
 
You both need to have some form of "Residency". Either the RT or RP visa and green card.   When I filed, as the petitioner, they were very particular that I had my green card, proof of have a residence such as utility bills.  I had power and water bills and my Sonora Driver's License.

Yes the RT visa is fine as proof of residency.  I have RP and took my  Sonora driver's license and home documents also.  I have heard they will often approve on the tourist visa as well.
 
File the petition in person in CDJ if you can.  They go over everything with you sitting there.  I, the petitioner, went by myself. We got an email approving it the next business day.
 
Look at our timeline  . . . much better than going stateside.

The visa is valid for up to 6 months, constrained by the medical's validity as appropriate.
 
You can delay the process at NVC for up to a year very easily., and longer if necessary. There's no issue going slower....the issue is anytime you want the process to go faster.
 
Yes.

I did see some dates, CDJ is closing first and I forget when but in the next few months, they will all be closed by early 2020.

you dont need it to schedule interview.

From the time you get your NOA1, you probably want to wait 3 or so months before assembling financial documents.  IRS transcripts take only 5-10 days for mail delivery (you can order online... they're free).  Hopefully you have your hardcopy W2s and 1040s hanging around... or you have them on Dropbox or something... for easy retrieval.  My company furnished an employment letter (complete with notary signature and stamp/raised seal) in 3-4 days in the mail.
 
If you want to run up the score by including bank account statements, 401k statements, etc. these can be obtained online in a snap.
 
Bottom line, you can assemble your financial stuff pretty quickly.  In doing it too early, sometimes the data gets 'stale'.  People change jobs, the government changes the form... THEN you have to re-do stuff.  So as much as you want to jump right into it just hang out for a few months during 'the wait'.  IMHO

@Silove I read before you were from Mexico.
 
Update timeline, wait on financial documents...
 
I obtained a letter from employer, pay stubs for past 2 months, and Tax returns of 2018... Mexico only requires those. (P3 letter states it is all that's needed usually) I obtained those beginning of april... i'll be asking my employer for a new letter and printing more recent pay stubs in middle of august as my Fiancés interview is going to be end of august.
 
 
https://mx.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/CDJ_K1-Packet-DEC2017-ENG-no-logo.pdf
^^ Most recent P3 letter I have seen, I have yet to receive, and from my understanding... most people never do receive it from Mexico until asking at the service window at the consulate
 
Expect interview to be 5-6 months out after your case is set to "ready" for Mexico.
 
 
 
 

Alright, I decided to write about my full experience here. I apologize if it's gonna be too long.
I come from Italy and I'm engaged to an American citizen. We sent our petition in December and we got our NOA1 on December the 19th.
I decided to visit him for 2 and a half months since I'm currently unemployed and let's be honest, being apart sucks, so I decided to risk it.
I left 2 days ago and no matter how prepared I was, as soon as I landed and reached customs, I started shaking (thank you social anxiety ❤️).
Anyways, this is what happened:
- Purpose of your visit? I'm here to visit my man
- How long are you gonna stay? I leave on June the 8th
- Have you ever been in the US before? Yes, last year for 3 weeks
- When are you getting married? We don't know yet
- Do you have a job? I'm currently unemployed but I have to be at home by mid/the end of June cause I'll start working again
It was at that point that the officer told me: "Alright, please collect your bags and wait in that room over there". "Here we go..." I thought, but somehow I managed to calm down. I felt doomed but confident at the same time, cause I knew they had no real reason to deny me.
Back to the room, two officers started searching through my bags and they told me to take a seat.
They asked me if I had any money with me and I said around 40$ in cash, they asked my where I was keeping them (biggest bag) and if I was carrying any guns with me, blunt objects or illegal items , which of course I wasn't carrying, so I said "No, none of them".
After a couple minutes, the guy I met at POE (let's call him officer n.1) told me to stand up and get closer. He kept looking at my passport, at me and he kept writing stuff on the computer. He asked me several questions like:
- Have you ever been to the US before? (Again) Yes, last September, from the 29th to the 19th of October
At this point another officer gave him the giant pack of documents I brought with me (complete K-1 application, NOA1 receipt, travel medical insurance, return ticket + itinerary, medical certificate translated, ESTA, etc.) and he only scrolled through the bookmarks I put on each different type of document.
- So, you said you have a boyfriend or fiancé, which one? Fiancé, we got engaged last October while I was visiting
- How long do you intend to stay? (I know, again) I leave on June the 8th and I'll be back in Italy the 9th
- You mentioned something about being back to work in late June...? Yes, I'm currently unemployed but mine it's a seasonal job so we only work during certain periods each year.
- I see. Did you applied for ESTA?  Of course I did, last year before visiting
- Are you gonna marry this guy? Any plans? One day sir for sure, but certainly not now. We can't really make any plans since we are still waiting for our NOA2.
- Right, cause you know you can't get married on this trip. Yes sir, of course not.
- Are you gonna get married in the US? Mmmm, well I know that if you apply for a K-1 you have to marry within 90 days upon arrival in the US so yes, we are gonna get married here.
- Are you gonna celebrate the weddings outside the US? I'm not sure about that, but since my brother can't stand airplanes, we might consider getting married in Italy too cause I'm afraid my brother won't be able to attend the ceremony here.
- You got your NOA1, waiting for NOA2, so what now? What are you gonna do? Well, there's really not much we can do for now. We just need to be patient and wait till we reach the next steps
At that point, another officer showed me my e-cigarette and asked me what kind of liquid was that. I didn't understand what he meant at first so I stared at him with a puzzled look on my face so he asked:"Does this contain marijuana or something?" and I answered:"Oh! No no, no marijuana!" , smiling cause I really didn't expect that kind of question.
Officer n.1 was done and he stamped my passport, but I didn't get to see the stamp so I felt a little dejected cause I really thought it went poorly and it was all my fault for being too nervous.
I was already thinking about having to pack my bags again and have another 9 + 2 hours long fly back home, when one fo them found a notebook I brought with me. He handed it to officer n.1 telling him :"It's in Italian but there's something written in English ". I panicked for a second but then I remembered I left a list I made for the trip. Officer n.1 then asked me:"Did anybody help you organizing this trip?" So I said "No, I'm here by myself so I took care of everything", but then he asked:" Cause I see you wrote "ties to home country" on this sheet" so I told him:"Oh yes, cause before the trip I went on Visa Journey to try and find some infos about which documents I should have brought with me in case I visited while on the K-1 visa ". He was done but the other two officers were still searching through my bags and they found the two copies of my passport (hey you never know! If I lose it at least I have some backups!) so one of them asked:"You've been in Canada?" (I thought: "Oh man, it's a long story PLEASE don't ask anymore questions about it! 😭 I just want to leave!") "Uh yes, in 2013", and FORTUNATELY that was it.
He already had my passport stamped for a while at that point, so I felt like I had nothing to lose anymore and I was mentally swearing at myself for bringing that damned list with me,  BUT... as I wrote in another thread, officer n.1 told me:"You were a little nervous today" (Yes, cause I'm terrified of you guys! 😫) and I answered:"Heh, I know...I'm sorry, I'm just very tired" .....SO..... after an overly dramatic suspance which I did not appreciate, he handed me my passport and said: "You're good to go" and all of a sudden he was smiling and the other two guys turned from badass scary bad cops into friendly buddies you meet at the bar.
Before I left, one of them said:" You're gonna end up on that TLC show... (he meant "90 days fiancé")" so I said:"Oh god no please! Don't even get me started on that... it's just plain stupid" and they all started laughing. Last thing they told me was:"Say hello to your boyfriend!" and then I left.
First thing I did as soon as I was in my fiance's arms, was CRYING and CRYING and CRYING again 😅 but hey, the important thing is that we are together till June now 😍 passport stamped in hand for 90 days (even tho I leave sooner) and the chance to spend time with my man while waiting for NOA2.

Guys, I don't know what to suggest, so if you're patient enough to read the entire story, you can come up with your own conclusions. Based on your personal interpretation, my experience can either discourage you from trying (it is VERY stressful and nerve-wracking) or give you some hope cause in the end, if someone as clumsy and socially awkward as me got to pass, I think there's hope for everybody! 😉
Honesty is thing n.1 you need to "bring with you", even before any document, cause in the end that's the only thing that gets you through.
(Ok, great and professional officers on a lucky day too, but come on now).
Bye! Sorry abouth the lenght 😥 

The one i asked my boss to make wanted my date of employment , salary
, and if it was a full or part time position and my boss added extra regarding my work ethic and prospects for future advancedment but i think they just look for the top 3 i listed
 
I wanted to ask this question today too thank you for asking it 😂 good luck

I go off a time frame of 30-60 days. That's generally close enough.
 
Bank statements really are only needed if using assets/savings to offset income or "boost" your financial showing.
 
Current income from pay stubs (generally 3 months worth), letter from employer, and even tax transcripts/W2's are most important things.

While I don't see any negative impact on the immigration front, I would only suggest ensuring you approach it from a sound financial standpoint. Not to say you have not already considered all of this, but although a monthly mortgage payment may be less than a monthly rental payment (the same is typically common where we live), there's more to owning a house than just the mortgage payment. There's homeowner's insurance. Possibly HOA fees, depending on where you buy. Cost of repairs and maintenance falls solely on you, opposed to a landlord/rental company. You commented that there is possibly financial restrictions on you guys now, and considering the fees that constantly come up with the immigration process, I would just make sure to take all of that into account before committing to anything.
 
Regardless - your home would still be yours together, and the process could still include both of you even if you are still apart. Share listings between the two of you, FaceTime/Skype/etc. whenever looking at houses in person, etc. The decision can still be between the two of you, even if they are not here yet. So don't let that necessarily be a strong factor.
 
Good luck to you, either way! It definitely never hurts to see what's out there, regardless if you jump on anything now or not.

My husband bought a house 6 weeks before I arrived. We sent each other houses that we were interested in and we would discuss everything before we made the decision for our current house.
Only my husbands name is on the mortgage, to get my name on we would need to get a new mortgage and we're not doing that lol. But if you can put your fiance on the mortgage that would be good. If not, no big deal. Just put the bills in both names, put your fiance on the homeowners insurance and if possible, file a joint tax return after you're married (if you have the GC interview in 2020) USCIS understands that mortgages are a little more difficult then leases.

A mortgage will not affect the K-1, but both names on a deed and a mortgage are a very good piece of evidence of a bona fide marriage when Removal of Conditions time arrives.