Co-Sponsor documents

[gatoula_tou 0]

Hello fellow Vjers, it's worry professional Jamie again!

I'm starting to collect documents for the I134 and the packet 3 for my fiance, and need to know what my Mom needs as the Co-sponsor.

She owns her own business, so I was reading that what she should show is:

-Copy of last income tax return filed

-Report of Commercial Rating Concern (whatever that is)

Is it necessary for her to show a copy of her Birth Certificate and maybe even her business license? She is well able to provide above the 125% poverty line, but lives on the other coast of the states from me, and it's a bit hard to try and organize with her exactly what documents she needs to try and track down.

Any help would be wonderful, thank you!

[Bobby+Umit 161]

No need for birth certificate for the sponsor.

The buisness licencse would not hurt.

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

[Otto 83]

If she is using her personal income (from her business or elsewhere) then her most recent year's personal tax return (with all supporting documents) should be fine. Business license doesn't really play a part.

If she doesn't draw a pay check from the business then there may be other documents needed to prove income.

[gatoula_tou 0]

Thank you again! She has a buying/selling book business on Amazon, so yes she does make money off of the business, and I'm sure the tax returns will prove the income requirements. I'll ask her about the rating, if she has one. It's a home run business and only looks big online .

Thank you!!

[Otto 83]

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

Am guessing she won't have a D&B rating..

[gatoula_tou 0]

If she is using her personal income (from her business or elsewhere) then her most recent year's personal tax return (with all supporting documents) should be fine. Business license doesn't really play a part.

If she doesn't draw a pay check from the business then there may be other documents needed to prove income.

She said she of course has her most recent tax return but that it is probably 60 pages long. How am I to know what to get copies of or what does she need to send me.

...Something that hopefully doesn't involve her scanning in 60 pages and then me printing out those same 60 pages?

[Danu 19]

If she is using her personal income (from her business or elsewhere) then her most recent year's personal tax return (with all supporting documents) should be fine. Business license doesn't really play a part.

If she doesn't draw a pay check from the business then there may be other documents needed to prove income.

She said she of course has her most recent tax return but that it is probably 60 pages long. How am I to know what to get copies of or what does she need to send me.

...Something that hopefully doesn't involve her scanning in 60 pages and then me printing out those same 60 pages?

She can get tax transcripts from the IRS which will be shorter.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

If she is using her personal income (from her business or elsewhere) then her most recent year's personal tax return (with all supporting documents) should be fine. Business license doesn't really play a part.

If she doesn't draw a pay check from the business then there may be other documents needed to prove income.

She said she of course has her most recent tax return but that it is probably 60 pages long. How am I to know what to get copies of or what does she need to send me.

...Something that hopefully doesn't involve her scanning in 60 pages and then me printing out those same 60 pages?

Tell her to call the IRS and get a transcript of her taxes for the applicable years. The transcript is much shorter (25% or so) than the original tax return, and she won't need to provide W2's or 1099's with the transcript. It costs nothing to get a transcript, and she'll usually receive them within 10 days or so. I'm not aware of any consulate that doesn't accept an IRS transcript instead of a full tax return, and some consulates actually prefer them because they show the figures actually received by the IRS.

[Otto 83]

She can get tax transcripts from the IRS which will be shorter.

Indeed - can be ordered (free) from the IRS.

[gatoula_tou 0]

Thank you all again for the quick reply! I think without visa journey, he would have already been denied several times from my fumblings...

[Nik+Heather 121]

No need for birth certificate for the sponsor.

The buisness licencse would not hurt.

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

There's a girl in the UK forum who had her visa held up for weeks while she waited for the cosponsor birth cert. You need some way to prove that the cosponsor is also a US citizen - Passport, naturalization cert or birth cert.

I agree, no need for the sponsor as that has already been proven with the petition, but a cosponsor needs to provide proof of citizenship.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

No need for birth certificate for the sponsor.

The buisness licencse would not hurt.

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

There's a girl in the UK forum who had her visa held up for weeks while she waited for the cosponsor birth cert. You need some way to prove that the cosponsor is also a US citizen - Passport, naturalization cert or birth cert.

I agree, no need for the sponsor as that has already been proven with the petition, but a cosponsor needs to provide proof of citizenship.

Co-sponsor doesn't need to be a citizen. An LPR can also be a co-sponsor, according to the I-864 requirements. Granted that the I-134 is consulate specific, I've never heard of any consulate that insisted the co-sponsor be a US citizen.

[Nik+Heather 121]

No need for birth certificate for the sponsor.

The buisness licencse would not hurt.

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

There's a girl in the UK forum who had her visa held up for weeks while she waited for the cosponsor birth cert. You need some way to prove that the cosponsor is also a US citizen - Passport, naturalization cert or birth cert.

I agree, no need for the sponsor as that has already been proven with the petition, but a cosponsor needs to provide proof of citizenship.

Co-sponsor doesn't need to be a citizen. An LPR can also be a co-sponsor, according to the I-864 requirements. Granted that the I-134 is consulate specific, I've never heard of any consulate that insisted the co-sponsor be a US citizen.

Okay, it can be either one, BUT, proof is still needed of that status. - I864 instructions, page 6, note 19.

Proof of U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident status is required for joint and substitute sponsors and for relatives of employment-based immigrants who file this form. Petitioning relatives who have already filed proof of their citizenship or immigration status with Forms I-130, Form I-129F, I-600 and I-600A do not need to submit proof of their status with this form.

Proof of U.S. citizen or national status includes a copy of your birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, consular report of birth abroad to citizen parents,or a copy of the biographic data page of your U.S. passport.

Proof of permanent resident status includes a photocopy of both sides of the "green card," Form I-551, Alien Registration Receipt Card/Permanent Resident Card; or a photocopy of an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp in either a foreign passport or a DHS Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Document.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

No need for birth certificate for the sponsor.

The buisness licencse would not hurt.

The rating can come from Duns & Bradstreet, or any bank that has given her a line of credit. Its basically asking how financially secure you are. Like a credit rating.

There's a girl in the UK forum who had her visa held up for weeks while she waited for the cosponsor birth cert. You need some way to prove that the cosponsor is also a US citizen - Passport, naturalization cert or birth cert.

I agree, no need for the sponsor as that has already been proven with the petition, but a cosponsor needs to provide proof of citizenship.

Co-sponsor doesn't need to be a citizen. An LPR can also be a co-sponsor, according to the I-864 requirements. Granted that the I-134 is consulate specific, I've never heard of any consulate that insisted the co-sponsor be a US citizen.

Okay, it can be either one, BUT, proof is still needed of that status. - I864 instructions, page 6, note 19.

Proof of U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident status is required for joint and substitute sponsors and for relatives of employment-based immigrants who file this form. Petitioning relatives who have already filed proof of their citizenship or immigration status with Forms I-130, Form I-129F, I-600 and I-600A do not need to submit proof of their status with this form.

Proof of U.S. citizen or national status includes a copy of your birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, consular report of birth abroad to citizen parents,or a copy of the biographic data page of your U.S. passport.

Proof of permanent resident status includes a photocopy of both sides of the "green card," Form I-551, Alien Registration Receipt Card/Permanent Resident Card; or a photocopy of an unexpired temporary I-551 stamp in either a foreign passport or a DHS Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Document.

Yeah, there was a discussion about this same topic in this thread:

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=204616

As it turns out, the I-134 instructions don't really say what, if any, documentation is needed from the sponsor or co-sponsor in order to prove their identity or legal status in the US. In fact, the I-134 actually has a line where the signatory can specify that they are a temporary visitor, in which case they provide their I-94 number!

Yeah, I know - weird! What good is a co-sponsor if they're a tourist in the US!

Anyway, I think this is a consulate specific issue. Some consulates apparently don't require any financial documents at all. Others seem to be pretty lax about what they require, while some are very strict. Some consulates almost never accept co-sponsors (Vietnam is one of them). Just to be on the safe side, if the consulate requires an I-134 then it's probably advisable for any co-sponsor to provide proof of legal status. Better to provide it and not need than the alternative...