And...

[john_and_marlene 162]

One more thing before I nap. You do not have to be employed continuously to meet the requirement for a qualified quarter. You simply have to have taxable income sufficient to meet the minimum for each quarter even if you only work very little during each quarter--and the minimums are quite low. for instance, if you work only 5 days per quarter (20 days in a year), but meet the minimum each time, you would have 4 qualifying quarters unless you had accepted certain public assistances.

[eau_xplain 2]

I just had another thought as well. Because of the way qualified quarters are counted for married couples (each spouse also counts the qualified quarter of the other), If both are accumulating qualified quarters, the obligation could be met even in 5 years.

I didn't know this. I have always understood the I-864 to clearly state that the 10 qualified quarters are those of the immigrant spouse only.

[eau_xplain 2]

Okay, I just looked at the form again and it says....

Although 40 qualifying quarters of work (credits) generally equate to ten years of work, in certain cases the work of aspouse or parent adds qualifying quarters. The Social SecurityAdministration can provide information on how to countqualifying quarters (credits) of work.The obligation also ends if you or the sponsored

I'm most curious what would fall under "in certain cases".

I just had another thought as well. Because of the way qualified quarters are counted for married couples (each spouse also counts the qualified quarter of the other), If both are accumulating qualified quarters, the obligation could be met even in 5 years.

I didn't know this. I have always understood the I-864 to clearly state that the 10 qualified quarters are those of the immigrant spouse only.

[diadromous mermaid 36]

I'm most curious what would fall under "in certain cases".

In order for an alien to receive credit for qualifying quarters that his or her spouse worked, that work must have been performed by the spouse while married to the alien. And to qualify for the spouse's qualifying quarters, the alien must remain married to the person who worked the qualifying quarters or demonstrate that the person who worked the quarters has died. Any quarters credited to the mandatory 40 by work peformed by an alien's spouse will be deducted if a divorce occurs.

An immigrant also receives credit for qualifying quarters accrued by a parent, if the alien was under the age of 18 at the time the work was performed. Note: Although qualifying quarters accumulated by a spouse that are credited to the alien's 40-quarter quota requires that the husband-wife relationship exist, the statute does not require that the parent-child relationship exist when the parent accummulates qualifying quarters. For example, an alien that is adopted can claim quarters that its step-parent worked even if those qualifying quarters were acquired before the the alien's adoption occured. Or before the alien was born, for that matter!

[eau_xplain 2]

That's great info DM. Thank you very much!

[*JG* 2]

Did he ever come back on and say if they worked it out or not?

[john_and_marlene 162]

Did he ever come back on and say if they worked it out or not?

See post #19 in this thread. He hasn't been on VJ since the date of that post where he explains the conclusion.