January Filers at the CSC - How are you doing?

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

Alex has an apartment!

It is the size of a shoebox BUT it's probably the cheapest we'll ever find in the Bay Area ($775 per month, including all utilities), has a separate kitchen, and brand new kitchen/bathroom appliances!

He took photos: http://images.flyingstove.com/gallery/236/

Congrats!!

The pics look nice as well.. and no worries its small, at least u got a place of ur own

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Thanks guys!

It's not actually the apartment that Alex was originally told about - that was a wee bit smaller and had no dividing wall between the main room and kitchen. It also had much older appliances. Fortunately the woman who was going to take this apartment has been dillydallying and so they've given Alex first pick instead.

As long as you can walk to a grocery store and a few other different places, that should be fine. If it was 15 miles away from the closest store, you may have some problems...

Indeed! I may be looking at an hour, hour and a half's walk but that's still perfectly doable.

There are things we won't have, like a washer/dryer, but Alex's parents are close enough that we could take a car load of laundry to their house once a week. And they've said we are always welcome round for dinner if we want to save money on food!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

F**k... I looked at all the paperwork for the interview this morning, and just realized something.

The poverty guidelines (here) are $14000 for 2 people.

I didn't pay much attention before because Bryan kept telling me that he's making much more this year (more than twice this amount), so it will not be a problem. When he sent me his tax transcripts, I-134, etc. I noticed that his income of the past years were not very high (especially since last year he came to France for two months), but figured it was still ok because above $14000 (actually last yeat it was $14600 or something like this).

I just realized that the $14000 on the poverty guideline is not "125% above pov income" but just "poverty line" (yes, that makes sense, I know, I feel very stupid)

So, if we take the 2008 poverty guideline * 125 %, his current income is way above it, but was only above it one year out of the 3 last ones :(

Are they going to ask for a co-sponsor? I'm not even sure Bryan knows someone who has made more on the past 3 years...... F**k F**k F**k!!!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Eep!

Obviously we've taken on a co-sponsor as added security, but there won't necessarily be a problem. Hopefully they'll take into account Bryan's age (assuming he's still fairly young). I'd probably take lots of evidence to show that this current job is stable and that his income is guaranteed - what do you have so far?

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

Well, we have the basic information asked:

- I-134 form

- 3 last tax transcripts

- letter of his current employer stating that he's full-time and makes $16 an hour and that he's been working there since April

- last 3 pay stubs (from this employer), and I'm going to ask him the most recent ones too, so I'll probably have 5 or 6 ones

- I asked him a letter of his previous employer just in case, because as I said he's been to his current one onlly since April, but the previous employer only stated that he has been working there from December (when he came back to France) to April, even though he had been working there since May 2007 (but stopped in October to come here)

I think that's all. I asked him something from his bank but since he basically spent all his money as soon as he got paid in bills and to pay his credit card, there's not much money on his account, so that's pretty useless.

I can't believe I just realized this right now and not a month earlier!!!

Oh by the way, he's 25.

I'm not sure what we could get that would show that his job is stable.

[dbears 1]

the 2008 immigrant affidavit of support poverty guideline would be $17,500 (125% of $14,000)for two person (http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1327.html)

how about bryan's parent's or uncles, aunts, grandparents, maybe someone from his family would qualify as co-sponsor and would be willing to co-sponsor just to be on the safe side.... i hope you could really find somebody to co-sponsor or could present more proof of income or properties... insurance might do if he has one, bank statements, etc... hope everything will turn out ok.

rachel, your (alex's) new apartment is nice... and at least you will really be able to start on your own, which for me would be the biggest PLUS.

Edited July 8, 2008 by dbears

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

F**k... I looked at all the paperwork for the interview this morning, and just realized something.

The poverty guidelines (here) are $14000 for 2 people.

I didn't pay much attention before because Bryan kept telling me that he's making much more this year (more than twice this amount), so it will not be a problem. When he sent me his tax transcripts, I-134, etc. I noticed that his income of the past years were not very high (especially since last year he came to France for two months), but figured it was still ok because above $14000 (actually last yeat it was $14600 or something like this).

I just realized that the $14000 on the poverty guideline is not "125% above pov income" but just "poverty line" (yes, that makes sense, I know, I feel very stupid)

So, if we take the 2008 poverty guideline * 125 %, his current income is way above it, but was only above it one year out of the 3 last ones

Are they going to ask for a co-sponsor? I'm not even sure Bryan knows someone who has made more on the past 3 years...... F**k F**k F**k!!!

Ai.. is there any way for him possible to show that his current income is going over it?

I kinda had a similar problem before as my fiance only just started getting an income, she didn't work a full year last year so only had an income of 20k and we needed at least 20125 for 125% and 2 persons. I think if we did it with her assets alone, we would have been safe too (she owns 3 houses and has money in her bankaccounts) but just to be sure we added a cosponsor who makes well over 110k a year.

If Bryan does not know anyone who made enough, does he have any assets that can be counted in as well?

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the three year transcript thingie... someone who just started out working cannot have 3 years of tax transcripts, I'm pretty sure they know this too. If you can show his recent paystubs, they might be very well ok with it

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

I will tell him about all this as soon as he wakes up. I don't know who in his family would make enough. We'll see what he says.

I also found this: "I recently sent three years tax returns to support a sponsorship at the Bombay consulate - it seems that's what they want to see. Even if you didn't have any income - you should still send the three years tax returns, the consulate in India like some others, expect this from what I have read. Good Luck - The Three year tax returns are a sort of requirement - your current income is what qualifies you to meet the 'poverty level plus' test. "

And I found several people who said that. So that would mean the thing they take into account is the current income and not really the tax transcripts. I'm going to do more research on that though.

And I'm definitely going to ask him to do his best to find a co-sponsor (with an interview in 2 weeks, we're going to have to do that fast!) just to be safe...

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

Ai.. is there any way for him possible to show that his current income is going over it?

I kinda had a similar problem before as my fiance only just started getting an income, she didn't work a full year last year so only had an income of 20k and we needed at least 20125 for 125% and 2 persons. I think if we did it with her assets alone, we would have been safe too (she owns 3 houses and has money in her bankaccounts) but just to be sure we added a cosponsor who makes well over 110k a year.

If Bryan does not know anyone who made enough, does he have any assets that can be counted in as well?

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the three year transcript thingie... someone who just started out working cannot have 3 years of tax transcripts, I'm pretty sure they know this too. If you can show his recent paystubs, they might be very well ok with it

No assets to take into consideration. At least nothing I know of.

Yes I really hope that they won't bother us too much with the tax transcripts. I am going to ask him to scan all his paystubs since the day he started working there! I can't think of anything else that could possibly show that his job is stable.

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the three year transcript thingie... someone who just started out working cannot have 3 years of tax transcripts, I'm pretty sure they know this too. If you can show his recent paystubs, they might be very well ok with it

I shouldn't be too concerned - you have plenty of evidence of his current salary. I, too, have seen a few people approved whose fiancés have only been earning 125% of the poverty line for a year and who did not have co-sponsors.

I do have a co-sponsor mainly because Alex only had one tax subscript; that was the big problem for us.

*hugs* Cecile - I'm sure you'll be fine!

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

I also read that some people included a letter explaining why the past tax returns were lower. So we may do this.

[Cecile and Bryan 0]

Also, I wouldn't worry too much about the three year transcript thingie... someone who just started out working cannot have 3 years of tax transcripts, I'm pretty sure they know this too. If you can show his recent paystubs, they might be very well ok with it

I shouldn't be too concerned - you have plenty of evidence of his current salary. I, too, have seen a few people approved whose fiancés have only been earning 125% of the poverty line for a year and who did not have co-sponsors.

I do have a co-sponsor mainly because Alex only had one tax subscript; that was the big problem for us.

*hugs* Cecile - I'm sure you'll be fine!

Thank you all for your nice words

It is very frustrating actually. All this visa process has gone without any troubles for us. We got our NOA2 without RFE, in relatively normal processing times, being away from each others wasn't too hard (well, not harder than usual, we're getting used to it ), we gathered everything for the embassy on time, my interview date is just perfect, and now, two weeks before the interview, I realize that there is this problem (which may very well be not a problem at all). I am mad at myself for not having found about it earlier. And I feel powerless (not the best word, sorry) because Bryan is asleep and I can't share this with him right now, and I kind of feel that I am doing all this alone (which isn't true) because I am the one looking for the information and he just sends me what I tell him to send me. He would have never realized that his income on the previous tax returns are not enough because he only knows what I told him, he didn't look for additional information. I'm not saying it is his fault, that he's is not involved, because clearly, even though we decided that I would be the one looking for info on VJ, he IS involved (sometimes he tells me "maybe you should ask this on VJ"). But right now, it's frustrating. All alone in front of the computer, waiting to go home for lunch and check what they say on packet 3, and then waiting for him to get up.

Oh well, hopefully that won't be a problem for the embassy (I wonder if it will be one for the Adjustment of Status though?). Most of the people here seem to think that the current income is the only thing that matters.

I can't wait until he gets up!

[sunnybear 0]

Alex has an apartment!

It is the size of a shoebox BUT it's probably the cheapest we'll ever find in the Bay Area ($775 per month, including all utilities), has a separate kitchen, and brand new kitchen/bathroom appliances!

He took photos: http://images.flyingstove.com/gallery/236/

Aww Rachel that is well cute! SO do you have to have bedroom in living room I am gathering? That is kind of a pain but I bet you will fix it up real cute and you can always use a Japanese type screen or something to make bedroom area more private! I think it looks really nice for your first place together!

[Alex & Rachel 78]

Thanks sunny!

Yes - there is just one room. Alex drew a VERY rough plan:

http://images.flyingstove.com/galleries/mo...;/basicplan.GIF

But you get the idea. I THINK the bathroom is at the front of the apartment and the kitchen at the back. From what I can tell only the kitchen and bathroom have windows so another concern is how dark the main room gets, but as it is painted white and seems to have a bright light I guess it shall be okay. It's still an amazing price for the area so I can't complain!

We're considering getting a loft bed which would give us more space for a desk/sofa and bookshelves.

Alex says the main room is bigger than his bedroom and if we were living at his parents' we'd be paying only slightly less for just his bedroom.

It'll be a squeeze but I've lived in much worse places. I managed to stay for nearly an entire year in a 6' by 6' (about 1.8 x 1.8 m!) room that had a bed with a holey mattress and peeling wallpaper...

[JeroenAndMichelle 28]

I just thought of something when I read the following...

I don't know who in his family would make enough.

Keep in mind that if, for example, you need to get to 20k and Bryan makes 15k, you only need somehow to be able to get an extra 5k somewhere... this might make it a bit easier in finding the cosponsor as you do not need to have a cosponsor who can cough up the whole thing

Also, I think people worry too much about the support thingies.. I think the interview as a whole, and all submitted papers, are equally important.

Thanks sunny!

Yes - there is just one room. Alex drew a VERY rough plan:

http://images.flyingstove.com/galleries/mo...;/basicplan.GIF

thats pretty roughly drawed yah hahaha