I-184 and I-864A question - DCF in Tokyo

[skellyfish 0]

Okay, I thought I had a handle on all the paperwork and requirements for sponsoring my husband (DCF in Tokyo), but I am starting to get really confused. Sorry if this is a redundant question, but I have been on VJ for hours and still can't figure this out. So here's my situation:

I have been living/working in Japan since late 2007, with no source of U.S. income. My main residence has been here, but I have maintained and used U.S. bank accounts and credit cards continuously, sent money home every couple months, voted, filed tax returns, etc. I hold a current CO driver's license. Additionally, before I came here, I applied to law school, was admitted, and accepted and deferred my offer of admission. I can provide proof that I have already declared my intent to enroll in fall 2009, and my mom can provide a letter stating that I have already made arrangements to live with her for the summer before law school, so I should be fine with the issue of domicile, right? My intent was always to come over here temporarily.

Okay, so now for the confusing stuff. I obviously don't have any federal W2s or U.S. income, and because I will only be working for the summer, I won't be getting a full-time job. I have started searching online, and I can print out a few emails that I have sent to verify that I have started looking for a job, but honestly I am probably going to do temp work or waitress or something, since it's not worth going through the hassle of getting a real, permanent full-time job if I am only going to stick around for a few months. So that means I can't act as a sponsor, right? Or can I fill out all the sponsor paperwork and just put $0 as my income, with a letter explaining my intent to work this summer and the fact that I will have $2000 a month in financial aid come September? I know they don't care about financial aid or count it as income, but in reality that's what we will be relying on, so I'm not sure how to go about explaining that.

Next, my mom has agreed to make her income available as a household member, because we will be living with her this summer, so she can fill out the I-864A (neither of us will be using our assets, basically because we don't have any). But because I can't show any U.S. income at this point and she has my two sisters as dependents, I would also like to ask my aunt and uncle to be joint sponsors.

So can this work? Do I have this straight?

1. I do the I-864, agreeing to be a sponsor without showing any income or assets. (Can I really do this? Do I just write $0?)

2. My mom does the I-864A, showing only her income

3. My aunt and uncle do the I-864, agreeing to serve as joint sponsors. (Do they both have to sign, since they are married, or can just one of them do it?)

Also complicating things is that my parents got divorced in 12/2008, so their 2008 and all previous taxes were filed jointly. Now they live in separate households and my mom's income is the same, but will I have to provide documentation of the divorce and my mom's lease to prove that he is not in the household? Confused...

HELP PLEASE!! Thanks so much

[cmdpdiva 0]

I am currently doing DCF from Copenhagen. I have a similar situation as you in that my husband and I will most likely living with my parents when we return. I don't make much money and my father will be a co-sponsor. But I believe you are incorrect as to the paperwork.

You should fill out the I-864 listing any income and assets that you have (if you want to, you don't have to use your income or assets if your co-sponsors will be enough)

Your mom does the I-864 as well. She is not your "household member" and therfore doesn't need to use I-864A. This is what I did wrong initially, I had my father fill out the I-864 A when he needed to fill out the I-864 and I was corrected at the embassy when we filed for our I-130. She will be joint sponsor #1. You should not need to provide evidence that your father is no longer in the household. If you read the definitions for who is considered a part of the "household" it states that only people for whom the sponsor is financially responsible are included and your parents are no longer married so she won't put a check in that box. But you should probably get a copy of the divorce papers, just in case they see the joing filing from 2008 and notice that she is not married when filing and wonder what happened. But it shouldn't matter, even if they filed jointly you are only using your mother's income. The tax return is just a record of that.

If just your aunt or uncle is going to be a sponsor, one of them will need to fill out another I-864. He/she will be joint sponsor #2. If they both are, one will fill out the I-864 and the other will fill out the I-864 A as a "household member" adding his/her assets to joint sponsor #2. Does that make sense?

When we went to file our I-130, they told us that we could bring our I-864 papers and they would look over them before the interview where they are turned in. They were very helpful, hopefully the Tokyo Embassy will be as well!

[lainie 0]

Okay, I thought I had a handle on all the paperwork and requirements for sponsoring my husband (DCF in Tokyo), but I am starting to get really confused. Sorry if this is a redundant question, but I have been on VJ for hours and still can't figure this out. So here's my situation:

I have been living/working in Japan since late 2007, with no source of U.S. income. My main residence has been here, but I have maintained and used U.S. bank accounts and credit cards continuously, sent money home every couple months, voted, filed tax returns, etc. I hold a current CO driver's license. Additionally, before I came here, I applied to law school, was admitted, and accepted and deferred my offer of admission. I can provide proof that I have already declared my intent to enroll in fall 2009, and my mom can provide a letter stating that I have already made arrangements to live with her for the summer before law school, so I should be fine with the issue of domicile, right? My intent was always to come over here temporarily.

Okay, so now for the confusing stuff. I obviously don't have any federal W2s or U.S. income, and because I will only be working for the summer, I won't be getting a full-time job. I have started searching online, and I can print out a few emails that I have sent to verify that I have started looking for a job, but honestly I am probably going to do temp work or waitress or something, since it's not worth going through the hassle of getting a real, permanent full-time job if I am only going to stick around for a few months. So that means I can't act as a sponsor, right? Or can I fill out all the sponsor paperwork and just put $0 as my income, with a letter explaining my intent to work this summer and the fact that I will have $2000 a month in financial aid come September? I know they don't care about financial aid or count it as income, but in reality that's what we will be relying on, so I'm not sure how to go about explaining that.

Next, my mom has agreed to make her income available as a household member, because we will be living with her this summer, so she can fill out the I-864A (neither of us will be using our assets, basically because we don't have any). But because I can't show any U.S. income at this point and she has my two sisters as dependents, I would also like to ask my aunt and uncle to be joint sponsors.

So can this work? Do I have this straight?

1. I do the I-864, agreeing to be a sponsor without showing any income or assets. (Can I really do this? Do I just write $0?)

2. My mom does the I-864A, showing only her income

3. My aunt and uncle do the I-864, agreeing to serve as joint sponsors. (Do they both have to sign, since they are married, or can just one of them do it?)

Also complicating things is that my parents got divorced in 12/2008, so their 2008 and all previous taxes were filed jointly. Now they live in separate households and my mom's income is the same, but will I have to provide documentation of the divorce and my mom's lease to prove that he is not in the household? Confused...

HELP PLEASE!! Thanks so much

You sound ok as far as domicile it seems.

As far as I know you can only have two joint sponsors. So either your mom and uncle, or mom and aunt, or just aunt and uncle.

Your mother would only fill out the I-864A if she were residing with you, I assume since you've been living in japan since 2007 that isn't the case so as cmdpdiva said she would need to fill out another I-864, to THAT form she can add an additional joint sponsor (either your uncle or aunt)

I don't think you can list any income that you are GOING to be receiving, only income you are currently receiving, since that's $0 put $0, they will only look at your mothers/uncles or aunts income. I think as long as your mother can show her individual income is enough to meet the requirements (w2's or tax return) and maybe a copy of the divorce papers that should do.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong...

[kaffy 2]

I have been living/working in Japan since late 2007, with no source of U.S. income. My main residence has been here, but I have maintained and used U.S. bank accounts and credit cards continuously, sent money home every couple months, voted, filed tax returns, etc. I hold a current CO driver's license. Additionally, before I came here, I applied to law school, was admitted, and accepted and deferred my offer of admission. I can provide proof that I have already declared my intent to enroll in fall 2009, and my mom can provide a letter stating that I have already made arrangements to live with her for the summer before law school, so I should be fine with the issue of domicile, right? My intent was always to come over here temporarily.

Sounds fine to me. We too provided my husband's graduate school acceptance letter, bank statements & IRS documents showing US mailing address along with a copy of his current Washington state driver's license and he passed the domicile test no problem (and he had been living away from the US for nearly 4 years at that time)

and yes, write $0 on your I-864. That's what we wrote on ours and it was fine.

I think your mother should fill out her own I-864 since she is not currently a member of your household.

And if you have your uncle fill out another I-864, have your aunt complete an I-864A