Don't flame me too much but... all these co-sponsers?

[^KK^ 3]

Maybe they should apply the same income requirement to an American marrying another American.

Exactly..... how it seems like it makes some sense..it really doesn't.

I hope and pray that money is the the foundation for marriage. If so...divorce rate will go sky high.

If you are truly there with your spouse...good or bad...u will make it through.

I use my parents as my motivation to strive for a good marriage. Times got hard and nobody gave up and ran away.

Sorry I kinda went off topic with this one. lol...

Edited June 2, 2009 by KKHoliday

[Perry/Elena 0]

I don't understand why the USCIS only accepts sponsor help from Americans. My fiance's family is just better off then my family in general. My fiance said if for any reason we were struggling and needed money, his family would send us money. And my my fiance is planning to save up a lot of money before moving, so he would have enough to support himself in the U.S. until he gets his green card. It bugs me that none of this counts...

:thumbs: I'm with you on that one!!!

But that's just my personal opinion....

I guess the easy answer (or question) is... how would they enforce this?

Not sure they actually enforce any of them... actually....

To those that understood my point was to put the spotlight on personal responsibility and to think things through. Thanks.

To those that think... love is all you need... sigh....

To everyone... my wishes of nothing but happy days...

[jundp 191]

The other thing that bothers me is when I see post after post of people stating they are going to "wait" for money to file for the AOS. I feel they should of saved the money for that purpose prior to the person coming over.

AOS is very important, and should not be delayed. Plus it's now like you can't find out how much this whole thing is going to cost...

This isn't a judgment, by any means. But the truth is the AOS fee should really be taken into consideration BEFORE marriage. It is heartbreaking to read stories on here of people who have been married a year or longer without filing AOS because they don't have the money for the fee.

[Shad and Dani 3]

rantmode

I know most likely I should just be keeping my mouth shut but... there really seems to be much discussion about people needing co-sponsers to be 125% above the poverty line.

(This is not directed at young couples who are just finishing college with a bright future ahead of them)

I guess... maybe it is just me... but if you are some middle aged guy who is still not making 125% of the poverty line... maybe you should concentrate your life efforts more on improving you life's postiion rather then finding a bride from a foreign country.

Marriage is tough enough without the cultural issues and money matters of scraping by. Just because you are an American and in their eyes ... all Americans are rich... don't start believing it yourself.

/rantmode

I don't see how people live at 125% of the poverty line

[SCFsnoopy 0]

Money is important to a relationship, and especially a marriage, but it's not the MOST important thing...

I'm from Australia, obviously a first world country with financial opportunities that equal the US - so I don't have any delusions that "all Americans have money" - and I am completely OK with the fact that my fiance (USC) does not earn a whole lot (in fact, I currently earn a good bit more than him here in Australia, a job I am happily giving up to move over there and be with him). This whole visa issue is the first time I've ever paid attention to his finances and I'm content that he earns enough to get us through AOS when the time comes... after AOS I couldn't give a squat how much he earns and what he does with his own money.

My parent's marriage is much the same way, they each have their own income and bank accounts and other than sorting out who pays the mortgage and bills they do whatever they want with what they earn. It works for them and from what I've discussed with my fiance on the issue, it should work for us too - I've told him plain and simple that when we get married I don't really want anything to do with his finances.

EDIT: As a side note, many people don't exactly direct energy into "finding a bride from a foreign country." Look at how Jesse and I met - like many US/US couples meet, at a party amongst friends. It wasn't like he was looking for a foreign girlfriend at the time.

Edited June 2, 2009 by SCFsnoopy

[What Happened? 4]

money isn't everything to everybody. familes of 4 or 5 get by on 45,000$ a year salary all the time and some people would think thats insane but it happens.

if you love someone, money shouldn't matter.

Things don't always work out in life the way we wish they would.

I come from a family of five and back then, my family would have been and remained below what would have been considered the poverty level for a long time. My father, a life long military man. My mother an LPN. Decent occupations, but in those days military people made what would be below minimum wage! Yet they still managed to buy a home, and put three daughters through college, producing a GIS specialist, a Regional Urban Planner, and a Senior Clinical Lab Scientist. Not bad I'd say.

Marriage is about teamwork.....families bond whether there is money or not.....and character is built when children value a dollar. There is nothing wrong with the struggle and sacrific that some make to continue to love their families despite their circumstances.

The people that think that MONEY is the key to a stable home and have never struggled and wouldn't know what to do or how to work together to survive tough times, are the same people who take out their entire families when they loose their job, get a pay cut, go into forclosure etc.

Good luck in your journey.

[msu17 0]

I can see what the OP met for the couples where both parties sought out a foreign spouse. However, for instance, a lot of the countries on VWP the couples met in a more random way, so to say they shouldn't be together because of finances seems kinda silly. However, I don't understand the middle aged guy who can't afford a PB&J who goes online lookign for a foreign bride. Spend your time looking for a better paying job and THEN look for the lady of your dreams. Random meeting I get, specifically looking for a fiance when you dont have money I dont get.

Edit: just read that and it sounds like VWP countries shouldn't have to worry about the money thing. I meant that people who met randomly, not sought each other out.

Edited June 2, 2009 by msu17

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

rantmode

I know most likely I should just be keeping my mouth shut but... there really seems to be much discussion about people needing co-sponsers to be 125% above the poverty line.

(This is not directed at young couples who are just finishing college with a bright future ahead of them)

I guess... maybe it is just me... but if you are some middle aged guy who is still not making 125% of the poverty line... maybe you should concentrate your life efforts more on improving you life's postiion rather then finding a bride from a foreign country.

Marriage is tough enough without the cultural issues and money matters of scraping by. Just because you are an American and in their eyes ... all Americans are rich... don't start believing it yourself.

/rantmode

Hmmm. I just sorta figured the US citizen was marrying the foreigner because the foreigner had dough!

Actually, I never thought much about the money situation. I've had some hard times when I was young, and managed to keep a wife and family fed, and certainly wouldn't have qualified for the 125% poverty level (if there was such a thing at the time). Thankfully, my life today is a lot more comfortable.

What HAS piqued my curiosity is how you can meet and spend time with a foreign fiance or spouse with so little money. When I was broke I had a hard time coming up with bus fare downtown. An airline ticket half way around the world would have been a couple months rent.

[Malysh 0]

money isn't everything to everybody. familes of 4 or 5 get by on 45,000$ a year salary all the time and some people would think thats insane but it happens.

if you love someone, money shouldn't matter.

Things don't always work out in life the way we wish they would.

I come from a family of five and back then, my family would have been and remained below what would have been considered the poverty level for a long time. My father, a life long military man. My mother an LPN. Decent occupations, but in those days military people made what would be below minimum wage! Yet they still managed to buy a home, and put three daughters through college, producing a GIS specialist, a Regional Urban Planner, and a Senior Clinical Lab Scientist. Not bad I'd say.

Marriage is about teamwork.....families bond whether there is money or not.....and character is built when children value a dollar. There is nothing wrong with the struggle and sacrific that some make to continue to love their families despite their circumstances.

The people that think that MONEY is the key to a stable home and have never struggled and wouldn't know what to do or how to work together to survive tough times, are the same people who take out their entire families when they loose their job, get a pay cut, go into forclosure etc.

Good luck in your journey.

Very well said. I know plenty of poor families who are doing much better as a family than the wealthier ones. They seem to have a much closer relationship with each other, probably due to the lack of luxuries that would normally keep a family from spending too much time with each other. The wealthier ones tend to spend their time on whatever luxurious products they own. Ofcourse that doesn't go for all of them.

And I'd rather have a good close family relationship, than be wealthy and not have any of that. In the end money is only money and without love for each other it's completely worthless.

Edited June 2, 2009 by Malysh

[trinket 30]

rantmode

I know most likely I should just be keeping my mouth shut but... there really seems to be much discussion about people needing co-sponsers to be 125% above the poverty line.

(This is not directed at young couples who are just finishing college with a bright future ahead of them)

I guess... maybe it is just me... but if you are some middle aged guy who is still not making 125% of the poverty line... maybe you should concentrate your life efforts more on improving you life's postiion rather then finding a bride from a foreign country.

Marriage is tough enough without the cultural issues and money matters of scraping by. Just because you are an American and in their eyes ... all Americans are rich... don't start believing it yourself.

/rantmode

I don't see how people live at 125% of the poverty line

It really depends upon where in US are you living. Here is a calculation--

Rent 1 bedroom including all utilities per month-- $375

Car insurance- $32 (minimum state covered)

Gorcerry, food plus detergent and every other thing-- $350 to $400 per month

Basic phone, cable, internet -- $75 per month

so thats a total of -- $882

There it is very possible for someone earning 125% of poverty line to support 2 people and eating good food, not your pb&j sandwhich every night.

We had to get a co-sponsor because husband has just started working from mid of the year, and with CR-1 you need to show past 3 years of tax transcripts. And no my husband is no middle aged man.

And also keep in mind when a foreign spouse comes and start working even a minimum wage job they do contribute a lot to the household budget.

Again its no ones business what or how others live as long as they are fulfilling the government requirements. Let anyone live on pb&j or on lobsters everynight.

While everyone makes their own bed, not everyone needs or wants 600 thread count egyptian cotton.

I am absolutely sure that it is entirely possible in the United States to live with 125% of the poverty level in income.

They don't??????

EEEEK!!!!

:crying: I've to live with 400 thread count egyptian cotton. Poor Poor me :crying:

[JAPrincess 27]

Marriage is about teamwork.....families bond whether there is money or not.....and character is built when children value a dollar. There is nothing wrong with the struggle and sacrific that some make to continue to love their families despite their circumstances.

The people that think that MONEY is the key to a stable home and have never struggled and wouldn't know what to do or how to work together to survive tough times, are the same people who take out their entire families when they loose their job, get a pay cut, go into forclosure etc.

Good luck in your journey.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

While everyone makes their own bed, not everyone needs or wants 600 thread count egyptian cotton.

I am absolutely sure that it is entirely possible in the United States to live with 125% of the poverty level in income.

They don't??????

EEEEK!!!!

:crying: I've to live with 400 thread count egyptian cotton. Poor Poor me :crying:

EEEEWWW --- really? u iz teh poor?????????????

[trinket 30]

While everyone makes their own bed, not everyone needs or wants 600 thread count egyptian cotton.

I am absolutely sure that it is entirely possible in the United States to live with 125% of the poverty level in income.

They don't??????

EEEEK!!!!

:crying: I've to live with 400 thread count egyptian cotton. Poor Poor me :crying:

EEEEWWW --- really? u iz teh poor?????????????

Yes I know the horrors and plus I ride bus

[norrin 3]

If you live your life in the future..you will never live your life in the present. Yes money makes life easier (or does it?) people who have alot of money are not happy and people with no money are also not happy but it can be the other way around too. If you live your life with, "when I graduate from college", "when I get a better job", when I make more money" then I will get married, then I will have children then I will let someone love me..when will you live your life? There are plenty of people (families) both legal and illegal who have very little money and live happily. Communication, respect, honesty, love and hard work are just as or more important than money. When I was growing up we weren't exactly "rich" but we were happy and loved. We loved each other and continue to do so as we struggled or didn't.

I own two businesses and work full-time but work, money is not the most important thing to me, family, spending time together and loving each other. If I had to give it up for my family I would, in an instance.

If your fiance/fiancee thinks you are a rich American and you are not then perhaps THAT is the reason you shouldn't marry because she/he doesn't know you and not because of how much money you make.

Nuff Said,

Frank

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

rantmode

I know most likely I should just be keeping my mouth shut but... there really seems to be much discussion about people needing co-sponsers to be 125% above the poverty line.

(This is not directed at young couples who are just finishing college with a bright future ahead of them)

I guess... maybe it is just me... but if you are some middle aged guy who is still not making 125% of the poverty line... maybe you should concentrate your life efforts more on improving you life's postiion rather then finding a bride from a foreign country.

Marriage is tough enough without the cultural issues and money matters of scraping by. Just because you are an American and in their eyes ... all Americans are rich... don't start believing it yourself.

/rantmode

Hmmmm. I really don't care about other's finances, not at all. If anyone thinks they will support a family of "whatever size" on 125% of the guidelines, they are daft! Maybe they intyend their wives to work after AOS, I don't know, I don't care. Supporting 4 on $45000 is nothing like doing the same on $27000, the 125% level. On the other hand, having lived in Ukraine, I could make comments about middle aged guys with young blonde hotties that like to show off their bosoms just a little too much, but I won't. Yes I will. No...I won't. Who you marry and how you pay for it is none of my concern.

I try to help people (and occasionally throw in a personal opinion) and if I can answer a question on co-sponsors I will and not pass judgement.

I will say you are correct that anyone trying to support a family on the 125% guidleines is going to have a really tough time of it. They are adults, I presume they know this.