I-864 living and working outside america

[TKP 0]

Hi there - My wife and I (she's an american Citizen, i'm Irish) applied for a green card right after we got married (January 2009) Right after we got married we moved to Ireland and have been living and working here for 9 months. We are at the point of submitting our DS-230 and I-864, however - as these forms are geared to be filled out by a sponsor who is living and working in America, it's tough. The income is outlined in dollars on the form, but my wifes income is in Euros. Also our assets are here in Ireland and are in Euro - we have a joint bank account - all euro - so do I convert to dollars or leave it all blank?

If you've been living in Ireland together for longer then 6 months, which we qualify for, you can file directly at the Embassy in Dublin. Will the application work if I submit it to the NVC.

A few other Q's - thanks in advance for the answers:

1) - Do photocopies of the birth / marriage certs suffice with the ds-230 / I-864?

2) - If you have a sponsor in the states who earns above the 125% does it matter how much money you have as a couple? Is there a minimum. I have thought about selling one of my guitars and car so we have more money in the bank. Is this advisable?

Thank you!

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Hi there,

we filed DCF in Ireland; I am pretty sure you can apply via the USA if you so choose though, the application will just take longer (and they are usually picker when it comes to documents etc, Irish embassy is very easy going!). Can I ask why you wish to file via the USCIS/ NVC in the USA rather than DCF?

Your wife's irish income will not count for sponsorship, unless it continues when you move to the USA (telecommuting, being transfered with the job). So most likely you will need to get sponsored on assets, or find a co-sponsor in the USA. We used assets; technically, you can use foreign based assets (just use the currency conversion rate of the day you fill out the form), but I have heard that they much prefer US based assets as they have more control over them, should you become a public charge. What we did is open a US bank account and transfer our savings there, and buy a house in the USA ready to move into when we had my visa, and submitted that.

You need the originals, at least if you file DCF. They want to l;ook at them, but will give them back; best to make photocopies too, which they can keep (it saves time at the interview if they don't need to make their own copies, and puts them in a good mood).

If you have a co-sponsor, it does not matter how much money you have at all.

[imaisha 1]

Hi there,

we filed DCF in Ireland; I am pretty sure you can apply via the USA if you so choose though, the application will just take longer (and they are usually picker when it comes to documents etc, Irish embassy is very easy going!). Can I ask why you wish to file via the USCIS/ NVC in the USA rather than DCF?

They've already had their I-130 approved and are almost done with NVC. It wouldn't make much sense for them to start all over again with DCF- they're nearly done!

[trailmix 77]

Hi there - My wife and I (she's an american Citizen, i'm Irish) applied for a green card right after we got married (January 2009) Right after we got married we moved to Ireland and have been living and working here for 9 months. We are at the point of submitting our DS-230 and I-864, however - as these forms are geared to be filled out by a sponsor who is living and working in America, it's tough. The income is outlined in dollars on the form, but my wifes income is in Euros. Also our assets are here in Ireland and are in Euro - we have a joint bank account - all euro - so do I convert to dollars or leave it all blank?

Convert to dollars - however, as someone mentioned, it will really have no bearing on meeting the income requirements.

If you've been living in Ireland together for longer then 6 months, which we qualify for, you can file directly at the Embassy in Dublin. Will the application work if I submit it to the NVC.

Yes

1) - Do photocopies of the birth / marriage certs suffice with the ds-230 / I-864?

No, you need originals (ie: certified copy from the government office that issues them (for birth certificates etc for the DS-230). For the I-864, depends on the document. Submitting a photocopy of an IRS tax transcript is ok, but if you are, for instance, going to have your joint sponsor submit pay stubs or a letter from an employer or bank, it is advisable to send originals, in my opinion.

2) - If you have a sponsor in the states who earns above the 125% does it matter how much money you have as a couple? Is there a minimum. I have thought about selling one of my guitars and car so we have more money in the bank. Is this advisable?

It doesn't really matter. If you have a joint sponsor they are not going to see your assets anyway (so money in the bank is irrelevant in that case).

Edited September 24, 2009 by trailmix

[TKP 0]

Thank you everyone!

yeah - I wished we had waited for 6 months then filed in Dublin - we have a joint sponsor - but surely I need to fill in my wifes income etc on her I 864? Or do I leave it blank and state that it's Irish income

[trailmix 77]

Thank you everyone!

yeah - I wished we had waited for 6 months then filed in Dublin - we have a joint sponsor - but surely I need to fill in my wifes income etc on her I 864? Or do I leave it blank and state that it's Irish income

No, that's what I meant above about converting it.

You should convert it to U.S. dollars and write in that amount and perhaps just note the foreign amount beside it, so they know where you got the figure from.

Edited September 24, 2009 by trailmix

[TKP 0]

trailmix - yeah - I have done that, thank you everyone.

Penguin_ie - I would love to speak to you more about the Irish side of things - medical etc etc

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

What trailmix said is correct, though I would have tended to put 0 rather than put the Irish income, as the Irish income is irrelevant and they might get confused why you have a co-sponsor if she makes enough money, not realising it's irish income (some of the officials at USCIS/ NVC seem none too bright from the stories on here... ).

Feel free to PM me with Irish questions, but your best option is to post in the Embassy: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=6 or Eurasia: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/index.php?showforum=95 forums, mentioning your question concerns Ireland, where other Irish VJers can chime in too! I know there are a few members on here currently going through DCF and K1s in Ireland.