U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers & K1 Visa (El Salvador)

[Malissa + Roberto 0]

Ayyyyyyeeee

I served with the U.S. Peace Corps in El Salvador last year and fell in-love with my current fiancé. We've been researching the K1 Visa process, and what a mess!

I think that we can pass everything EXCEPT the Financial Requirements!! Because the Peace Corps only pays a stipend to cover the cost of living, I made about $5,000 last year (WAY below the poverty line).

I was hoping that my parents could co-sponsor the visa to meet the financial requirements, but I just read that co-sponsors are NOT accepted for K1 Visas.

URGH - what can I possibly do? I am SO afraid that I am going to have to wait until next year to start applying for the visa so that I can provide tax returns for THIS current year, stating that I made an income above the poverty threshold.

[i read a post from another woman who failed the financial requirement, and the Embassy required her to submit a letter from an employer who guaranteed that they would HIRE the FOREIGN FIANCÉ upon his arrival to the U.S. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME??) How would anyone get hired for a job in the U.S., where they've never even BEEN before?]

I feel like I am being penalized for devoting my time to serving in the Peace Corps. Lame. This whole process makes me want to cry, and I can't sleep at night because I miss my fiancé so much.

[TracyTN 237]

I was hoping that my parents could co-sponsor the visa to meet the financial requirements, but I just read that co-sponsors are NOT accepted for K1 Visas.

Where did you read that?

Though the term is generally joint sponsor instead of co sponsor.

[Bobby+Umit 161]

[i read a post from another woman who failed the financial requirement, and the Embassy required her to submit a letter from an employer who guaranteed that they would HIRE the FOREIGN FIANCÉ upon his arrival to the U.S. (ARE YOU KIDDING ME??) How would anyone get hired for a job in the U.S., where they've never even BEEN before?]

.

I thought know how accurate that is, the State departments info specifically states that the offer of a job cannot be used for the affidavit of support.

As TracyTN pointed out - you can use a co-sponsor with the I-134 - some embassies frown on them though, in particular, in the PI - but I've seen cases where even cases like this were approved.

[Rob and Jill 82]

If your current salary meets the requirements then I don't see where the issue occurs? I just asked about tax documents and you are NOT required to show them immediately. Furthermore, I would think current pay stubs and a letter from your employeer verifying your current pay as well as a letter from your old supervisor in the Peace Corps would be enough to show you are currently within the requirements (when it comes to the Embassy review).

If worse comes to worse you can get a joint sponsor, but I don't see why you would need one if your current job meets the financial requirements.

[HeatDeath 430]

Generally speaking, cosponsors are accepted. My USC wife was out of work through the whole process. Her mother agreed to be a cosponsor and the whole process went very smoothly. (The most static I got from the consulate was the CO's slightly worried musings about where and how I would get health insurance.)

The biggest hurdle is going to be the local consulate. Your petition should get approved by USCIS with no problems, but some consulates are much stickier than others regarding cosponsors, evidence of bonafide relationships, etc. It is possible that the Costa Rican embassy is much fussier about cosponsors. Your best bet would be to search around in the appropriate regional sub-forum (as well as the consulates/embassies sub-forum) here to find out if people have successfully applied with cosponsors through Costa Rica.

Even if Costa Rica are extra fussy about cosponsors, you'll be able to help your case by massively front loading your I-129F application with evidence of your bonafide relationship, and by including with your cosponsor's I-134 every single piece of evidence they even vaguely mention, and then some It also helps that the cosponsor is an parent. It may also be a good idea (by which I mean almost mandatory, if you have any reason to suspect that having a cosponsor will cause problems) for you to arrange to be physically present at your fiance's visa interview. Those are the three big guns that you can pull at the consulate interview, and they are known to get results, even with the crankiest consulates.

Edited February 18, 2010 by HeatDeath

[Justine+David 218]

You can get a letter from your employer stating that you make x amount of money if it's over the poverty line as one of the evidences, things like bank statements from your bank, pay stubs, etc. By the time you have to show the affidavit of support at the interview, it'll be a few months so you can show that you've been at the job for awhile.

If you are only barely making over the poverty lines, though, it might be in your interest to get a co-sponser. Check out the regional forum for South America to ask about how sticky El Salvador is about this sort of thing.

Good luck! And welcome to VJ

Edited February 19, 2010 by Justine+David

[Audy_Rob 26]

Don't panic. I have read that there are some Embassies/Consulates that do not accept co-sponsors for a K-1 Visa. Of course you could try the CR-1/IR-1 route if you were thinking to marry soon. But you will still need to show financial support but the co-sponsor might work.

I just read through the San Salvador instructions for K-1 after NOA2 and there is NO specific mention of I-134 in the INSTRUCTION PACKET. There is a link to the I-134 on the page.

You can try the links to Central and South American Regional forum or you might try an email to the Embassy in San Salvador.

If you can start a job in the US that will meet 125% of the Poverty line for 2 people, then the pay stubs and letter of employment should be sufficient. Assets will help and I think your tax transcript to just show that you were working and filing will also help. Your situation is no different from a recent college graduate.

Good luck

[katie & sifa 25]

Hey there - fellow RPCV here! Have you already COS'd? Do you have a job in the states now? If so - no worries. Use your current paycheck stubs & a letter from your employer. I sent a tax return as part of the I-134 but noted that I was in PC for part of the year (which was backed up by the fact that I had included a copy of my DOS and work visa that was in my PC passport as proof that we had met in the last 2 years) & only worked a few months in 2008 at my current job, and there were no issues.

Edited February 21, 2010 by katie & sifa

[Audy_Rob 26]

Oh this is terrific. We have a Peace Corps volunteer volunterring a very good answer for us. Of course the OP needs to be out of the PC and hopefully have a job, but as I said before, it is similar to a recent college grad's financial position.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Audy_Rob

[Malissa + Roberto 0]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone!

I think the biggest problem for me will be the El Salvador Embassy. From everything that I have read, they are VERY strict about financial requirements (probably because El Sal is a 3rd World Country with lots of illegal emmigrants heading to the U.S.)

I've read that they refuse to accept joint-sponsors, but I've got my fingers crossed that they will accept a statement from my current employer stating that I'm making above the poverty line - even if I only made $4,000 on my 2009 tax-return after working full-time in the Peace Corps last year.

We'll see what happens.

Thanks again!

[katie & sifa 25]

Thanks for all the feedback, everyone!

I think the biggest problem for me will be the El Salvador Embassy. From everything that I have read, they are VERY strict about financial requirements (probably because El Sal is a 3rd World Country with lots of illegal emmigrants heading to the U.S.)

I've read that they refuse to accept joint-sponsors, but I've got my fingers crossed that they will accept a statement from my current employer stating that I'm making above the poverty line - even if I only made $4,000 on my 2009 tax-return after working full-time in the Peace Corps last year.

We'll see what happens.

Thanks again!

I would think that it wouldn't hurt to have a co-sponsor lined up in case they have issue with the fact that you didn't make enough last year, but I think you'll be ok with your current job. I have always heard that the consulates are more concerned with CURRENT and ongoing income than they are with what you made last year, 2 years ago, whatever. Especially in a situation such as this - it's not like you weren't doing anything last year, you have proof that you were a PCV. I went with my fiance to the interview and as soon as he mentioned that we had met when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer the CO smiled & said that he knew lots of former PCVs who worked for the Embassy - it's not an unknown agency to them, of course. I think you'll be good - but if you're worried, line up a co-sponsor and give them that information if they tell you/your fiance that they have problems with your income. Good luck!

Edited February 22, 2010 by katie & sifa