FORM I-134 QUESTIONS

[Dimples28 4]

Question #1

I got an employer letter in advance last month and it states that I currently work at my job, how much I make and what my position is. Is this sufficient? When my fiance received packet three, the instructions says it should indicate the length of position(im assuming they want to know how long I've worked there), the permanency of position(I'm assuming full time or part-time...i don't know). Show I get a revised letter or the one I have is probably okay?

Question #2

The instructions for form I-134 also said a notarized copy of federal tax return. I gave my fiance a signed copy of my tax returns the last time I went to visit, do I have to resend with it notarized? Did anyone do that?

Question #3

Although information on ownership of property is not necessary once income is over poverty line, I would like to put information anyway. Did anyone complete this part of form and did you get an appraisal for estimate on fmv of home?

I thank you in advance for your responses!

[YuAndDan 153]

1) VJ Tip: Basically, your employer letter should state "To whom it may concern: (first name,last name) has been employed full-time with the XYZ Company since 200_ as a (name of your job), and is an employee in good standing with an annual salary of $XXXX. Signed, John Doe, Supervisor (or whatever title)" The letter should be on company letterhead. http://www.visajourney.com/content/support

2) Call IRS and order simple transcripts for past 3 years, they are free, last time I ordered them I had them Faxed to me, the cover sheets added a nice touch.

http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=232168,00.html?portlet=4 (Can now order online)

3) You only need to attach asset information if you have an income short fall, and assets need to be liquid meaning easily converted to cash.

Also attaching copies of past 6 months pay stubs helps.

In my case income was more than enough, I attached an employer letter per specs above, IRS transcripts, and Pay stubs.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Question #1

I got an employer letter in advance last month and it states that I currently work at my job, how much I make and what my position is. Is this sufficient? When my fiance received packet three, the instructions says it should indicate the length of position(im assuming they want to know how long I've worked there), the permanency of position(I'm assuming full time or part-time...i don't know). Show I get a revised letter or the one I have is probably okay?

Yes, they want to know how long you've been working there. "Permanency" refers to whether you're a regular employee or a temp/contractor. YuAndDan gave you a good format. You should probably get another letter.

Question #2

The instructions for form I-134 also said a notarized copy of federal tax return. I gave my fiance a signed copy of my tax returns the last time I went to visit, do I have to resend with it notarized? Did anyone do that?

Ignore the instructions for the I-134. Those instructions were written by USCIS, but USCIS doesn't even use that form anymore. Only US consulates use it, and they have their own requirements. You need to provide whatever the consulate asks for.

A copy of your tax return does not need to be notarized, but it would need to be signed. However, if you submit a copy of your tax return then it must be a copy of the entire return - every form, schedule, and supporting document (W2, 1099, etc.). The tax return transcripts described by YuAndDan are much simpler because no additional documents are needed with them, and consular officers trust them because they come from the IRS and prove you actually filed a return. They are free, and usually take less than two weeks to obtain. A transcript for a recently filed 2010 return might not be available for several weeks. For some taxpayers, their 2010 returns won't even be processed by the IRS until late February, even if they were received in January. The IRS is still working to get their computer systems updated with changes in the tax laws passed in late December.

Question #3

Although information on ownership of property is not necessary once income is over poverty line, I would like to put information anyway. Did anyone complete this part of form and did you get an appraisal for estimate on fmv of home?

If you don't need the assets to qualify then don't list them. If you list them then you must prove you own them, and prove their value. For real estate, you'd need the deed or title, plus an appraisal from a licensed appraiser, plus a recent "net payoff" statement from any mortgage lenders or lien holders.

[Dimples28 4]

Thanks for the input guys! my employer is revising letter for me. I have my tax returns so i dont need transcripts. I wont waste my time with value of home then.

[Nicole-N-Nattoy 24]

I haven't had my interview yet and although my co-sponsor makes enough my gut told me more is better. So I got a copy of deed to house and a copy of a title to a car. I also found an unoffical non-impediament form on the internet and filled it out to be my own and got it notorized. I know they do not need one from me but I just don't see how having more than enough can hurt. Expecially since I am using a co-sponsor.

[pushbrk 12,879]

Thanks for the input guys! my employer is revising letter for me. I have my tax returns so i dont need transcripts. I wont waste my time with value of home then.

For what it's worth, unless it's a brand new job, I prefer using recent pay stubs to getting an employer letter. Works like a charm. Regardless of your employer letter, I recommend including at least a couple most recent pay stubs.

[Dimples28 4]

im doing that too.

[sis&sull 1]

For what it's worth, unless it's a brand new job, I prefer using recent pay stubs to getting an employer letter. Works like a charm. Regardless of your employer letter, I recommend including at least a couple most recent pay stubs.

hey vj memebers wat if u dont have pay stubs .. i have everything else needed im self employed i get payed off the books .. i do file taxes every yr and i have letter head paper from my boss.. what do u think ..

do also need bank statements as well .. oh yeah my mom is also the co/spo.. :help:

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

I haven't had my interview yet and although my co-sponsor makes enough my gut told me more is better. So I got a copy of deed to house and a copy of a title to a car. I also found an unoffical non-impediament form on the internet and filled it out to be my own and got it notorized. I know they do not need one from me but I just don't see how having more than enough can hurt. Expecially since I am using a co-sponsor.

Your gut feeling is probably misleading you, in this case. If your joint sponsor has enough income then it's better if you don't complicate things by providing evidence of assets. In the best case, they'll simply ignore them. In the worst case, they could jack you around for supporting evidence.

You didn't say whether the assets were yours or your joint sponsor's.

For example, do you have a recent appraisal from a licensed appraiser for the home? If not, then you can't prove how much it's worth. Are their any liens on the home - mortgage, or HELOC, for example? If so, do you have recent statements indicating the current net payoff for the loans? If not, did you have a title report indicating there are no liens? Without either of these you can't prove the net value of the home, and someone could presume that the liens are equal to or greater than the market value of the home. That's the current situation for 1 out of every 5 homes in the US.

Is the car the only one that the sponsor owns? If so then it's not acceptable as a qualifying asset. Selling the sponsor's only car would make them a pedestrian, and unlike real estate, you can't get cash out of a car without selling it outright. If the sponsor owns more than one vehicle then you'll need to prove it. You'll also need to provide evidence of the current market value of the car.

Are you referring to a non-impediment of marriage? You don't need this, and there's no reason why you should provide it. One you prepare yourself is practically useless, and one issued by your state government would only be useful if you plan to marry abroad - some countries require it, but no state in the US does.

You can never have too much evidence of a bona fide relationship. Feel free to go overboard with that stuff.

For everything else, you should just provide clear and convincing evidence that you've met the requirements. If you overload them with too much then you're making them dig for what they need, giving them an excuse to demand additional proof of something that didn't need to be declared to begin with, and also attracting their attention to the fact that this is something you might be worried about, which might provoke them to try to find out why. You could be creating your own red flags.

hey vj memebers wat if u dont have pay stubs .. i have everything else needed im self employed i get payed off the books .. i do file taxes every yr and i have letter head paper from my boss.. what do u think ..

do also need bank statements as well .. oh yeah my mom is also the co/spo.. :help:

If you need a joint sponsor then don't bother providing anything more for yourself than your tax returns. If the consulate specifically requests it, give them a letter of employment as well. Providing anything more is only going out of your way to prove what you're already admitting, which is that you don't qualify on your own.

[pushbrk 12,879]

hey vj memebers wat if u dont have pay stubs .. i have everything else needed im self employed i get payed off the books .. i do file taxes every yr and i have letter head paper from my boss.. what do u think ..

do also need bank statements as well .. oh yeah my mom is also the co/spo.. :help:

Pay stubs and employer letters are for "employees" not the self employed. Self employed people state their current income as the number on line 22 of their most recently filed tax return, period. If you don't qualify, concentrate an a cosponsor/joint sponsor who does.

[MochiKamo 93]

In my company and I imagine other companies too there are online forms that are used to income verification, etc. One such form is specifically for "Employment verification letter for the US Department of Homeland Security, USCIS, and Foreign Government Agencies and Embassies"

The form gives out a customized letter and is "authorized and approved via electronic signature" and includes name, SS#, status, date of hire, time with employer, pay. and history of pay for the last 6 years.

Just wondering if this sort of form is common.