Help with Sponsor question

[extrajay 0]

Hi,

My cousin applied for the green card via marriage (spouse) by sending the i-130 and i-485 package together.

He send all documents without using the services of an immigration lawyer.

I know they filed one of the documents for sponsorship where his wife was listed as the sponsor.

A couple of days ago he got a letter that his wife is not making enough money to be the only sponsor, mentioning something about the 125% of poverty line.

Also her child (11 years) lives with them.

My questions are:

1. How much money is this poverty line for 3 of them?

2. If he finds a sponsor - let's say myself - and I have a wife and 1 child - how much do I have to make per year to become a sponsor?

Are they gonna consider me having to provide for 6 people - my family of 3 and his family of 3, or for 4 people myself plus my cousin's family of 3?

This is not clear to me.

3. If we find another sponsor who is not married - single, and has no dependents, and he agrees to become a sponsor for my cousin,

how much money he/she will have to make to become a sponsor?

4. Is it better to file together my cousin's wife as one sponsor and myself (or whoever else we find) as JOINT sponsors,

or is it better to just find someone who makes a lot of money and just use that person as one sole sponsor?

What are your suggestions?

Please HELP!

We have about 90 days to respond.

Thanks.

Edited February 13, 2011 by extrajay

[Myopia 93]

My questions are:

1. How much money is this poverty line for 3 of them?

$22,887

2. If he finds a sponsor - let's say myself - and I have a wife and 1 child - how much do I have to make per year to become a sponsor?

$36,912

Are they gonna consider me having to provide for 6 people - my family of 3 and his family of 3, or for 4 people myself plus my cousin's family of 3?

Yes.

3. If we find another sponsor who is not married - single, and has no dependents, and he agrees to become a sponsor for my cousin,

how much money he/she will have to make to become a sponsor?

$27,562

4. Is it better to file together my cousin's wife as one sponsor and myself (or whoever else we find) as JOINT sponsors,

or is it better to just find someone who makes a lot of money and just use that person as one sole sponsor?

The spouse has to be one of the joint sponsors.

What are your suggestions?

These are the most recent USCIS poverty guidelines for immigration.

Guidelines for sponsorship

[YuAndDan 153]

1) 125% poverty line for 3 is: 22,887 for the 48 states, a bit higher in AK and HI http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

2) Need income for 4 people, your family of 3 plus the intending immigrant. $27,562, you don't count your cousin or child.

3) $18,212 Counts self and immigrant.

4) Joint sponsor is not adding income, they need sufficient income to support self, their family and the immigrant.

Note Petitioner is still Primary sponsor and provides an I-864

[Delaw 0]

Yes, if you are going to be the joint, consider yourself and the people under you + the new immigrant. Meaning you and those you are caring under tax + the new immigrant. In your example, 4 people.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

My cousin applied for the green card via marriage (spouse) by sending the i-130 and i-485 package together.

A couple of days ago he got a letter that his wife is not making enough money to be the only sponsor, mentioning something about the 125% of poverty line. Also her child (11 years) lives with them.

My questions are:

1. How much money is this poverty line for 3 of them?

2. If he finds a sponsor - let's say myself - and I have a wife and 1 child - how much do I have to make per year to become a sponsor?

Are they gonna consider me having to provide for 6 people - my family of 3 and his family of 3, or for 4 people myself plus my cousin's family of 3?

This is not clear to me.

3. If we find another sponsor who is not married - single, and has no dependents, and he agrees to become a sponsor for my cousin,

how much money he/she will have to make to become a sponsor?

4. Is it better to file together my cousin's wife as one sponsor and myself (or whoever else we find) as JOINT sponsors, or is it better to just find someone who makes a lot of money and just use that person as one sole sponsor?

1. See the I-864p here: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

2. The sponsor must support their household size plus the immigrant/s. In your example the immigrant is 1 person, plus yourself, your wife and your child. that's household of 4.

3. As previously stated, sponsors household size plus immigrant. So the immigrant plus sponsor = 2.

4. As long as the financial requirements are met then it doesn't matter which way you do it. The joint sponsors income ALONE must meet the requirements. You cannot add the immigrants wife's income to yours. So your household size (4 people) means you need to earn $27,562. If you earn over that then you're good. If you don't then they'll need to find someone that does.