I-864ez required docs

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Greetings good people!

I have started going over required documentation for the NVC phase (hoping it will be mid-july to early august) of the IR-1. the "AOS" packet requires either the I-864 or the I-864ez. Looking at the requirements (only one relative on the I-130 - no children, using only W-2 for income) I qualify. When I look at the requred and suggested docs they are different than the I-864... Specifically the I-864 requries past tax returns, recent paystubs, and a letter of employment. The I-864ez only asks for the last three years W-2s and the last three years of tax returns. Nothing is mentioned about recent paystubs or letter of curent employment..

Am I reading that right? If I simply give them the I-864ez, tax returns for 2008, 2009, 2010 and W-2s for 2008, 2009, 2010 am I covered or do I need to include recent paystubs and proof of current employment as well?

Thanks for any information.

[Saylin 1,605]

Greetings good people!

I have started going over required documentation for the NVC phase (hoping it will be mid-july to early august) of the IR-1. the "AOS" packet requires either the I-864 or the I-864ez. Looking at the requirements (only one relative on the I-130 - no children, using only W-2 for income) I qualify. When I look at the requred and suggested docs they are different than the I-864... Specifically the I-864 requries past tax returns, recent paystubs, and a letter of employment. The I-864ez only asks for the last three years W-2s and the last three years of tax returns. Nothing is mentioned about recent paystubs or letter of curent employment..

Am I reading that right? If I simply give them the I-864ez, tax returns for 2008, 2009, 2010 and W-2s for 2008, 2009, 2010 am I covered or do I need to include recent paystubs and proof of current employment as well?

Thanks for any information.

Pay stubs and an employment letter are OPTIONAL for the AOS package. I'm not sure where you read that it's required for the I-864, but it isn't, it's optional. If you don't want to send in pay stubs or an employment letter, you do not have to. People send those in as additional proof of current income, especially when the most recent tax return hasn't been completed. For example, my husband hadn't filed 2010 taxes when we got to NVC, so to show proof of 2010 income, we sent in pay stubs and an employment letter.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

HI there, thanks for the response.. I thought I had seen a comparison of the two and the bullet points were different. I just checked the uscis website and can't find the page I was reading yesterday so possibly I was reading the one of the wikis here and the inforamtino is incorrect.. I'll keep looking for it

The uscis site says this:

All sponsors must submit the following documentation with their I-864:

• Proof of current employment or self employment
• A photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of a photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of your complete Federal income tax return for your most recent tax year, or an explanation if it is not submitted. Your W-2s and/or 1099 forms may also be required, see the I-864 instructions for details.

The previous paystubs I assume would be OK as proof of current employment?

[Saylin 1,605]

HI there, thanks for the response.. I thought I had seen a comparison of the two and the bullet points were different. I just checked the uscis website and can't find the page I was reading yesterday so possibly I was reading the one of the wikis here and the inforamtino is incorrect.. I'll keep looking for it

The uscis site says this:

All sponsors must submit the following documentation with their I-864:

• Proof of current employment or self employment
• A photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of a photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of your complete Federal income tax return for your most recent tax year, or an explanation if it is not submitted. Your W-2s and/or 1099 forms may also be required, see the I-864 instructions for details.

The previous paystubs I assume would be OK as proof of current employment?

If you read the PDF for the I-864 instructions, it mentions to send in pay stubs and/or an employment letter if you think it will support your case for proof of current income.

If you have your 2010 tax returns completed already, that would be good proof of current employment. If you have pay stubs available and/or can get an employment letter, I would suggest sending them as well, just to show even more proof that you are indeed making sufficient money to support the intending immigrant. Just make sure the amounts match though on both the I-864 forms and the documentation you're providing or else you can get an RFE.

Edited March 28, 2011 by Saylin

[Wayne and Claudia 40]

HI there, thanks for the response.. I thought I had seen a comparison of the two and the bullet points were different. I just checked the uscis website and can't find the page I was reading yesterday so possibly I was reading the one of the wikis here and the inforamtino is incorrect.. I'll keep looking for it

The uscis site says this:

All sponsors must submit the following documentation with their I-864:

• Proof of current employment or self employment
• A photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of a photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of your complete Federal income tax return for your most recent tax year, or an explanation if it is not submitted. Your W-2s and/or 1099 forms may also be required, see the I-864 instructions for details.

The previous paystubs I assume would be OK as proof of current employment?

Your proof of current employment is the employment letter from your employer. Pay stubs are not necessary but recommended just to solidify your AOS application. W-2s are not normally required at time of submission of the 864 but DO have them ready for the interview in Bogota. It was one of the first items the CO asked my wife for. I even had my employer do another employment letter, updated, as further proof of continued employment.

[pushbrk 13,167]

Your proof of current employment is the employment letter from your employer. Pay stubs are not necessary but recommended just to solidify your AOS application. W-2s are not normally required at time of submission of the 864 but DO have them ready for the interview in Bogota. It was one of the first items the CO asked my wife for. I even had my employer do another employment letter, updated, as further proof of continued employment.

Pay stubs OR employer letter are given equal value as evidence of current employment, provided the pay stubs show employer name current pay and year to date income. (Almost all do.)

A W2 is part of a complete tax return but not part of a tax return transcript. At least one complete tax return or return transcript is required by NVC but NVC is not the final decision maker. Sounds like you slipped through without the W2 but might not have made it through the interview without it.

[anm2010 0]

what is the tax return transcript? is 1040 enough?

[pushbrk 13,167]

what is the tax return transcript? is 1040 enough?

1. Google is your friend.

2. No

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Thank you for the comments everyone.. Eventually the logic gets through my thick head

So for the I-864ez only past tax transcripts are *required*. The current employment letter and recent pay-stubs are most likely for those that did not meet minimal income requirements in previous years but do currently.. So that the NVC can see that even though there was not enough income previously there is *now*.

The reason for my question is that my current employer has a set process for providing proof of employment which involves printing out instructions for whoever wants proof to check a website with a provided key (given to the employee) that provides the information. I assumed the NVC would not be overly interested in jumping through any hoops.

I think just to be safe and not have it in the back of my mind I will go with the three years tax transcripts, last three months of pay-stubs, and see if I can cajole HR into giving me a letter.

Edited April 3, 2011 by OnMyWayID

[pushbrk 13,167]

Thank you for the comments everyone.. Eventually the logic gets through my thick head

So for the I-864ez only past tax transcripts are *required*. The current employment letter and recent pay-stubs are most likely for those that did not meet minimal income requirements in previous years but do currently.. So that the NVC can see that even though there was not enough income previously there is *now*.

The reason for my question is that my current employer has a set process for providing proof of employment which involves printing out instructions for whoever wants proof to check a website with a provided key (given to the employee) that provides the information. I assumed the NVC would not be overly interested in jumping through any hoops.

I think just to be safe and not have it in the back of my mind I will go with the three years tax transcripts, last three months of pay-stubs, and see if I can cajole HR into giving me a letter.

You must meet the requirements but you also must satisfy the Consular officer about your current income. Pay stubs will work just fine in place of an employer letter and IMO, are actually more meaningful.

[anm2010 0]

1. Google is your friend.

2. No

thanks

[anm2010 0]

1. Google is your friend.

2. No

True, google is my friend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just seen a sample

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

A quick followup to anyone researching this type of question in the future and reading this:

I did not send an employment letter (only paystubs) and had no problems.. I was on the phone with an NVC supervisor as they evaluated my AOS (nothing related to the AOS, I was temporarily lost in the system and they took pity on me and spent a full hour on the phone locating my AOS papers and getting things done - i was was so impressed and she could not have been more friendly).

I included tax transcripts, and paycheck stubs, and W-2s. No problems. The supervisor mentioned that they do not like the tax returns and that I only needed my last paystub (I had included several months of them).

Thanks to all the posters above for the help!

Edited August 16, 2011 by OnMyWayID

[pushbrk 13,167]

A quick followup to anyone researching this type of question in the future and reading this:

I did not send an employment letter (only paystubs) and had no problems.. I was on the phone with an NVC supervisor as they evaluated my AOS (nothing related to the AOS, I was temporarily lost in the system and they took pity on me and spent a full hour on the phone locating my AOS papers and getting things done - i was was so impressed and she could not have been more friendly).

I included tax transcripts, and paycheck stubs, and W-2s. No problems. The supervisor mentioned that they do not like the tax returns and that I only needed my last paystub (I had included several months of them).

Thanks to all the posters above for the help!

Please note that NVC doesn't make the final decision on the public charge issue but can reject incomplete or inaccurate submissions. I'm sure they would RATHER see transcripts in most cases (They actually don't work in some cases, like when your last return was filed jointly with a former spouse.) but what they like or don't like is of less concern than what the will/must accept. I expect you'll have no problems with the support issue at the Consulate either but you won't know until after the interview.

[OnMyWayID 1,489]

Please note that NVC doesn't make the final decision on the public charge issue but can reject incomplete or inaccurate submissions. I'm sure they would RATHER see transcripts in most cases (They actually don't work in some cases, like when your last return was filed jointly with a former spouse.) but what they like or don't like is of less concern than what the will/must accept. I expect you'll have no problems with the support issue at the Consulate either but you won't know until after the interview.

Thanks, I'll post another follow-up after the interview... I said they don't like tax returns and that was an incorrect statement.. The only thing she mentioned specifically that they do not like to see is the printouts from tax preparers "Your 2010 taxes are not the ones given by HR Block or other Tax provider is it?".