Evidence of Ongoing Income for I-864?

[loosegee 3]

My USC wife is unemployed at the moment and doesn't meet the poverty guideline. Would she still have to provide evidence of ongoing income? She is caregiving my terminally ill mother-in-law at the moment. The only "income" she receives is the monthly allowance I send her.

My father-in-law has agreed to co-sponsor. He is retired. What sort of evidence should he provide of ongoing income since he is retired?

Edited August 24, 2011 by loosegee

[JoannaV 174]

Your wife will have to complete an I-864 but will say she has no income. If she filed taxes in the last three years she should include her tax transcripts; if she did not earn enough to need to file taxes then she should write a short letter saying she did not file taxes as her income was too low.

If your father-in-law is qualifying as a sponsor based on his retirement income, then this income should be reported on his tax returns and he can probably just provide his most recent tax transcript.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

My father-in-law has agreed to co-sponsor. He is retired. What sort of evidence should he provide of ongoing income since he is retired?

Tax return or transcripts.

If he gets social security, they send a benefits letter yearly stating the amount he will get in the upcoming year. If he gets a pension the company could issue him a letter saying how much he gets and for how long...(rest of his life??) Those take the place of an employer letter.

Pension income is also reported yearly on a form 1099R for filing taxes. It's like a W2, but only employees/wage earners get W2s.

Assets work too if he has a big savings or investment account. Statements from banker or broker can prove enough funds, even if you don't get a monthly check.

[pushbrk 13,166]

Your wife will have to complete an I-864 but will say she has no income. If she filed taxes in the last three years she should include her tax transcripts; if she did not earn enough to need to file taxes then she should write a short letter saying she did not file taxes as her income was too low.

If your father-in-law is qualifying as a sponsor based on his retirement income, then this income should be reported on his tax returns and he can probably just provide his most recent tax transcript.

A tax transcript or return is historical. Yes, at least one is required to be submitted and the affidavit requires information from three tax returns. However a tax return is not evidence of current income except when the sponsor is self employed. Retired folks usually have documents stating pension amounts or social security awards. If their income comes from investments, they need to disclose and document the liquid assets from which they derive the income.

[JoannaV 174]

A tax transcript or return is historical. Yes, at least one is required to be submitted and the affidavit requires information from three tax returns. However a tax return is not evidence of current income except when the sponsor is self employed. Retired folks usually have documents stating pension amounts or social security awards. If their income comes from investments, they need to disclose and document the liquid assets from which they derive the income.

The one most recent tax return can be sufficient proof of income. This is all that is required by the I-864EZ. It depends on the specific income, but is most certainly not limited to self-employment.

[pushbrk 13,166]

The one most recent tax return can be sufficient proof of income. This is all that is required by the I-864EZ. It depends on the specific income, but is most certainly not limited to self-employment.

Let me be more clear. For the self employed, information from the latest tax return doubles as both historical info and evidence of current income. This is because the only "current income" the self employed can claim must be from a tax return. Those who start a business within the current year, have not yet reported any income. Revenue is not income until it's claimed after business expenses on a tax return.

For the employed, the most recent tax return is only historical. The employed sponsor should also include evidence of their stated current income. That's not to say that people with steady middle or high income employment histories can't "get by" without evidence of current income, particularly going through London but it is generally recommended to provide evidence of current income.

[loosegee 3]

What about ongoing evidence for my unemployed wife? According to the revised requirements for I-864:

"If the sponsor with income below the poverty guidelines is unemployed, you should request evidence

of ongoing income from other means, such as retirement benefits, other household members' income, or other significant assets."

[pushbrk 13,166]

What about ongoing evidence for my unemployed wife? According to the revised requirements for I-864:

"If the sponsor with income below the poverty guidelines is unemployed, you should request evidence

of ongoing income from other means, such as retirement benefits, other household members' income, or other significant assets."

You answered your own question.

[Icha 0]

i'm sorry, i think i'm gonna join this discussion. I also have my FIL as a co sponsor and he is retired, but he received every month some money from his previous company and some from social security. Does my mother in law need to fill out form I-864A? she's not working but they filed the tax jointly.

Thank you