Are we in trouble...?

[rlogan 2,036]

<snip for brevity>

It seems the truck has taken thousands upon thousands of dollars - hard to say how much total, but the last vehicle I bought was $1400 and that was the most I had spent on a vehicle in many years. I have trucks, and the most expensive one was a 55,000 lb dump truck I got for $5K some years ago. I use it for property development when I am not doing other kinds of work, and I charge $125 an hour if all I am doing is dumping gravel with it. In that case it was OK to spend more because it can make money.

I see these kids in the Army here spending their signing bonus check on a down payment and locking into a five year monthly payment schedule - but they can buy a functional junker for that same down payment and never have another car payment on it. If there's a big mechanical problem, just buy another car instead of spending twice as much fixing that one.

The truck actually sounds like a lemon the way you have described having to spend so much on it, but if it isn't a thing that you can use to make money by doing landscaping or construction or expediting or something then what is the harm of selling it and buying something cheap? If he isn't working he can do mechanic work on one that currently does not run. I bought this little rice rocket for $300, and the only thing it needed was a battery. The ticket I got for going 104 mph in a 55 mph zone cost me more than the car.

[bigdog 376]

Here is the cost, K-1 is $1070. I-485 is $985 plus $85 biometrics fee. If you came on a K-1 the EAD and AP are free. No other fees, borrow some money, get a co sponsor. Hang in there. Be sure to apply for EAD and AP, work and travel permit at same time - these are free. Try and have some fun.

Edited August 29, 2011 by bigdog

[Alicey 6]

@rlogan: He received the truck, used, as a gift for his 17th or 18th birthday, I can't remember which. The trouble is everyone who's ever owned it has thought they were a mechanic and 'fixed' or 'customised' one thing or another (or jacked it up 12 inches... We are in Georgia after all...) and done a shoddy job of it, so now it's starting to fall apart. Since I've been out here it's had two new clutches, a new master cylinder, the clutch bled three times, something done to the brakes, and now the air conditionining has stopped working. Each repair has cost $200-$500, then something else has broken, so the repair costs have been cumulative. Had we known that the repairs would total in excess of $5000, of course we would have scrapped it and bought something else.

Selling the truck is not an option. I doubt we'd even get $2000 for it and around where we live, you can't get any vehicle for less than $3000. The 'best deal' we were able to find a few months ago (because we did look into getting him a new truck when we found out replacing the master cylinder would be more than $500 AND the A/C was dead, but he was denied an auto loan) was $3000 for a truck that was 20 years old and had 100,000 miles on it.

Anyway. The truck's not relevant other than that it's one of the reasons we don't have the money for the AOS papers. But we didn't have the option to find something cheap. $3000+ is as cheap as it gets. We've not been needlessly spending money.

[CC90 90]

At least, going through these hard times as a newly married couple can really help to solidify the relationship .

You are correct in your reading that the AOS fee for this circumstance cannot be waived, and everyone else is correct that it is absolutely no greater than $1070.

However, the food stamp issue might be a hiccup. If your name was associated with it, you will probably be required to pay it back before your AOS is approved. The AOS process includes trying to prove that you won't become a public charge, but the issue is that you already have become a public charge.

Additionally, one of the posters in this thread didn't get enough credit about pointing out the expiring medical. This can add some significant cost to the process.

It's a big pain, but, just like you borrowed money for the truck, this is certainly a very serious problem that you guys need to get worked out. Best of luck--and I'll definitely buy one of your cakes.

[Nik+Heather 121]

I saw some wishful thinking in here which has been tossed around and sometimes promoted and sometimes shot down, which is pretty confusing.

If your I-94 is expired (that's the card they staple into your passport when you entered the country, not the visa, which is what the embassy put in there with your picture), then there is only ONE WAY to get ready to work, and that is to apply for adjustment of status. As has been mentioned, this costs $1070. Simultaneously to applying for AOS, you may also apply for the EAD (temporary work authorization) and/or AP (temporary travel authorization). If these are applied for with AOS, then the fees for these lesser documents are waived. My husband's EAD arrived about 1 month faster than his green card. Processing times can vary wildly.

As was quoted previously, you are NOT eligible for a waiver of the AOS fee, since you ARE required to prove you will not become a public burden, so forget about trying to get that fee waived.

I understand that having your own vehicle makes you and your husband quite independent, but I would gently suggest that you investigate public transportation, human powered locomotion, or begging for rides from friends, and get rid of the car, or at the very least stop dumping more money into it. Maybe his family cannot help you financially, but this in-kind service might be possible. Especially if they are repaid in cakes!!

I'll add my vote to the advice that you look into getting a loan against the truck to get the money for AOS, and perhaps seeing about extending the payback to his brother.

I can tell you're pretty low about the situation already, but it could be worse. You do still seem to be able to keep your own place, and put gas in that truck (probably a guzzler, too?), and pay for internet access. You could be spending your first months/year of marriage without a place of your own couch surfing at his friends and family's homes. Personally, if we were that down on money, I would have moved back in with the parents' and saved the rent for the AOS fees to get us BOTH on our feet. Maybe the lease doesn't make that possible for you. Just because it's uncomfortable to do without doesn't mean the spending isn't discretionary. It may be rough for a few months, but if you can do without something in order to get that AOS fee paid, you'll be in a better position later.

Best wishes.

[ceadsearc 516]

I can tell you're pretty low about the situation already, but it could be worse. You do still seem to be able to keep your own place, and put gas in that truck (probably a guzzler, too?), and pay for internet access. You could be spending your first months/year of marriage without a place of your own couch surfing at his friends and family's homes. Personally, if we were that down on money, I would have moved back in with the parents' and saved the rent for the AOS fees to get us BOTH on our feet. Maybe the lease doesn't make that possible for you. Just because it's uncomfortable to do without doesn't mean the spending isn't discretionary. It may be rough for a few months, but if you can do without something in order to get that AOS fee paid, you'll be in a better position later.

Best wishes.

It sounds to me - and I may be wrong - that part of the problem is that her spouse does not make enough money sponsor her and that they do not have anyone who makes enough money to be a co-sponsor. So even if they do without something and come up with the money, unless they are able to find someone who can co-sponsor, they will just be denied if they apply without sufficient income.

It's a really crappy situation. To the OP, I really hope your husband is able to find more gainful employment soon and/or that your family cake business picks up speed. I don't know what kind of cakes you guys make, but I can tell you as a parent that there is a big market for cute birthday cakes for kids, especially first birthdays.

[ZedbraGuy 6]

From what I can see you only have the one option, your husband needs to be earning the required poverty guideline level of income, if he's not he needs to find another job(s) as otherwise no AOS will be approved, and you won't be able to work. I think once you accept that and start focusing your efforts on sorting that problem things will get better

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Agree with the above three posts. It seems this thread is finally getting on track. How were you able to get a K-1 visa if your husband's income is so low?

[Robert&Karen 264]

I can't believe no one sees the obvious answer.

Your husband is on active duty orders in the Army. CALL SOLDIER FAMILY SERVICES. I am an E-8 in the Army. When one of my troops had a car window broken, and he was an E-3, we passed the hat for him. 150 can pay the bill real fast. He bought us all beer 2 months later when he got paid.

If he is an E-6 or lower there is plenty of aid. Given your story I'm surprised his teammates have not done anything. Or maybe he is not sharing his plight with them? Have him go to his CO and explain the situation. I'd be shocked if no help came about.

[Nik+Heather 121]

It sounds to me - and I may be wrong - that part of the problem is that her spouse does not make enough money sponsor her and that they do not have anyone who makes enough money to be a co-sponsor. So even if they do without something and come up with the money, unless they are able to find someone who can co-sponsor, they will just be denied if they apply without sufficient income.

It's a really crappy situation. To the OP, I really hope your husband is able to find more gainful employment soon and/or that your family cake business picks up speed. I don't know what kind of cakes you guys make, but I can tell you as a parent that there is a big market for cute birthday cakes for kids, especially first birthdays.

Actually, since they have passed the visa hurdle this year, I assumed that meant they had tax returns which showed the right amount of income for her visa to be approved. How is income proven in the I-864? With tax returns. Her husband's current income is above the poverty line as well. These are just more and more reasons in addition to the expiring medical to get that AOS in now before they have to show their earnings for 2011, which I agree is not going to look very good.

[Nik+Heather 121]

I can't believe no one sees the obvious answer.

As I don't know anyone who is currently (or recently) in any branch of the military, I don't know. I think you give really good insight here. I wonder if there are other services available through the service or if the military "family" can get together to help them save on their other costs like letting the car go and help them with transportation....?

It can be hard to ask for help sometimes.

[SapphireDreams 71]

I can't believe no one sees the obvious answer.

Your husband is on active duty orders in the Army. CALL SOLDIER FAMILY SERVICES. I am an E-8 in the Army. When one of my troops had a car window broken, and he was an E-3, we passed the hat for him. 150 can pay the bill real fast. He bought us all beer 2 months later when he got paid.

If he is an E-6 or lower there is plenty of aid. Given your story I'm surprised his teammates have not done anything. Or maybe he is not sharing his plight with them? Have him go to his CO and explain the situation. I'd be shocked if no help came about.

I was wondering about this too, there must be some kind of military help he can get?

[Alicey 6]

@Nik+Heather: Unfortunately, there is literally NO public transportation where I live, and all our friends are college students so always busy/out of gas. The job possibility I may have depends on me having a car. And we can't get out of our lease, so even if we did live with his family, we'd still have to pay rent here

I'm really not trying to just shoot down everyone's suggestions, but unfortunately a lot of the problem comes from where we live. I can't really describe how middle-of-nowhere it is. There's no public transportation; no job opportunities; no cheap vehicles, but moving isn't an option because our lease doesn't allow it. We're stuck here.

It's also not an easy option for my husband to find another job. More work on the side, like the high school, maybe. And he has been desperately trying to find another job, as I mentioned. But finding another job entirely isn't possible. He has a contract with the guard for another 3 years, and although now he's not in college he can take other employment, we live near a military college and everyone around here is familiar with the reality of hiring people in the guard on reserve status. That reality is that they're often gone for whole weekends at a time with little notice, have to go to mandatory training every now and then and there's just no way around it. In a town that's pretty much totally populated by students, who will work for $7/hour, there's always someone more convenient to hire.

It sounds to me - and I may be wrong - that part of the problem is that her spouse does not make enough money sponsor her and that they do not have anyone who makes enough money to be a co-sponsor. So even if they do without something and come up with the money, unless they are able to find someone who can co-sponsor, they will just be denied if they apply without sufficient income.

Yes, that's one of the big problems. Even if we were to magically find $1070 tomorrow, he can't sponsor me. I love the logic behind all this: "your husband doesn't make enough to support you? Nor does his family? Well, we're not going to let you support yourself!"

@aorobert: My husband literally just called me and asked if I'd ever heard of the FRG. We're going to look into having the army help us out. My husband's an E4: you said there's a lot of aid for E6 and under?

[kevin@anna 7]

dont sweat the 1070.00.i hate to bring bad news but later when removal of conditions come due its another 590.00.sounds like someone planned poorly and now it bitein in the butt.you and your husband must find a way to pay all these fees and stay on track with the agreements you signed to.i know it is extremely difficult with the way the economy is and jobs are almost non existant these days but all this must be done..

[Robert&Karen 264]

@aorobert: My husband literally just called me and asked if I'd ever heard of the FRG. We're going to look into having the army help us out. My husband's an E4: you said there's a lot of aid for E6 and under?

Yes. As an E-4 he is eligible for many types of help. And so are you. The local base may have a thrift shop, like Goodwill type, but only E-5 or below can get things from it. Also being a family and not single they should be paying him more. Is he on local orders? Is he deployed? What is his exact status? He should also be claiming you on his tax deductions.

And I know about middle of no where. My town has 127 people in it, we are 14 miles from the nearest stop sign, and a bit further just to get a gallon of milk.