Harsh Question

[Mike B. 231]

Edited February 27, 2012 by Mike B.

[DeeDee&Sam 68]

Really?

Can you please show me where it's legal to "open an online business" while in the US without Work Authorization? Heck let's just say for argument's sake your husband owns a pizza place, legally you can't even work there for free until you have EAD.

I'm also curious as to why you & your husband needed his family to help you guys if his income is so high?

show me where is not legal to make art and my husband to sell it? he's a usc he can do whatever he wants. i wanna see uscis getting all pissy at my because i have talent and brains to use it. and yes we had to live with his family because in such a small town like this you dont find rents and houses for sale. whats the problem with that i wonder?

[DeeDee&Sam 68]

Did you get 200 % two months after you got married? Because as far as I can remember you were crying online about how you got kicked out within weeks of coming here. Let's be real people don't fall for the whole online business thing anymore, there is so much going out of independent business owner's pocket that even a booming business isn't enough for some of them to make ends meet.... Then there are websites like easy and eBay.

It's not about how you can make moneym it's about knowing what you're getting into and being ready for it

i got married 5 months ago, i had enough time to think and put my thoughts in practice. i said smart people CAN make a lot of money. read 2 times before commenting. as for me and my husband being kicked out from his grandma's house because she's crazy has nothing to do with it. as i stated above, in this place theres a very low chance to find a rent or house for sale. and wanna bet people buy stuff online? being a digital artist requires a full pocket, and people buy resources online. also fashion designs are looked for all over the world. using online shops in usa is not much, but using them international is everything. but of course this is not a forum for tips how to make money without being employed. my details my secrets

[extremerecluse 32]

The income requirements should be at least 200% of poverty level for certain family members. Many classes of visa should be done away with, including the all the K visas. Restrictions need to be tighter on foreign worker visas. The loophole of staying in the country on an expired visa/I-94, etc, while the I-485 is being adjudicated should be eliminated, as should be refiling ad infinitum just to stay in the US. If you overstay, you go home, no reprieve, no waiver, no AP, no EAD.

Look at my timeline. Do you think my wife and kids should be tossed out for filing AOS 6 months after their arrival? You are given 90 days to marry. You are allowed to used the entire 90 days to make the decision. After day 90, even if you get married on day 90, you are illegal on day 91. Why? No AOS has been filed!! Let's be technical about it. Do you really think ICE is waiting until the 91st day to put the cuffs on and haul you away? Come on now!!! Sure, I make 300% of the poverty line, but I don't see your tech savvy logic. USCIS should place a deadline on AOS; no more than 90 days after the date of marriage. But their is no such law on the books so until their is such a law, those of us who decide to file AOS more than 90 days after the marriage should consider ourselves lucky.

[Mountain Climber 186]

There are a lot of costs associated with bringing foreigner to this country, even if the foreigner has college degree. I am exactly 1000% above the poverty line but considering that my wife does not work it does put some financial strain on my lifestyle that I am used to. Recently I have seen the thread where OP was asking if she can apply for food stamps once her fiance arrives. This is absolutely ridiculous. You may be barely above 125% line but have to apply for food stamps right after arrival of the foreign spouse. This is crazy. While love and happiness is basic, it should not be at the expense of other tax payers. Personally I make $180,000 annually and pay a lot in state and federal taxes. I do not feel like paying for food stamps of the USC that cannot sustain his/her household only because his/her spouse arrived from another country.

[Loida and Ed 11]

Lets look at the "Picture".. ( and this is my opinion, Im not looking to be flamed on ) .

http://www.familiesu...guidelines.html

This link has the 2012 Fed Pov Guidelines including percentages above the number.

A family of 2 is $15,130 and 125% of that is $18,912 per year.

To guesstimate state and federal tax rates using 10% as an "average" rate. Thats $1891 per year bringing your gross pay from 18,912 to 17,021.

Lets consider $200 per month to cover medical and dental insurance. This is 2400 per year, leaving $14,621 per year.

Just these few expenses leaves $1218 per month for food, clothing, housing, transportation, etc etc. I see it as a very difficult position to be in, especially if you want to love someone and have children and also a sucessful life.

The K1 recipients may see that number as a large amount, because they compare it to their own homeland financial cost of living index..

So yes, out of respect for those wanting to come over, I think the numbers should be raised to reflect something closer to the median income of the average American age 25+ which was roughly $32,000

Source: ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_of_living_in_the_United_States}

Edited April 19, 2012 by Loida and Ed

[jkb11 26]

I'm going to take a different point of view. What about intending immigrants, who have:

- a lot of money to support both themselves and the USC in the U.S.

- plausible reasons to believe that they will get a well paid job in the U.S. after adjusting

but are turned down only because the USC doesn't meet the income requirements? I know the answer is to find a co-sponsor, but still, I believe that under such circumstances, looking for a co-sponsor shouldn't be mandatory and such intending immigrant should be allowed in.

Cheers!

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

In my opinion (this is STRICTLY MY OPINION), cut out ALL government assistance, welfare that is to say, (except for emergencies like temporary unemployment) and then we Americans would be more likely to be realistic what we could and could not do.

One poster stated that it should be income to debt ratio... I agree, and how about location considerations???!!! I make $65,000/year and where I live I am in the top 20 percent of wage earners, and any less I would panic about trying to support my RUB. But, I personally know families that, not only survive, but thrive on $25-30k (even go on 2 week cruises every year as well as another 2 week vacation in country). So the guidline is based on a location where people can survive on less than someone in Los Angeles, for example.

I agree that it is a low figure, and to me, there should be no co-sponsor form. Income to debt should be 3:1 before you could sponsor.

Edited April 21, 2012 by Jamie and Sveta

[LSnBigBear 61]

I was dirt poor and 18 yo my first marriage some 27 years ago and we made it just fine.. We struggled for our first 4 years but life got easier as my ex worked after the boys got a bit older. Maybe the right thing for USICS to do is take the average income of everyone that marry yearly in the US and use that number as minimum requirements.... Nah that makes too much sense for our great country lol.. BTW everyone has a bad year of earnings in their life unless they are very fortunate. I had one just last year. Made less last year then back in 1987, year 3 of my marriage. Things happen when economy goes bad. I am back now to earning well.. I just hope everyone can be together that chooses and that money is not ever involved in why someone marries... Good luck to all.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'm going to take a different point of view. What about intending immigrants, who have:

- a lot of money to support both themselves and the USC in the U.S.

- plausible reasons to believe that they will get a well paid job in the U.S. after adjusting

but are turned down only because the USC doesn't meet the income requirements? I know the answer is to find a co-sponsor, but still, I believe that under such circumstances, looking for a co-sponsor shouldn't be mandatory and such intending immigrant should be allowed in.

Cheers!

The immigrant can be self-supporting, if they have sufficient assets, or (continuing) employment in the US. The K visas are not immigrant visas and the I-134 affidavit of support is unenforceable. Do away with that program, and you remove most of the issues.

There is no plausible reason to assume any intending immigrant will find a job with sufficient income in the US to be the sole support for a family in the US without becoming a burden on the US taxpayer in the current climate.

[jkb11 26]

The immigrant can be self-supporting, if they have sufficient assets, or (continuing) employment in the US. The K visas are not immigrant visas and the I-134 affidavit of support is unenforceable. Do away with that program, and you remove most of the issues.

There is no plausible reason to assume any intending immigrant will find a job with sufficient income in the US to be the sole support for a family in the US without becoming a burden on the US taxpayer in the current climate.

I'm not only talking about K-1's and I-134. I'm considering immigrant visas (and I-864's) too. Let's say the intending immigrant has a million dollars in his account that he will be able to support the whole family with, and the USC doesn't meet the income requirements, why shouldn't the immigrant be let in?

Cheers!

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'm not only talking about K-1's and I-134. I'm considering immigrant visas (and I-864's) too. Let's say the intending immigrant has a million dollars in his account that he will be able to support the whole family with, and the USC doesn't meet the income requirements, why shouldn't the immigrant be let in?

Cheers!

If you file a petition to bring your spouse to the US, (IR-1/CR-1 visa), you can use the total household income and assets to satisfy the requirements for the affidavit of support (I-864). Also, if the immigrant has already accumulated 40 quarters of social security credits, he/she would be exempt from filing the I-864.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

As usual with polls I do not go along but only vote because I cannot answer unless I do. That sucks.

The concept of the poverty level is preposterous and should be eliminated entirely immediately.

The US government does not care if you live in a refrigerator box. The purpose is not to "be sure you can support your family" the purpose is to be able to sue you to be reimbursed if your immigrant family becomes a public charge. As usual this requires affirmative (expensive) legal action and they rarely do it, meanwhile creating a situation for divorce attorneys to suck up on. Flawed concept for immigrants which have a stated "sponsor" willing to accept the responsibility for them

Eliminate the I-864 and I-134 for family based visas and simply make it a law that the immigrants who came under these circumstances CANNOT receive any welfare benefits until they become citizens. Done.

[jkb11 26]

As usual with polls I do not go along but only vote because I cannot answer unless I do. That sucks.

The concept of the poverty level is preposterous and should be eliminated entirely immediately.

The US government does not care if you live in a refrigerator box. The purpose is not to "be sure you can support your family" the purpose is to be able to sue you to be reimbursed if your immigrant family becomes a public charge. As usual this requires affirmative (expensive) legal action and they rarely do it, meanwhile creating a situation for divorce attorneys to suck up on. Flawed concept for immigrants which have a stated "sponsor" willing to accept the responsibility for them

Eliminate the I-864 and I-134 for family based visas and simply make it a law that the immigrants who came under these circumstances CANNOT receive any welfare benefits until they become citizens. Done.

I second that.

[Loida and Ed 11]

I was dirt poor and 18 yo my first marriage some 27 years ago and we made it just fine.. We struggled for our first 4 years but life got easier as my ex worked after the boys got a bit older. Maybe the right thing for USICS to do is take the average income of everyone that marry yearly in the US and use that number as minimum requirements.... Nah that makes too much sense for our great country lol.. BTW everyone has a bad year of earnings in their life unless they are very fortunate. I had one just last year. Made less last year then back in 1987, year 3 of my marriage. Things happen when economy goes bad. I am back now to earning well.. I just hope everyone can be together that chooses and that money is not ever involved in why someone marries... Good luck to all.

boy did this statement bring back memories for me... I guess we dont think about our 'resiliency" when were younger... well written