self-employed, living abroad, no prior year tax returns

[BnT 9]

Hello wonderful VJ community!

Filed I-129F in January, NOA1 Jan. 9th. NOA2 is projected for this week, so I have been working hard to prepare the next set of documents so that we are ready. I do have a joint sponsor whose income is well over the limit but I am unsure about what all to include with my own I-134.

I have been living in Honduras since March of 2010. I came as a volunteer and did not work (for income anyway!) from March 2010 until Feb. 2011. At that point, I worked a few months for a local bilingual school and barely earned enough to pay rent and eat. That ended in June 2011. Visited the US for the summer and started working at another bilingual school in Aug. 2011. Was there until Mar. 2012. Again, not a great salary but something. I was wayyyyyyyy below the limit to need to file for taxes for 2011. I started working as an independent contractor from home in Honduras in Feb. 2012. I work for an actual international company and have regular hours and pay but since it is not a US company, it is easier for them to have everyone as indep. contractors. So I cannot get a letter of employment from my company.

I have been searching and reading all over to see what all I should include since I don't have a letter or tax returns to send. I do have biweekly invoices since February and can get a statement from my US bank where my payments go every 2 weeks. I read somewhere on here that I should write a letter explaining my lack of income tax returns for last year since I was below the limit to need to do so. I will also write a letter stating I am self employed and what I do and my salary. BUT I don't have the "copy of my last income tax return or report of commercial rating concern".....does any of this matter since I have a joint sponsor who easily fulfills all requirements?

Thanks for any help!!!!

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Hello wonderful VJ community!

Filed I-129F in January, NOA1 Jan. 9th. NOA2 is projected for this week, so I have been working hard to prepare the next set of documents so that we are ready. I do have a joint sponsor whose income is well over the limit but I am unsure about what all to include with my own I-134.

I have been living in Honduras since March of 2010. I came as a volunteer and did not work (for income anyway!) from March 2010 until Feb. 2011. At that point, I worked a few months for a local bilingual school and barely earned enough to pay rent and eat. That ended in June 2011. Visited the US for the summer and started working at another bilingual school in Aug. 2011. Was there until Mar. 2012. Again, not a great salary but something. I was wayyyyyyyy below the limit to need to file for taxes for 2011. I started working as an independent contractor from home in Honduras in Feb. 2012. I work for an actual international company and have regular hours and pay but since it is not a US company, it is easier for them to have everyone as indep. contractors. So I cannot get a letter of employment from my company.

I have been searching and reading all over to see what all I should include since I don't have a letter or tax returns to send. I do have biweekly invoices since February and can get a statement from my US bank where my payments go every 2 weeks. I read somewhere on here that I should write a letter explaining my lack of income tax returns for last year since I was below the limit to need to do so. I will also write a letter stating I am self employed and what I do and my salary. BUT I don't have the "copy of my last income tax return or report of commercial rating concern".....does any of this matter since I have a joint sponsor who easily fulfills all requirements?

Thanks for any help!!!!

You just need to write a statement explaining why you were not legally required to files taxes.

[Rob & Monika 87]

Are you currently in Honduras? The K-1 is for getting married in the US. Do you plan on coming here to get married and then staying here?

[Dave&Roza 748]

I know it is a royal PITA, but this is why you should file a tax return even if you earned wayyyyyy below the required filing amount. Then you have a record to use should you ever need it. And I am sure filing taxes from a foriegn country is not easy too.

I would submit a letter explaining your situation and include as much documentation as you can. Since you are thinking ahead, what will you do when you file for AOS? WIll your co-sponsor sign the I-864 putting him/her on the hook for your spouse and is your co-sponsor willing to submit a change of address every time he/she moves until your spouse meets the requirements to not need the I-864? Or will you be making enough money by the time you file of AOS?

Getting the petition approved, and then the visa are only the first steps. I would also make certain you can support your new spouse and have the I-864 a figured out.

Good luck,

Dave

Edited June 4, 2012 by Dave&Roza

[Mogambi 96]

You might have a tough road ahead of you.

[BnT 9]

Are you currently in Honduras? The K-1 is for getting married in the US. Do you plan on coming here to get married and then staying here?

Exactly. I have a decent paying job now...enough to live on in the US. Just don't have any tax proof of it at the moment. I have stayed here b/c the plane tickets back and forth are outrageous so it is cheaper and better to be here where we can be together. Plus it makes the paperwork end of things easier since we can do it together.

[BnT 9]

I know it is a royal PITA, but this is why you should file a tax return even if you earned wayyyyyy below the required filing amount. Then you have a record to use should you ever need it. And I am sure filing taxes from a foriegn country is not easy too.

I would submit a letter explaining your situation and include as much documentation as you can. Since you are thinking ahead, what will you do when you file for AOS? WIll your co-sponsor sign the I-864 putting him/her on the hook for your spouse and is your co-sponsor willing to submit a change of address every time he/she moves until your spouse meets the requirements to not need the I-864? Or will you be making enough money by the time you file of AOS?

Getting the petition approved, and then the visa are only the first steps. I would also make certain you can support your new spouse and have the I-864 a figured out.

Good luck,

Dave

Yes, I realize now that I should have filed....seemed ridiculous at the time b/c I don't have any W2s or anything since my jobs were here and the pay was so darned low!

My job as of February is enough to support both of us in the US. So the trick right now is just that I didn't have it last year so I have no tax forms for proof of employment. So, yea, by the time AOS comes around, I should be fine to sign the I-864 on my own.

[BnT 9]

You just need to write a statement explaining why you were not legally required to files taxes.

That's exactly what I thought. Thanks!