Proof of Domicile advice

[furble 3]

I have to provide an explanation/proof of domicile along with my I-864 as per the instructions because my mailing address is in Indonesia.

Currently I have the following items included:

• Written explanation that I am in Indonesia only on a temporary basis
  
• Past 3 years tax returns (2009-2011)
  
• Copy of title to my car (in the US) & Last 3 years through current proof of registration
  
• Passport stamps of all my tourist Visas for Indonesia since I am only here as a tourist and keep getting a new Visa every few months
  
• Last month's Allstate Car Insurance Bill
  
• Last month's AT&T Cell phone bill
  
• Current California Drivers License
  
• Recent Jury Duty Summons from last month (both glad and not glad that I got that)
  
• Last month's 24 Hour Fitness bill/gym membership
  

So first question is, is this too much stuff?

My second questions is:

Now I can also include copies of my most recent bank statements, but the problem is my bank statement is not impressive. Unfortunately the way my income works is that I make large sums of money but only a few times a year so my cash flow is strange and currently my bank statement is around $5k and shows the previous month's balance of far less than that.

Now my annual income is significant and many times 125% of the minimum poverty line. For 2011 it was 4x, for 2010 it was 3x, for 2009 it was 8x. Just depends on the year but always many times higher than the minimum. Of course all the previous tax returns support this. Frankly my current bank balance is low because I just had to pay my income taxes which sucked and like I said my income is in spurts and in no specific pattern.

So the question is, do I include a copy of the recent bank statement? It seems they like this sort of thing, but then I don't want to make trouble for myself because perhaps they will frown on the balance? Perhaps its a bit strange if I include all this other stuff and no bank statement?

Or am I seriously over thinking this and I should just go with my written explanation along with the past 3 tax returns that are already included & maybe a copy of my California Drivers License?

Edited June 7, 2012 by furble

[furble 3]

Anybody? I'm hoping to mail on Monday and Appreciate any advice on the matter.

[gad33 47]

I have to provide an explanation/proof of domicile along with my I-864 as per the instructions because my mailing address is in Indonesia.

Currently I have the following items included:

• Written explanation that I am in Indonesia only on a temporary basis
  
• Past 3 years tax returns (2009-2011)
  
• Copy of title to my car (in the US) & Last 3 years through current proof of registration
  
• Passport stamps of all my tourist Visas for Indonesia since I am only here as a tourist and keep getting a new Visa every few months
  
• Last month's Allstate Car Insurance Bill
  
• Last month's AT&T Cell phone bill
  
• Current California Drivers License
  
• Recent Jury Duty Summons from last month (both glad and not glad that I got that)
  
• Last month's 24 Hour Fitness bill/gym membership
  

So first question is, is this too much stuff?

My second questions is:

Now I can also include copies of my most recent bank statements, but the problem is my bank statement is not impressive. Unfortunately the way my income works is that I make large sums of money but only a few times a year so my cash flow is strange and currently my bank statement is around $5k and shows the previous month's balance of far less than that.

Now my annual income is significant and many times 125% of the minimum poverty line. For 2011 it was 4x, for 2010 it was 3x, for 2009 it was 8x. Just depends on the year but always many times higher than the minimum. Of course all the previous tax returns support this. Frankly my current bank balance is low because I just had to pay my income taxes which sucked and like I said my income is in spurts and in no specific pattern.

So the question is, do I include a copy of the recent bank statement? It seems they like this sort of thing, but then I don't want to make trouble for myself because perhaps they will frown on the balance? Perhaps its a bit strange if I include all this other stuff and no bank statement?

Or am I seriously over thinking this and I should just go with my written explanation along with the past 3 tax returns that are already included & maybe a copy of my California Drivers License?

You are proving that you have maintained US domicile?

So you have the proof to show that you are in Indonesia as a tourist. Be careful on wording - you are a visitor not living in Indonesia. As proof of maintaining residence in US you are showing documents that a non-resident would not have. Did you serve on the jury?

If you are not using assets for the I-864 you do not have to worry about your bank balance. It is up to you to include it as further evidence of residence as a bank account in and of itself does not prove domicile.

I can't remember what form it is on, but did you put US as your country of domicile?

[furble 3]

Yes I put US as country of domicile. I think its pretty solid that the US is my domicile. I just want to avoid not sending enough and then having them ask for more, and also want to avoid sending them a bank statement that isn't neccessary that they may not like. Reality is I have a residence in the US just don't stay there any more. In my explanation to them I wrote "I could have used my US address on the form just as well but since I am spending my time here until we can come to the US together as a family I figured better to use this address because better to mail me here for the time being", or something like that.

[gad33 47]

Have you sent off the letter? Everything is emailed from NVC so address for mailing is a moot point.

If you haven't mailed the package yet, I would word it along the lines of that you are US domiciled with a US residence, list the proof you are including, then say that you are in Indonesia as a visitor and include proof of that.

"Just the facts" as they say.

[furble 3]

I guess I could technically just write my US address in the Address of residence spot and leave the Indo address for the mailing address. On the other forms where I had to put my address I've always listed Indo for everything.

I-130 just said "What is your address", I listed Indo. It didn't say "What is your residene"

G-325A said list your last 5 years residence. I included an attachment and showed a dual current residence of Indo and California.

I'll call NVC and ask them if I still need to include an explanation if my Mailing address is Indo with a Residence address as US. Seems perfectly reasonable that I could just write my CA address as my address of residence. Whenever I fill our arrival forms for entering countries or on my Visa applications here I always put US as my country of residence.

[ms112 0]

I guess I could technically just write my US address in the Address of residence spot and leave the Indo address for the mailing address. On the other forms where I had to put my address I've always listed Indo for everything.

I-130 just said "What is your address", I listed Indo. It didn't say "What is your residene"

G-325A said list your last 5 years residence. I included an attachment and showed a dual current residence of Indo and California.

I'll call NVC and ask them if I still need to include an explanation if my Mailing address is Indo with a Residence address as US. Seems perfectly reasonable that I could just write my CA address as my address of residence. Whenever I fill our arrival forms for entering countries or on my Visa applications here I always put US as my country of residence.

hi, i was just wondering if u called nvc and wat did they say because im in tthe same situation.

[furble 3]

hi, i was just wondering if u called nvc and wat did they say because im in tthe same situation.

I called them a few times. Didn't get consistently the same specific answer each time but I did get the same consistent sentiment that at the end of the day, whatever It was, if I am legitimately domiciled in the US (which I am) they will figure that out anyway. Basically fill the form out how you feel is most accurate.

I ended up going with what I believe was the most accurate answer which was to list my US address as my address of residence and my Indonesian address as my mailing address. Furthermore I attached a written explanation because the instructions said if you write something outside the US for either to do so.

I made sure to address the points regarding the issue in the written explanation. (I'm Indo on a tourist visa, I have no accounts for anything here and all my accounts for everything are in the US, paid state and fed taxes, etc...) of course evidence of all this was attached as well. Who knows how much of this was actually neccessary, but that said better to go the whole 9 yards just in case.

We got our interview date a few days ago.

Make sure you send your DS-230 at the same time as I-864, this was a few week hold up for us as I thought they had to go in order. After they processed the I-864 they sent us a letter saying that they were still missing DS-230 as if we should have sent it at the same time.