I-864 Question 25...what's a former housewife to do?

[Andrea&Sergio 0]

I need a little guidance with this, please! I've used these forums to clear up every other question I have had during this process (and there have been PLENTY) but this one is a little hinky. It's causing me enough grief to prompt my first post here so...

I want to be proactive while we wait for our NOA2, and as I am industriously filling out form I-864 I come to a stumbling block when they ask Question 25, Federal Income Tax info over the past three years. My situation is this: for the years 2009 and 2010 I stayed at home with my kids, my ex-husband was the sole provider. The beginning of 2011 we began divorce proceedings.

So my question is this: since we were married-filing-jointly for the first two years should I put in my ex-husband's annual income even though I didn't have a W-2 for those years? My concern deepens when I read about people getting RFEd over discrepancies between what they answer on these lines and the information shown in the tax transcripts they submit. I don't want a stupid error like that add weeks or months to this whole ordeal. I just want my husband.

Another concern I have is that my 2011 tax return shows only half of what I actually make since I worked ####### jobs the first part of the year until June when I was able to land the position I wanted. If they only look at the income claimed on the 2011 line of Question 25 it's not going to qualify me against the 2012 poverty guidelines. What I DO have is a letter of employment on comany letterhead stating my date of hire, position, and yearly income which is plenty for me to sponsor my husband on my own. But...will that be enough?

Any suggestions, hints, tips, or advice will be enthusiastically received and greatly appreciated.

[Derek & Rita 6]

I need a little guidance with this, please! I've used these forums to clear up every other question I have had during this process (and there have been PLENTY) but this one is a little hinky. It's causing me enough grief to prompt my first post here so...

I want to be proactive while we wait for our NOA2, and as I am industriously filling out form I-864 I come to a stumbling block when they ask Question 25, Federal Income Tax info over the past three years. My situation is this: for the years 2009 and 2010 I stayed at home with my kids, my ex-husband was the sole provider. The beginning of 2011 we began divorce proceedings.

So my question is this: since we were married-filing-jointly for the first two years should I put in my ex-husband's annual income even though I didn't have a W-2 for those years? My concern deepens when I read about people getting RFEd over discrepancies between what they answer on these lines and the information shown in the tax transcripts they submit. I don't want a stupid error like that add weeks or months to this whole ordeal. I just want my husband.

Another concern I have is that my 2011 tax return shows only half of what I actually make since I worked ####### jobs the first part of the year until June when I was able to land the position I wanted. If they only look at the income claimed on the 2011 line of Question 25 it's not going to qualify me against the 2012 poverty guidelines. What I DO have is a letter of employment on comany letterhead stating my date of hire, position, and yearly income which is plenty for me to sponsor my husband on my own. But...will that be enough?

Any suggestions, hints, tips, or advice will be enthusiastically received and greatly appreciated.

No. You'll need a joint sponsor.

[pushbrk 13,173]

No. You'll need a joint sponsor.

Probably not, provided her "current income" qualifies. The 2011 income from tax return is NOT her current income. I would state the income from line 22 of each of the three returns, even though none of the 2009 or 2010 income was your own. Then provide only the 2011 tax return you filed on your own. State your current income as what it is now and document that with a current pay stub with year to date earnings, and/or an employer letter.

Your income is your current gross, so if annual salary, that's what it is. If full time hourly, then the gross hourly X 40 X 52.

Current income is King, even though the affidavit asks for information about past income.

[dwheels76 5,469]

Probably not, provided her "current income" qualifies. The 2011 income from tax return is NOT her current income. I would state the income from line 22 of each of the three returns, even though none of the 2009 or 2010 income was your own. Then provide only the 2011 tax return you filed on your own. State your current income as what it is now and document that with a current pay stub with year to date earnings, and/or an employer letter.

Your income is your current gross, so if annual salary, that's what it is. If full time hourly, then the gross hourly X 40 X 52.

Current income is King, even though the affidavit asks for information about past income.

Pushbrk Thank you thank you. I know the OP asked but this too has been my issue for 2011 (I was living in Nigeria most of year). And the annual salary calculator you showed here,(see I was horrible at math) your formula showed I was $5000 off. Goodness. I feel like I just got a raise. I thank you for your knowledge. I know its Lagos we have to go through but I feel so much better.

"Current income is King, even though the affidavit asks for information about past income."

[pushbrk 13,173]

Pushbrk Thank you thank you. I know the OP asked but this too has been my issue for 2011 (I was living in Nigeria most of year). And the annual salary calculator you showed here,(see I was horrible at math) your formula showed I was $5000 off. Goodness. I feel like I just got a raise. I thank you for your knowledge. I know its Lagos we have to go through but I feel so much better.

"Current income is King, even though the affidavit asks for information about past income."

2011 income is only "current income" for the self employed. You could get a $50,000 a year job in October and state your current income as $50,000 on an affidavit filed in November.

If you calculate 4 weeks per month, you'll state your income 4 weeks low. There are 52 weeks in a year.

[Andrea&Sergio 0]

Probably not, provided her "current income" qualifies. The 2011 income from tax return is NOT her current income. I would state the income from line 22 of each of the three returns, even though none of the 2009 or 2010 income was your own. Then provide only the 2011 tax return you filed on your own. State your current income as what it is now and document that with a current pay stub with year to date earnings, and/or an employer letter.

Your income is your current gross, so if annual salary, that's what it is. If full time hourly, then the gross hourly X 40 X 52.

Current income is King, even though the affidavit asks for information about past income.

Thank you so much for the input, this seems pretty logical. What's so sad is that my 2011 income is about three dollars below the guideline requirement!

I will definitely include some recent pay stubs and the employment letter. I just wanted to avoid getting a co-sponsor if possible. In reality it's not necessary based on my salary, and the more forms I fill out and paperwork I have to submit, the more opportunities are presented to make a stupid error.

Thanks again for the advice...onwards and upwards.