Applying for parents - one or both, sponsorship?

[masha77 0]

Hi,

I am a US citizen and my parents are currently in Russia. I am getting ready to apply on their behalf for a green card and I have a couple of questions.

I am wondering if it makes a difference to apply for them one at a time, say my mom first and once she is approved, then for my dad. Or if it's better to apply for both at the same time. Can I mail both applications in one envelope? Does it make a difference?

Also, I will be sponsoring both of them. The guideline says that my income has to be at or above 125% of the poverty line. If I am sponsoring them both, do I look at the federal guideline for the family of 3? it's just me and my parents. The current poverty guideline is 19,090. So that would mean that I need to make at least 24K Is that accurate? (http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/12poverty.shtml)

I would appreciate any other tips on filing for my parents. I live in NY. Not sure if there are any regional differences.

thanks,

M

[JohnR! 5,495]

Hi,

I am a US citizen and my parents are currently in Russia. I am getting ready to apply on their behalf for a green card and I have a couple of questions.

I am wondering if it makes a difference to apply for them one at a time, say my mom first and once she is approved, then for my dad. Or if it's better to apply for both at the same time. Can I mail both applications in one envelope? Does it make a difference?

Also, I will be sponsoring both of them. The guideline says that my income has to be at or above 125% of the poverty line. If I am sponsoring them both, do I look at the federal guideline for the family of 3? it's just me and my parents. The current poverty guideline is 19,090. So that would mean that I need to make at least 24K Is that accurate? (http://aspe.hhs.gov/...12poverty.shtml)

I would appreciate any other tips on filing for my parents. I live in NY. Not sure if there are any regional differences.

thanks,

M

It makes no difference if you apply for one or both but if they are planning to come to the US together, then it might behoove you to apply for both at the same time. You can mail both applications in one envelope, just make sure you include payment for two applications, and as an added precaution, send separate checks.

Your income should be more than $ 23,863 for a three-person household. link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

There are no regional differences for the process, so there are no additional requirements for a NY resident than for anyone else.

The only additional tip I would mention is to have them start looking for and checking all their documents to make sure their names are spelled correctly in all of them and that dates match across all paperwork as well.

Good luck!

[masha77 0]

It makes no difference if you apply for one or both but if they are planning to come to the US together, then it might behoove you to apply for both at the same time. You can mail both applications in one envelope, just make sure you include payment for two applications, and as an added precaution, send separate checks.

Your income should be more than $ 23,863 for a three-person household. link: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

There are no regional differences for the process, so there are no additional requirements for a NY resident than for anyone else.

The only additional tip I would mention is to have them start looking for and checking all their documents to make sure their names are spelled correctly in all of them and that dates match across all paperwork as well.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for a quick reply! This is helpful. However, this brings up one more question. The translated spelling of my parent's last name is different from mine. Mine is spelled with an "i" and theirs with a "y". Since Russian alphabet doesn't directly translate into English and the government recently decided to change the spelling so on my parents' recent passpots their last names are spelled under new guidelines. When we translated my birth certificate we accounted for that difference but I am wondering if that will be an issue. Not sure what a solution for that would be. Also, I am now under my married name, so I am assuming I will need to also submit my marriage certificate to prove the name change?

[JohnR! 5,495]

Thank you so much for a quick reply! This is helpful. However, this brings up one more question. The translated spelling of my parent's last name is different from mine. Mine is spelled with an "i" and theirs with a "y". Since Russian alphabet doesn't directly translate into English and the government recently decided to change the spelling so on my parents' recent passpots their last names are spelled under new guidelines. When we translated my birth certificate we accounted for that difference but I am wondering if that will be an issue. Not sure what a solution for that would be. Also, I am now under my married name, so I am assuming I will need to also submit my marriage certificate to prove the name change?

Yes, your marriage certificate should be evidence that you have changed your last name.

As I am not familiar with the intricacies of Cyrillic, I will let someone else comment on the 'Y' vs. 'I' issue.

[randye80 24]

Russian passports include bigraphic information in English in addition to Russian.

All of your paperwork should match the spelling in their current passports, including translations of other Russian-only documents (such as birth certificates).

Be as consistent as you can, but USCIS and DOS staff are generally familiar with the idiocentricies of Russian-English translations.

[masha77 0]

Russian passports include bigraphic information in English in addition to Russian.

All of your paperwork should match the spelling in their current passports, including translations of other Russian-only documents (such as birth certificates).

Be as consistent as you can, but USCIS and DOS staff are generally familiar with the idiocentricies of Russian-English translations.

Good to know, thank you

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to translate my birth certificate - somewhere reliable whose translation will be accepted by INS? Or any advise on how to go about looking for someone?

[randye80 24]

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to translate my birth certificate - somewhere reliable whose translation will be accepted by INS? Or any advise on how to go about looking for someone?

Great news here: Any Russian speaker can do it, except you personally (for your own documents).

USCIS only requires self-certification by the translator, this is their sample format:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

[Alex and Sofya 7]

Good to know, thank you

Does anyone have any recommendations on where to translate my birth certificate - somewhere reliable whose translation will be accepted by INS? Or any advise on how to go about looking for someone?

Hei,

Yes, any russian speaking can translate it for you. I did mine at Immigration Services for New Americans in Brooklyn at 65th Street and Ave O. 2264 65th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11204-4058 Phone: (718) 232-5651 years ago. But they still exist. My husband did his in Philadelphia, but since you live in NY, probably the first place is better for you.

Edited August 31, 2012 by Alex and Sofya

[aaron2020 11,651]

Great news here: Any Russian speaker can do it, except you personally (for your own documents).

USCIS only requires self-certification by the translator, this is their sample format:

Certification by Translator

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________

Date Typed Name

Address

Great info on the translation block.

There is no prohibition on him translating his own documents. Lots of people translate their own documents.

[Air Force Wife 6]

PD 2/14/12. Im married petioning for mother and had to sent certified copy of marriage certificate to USCIS and NVC.