Do I make enough?

[codythecolt 1]

Hi guys! Here's a question.

So I just finished getting my 2 year degree as a pharmacy technician at a local community college. I actually just got a job aswell at a retail pharmacy, my starting pay will be $8.75 a hour. I'm still looking for jobs with higher pay such as in a hospital where the starting salary is about $12.50 a hour. But jobs are thin in my area, Mountains of North Carolina, not many pharmacies around lol. So here is my questions.

At 8.75 usd a hour, will I make enough money to file for my fiance? I plan on fileing around January 2013. I've been reading some about a poverty level? I calculate at 8.75 a hour working 40 hours a week, I will be making 18200 a year. Is this enough to file?

Also, since I just got the job, I will have very little on my W2 when I file taxes at the beginning of next year. Will this hurt me? What do I do?

I already asked my parents and they said they would not mind doing the co-sponser thing, however I read Manila does not do that? correct?

[toastedpancake 15]

as long as its above 125% poverty guidelines

check this out http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

Edited September 4, 2012 by toastedpancake

[codythecolt 1]

as long as its above 125% poverty guidelines

check this out http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864p.pdf

So am I going off the 2 household list of $18.912? So it looks like im gonna be 712 dollars a year short from the the minimum? ERRRR

[Que Saudade 284]

The 125% above Poverty guidelines (see here) states for a household of 2 is $18,912

This is cutting it very close. Maybe by the time you have to file I-134, you will be making a little more. If you file I-129F in Jan 2013, your interview should be between 6-9 months later. Depends on how fast or slow Service Centers are processing.

As far as your W-2 is concerned, USCIS looks closely at current income when you go for interview.

Manila has historically not accepted co-sponsor for I-134

Edited September 4, 2012 by Que Saudade

[codythecolt 1]

The 125% above Poverty guidelines (see here) states for a household of 2 is $18,912

This is cutting it very close. Maybe by the time you have to file I-134, you will be making a little more. If you file I-129F in Jan 2013, your interview should be between 6-9 months later. Depends on how fast or slow Service Centers are processing.

As far as your W-2 is concerned, USCIS looks closely at current income when you go for interview.

Manila has historically not accepted co-sponsor for I-134

I see! So they won't be looking at my W2 or financial status until her interview! Not the actual I-129.... Ok this helps alot, Hopefully i'll have a pay raise by then at my retail pharmacy, or even better! A job at a hospital with a big pay increase! Ok thanks abunch, I was monstly concerned about them looking at my financial status at the beginning steps.. Thanks so much!

[toastedpancake 15]

So am I going off the 2 household list of $18.912? So it looks like im gonna be 712 dollars a year short from the the minimum? ERRRR

yeah, but you still have time though. you can still get another part time job.

The 125% above Poverty guidelines (see here) states for a household of 2 is $18,912

This is cutting it very close. Maybe by the time you have to file I-134, you will be making a little more. If you file I-129F in Jan 2013, your interview should be between 6-9 months later. Depends on how fast or slow Service Centers are processing.

As far as your W-2 is concerned, USCIS looks closely at current income when you go for interview.

Manila has historically not accepted co-sponsor for I-134

:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

[codythecolt 1]

One last thing...

If things go wrong, and i'm making around the same, by her interview time .. What if by january I started working 2 jobs? Say a small part time job to make a bit more. Could that work? Or no?

yeah, but you still have time though. you can still get another part time job.

:thumbs: :thumbs: :thumbs:

OMG lol, you read my mind as I was typeing my last question ... LOL thanks!

[Que Saudade 284]

I see! So they won't be looking at my W2 or financial status until her interview! Not the actual I-129.... Ok this helps alot, Hopefully i'll have a pay raise by then at my retail pharmacy, or even better! A job at a hospital with a big pay increase! Ok thanks abunch, I was monstly concerned about them looking at my financial status at the beginning steps.. Thanks so much!

Another way around that is to get married and file CR1, joint sponsorship for CR1 is accepted (so I have read by others from Manila)

There are many advantages of CR1 versus K1... Especially with the fact that you don't plan on filing until January. I would take a close look at comparing the 2. There is money saved and when your new bride arrives in the states, she will be a Lawful Permanent Resident and you guys won't have to go through the Adjustment of Status ($1070). We did K1 and if we had to do it again, we would do CR1. Just food for thought....

Continuing with K1 process, since you haven't filed yet, take this time to study the guides carefully. K1 Guide

Go ahead and print all the forms out (along with instructions) and treat each form like a different entity. Get very familiar with them all.

This will help alleviate nerves by giving you confidence in what you are doing.

Take a look at this K1 flowchart . I like to tell people this process is like eating an elephant. You can't just swallow the whole thing, you have to eat it one bite at a time.

You have plenty of time to study.

Best of luck to the both of you

[carton025 38]

The 125% above Poverty guidelines (see here) states for a household of 2 is $18,912

This is cutting it very close. Maybe by the time you have to file I-134, you will be making a little more. If you file I-129F in Jan 2013, your interview should be between 6-9 months later. Depends on how fast or slow Service Centers are processing.

As far as your W-2 is concerned, USCIS looks closely at current income when you go for interview.

Manila has historically not accepted co-sponsor for I-134

My experience about using a co-sponsor at the embassy differs from yours. I am also a member of a Yahoo group that specializes in offering free assistance to Americans immigrating Filipino/a's to the USA and using a co-sponsor has never been a problem. The problem has always existed with the petitioner. I also offer this link to the VJ FAQ page that discusses using a co-sponsor for the I-134, http://www.visajourney.com/content/support, and it reads as follows:

Not having adequate income will not usually be a problem if you have a co-sponsor, according to experiences

posted on the newsgroup, as long as the co-sponsor has adequate income/assets.

Be aware that the co-sponsor must have enough income/assets for both your fiance, any fiance children that will

be immigrating, and his/her own household. However, that IF the US fiance has been on welfare or other

government benefits for a lifetime or has no plans to work actively, the consulate can still deny the visa based on

the likelihood that the foreign fiance will become a public charge. Just having a co-sponsor may not be sufficient.

An actual case has been documented wherein a fiance visa was denied because the petitioning fiance was on

government benefits and would not be working, even though the US fiance had two co-sponsors.

Do you have personal experience or knowledge that the Manila embassy does not "historically" accept co-sponsors for the I-134? If so, could you and would you post that information so that I can update my information and the Yahoo groups position.

Regards,

Sid

[Que Saudade 284]

Read here where a seasoned Philippine member makes the comment

Read here where seasoned members already answered this for you

Read here where another Philippine member states not allowed

I am basing my information off of what others have reported from Philipine's, not from personal experience.

If you have contradictory proof against this statement, by all means share it as it will benefit many.

P.S. If you peruse the Phillipine forum, there is more information there.

Edited September 4, 2012 by Que Saudade

[carton025 38]

Thank you for your quick reply. I clicked on all the links you provided and I also read all of the information provided in each link. Maybe my "understanding" is different, but I see no valid citation or reference regarding co-sponsors not being accept by the USEM for the I-134, only "this is what I have read or heard. Personally, I have seen examples where a child has used mom and dad as a co-sponsor and elderly men use their kids a I-134 co-sponsor(s) and all were accepted and later approved by the USEM. The problem has always been with the petitioner as mentioned on the VJ FAQ page that I cited . In the future, I will make a copy of the next instance and with the permission of the poster provide that information regarding I-134 and co-sponsors. I also peruse the Philippine portal weekly.

Again, thank you for your quick response.

Regards,

Sid

[sjr09 155]

"Historically" it has been case by case, it's the totality of circumstances in assessing the credibility of joint sponsorships for K-1 co-sponsor @USEM. Petitioners in fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa cases,"USEM" are generally expected to provide the adequacy of their own financial resources to ensure that an alien, after admission into the United States, will not become primarily dependent on the US Government for subsistence. The mere submission of an I-134 Affidavit of Support from joint sponsors is not sufficient to establish that the alien is not likely to become a public charge.

Unlike the I-864 filed by joint sponsors in immigrant visa cases, the I-134 is not legally binding and imposes no legal obligation on the joint sponsor to make good on his or her promises.

[carton025 38]

"Historically" it has been case by case, it's the totality of circumstances in assessing the credibility of joint sponsorships for K-1 co-sponsor @USEM. Petitioners in fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa cases,"USEM" are generally expected to provide the adequacy of their own financial resources to ensure that an alien, after admission into the United States, will not become primarily dependent on the US Government for subsistence. The mere submission of an I-134 Affidavit of Support from joint sponsors is not sufficient to establish that the alien is not likely to become a public charge.

Unlike the I-864 filed by joint sponsors in immigrant visa cases, the I-134 is not legally binding and imposes no legal obligation on the joint sponsor to make good on his or her promises.

Thank you also for your reply. "Historically," all visa petitions are reviewed on a "case-by-case" basis. Yes, all petitions are approved or denied based on the "totality of circumstances" regarding each petition. Please correct me if I am incorrect, but all "Petitioners in fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa cases,"USEM" (regardless of USE location) are "generally" (good word), expected to provide the adequacy of their own financial resources to ensure that an alien, after admission into the United States, will not become "primarily dependent," (more good words(, on the US Government for subsistence." Finally, again please correct me if I am not correct, but every legal document signed by the US citizen does become a "legally binding" document and does impose "legal obligations" on the co-sponsor / joint sponsor to make good his or her promises. If this is not true, according to your original statements, all of the documents I signed in order for my gal to get her gree-card are not "legally binding" on me, correct?

Again, thank you for your timely response.

Sid

[Tahoma 2,292]

Manila has historically not accepted co-sponsor for I-134

Read here where a seasoned Philippine member makes the comment

Read here where seasoned members already answered this for you

Read here where another Philippine member states not allowed

I am basing my information off of what others have reported from Philipine's, not from personal experience.

If you have contradictory proof against this statement, by all means share it as it will benefit many.

P.S. If you peruse the Phillipine forum, there is more information there.

The U.S. Embassy Manila, by their own admission, accepts joint sponsors on a case-by-case basis. I've seen quite a few people get K-1 approvals in Manila by using joint sponsors. Two of them I know personally. Many others here on VJ got approved using joint sponsors. The most recent one that I'm aware of is VJ member kinkyara, who was approved a couple of weeks ago. She knows two other K-1'ers who recently got approved using joint sponsors.

In your first link, prettyjan was approved using a joint sponsor. In the link within that thread, maning was approved by using a joint sponsor, and so was inky's friend. Carlo702 was also approved using a joint sponsor. Also, I posted in that thread that Manila sometimes accepts joint sponsors, as did pushbrk.

In your second link, I didn't see any seasoned Philippines members comment on whether Manila accepts joint sponsors.

In your third link, the only person who replied to the OP about joint sponsors said that they are accepted.

[X Factor 1,112]

The U.S. Embassy Manila, by their own admission, accepts joint sponsors on a case-by-case basis. I've seen quite a few people get K-1 approvals in Manila by using joint sponsors. Two of them I know personally. Many others here on VJ got approved using joint sponsors. The most recent one that I'm aware of is VJ member kinkyara, who was approved a couple of weeks ago. She knows two other K-1'ers who recently got approved using joint sponsors.

In your first link, prettyjan was approved using a joint sponsor. In the link within that thread, maning was approved by using a joint sponsor, and so was inky's friend. Carlo702 was also approved using a joint sponsor. Also, I posted in that thread that Manila sometimes accepts joint sponsors, as did pushbrk.

In your second link, I didn't see any seasoned Philippines members comment on whether Manila accepts joint sponsors.

In your third link, the only person who replied to the OP about joint sponsors said that they are accepted.

Multiple link therapy...