I-134 Letter of Self Employment

[ScottMichela 0]

Hey guys,

I need some advice about how to best present myself on the I-134. Here's my story: I recently graduated with a professional degree in May 2012. From graduation up until December I had a full time job making about double the poverty guideline for me and my fiancee, but the company downsized. Since midway through December until now I have been working as a freelancer. I am narrowly able to prove the 125% guideline with invoices and their accompanying checks, however due to the blunder of timing it will not show up much in my 2012 W-2/ tax return. I know that the CO can find my self employment very unstable since it's only been 2 months. So my question to you is how can I best present myself as unlikely to become a public charge?

So far I am thinking of including my old work stubs/w-2 and letter of employment along with my current letter of self employment. I left that job in good standing with a letter of recommendation which I will include. I am also getting letters of affiliation and good standing from my 3 clients. I am going to include a photocopy of my recent diploma. For extra testament to competence I will also include photocopies of an award of excellence from my University and 2 from my profession's national organization for outstanding academic achievement. Maybe as well some information about the average earnings of an entry level position in my field.

My question is will this mean anything to a CO? Will it make him/her see me as lower risk? The honest truth is that I have only been doing this freelance business because I wanted to be flexible in the time that we interview and get married. I didn't want to start a new job and ask for 2 weeks off- that sounded like a good way to mess up an employment opportunity/relationship. I am also going to draft a letter of good faith that I intend to be a fulltime worker once we are married immediately following the interview. Will this be seen in my favor?

Any advice or comments are helpful, and thanks!

Edited February 14, 2013 by ScottMichela

[CaroSL 68]

Since you don't want to stay a freelancer, what I would do is try to find a job, get one, use it for the interview as well as your income as a freelancer. Bring all the info you can at the interview actually.

When your fiancée gets in the US, have a courtroom wedding within the 90 days, then have a real ceremony followed by a honeymoon whenever you feel ready to ask your new boss for a vacation.

[ScottMichela 0]

Since you don't want to stay a freelancer, what I would do is try to find a job, get one, use it for the interview as well as your income as a freelancer. Bring all the info you can at the interview actually.

When your fiancée gets in the US, have a courtroom wedding within the 90 days, then have a real ceremony followed by a honeymoon whenever you feel ready to ask your new boss for a vacation.

thanks for the advice, CaroSL! I am planning to attend the interview- so that is partly the time i'd have to take off. We are going to do a courtroom wedding first, but for the benefit of my elderly family members it will be in my hometown so that will be time off too. I agree with you that it would be smart to find a new job- and had I known 2 months ago that the Naples Consulate has lately been unfriendly to co-sponsors, that would have been my plan. However, we are now 2-3 weeks away from the interview and I don't want to bank on a new letter of employment.

p.s. good luck with your interview in 5 days!

[CaroSL 68]

thanks for the advice, CaroSL! I am planning to attend the interview- so that is partly the time i'd have to take off. We are going to do a courtroom wedding first, but for the benefit of my elderly family members it will be in my hometown so that will be time off too. I agree with you that it would be smart to find a new job- and had I known 2 months ago that the Naples Consulate has lately been unfriendly to co-sponsors, that would have been my plan. However, we are now 2-3 weeks away from the interview and I don't want to bank on a new letter of employment.

p.s. good luck with your interview in 5 days!

oh, ok... well, sorry. Hope someone will help you better then!

But you should still have a co-sponsor, you never know, it is safer. It is not like you are making no money. I guess chances are higher they will consider your co-sponsor if you are making money yourself.

If you will be there for the interview, I am not sure you need a letter cause you can tell them all that...but well you can always have it ready.

Hope everything turns out well for you!

ps: ... Thank you and good luck to you too!

[ScottMichela 0]

anyone else have advice? is the hard number all that they look at or will some consideration be given to personal story?

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

anyone else have advice? is the hard number all that they look at or will some consideration be given to personal story?

There is some evidence that cosponsors for K1s are not readily accepted in Italy. Your attempt with self employment might be your best shot.

[Darnell 8,478]

don't confuse tax data (as it's prior years) with current annual income.

IMO, show your CURRENT annual income as current annual income. The Vice-Consul will do some math, summing what your accumulation from '1 Jan 2013 to interview date ' income was and extrapolating what 12 months of that will look like.

What you call a 'blunder of timing' really isn't that - it's the dividing line between prior years income as shown by tax returns and current annual income.

Edited February 15, 2013 by Darnell

[ScottMichela 0]

don't confuse tax data (as it's prior years) with current annual income.

IMO, show your CURRENT annual income as current annual income. The Vice-Consul will do some math, summing what your accumulation from '1 Jan 2013 to interview date ' income was and extrapolating what 12 months of that will look like.

What you call a 'blunder of timing' really isn't that - it's the dividing line between prior years income as shown by tax returns and current annual income.

okay, so this brings up another silly question. when i project my annual income should I only include payments recieved since january 1? the difference will be minor if i project based on 2.5 months of doing it (total) versus 2 months (since jan 1)

[Darnell 8,478]

it's a projection, from 1 JAN 2012 forward.

it's based on what you've earned or what your employer states in an employment letter (yer a freelancer, so you not have that exact thing)

[Villanelle 4,122]

So heres how it is-

1-You had a job where you met the guidelines. You were downsized.

2-Youre now a freelancer. But its only been 2 months. Your 2 months multiplied out will meet the guidelines. But its going to be up to the COs discretion if they believe its stable enough to last.

3-You can always get another job where you would meet the guidelines again and you have plenty of proof to back up the fact that you are qualified to obtain one.

For 1 your last years taxes and letter of recommendation is proof of number one.

Number 2 is your current income. Thats going to be your self employment letter, letters from your clients, profit/loss statements. It doesnt matter if the income is partially in Dec and partially in Jan.

Number 3 is your proof of the future. Thats your diploma, awards, entry level positions for your field, etc.

You do not want to write a letter saying my current income is temporary and I am abandoning it as soon as I walk out of the interview You want to say my current income meets the guidelines and is incredibly stable however at any point I can easily transfer back into company life and easily obtain a job because I am oh so qualified because of x y and z see all this proof and diplomas and I was only let go because of downsizing and they were so sad to let me go. Everyone loves me, here are my client statements, here are jobs I can get, I am self employed because I chose to be. My incomes enough this way and it would be enough that way. Understand?