Do I need new I864s?

[LauraDP 10]

Well my husband got the job offer he needed to be able to say yes so we are officially US bound. All systems being go we now need to ensure all of our paperwork in order. I think everything else is tickety-boo but I think we might need updated versions of the I864s. The ones my husband (sponsor) and friend (US based co-sponsor) filled in were based on their 2011 tax returns (because we have had such a long delay since this process kicked off) so do they now have to complete versions that reflect their 2012 income since we are now into a new tax year? I suspect they do.

We are doing DCF through the London Embassy. By the time of the interviews, my husband will have - at least - a letter containing the job offer and a copy of his employment contract and actually (depending on what date we are given for the interviews) might even have started work. Do you think they would really just focus on his ability to support me and the fours kids based on that evidence alone? I am not suggesting for one instant that we would rock up without the I864s and all that jazz. I just wanted to know what to anticipate.

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Laura

[Darnell 8,478]

yup need new I-864s as a new tax year has transpired and he has new current annual income info

and (gasp)

there's a new, 9 page version of the I-864 .

go get em !

[lost_at_sea 995]

Sounds like you'd have had to do new ones anyway, as you've since filed 2012 returns (they always want the most recent one you've filed).

Congrats on his new job!

[LauraDP 10]

yup need new I-864s as a new tax year has transpired and he has new current annual income info

and (gasp)

there's a new, 9 page version of the I-864 .

go get em !

9 pages? Man, the folks in the US definitely love their documents!

That is what I suspected. My husband has filed his 2012 tax return so it's no problem for him to produce another one. I will contact my co-sponsor and tell him to do likewise.

Thanks for your reply.

Best wishes

Laura

Sounds like you'd have had to do new ones anyway, as you've since filed 2012 returns (they always want the most recent one you've filed).

Congrats on his new job!

Thanks!

There were times (very many times) when we didn't think we were going to pull this off. I sort of feel like I have to pinch myself.

Best wishes

Laura

[lost_at_sea 995]

Quick question, since we're talking about I864s... does anyone know if I should staple all that stuff together? Like, should I staple together all 9 pages + the tax returns, or should I keep the supporting tax returns separate? Also, we have his W2s, so should I staple them with the rest, or again on their own?

I don't wanna get the infamous grumpy Asian lady handing my docs first and saying I did it the wrong way.

[Darnell 8,478]

paper clips work wonders... binder clips also.

[lost_at_sea 995]

paper clips work wonders... binder clips also.

True! Just found this too... http://london.usembassy.gov/faq_i864_filing.html

So, sounds like I should staple together the 9 sheets, then clip on with a paperclip the supporting docs. Sound good?

[LauraDP 10]

True! Just found this too... http://london.usembassy.gov/faq_i864_filing.html

So, sounds like I should staple together the 9 sheets, then clip on with a paperclip the supporting docs. Sound good?

I seem to remember being told that staples were forbidden, a big no-no. I would play safe and use paperclips or bulldog clips just to be sure.

[lost_at_sea 995]

I seem to remember being told that staples were forbidden, a big no-no. I would play safe and use paperclips or bulldog clips just to be sure.

So is this another case of the embassy website being wrong?

[LauraDP 10]

So is this another case of the embassy website being wrong?

Not necessarily. It was folks on here who told me not to use staples. Maybe that is generic advice and the London Embassy take a different view. I guess if it is on their website, you can at least justify why you did so.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

USCIS has an assembly page about not stapling so maybe that is where that got in your head. It's not a huge deal. Angry Asian Lady will only frown if she doesn't like it. She frowned at my fiance a couple of times. She won't send you away without your visa over staples. She can't. She's clerical.

Don't forget the new version of the I-864. Same stuff - different layout. A job offer doesnt count to answer your other question. London website:

The sponsored immigrant has been offered employment on his or her relocation to the United States; can this be taken into consideration?

While we recognize that the sponsored immigrant may be the main wage earner in the family and on his or her relocation to the United States will have employment, that job offer and salary cannot be counted toward the poverty level guidelines.

[lost_at_sea 995]

As we're also talking old vs new form, is this the right form ID for the new one (from the upper right corner)?:

OMB No: 1615-0075

Expires: 03/31/2015

Looks like the new one.

Thanks for that reply, too, Nich-Nick. I'll follow the embassy page and just frown back at Angry Asian Lady if required.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

The OMB number is the same. I have copies of both. It's form date is 3/22/2013. The OMB expiration is when it's up for review again by the OMB for appropriateness and time to fill out (Paperwork Reduction Act).

FYI- I always staple tax returns together, whether they like it or not. Mine have quite a few different schedules. Tax transcripts are tidier with fewer pages and printed front and back. I had to use a tax return for K1 because the IRS said a transcript wouldn't be available until November-- 8 months after filing. That isn't normal. I think it is because I had a penalty for owing thousands and submitted a request to have it waived. I must have been in the "to do later" box because of that. They don't like it if you don't pay in enough during the year and write a whopper check when you file. They forgave me. I didn't pay the extra. I'm very good at sob stories.

[lost_at_sea 995]

The OMB number is the same. I have copies of both. It's form date is 3/22/2013. The OMB expiration is when it's up for review again by the OMB for appropriateness and time to fill out (Paperwork Reduction Act).

FYI- I always staple tax returns together, whether they like it or not. Mine have quite a few different schedules. Tax transcripts are tidier with fewer pages and printed front and back. I had to use a tax return for K1 because the IRS said a transcript wouldn't be available until November-- 8 months after filing. That isn't normal. I think it is because I had a penalty for owing thousands and submitted a request to have it waived. I must have been in the "to do later" box because of that. They don't like it if you don't pay in enough during the year and write a whopper check when you file. They forgave me. I didn't pay the extra. I'm very good at sob stories.

Weerrrr.. OK. So I'm probably looking at the right long form (http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864.pdf - although I don't see a barcode on it, so still feeling quite confused about that). That's the form we've completed, and it's mostly blank because it's just my hubs sponsoring me and no one else with just income.

So, what's the deal with this I-864EZ? http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864ez.pdf

The London Embassy website doesn't seem to mention it, but the DoS* does and it seems to fit against what we'd complete (sponsor filed I-130 for just me using just his salary)... Is that just for CR/IR-1 folk who do this the traditional, non-DCF, method and I should pretend I never saw it?

*http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3197.html

I'm going to staple our tax returns, too, as they're quite a few pages long.

Edited July 10, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[LauraDP 10]

Thanks once more, Nich-Nick. You are my guru at the moment.

I have yet to break the news to my co-sponsor that he needs to fill out entirely new forms (one for each of the five of us to boot) and send them over. Will do that later today when the time zones are more in sync.

I had a feeling that they would not even give a job offer or contract a second glance. It makes absolute sense, of course, that they would ignore it since it does not guarantee his ability to support us. What if by the time of the interviews my husband has actually started work and is being paid though? Would they want to see that information then? (I just want to ensure I have all the paperwork I need)

Thanks

Laura

PS Is this the new I864 form? Just want to be sure: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864.pdf