Joint Sponsor's Income

[bellashay 14]

My joint sponsor is my mom-in-law and she already prepared all the documents needed for my interview at the end of March. The thing is she's currently unemployed but will be starting her new job on April 1st. We have her letter of employment and job offer from her company stating her annual salary, position, responsibilities etc. Basically on her new job as a compliance VP, she'll be making $105,000 for the year and that's what she wrote in her current annual income on I 864.

A little back story though for her unemployment. She got laid off end of September 2015 and has been receiving a severance package (October- March) from her company of 14 years. We'll be including the paystubs too for the past 6 months of the severance pay- which is still her usual monthly income from that company. She also wrote a letter explaining the situation and attached several documents to support it like tax transcripts, W2's, and paystubs. Plus, she also provided us copies of her land titles as assets (she has 2 houses, one in MN and another in OH where she's renting it out.)

Do you think what we have is enough for the interview or should we re-schedule our for April when she's actually working?

Looking forward to your inputs! Thanks in advance.

[aaron2020 11,651]

MIL must list her CURRENT INCOME. CURRENT INCOME is what is required for the I-864. She can not use income from a job she has not started.

Severance pay can not be used either since that came from a job she no longer has.

Edited March 8, 2016 by aaron2020

[bellashay 14]

Thanks for your reply. So it's best to re- schedule for an April interview instead?

[gradtaai 8]

My joint sponsor is my mom-in-law and she already prepared all the documents needed for my interview at the end of March. The thing is she's currently unemployed but will be starting her new job on April 1st. We have her letter of employment and job offer from her company stating her annual salary, position, responsibilities etc. Basically on her new job as a compliance VP, she'll be making $105,000 for the year and that's what she wrote in her current annual income on I 864.

A little back story though for her unemployment. She got laid off end of September 2015 and has been receiving a severance package (October- March) from her company of 14 years. We'll be including the paystubs too for the past 6 months of the severance pay- which is still her usual monthly income from that company. She also wrote a letter explaining the situation and attached several documents to support it like tax transcripts, W2's, and paystubs. Plus, she also provided us copies of her land titles as assets (she has 2 houses, one in MN and another in OH where she's renting it out.)

Do you think what we have is enough for the interview or should we re-schedule our for April when she's actually working?

Looking forward to your inputs! Thanks in advance.

I am sorry as I can't find it now, but I read a post here just the other day where their co-sponsor was in the same situation. They sent the letter of employment with the wage stated and they passed the interview. All I can say is what do you have to lose (except the hassle) of going in for the interview, and see what happens. The worse is that you would have to re-file her i-864 when she got the job.

[7Ken 15]

I can't help but think in a situation like this that previous tax returns, possibly even going back more than the 3 years with the letter of new employment might be enough. Since the actual last income tax info is from 2014. New tax returns from 2015 are not due until April 15th, 2016.

Just a thought?

[gradtaai 8]

It couldn't hurt. I am in a similar situation. I ran a S corp company for over 20 years.. I suspended operations at the end of 2012. The company grossed over $200,000 in that short year. Since then I have been living here in Thailand. I own my own home here so I have been living off my SS only and receiving no other income. Since my plan is to re open the company. I want to show my 1040 for that year and the filed 1120 (S corp Tax) and profit distribution (I'm sole stock holder). I don't NEED to prove I have enough income since I am assets heavy, but I want to show intent of employment for both myself and my wife when we get there.