Joint Sponsor household size

[yoshi5462 1]

Hello!

I have done a lot of research but I cannot clear up the confusion I have about household sizes for the I-864. Since I am currently living abroad I needed a joint sponsor in order to meet the financial requirements for my husband (the beneficiary). The joint sponsor is my sister's husband. Her husband will fill out the I-864 and my sister will fill out the I-864A. The husband has one child under 21 who lives with them. My sister has three children with her ex husband, they all live with the ex husband, she does not claim them on taxes, and one child is 21. So if I am understanding this right, the household would be:

Joint sponsor

Beneficiary

Joint sponsor's son

Sister

Total=4

Am I correct in assuming the my sister's two children under the age of 21 are not counted as dependents/household members of the joint sponsor because they are step-children, are not claimed on his taxes, and he does not financially support them?

Any help is deeply appreciated. Thank you!

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

Household size is people living in the residence

since you are the included it is

joint sponsor

wife of him (sister)

the child living in the house

petitioner

beneficary

that is 5

you have to include yourself

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

Household size is people living in the residence

Incorrect. Household size, for the I-864, has nothing to do with where people live and everything to do with financial dependency. So room mates or relatives living in the same house but not financially tied do NOT count. But others claimed on taxes, even if not living in the same home, DO count.

Op- minor kids count even if not claimed on taxes. living with you, as thye could at any time become your sister's dependents.

So household size would be:

Co-sponsor

co-sponsor's wife

co-sponsor's child

co-sponsor's wife's minor kids (2, or 3 if the 21 year old was claimed on taxes)

beneficiary

= 6

[Adil & Jeanne 296]

sorry i am assuming a 21 year old would have a job and be self supporting

my older son lives with me but has his own income and i do not claim him on taxes

the OP was not clear on this

said the 21 year old lived in the house only

[yoshi5462 1]

Thank you all for the quick replies!

I apologize, the 21 year old son of my sister is in the military and does not live at home with either parents and is not claimed on taxes. The only child that lives with the joint sponsor is under 21 years old and is claimed on taxes. So totally on one child (the joint sponsor's child) is claimed on taxes.

Edited August 8, 2016 by yoshi5462

[Gafelkins56 2]

Does a joint sponsor living out with 2 children have to abide by the us poverty guidelines to make enough money for she AND the immigrant?

[pushbrk 12,908]

Hello!

I have done a lot of research but I cannot clear up the confusion I have about household sizes for the I-864. Since I am currently living abroad I needed a joint sponsor in order to meet the financial requirements for my husband (the beneficiary). The joint sponsor is my sister's husband. Her husband will fill out the I-864 and my sister will fill out the I-864A. The husband has one child under 21 who lives with them. My sister has three children with her ex husband, they all live with the ex husband, she does not claim them on taxes, and one child is 21. So if I am understanding this right, the household would be:

Joint sponsor

Beneficiary

Joint sponsor's son

Sister

Total=4

Am I correct in assuming the my sister's two children under the age of 21 are not counted as dependents/household members of the joint sponsor because they are step-children, are not claimed on his taxes, and he does not financially support them?

Any help is deeply appreciated. Thank you!

This is an interesting situation and could confuse some people, but the above is how I would count the household.

[pushbrk 12,908]

Incorrect. Household size, for the I-864, has nothing to do with where people live and everything to do with financial dependency. So room mates or relatives living in the same house but not financially tied do NOT count. But others claimed on taxes, even if not living in the same home, DO count.

Op- minor kids count even if not claimed on taxes. living with you, as thye could at any time become your sister's dependents.

So household size would be:

Co-sponsor

co-sponsor's wife

co-sponsor's child

co-sponsor's wife's minor kids (2, or 3 if the 21 year old was claimed on taxes)

beneficiary

= 6

The person you are correcting was incorrect, but the I-864's questions about dependents would allow for leaving out the step children not living in the home, provided they are not claimed on either the sponsor or wife's tax returns. The I-864 asks about the sponsor's dependents, not their household member's potential dependents. The household member's dependents are only counted if they are claimed on the tax return.

Joint sponsor's never count the petitioner in their household, unless they are claiming the petitioner on their tax return as a dependent and will continue to do so. A sister's husband is unlikely to be claiming his sister in law on his tax return.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

the I-864's questions about dependents would allow for leaving out the step children not living in the home, provided they are not claimed on either the sponsor or wife's tax returns. The I-864 asks about the sponsor's dependents, not their household member's potential dependents. The household member's dependents are only counted if they are claimed on the tax return.

I've definitely seem embassies who counted the non-custodial minor kids on Visajourney, because custody arrangements can change at anytime. However, this may be country dependent.

[pushbrk 12,908]

I've definitely seem embassies who counted the non-custodial minor kids on Visajourney, because custody arrangements can change at anytime. However, this may be country dependent.

That is correct for the petitioner or the joint sponsor but not for the joint sponsor's household member.

[yoshi5462 1]

I can't thank everyone enough for all of their insights! I think I will just go ahead and count the household size as 4.

[Robbo82 0]

I have a question about household size my fiance does not make enough to get me to her so we asked a friend to help us now she lives alone buy her husband is on her taxes still my fiance has 2 kids so will the co sponsor household be 5 or will it be 3 since my fiancee kids are not dependent on the co sponsors tax return 

[aleful 1,905]

hi

 

your fiancé's household is 4, and her friend is 3

 

 

[Robbo82 0]

But do I have to add the 4 and 3 together on the co sponsors i-864 form or does the co sponsor just need to put 3 when she does the household members 

[aleful 1,905]

no,

 

they are 2 separate households,

 

they don't add all the people together, her friends total household size is 3