I-864 and Child Custody/Support

[Valabum 6]

This is not so much of a procedural question, but more of a "what would YOU do" scenario. I just want to have spotless paperwork! Don't we all?!

I'm not at the stage to fill out my I-864 yet, but knowing about it bugs me! Help me put my mind at ease!

I earn more than enough money on my own at work to support myself, my beneficiary, and my 7-year-old daughter. Period.

But I'm divorced. I have full legal custody only - I have the right to make decisions about my daughter (school, medical) without having to consult my ex husband first. It just makes things easier because with his work, he could be miles away in another state at the drop of a hat. He trusts me to make decisions in her favor, and I do promise as a decent human being to do that!

In return, my ex has unlimited visitation rights, the right to declare her as a dependent on his tax documents and he pays me $700 a month in child support which is automatically debited into my bank account.

She mostly lives with me, and stays with him whenever he's got time off from work. It could be one day a week, or the whole week depending on his schedule.

Easy peasy!

As far as the I-864 is concerned and filling out the paperwork "correctly," should I declare the household size "3" and use my salary alone as income.....or my salary plus child support payments on a household of 3....or are we a household of two since I don't declare her (not even on my W2 either!)....or is it some other combination?

It seems easiest to just submit my income only on a household of 3 and call it a day since I alone earn enough to cover all three of us, but considering I do "earn" much more than that in child support it seems I should mention it....but then again the child support is so high and tax-wise, my daughter "doesn't exist" on my paperwork I'm a household of one on my own tax documents!

Ugh! I just don't know what I'm supposed to write in the boxes! The I-864 institutions plainly state to include all people in the household, even "those who don't live with you," but my issue is the opposite - she lives with me...I just don't pay for her!

So it's not an issue of meeting requirements - I just want to do it correctly!

[Lenchick 133]

This is not so much of a procedural question, but more of a "what would YOU do" scenario. I just want to have spotless paperwork! Don't we all?!

I'm not at the stage to fill out my I-864 yet, but knowing about it bugs me! Help me put my mind at ease!

I earn more than enough money on my own at work to support myself, my beneficiary, and my 7-year-old daughter. Period.

But I'm divorced. I have full legal custody only - I have the right to make decisions about my daughter (school, medical) without having to consult my ex husband first. It just makes things easier because with his work, he could be miles away in another state at the drop of a hat. He trusts me to make decisions in her favor, and I do promise as a decent human being to do that!

In return, my ex has unlimited visitation rights, the right to declare her as a dependent on his tax documents and he pays me $700 a month in child support which is automatically debited into my bank account.

She mostly lives with me, and stays with him whenever he's got time off from work. It could be one day a week, or the whole week depending on his schedule.

Easy peasy!

As far as the I-864 is concerned and filling out the paperwork "correctly," should I declare the household size "3" and use my salary alone as income.....or my salary plus child support payments on a household of 3....or are we a household of two since I don't declare her (not even on my W2 either!)....or is it some other combination?

It seems easiest to just submit my income only on a household of 3 and call it a day since I alone earn enough to cover all three of us, but considering I do "earn" much more than that in child support it seems I should mention it....but then again the child support is so high and tax-wise, my daughter "doesn't exist" on my paperwork I'm a household of one on my own tax documents!

Ugh! I just don't know what I'm supposed to write in the boxes! The I-864 institutions plainly state to include all people in the household, even "those who don't live with you," but my issue is the opposite - she lives with me...I just don't pay for her!

So it's not an issue of meeting requirements - I just want to do it correctly!

I remember we put household of 4 in I-184 (as many people as reside in the house) even though my husband reported only me and himself as the children didn't have their SSNs and were not residents to be included as exemptions.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Lenchick

[Lenchick 133]

This is not so much of a procedural question, but more of a "what would YOU do" scenario. I just want to have spotless paperwork! Don't we all?!

I'm not at the stage to fill out my I-864 yet, but knowing about it bugs me! Help me put my mind at ease!

I earn more than enough money on my own at work to support myself, my beneficiary, and my 7-year-old daughter. Period.

But I'm divorced. I have full legal custody only - I have the right to make decisions about my daughter (school, medical) without having to consult my ex husband first. It just makes things easier because with his work, he could be miles away in another state at the drop of a hat. He trusts me to make decisions in her favor, and I do promise as a decent human being to do that!

In return, my ex has unlimited visitation rights, the right to declare her as a dependent on his tax documents and he pays me $700 a month in child support which is automatically debited into my bank account.

She mostly lives with me, and stays with him whenever he's got time off from work. It could be one day a week, or the whole week depending on his schedule.

Easy peasy!

As far as the I-864 is concerned and filling out the paperwork "correctly," should I declare the household size "3" and use my salary alone as income.....or my salary plus child support payments on a household of 3....or are we a household of two since I don't declare her (not even on my W2 either!)....or is it some other combination?

It seems easiest to just submit my income only on a household of 3 and call it a day since I alone earn enough to cover all three of us, but considering I do "earn" much more than that in child support it seems I should mention it....but then again the child support is so high and tax-wise, my daughter "doesn't exist" on my paperwork I'm a household of one on my own tax documents!

Ugh! I just don't know what I'm supposed to write in the boxes! The I-864 institutions plainly state to include all people in the household, even "those who don't live with you," but my issue is the opposite - she lives with me...I just don't pay for her!

So it's not an issue of meeting requirements - I just want to do it correctly!