Tax and income

[Osaka2seaWA51 0]

Straight to the point,

 

i left the military begining of 2016, February to be exact. After that I did not have a job/work lined up to generate a 2016 tax return. I started at my current job April 2017, starting at an entry level position I wasn't getting paid what I am now. At the time I started it was $13 an hour which came out to about $14,000 for 8 months and that's what my 2017 return states. I'm currently at $18 an hour generating close to $31,000 annually which is over poverty guidelines for 2018. I have pay stubs showing proof of pay rate for several months and I know my bank statements will show money deposited and generated from my current position at my job....now Is there anything I should do to show that at the present moment I do make enough to support my fiancée, even though I don't have a tax return that shows it?  I know my 2014 and 2015 returns don't necessarily matter since I am currently discharged from the military. I was thinking DD214 with discharge papers and a written explanation could help with proof. Any advice or suggestions? 

[geowrian 22,337]

The CO will look at your current income, assuming it is sufficiently documented, and the totality of your circumstances to determine the public charge risk. So are stricter than others, but nothing jumps out to me as out of the ordinary with Japan on this topic.

 

As a regular employee for a company, your pay stubs and a letter from your employer would be the best evidence of your current income. Providing at least the most recent year's tax return may be necessary...some want to see it and others only want it in limited cases.

 

The CO likely isn't interested in why you didn't work for a period of time...the focus should be on showing your current income.

[Naes 12,205]

27 minutes ago, Osaka2seaWA51 said:

Straight to the point,

 

i left the military begining of 2016, February to be exact. After that I did not have a job/work lined up to generate a 2016 tax return. I started at my current job April 2017, starting at an entry level position I wasn't getting paid what I am now. At the time I started it was $13 an hour which came out to about $14,000 for 8 months and that's what my 2017 return states. I'm currently at $18 an hour generating close to $31,000 annually which is over poverty guidelines for 2018. I have pay stubs showing proof of pay rate for several months and I know my bank statements will show money deposited and generated from my current position at my job....now Is there anything I should do to show that at the present moment I do make enough to support my fiancée, even though I don't have a tax return that shows it?  I know my 2014 and 2015 returns don't necessarily matter since I am currently discharged from the military. I was thinking DD214 with discharge papers and a written explanation could help with proof. Any advice or suggestions? 

My fiancé left navy in 2017 march. And did not work till November 2017. 

Just in case I brought 2017 tax returns with his w2 from both navy and from his new job.included an employment letter and pay stubs.

 

now japan actually pretty strict with the amount. As long as you can prove there’s no problem. However I do know someone had been asked to bring co-sponsor (as I do not know details I can’t really give info sorry)

 

I had a co-sponsor just in case.

 

the worst case scenario they won’t deny but ask for a co-sponsor. 

 

I would being employment verification letter showing your current income, pay stubs up to most recent and bank statements showing the money deposited. 

I saw my CO check closely to the paystubs before my interview.

Edited May 24, 2018 by Naes

[faycher 54]

i would say to be safe, you should find a co-sponsor in advance. my finance is a veteran as well. he is going back to school this year, so even worse financial situation. If you don't want any possibility to cause delay, you should provide as many as possible.

 

@Naes Hey girl! I have a question about I-134. Does the annual income in the form has to be exactly as the tax return? my finance's dad wrote a rough number because he gave me three years of financial documents, so he put a average number there. 

And he asked me to handwriting on some part of the form he forgot to put things on. i do not know if it is ok for me to do any changes on that form.

 

Thank you !!!

[Naes 12,205]

Just now, faycher said:

i would say to be safe, you should find a co-sponsor in advance. my finance is a veteran as well. he is going back to school this year, so even worse financial situation. If you don't want any possibility to cause delay, you should provide as many as possible.

 

@Naes Hey girl! I have a question about I-134. Does the annual income in the form has to be exactly as the tax return? my finance's dad wrote a rough number because he gave me three years of financial documents, so he put a average number there. 

And he asked me to handwriting on some part of the form he forgot to put things on. i do not know if it is ok for me to do any changes on that form.

 

Thank you !!!

It should be the current income. As it can change per year.

 

you can calculate it from pay stubs (if he gets same amount every month you can simply multiply by 12) or get the employment verification letter and it will have it on it.

[faycher 54]

14 minutes ago, Naes said:

It should be the current income. As it can change per year.

 

you can calculate it from pay stubs (if he gets same amount every month you can simply multiply by 12) or get the employment verification letter and it will have it on it.

okay then.. I might need to ask him to redo it. did you mention in another post that the scanned version of I-134 is okay? 

did you use scanned version of it ?

[Naes 12,205]

25 minutes ago, faycher said:

okay then.. I might need to ask him to redo it. did you mention in another post that the scanned version of I-134 is okay? 

did you use scanned version of it ?

I didn’t use the scanned version because we had it ready in March and fiance just brought it.

 

but uscis says affidavit of support Can be scanned and printed out copy.

 

actually why don’t you just ask on the phone or mail and Getsuei out of this mystery? I know they will answer I don’t know why no one ever asked... I wish I asked..just to know  

[faycher 54]

16 minutes ago, Naes said:

I didn’t use the scanned version because we had it ready in March and fiance just brought it.

 

but uscis says affidavit of support Can be scanned and printed out copy.

 

actually why don’t you just ask on the phone or mail and Getsuei out of this mystery? I know they will answer I don’t know why no one ever asked... I wish I asked..just to know  

Good idea! Thanks girl!

[geowrian 22,337]

14 minutes ago, Naes said:

but uscis says affidavit of support Can be scanned and printed out copy.

True. But USCIS doesn't issue any visas so it ultimately comes down to the CO's call. Generally I don't think it is an issue since the 2017 memo saying NVC will accept them for the more-defined I-864, which is run by the same department as the embassies (DOS) and serves the same type of purpose (just in a non-enforceable manner).

 

But I have not seen anything on the DOS side of things explicitly stating that COs have to accept a photocopy of the signature the same as an original document. USCIS has put out a finalized memo this year regarding signature policies, but again that has no enforceability with DOS.

[Naes 12,205]

8 minutes ago, geowrian said:

True. But USCIS doesn't issue any visas so it ultimately comes down to the CO's call. Generally I don't think it is an issue since the 2017 memo saying NVC will accept them for the more-defined I-864, which is run by the same department as the embassies (DOS) and serves the same type of purpose (just in a non-enforceable manner).

 

But I have not seen anything on the DOS side of things explicitly stating that COs have to accept a photocopy of the signature the same as an original document. USCIS has put out a finalized memo this year regarding signature policies, but again that has no enforceability with DOS.

I think the same about the relationship between uscis-nvc(dos)-Embassy. That’s why I don’t like saying they will accept it.

 

i believe this is something that can easily be asked to an embassy though.

 

They answered everything I asked them so far even silly things.. for example everyone here is talking about getting a recent police certificate from the country of residency even though it says valid for 1 year. I asked them if I should renew as mine would be 4 months old, they just answered back it is valid for a year..

 

I wish I asked them about I-134 (just because I’m personally curious after all this talk!  )

 

[faycher 54]

1 hour ago, Naes said:

I think the same about the relationship between uscis-nvc(dos)-Embassy. That’s why I don’t like saying they will accept it.

 

i believe this is something that can easily be asked to an embassy though.

 

They answered everything I asked them so far even silly things.. for example everyone here is talking about getting a recent police certificate from the country of residency even though it says valid for 1 year. I asked them if I should renew as mine would be 4 months old, they just answered back it is valid for a year..

 

I wish I asked them about I-134 (just because I’m personally curious after all this talk!  )

 

 

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

True. But USCIS doesn't issue any visas so it ultimately comes down to the CO's call. Generally I don't think it is an issue since the 2017 memo saying NVC will accept them for the more-defined I-864, which is run by the same department as the embassies (DOS) and serves the same type of purpose (just in a non-enforceable manner).

 

But I have not seen anything on the DOS side of things explicitly stating that COs have to accept a photocopy of the signature the same as an original document. USCIS has put out a finalized memo this year regarding signature policies, but again that has no enforceability with DOS.

Hey, I just called the US embassy in Japan.

The agent told me that it is always preferred to provide the original. And she checked my interview date and asked me if i think they won't arrive before 25th June .lol well She said if there is no choice then i can provide scanned version, but it really depends on the VO who reviews my case, there is a possibility for delay or denial for that.

 

Therefore, conclusion probably is prepare original anyway, it is better. 

[Naes 12,205]

37 minutes ago, faycher said:

 

Hey, I just called the US embassy in Japan.

The agent told me that it is always preferred to provide the original. And she checked my interview date and asked me if i think they won't arrive before 25th June .lol well She said if there is no choice then i can provide scanned version, but it really depends on the VO who reviews my case, there is a possibility for delay or denial for that.

 

Therefore, conclusion probably is prepare original anyway, it is better. 

Good that you called!

 

It is really interesting how nothing has any universal way in any part of this process... The word "depends" has a bigger meaning in US visa process