Income test under Trump proposal places tougher hurdles for families to get green cards

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

3 minutes ago, K & R said:

That's easy for someone to say when they can afford it. I can afford having my husband here (pay all of my bills, we live on our own in a nice place, etc) but we still needed a joint sponsor because i am back in school full time and can only work part time at the moment I just barely don't make the threshold. When we applied for his visa we were aware of all that was involved and that is why we have used my dad as a cosponsor. As long as the money is coming from somewhere (and that somewhere not being the US government) I don't understand why you see a problem with it. This has caused absolutely no stress in our relationship because all three of us (husband, myself, and my father) are on board and supportive of each other. My husband and I spent months saving as much as we could before/during our visa application process. If people can find a way to afford it by getting some help for a bit from family or a fiend they shouldn't just not be with their loved one. A little harsh don't you think?

that is different ,  you can afford to support a family

I refer to those who (even marriages here) that marry and can not afford a family

but even those with degrees and good incomes struggle as there is debt like college loans to repay

this does cause stress and money Or lack of it and bills are one of the biggest divorce issues

if you don't have to depend on cosponsor, then great but many do

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

13 minutes ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

I myself fully agree here. One, people go into this whole ordeal and half of them have no clue what to expect, just assume file some paperwork and poof, magic happens.

Same with the financial part, everyone's situation is different, understood; but if you can barely support yourself how can you then support someone else?

I don't like the whole co-sponsor deal personally either, and I'm sure some people will rant about us not liking it either. 

Because you're right on costs, it isn't just about the filing fees, medical, interview, plane tickets, ect... what about when they get here? New furniture maybe? Down payment on a car? Just extra food and date nights? All of those add up very 

quickly and a lot of people don't even consider that before hand. I took a 5k loan out of my 401k knowing we would need extra on top of it all; but that's planning and realizing a head of time just the minimum won't cut it.

So no offense to anyone; but the whole co-sponsor thing doesn't work for me either.

when they start ranting,  it is one of the issues Trump is trying to stop

so,  rant at him and Congress

and as for costs here,  look at all the posts we have seen about health insurance after a K1 person comes

 

you have to know the costs

even stupid young kids getting married here,  can't make it

Edited October 11, 2018 by adil-rafa

[geowrian 22,337]

14 minutes ago, K & R said:

That's easy for someone to say when they can afford it. I can afford having my husband here (pay all of my bills, we live on our own in a nice place, etc) but we still needed a joint sponsor because i am back in school full time and can only work part time at the moment I just barely don't make the threshold. When we applied for his visa we were aware of all that was involved and that is why we have used my dad as a cosponsor. As long as the money is coming from somewhere (and that somewhere not being the US government) I don't understand why you see a problem with it. This has caused absolutely no stress in our relationship because all three of us (husband, myself, and my father) are on board and supportive of each other. My husband and I spent months saving as much as we could before/during our visa application process. If people can find a way to afford it by getting some help for a bit from family or a friend they shouldn't just not be with their loved one. A little harsh don't you think?

I think there are a few different types of cases with a joint sponsor. If you're in school and living with them and they agree to pay the bills, that's one thing.

Many times we see a joint sponsor who does not live with the couple nor plan to actually pay for their regular expenses...they're just signing for the visa/green card. They do have obligations under the I-864, but those are very rarely enforced, and the 125% of the FPL maintenance may not be one that the couple even wants to enforce since the joint sponsor was doing them a favor by agreeing to it ("don't look a gift horse in the mouth").

 

So I can see valid use cases for a joint sponsor. But I also see many times where the use of a joint sponsor is very different than your experience.

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

9 minutes ago, adil-rafa said:

when they start ranting,  it is one of the issues Trump is trying to stop

so,  rant at him and Congress

and as for costs here,  look at all the posts we have seen about health insurance after a K1 person comes

 

you have to know the costs

even stupid young kids getting married here,  can't make it

 

Oh I know, countless posts about finance issues and medical coverage questions.

People think, like one poster said, it's "heart less" to keep people apart... but it's more about people being prepared and not running into marriages before they are ready, and finances are part of being "ready".

[Jaquelly 1,647]

Just now, Ben&Zian said:

 

Oh I know, countless posts about finance issues and medical coverage questions.

People think, like one poster said, it's "heart less" to keep people apart... but it's more about people being prepared and not running into marriages before they are ready, and finances are part of being "ready".

Also, who has people who just wanna throw down their name to be responsible for two adults that don't make enough money to responsibly get married?

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

1 minute ago, Jaquelly said:

Also, who has people who just wanna throw down their name to be responsible for two adults that don't make enough money to responsibly get married?

 

Well I know close family naturally will; but it's always funny seeing people (usually the beneficiary) posting on here flat out asking for a stranger to be their co-sponsor for K-1 or CR-1 visas. 

[Jaquelly 1,647]

1 minute ago, Ben&Zian said:

 

Well I know close family naturally will; but it's always funny seeing people (usually the beneficiary) posting on here flat out asking for a stranger to be their co-sponsor for K-1 or CR-1 visas. 

My family wouldn't. LOL

[Ben&Zian 4,398]

Just now, Jaquelly said:

My family wouldn't. LOL

 

My family Couldn't on my end haha. 

[K & R 343]

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

I think there are a few different types of cases with a joint sponsor. If you're in school and living with them and they agree to pay the bills, that's one thing.

Many times we see a joint sponsor who does not live with the couple nor plan to actually pay for their regular expenses...they're just signing for the visa/green card. They do have obligations under the I-864, but those are very rarely enforced, and the 125% of the FPL maintenance may not be one that the couple even wants to enforce since the joint sponsor was doing them a favor by agreeing to it ("don't look a gift horse in the mouth").

 

So I can see valid use cases for a joint sponsor. But I also see many times where the use of a joint sponsor is very different than your experience.

Yeah i can see where you are coming from. Maybe enforcing it more is the solution rather than getting rid of joint sponsors all together? I guess the important thing to remember is every situation is different and for one bad egg i'm sure there are tons of people using the joint sponsorship situation the right way (like my family and I). 

[EM_Vandaveer 2,408]

1 hour ago, adil-rafa said:

I, myself, am against the cosponsor 

you need to be able to functin totally as a family unit with your spouse

depending on others for financial support or living space also causes stress in the relationship

when getting into this process the USC should know all that is involved (travel expenses, fees, cultures, family values / just everything)

if you can't afford it, don't do it

Disagree. We needed a joint sponsor because my husband didn't have the required income in the past. Never were an issue to provide for us (we had 3 kids since). It would have been vastly unfair if I had to live here illegally or not live here at all...

[Jeanne Adil 1,651]

8 minutes ago, K & R said:

Yeah i can see where you are coming from. Maybe enforcing it more is the solution rather than getting rid of joint sponsors all together? I guess the important thing to remember is every situation is different and for one bad egg i'm sure there are tons of people using the joint sponsorship situation the right way (like my family and I). 

it would be great if it was endorced but ICE does not even enforce when a USC can prove the foreigner commited fraud (some find out after the person comes that they were working on several people from different countries trying to get to one/ that is fraud on the government and USC

 

[Pennycat 880]

3 hours ago, adil-rafa said:

I, myself, am against the cosponsor 

you need to be able to functin totally as a family unit with your spouse

depending on others for financial support or living space also causes stress in the relationship

when getting into this process the USC should know all that is involved (travel expenses, fees, cultures, family values / just everything)

if you can't afford it, don't do it

I think that there are far too many different scenarios under which a couple may need a cosponsor to make it a blanket rule.

 

Just off the top of my head-- there are young people/students who do not currently have a high salary but may soon (and yes, they could wait, but the reality of student visas etc makes that complicated); Americans who lose their jobs between immigration on K1 and time for AOS and a variety of scenarios (K1s, students etc) in which the beneficiary cannot yet work in the US but when they can, the household income will easily exceed the requirements. I wouldn't want them to factor in earning potential into a decision even though most of these scenarios are cleared up by the immigrant being able to work because that's not solid... it is potential, not fact. What IS solid is a co-sponsor signing the affidavit of support. 

 

All of the rest of it about stress on the relationship and how a family handles its finances (example: parents happily supporting a daughter and foreign son-in-law) really isn't the government's business so long as the government has made sure the foreigner won't be a burden on the welfare system. It could be a bad idea, or culturally odd but that's the couple's problem, not the government's.  I do personally think that people who can't get to 125% on their own really shouldn't be messing around with this process but I also think a lot of things about other people's finances and life choices. The question is really what the government should do, and cosponsors are really just a tool to help protect the taxpayer. Their relationship and finances are up to them. 

Edited October 11, 2018 by Pennycat

[AshMarty 360]

15 hours ago, janet3 said:

It is absolutely not a misnomer....

The article clearly states that the current administration would like to move the “guideline” above the 125%. Making the bar 250% would mean only the upper middle class or rich could assist their family (or loved ones....aka....fiance) could come here. 

 

FYI: Actually $40,000 is the cut off of middle class and lower class incomes.

 

"Income data released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 2017 median household income was the highest on record at $61,372. Pew defines the middle class as those earning between two-thirds and double the median household income.This means that the category of middle-income is made up of people making somewhere between $40,500 and $122,000. Those making less than $39,500 make up the lower-income bracket. Those making more than $118,000 make up the upper-income bracket. Easy, right? Just take your household income and see where you fit given these numbers."


Read more: Which Income Class Are You? https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx#ixzz5TdttIp53 
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

[Derik-Lina 230]

19 minutes ago, AshMarty said:

FYI: Actually $40,000 is the cut off of middle class and lower class incomes.

 

"Income data released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 2017 median household income was the highest on record at $61,372. Pew defines the middle class as those earning between two-thirds and double the median household income.This means that the category of middle-income is made up of people making somewhere between $40,500 and $122,000. Those making less than $39,500 make up the lower-income bracket. Those making more than $118,000 make up the upper-income bracket. Easy, right? Just take your household income and see where you fit given these numbers."


Read more: Which Income Class Are You? https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx#ixzz5TdttIp53 
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

Before I write anything, let me assure you that Trumps gets and will always get what Trump has wanted, from Presidency to 460 Billion Dollars from the Saudis. He might not always get 100 % of he is after, but he gets a nice chunk. That said, this income guidelines, government benefits and sponsorships must be revised. My mother and now my siblings have never ever gotten a penny from the government nor from anyone. This is the land where work is available. One can have two and three jobs. And for someone to get on Government assistance of any sort, while working under the table and sucking us all dry, they ought to go to jail, let alone deported. I have seen recent Immigrants park their BMW s and Merceidez and use Foodstamps  at the grocery store while in brand-name clothes; DISGUSTING. To make matters even worse, I d hear them complaining about our government. Yes, I heard them; I am fluent in 6 languages. I have confronted some in the past, but have kept my mouth shut recently as I have grown up to realize nothing ever changes. As for Sponsorship, I am sorry to say this, but if you are jobless with 4 kids and live with your Mom, you have no business bringing anyone to Marry. Marry here and get a job. I am sorry to have sounded harsh, but I become furious when I see people with 2 and 3 co-sponsors fly thru the system as I wait forever. I have worked and paid taxes for the last 30 some years. I make enough to support three families, but yet, my wife and I must wait and wait and even wait more just because we happened to be from the wrong part of the world. I hope I did not offend anyone, but I felt I had to share as this is something that has bothered me forever.

Edited October 11, 2018 by Derik-Lina

[Pennycat 880]

20 minutes ago, AshMarty said:

FYI: Actually $40,000 is the cut off of middle class and lower class incomes.

 

"Income data released by the U.S. Census Bureau show that 2017 median household income was the highest on record at $61,372. Pew defines the middle class as those earning between two-thirds and double the median household income.This means that the category of middle-income is made up of people making somewhere between $40,500 and $122,000. Those making less than $39,500 make up the lower-income bracket. Those making more than $118,000 make up the upper-income bracket. Easy, right? Just take your household income and see where you fit given these numbers."


Read more: Which Income Class Are You? https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0912/which-income-class-are-you.aspx#ixzz5TdttIp53 
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

Huh that is crazy. I mean, just now my area's census tracts are broken down. We live in a pretty nice neighborhood, that is broken up into what looks like 4 or 5 census tracts. The one we're in is long and skinny, it follows the main street with all the shops/bars/restaurants and the more residential streets that run parallel (so like one block of main street, the street to the north and the two streets to the south, including the side streets that connect them). Then there's one block that is a little island all to itself. Anyway, the median income for that island tract is $100k more than the one for mine, and mine is not-too-shabby even for the overall area (DC metro area). What in the heck is this about?!

 

Any idea how they set these things and...why?