joint sponsor will join the National Guard

[MarlinCobon 51]

hello all!

so our joint sponsor just approached me to let me know that she wants to join the National Guard. She sent her application and was approved for interview (or something like that, sorry don't know much about that process). She is unsure if she is going to have to resign at her current job and if she is going to have any kind of income when she is in training for the National Guard. We are already Documentary qualified and we are waiting for our interview (we are subjected to the ban). she made around 44k last year and was supposed to make the same this year, I made around 10k last year and I have earned 15k so far this year and will make around 30k for the whole 2020 year plus I have around 20k in savings. Like I said I don't know how the National Guard works so I'm kind of lost. Question is, should I find another joint sponsor? or a letter or something from the National Guard will do it. I appreciate ANY information!

Edited June 22, 2020 by MarlinCobon

[geowrian 22,337]

If the joint sponsor's income will no longer qualify for sponsorship, I would suggest finding a different joint sponsor and bringing an I-864 from them to the interview. Given the extended delays + COVID situation, I would not be surprised if COs wanted to know about any sponsor's change in circumstances and/or see an updated I-864.

As the primary sponsor, an updated I-864 packet should also be prepared for the interview.

[kris&me 572]

 

 

Under normal times:

How does leave work in the National Guard?

Military Leave. An employee is entitled to time off at full pay for certain types of active or inactive duty in the National Guard or as a Reserve of the Armed Forces. Any full-time or permanent part-time employee is entitled to military leave. ... An employee can carry over a maximum of 15 days into the next fiscal year

Your employer cannot fire you after your probation period for joining the National Guard. You are protected under law. Yes, you will be able to manage both military service, and whatever job you possess

 a person in the Guard serves a weekend a month and an additional 2 weeks a year

most employers pay regular pay for the time off / some people use normal 2 week vacation for the 2 weeks they have to attend a camp

 

this is not a full time job so people keep their current employment

 

When the guard is called up,  they are paid 

[SteveInBostonI130 3,434]

Ask your joint sponsor if she is joining as a regular guardsman or is going for one of the full time administrative positions.  Also, if she has never served in the military before, she will need to attend basic training and advanced training, which may conflict with her current employment.

 

After training, she will need to look for a civilian job if she was let go.  The National Guard pay as a new recruit for the weekend and annual training is only about $3000 - $4000 per year. 

[MarlinCobon 51]

thank you all for the information, I will speak to her and comeback with more information. thank you so much!

[pushbrk 12,882]

5 hours ago, MarlinCobon said:

hello all!

so our joint sponsor just approached me to let me know that she wants to join the National Guard. She sent her application and was approved for interview (or something like that, sorry don't know much about that process). She is unsure if she is going to have to resign at her current job and if she is going to have any kind of income when she is in training for the National Guard. We are already Documentary qualified and we are waiting for our interview (we are subjected to the ban). she made around 44k last year and was supposed to make the same this year, I made around 10k last year and I have earned 15k so far this year and will make around 30k for the whole 2020 year plus I have around 20k in savings. Like I said I don't know how the National Guard works so I'm kind of lost. Question is, should I find another joint sponsor? or a letter or something from the National Guard will do it. I appreciate ANY information!

Departing from other responses, it sounds like YOUR current income qualifies you to sponsor.  There are no questions about 2020 income.  Current income is your gross pay for a full pay period times the number of pay periods in ANY full 12 month period going forward.  If you make a thousand a week, your current income is 52,000.  Don't confuse current income with current year income.  

 

If you made 30,000 already this year but lost your job last week, your current income is ZERO.  If you got a new job yesterday at 30k a year, your current income is 30k.

[geowrian 22,337]

3 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Departing from other responses, it sounds like YOUR current income qualifies you to sponsor.  There are no questions about 2020 income.  Current income is your gross pay for a full pay period times the number of pay periods in ANY full 12 month period going forward.  If you make a thousand a week, your current income is 52,000.  Don't confuse current income with current year income.  

 

If you made 30,000 already this year but lost your job last week, your current income is ZERO.  If you got a new job yesterday at 30k a year, your current income is 30k.

My thought process was that $30k isn't going to cut it. It will probably work for NVC, though.

[pushbrk 12,882]

4 minutes ago, geowrian said:

My thought process was that $30k isn't going to cut it. It will probably work for NVC, though.

It's possible 30k won't be enough but she also has 20k in savings.

[geowrian 22,337]

10 minutes ago, pushbrk said:

It's possible 30k won't be enough but she also has 20k in savings.

True.

I was working under the presumption that they assessed their own circumstances already and determined a joint sponsor was needed. It may turn out they they may not have done that step under an incorrect assumption of what counts as current income.

[pushbrk 12,882]

40 minutes ago, geowrian said:

True.

I was working under the presumption that they assessed their own circumstances already and determined a joint sponsor was needed. It may turn out they they may not have done that step under an incorrect assumption of what counts as current income.

Exactly.  I see that all too often.  It seems like I am constantly using the same examples to explain current income.  New folks tend to misinterpret current income as current year.