Joint Sponsor Requirement ( Embassy Colombo)

[SrilankanstoUS 11]

Hello guys!! I need your opinion on my situation. I am a US & Sri Lankan dual citizen who recently moved from SL to US. When I was in SL, I petitioned for my husband to come to the United States and we are in the final stage of the process with the embassy. Since I came to the US during the covid period I couldn’t find work related to my field which is Bio Tech & Pharma. So I started working for a coffee shop as a cashier. But I wasn’t making enough to sponsor my spouse neither had I filed taxes before, so I submitted the i864 with a joint sponsor( income $30,101). She was working for a hotel but with this covid she was temporarily laid off from work but she was receiving unemployment benefits. So by the time of the interview of my spouse I could find a job in my field with an income slightly higher than the income requirement set by the DHHS poverty guidelines. It is about $1000 higher for the current year which is $22,608. It will be around $31,104 before taxes for the next year ($18 an hour & 36 hours a week).  We also don’t have any dependents. I prepared a new i864 including new income details and asked my husband to present it to the CO at the time of the interview. Then the CO had issued him a 221g to review the case and after almost a month later, yesterday he was informed by the embassy that the officer needs a new joint sponsor. Herewith attached a screenshot of the email from the embassy. I don’t know anywhere else to find a new joint sponsor. I would certainly make way above the income requirement next year as I will be having a pay raise starting from next month. Also in the email from the embassy they have mentioned that there is a requirement to file a i864A. From the readings I did, I don’t think there’s a requirement to file a i864A unless the petitioning USC spouse uses his/her family members as the joint sponsors to meet the income requirement.
 

What do you guys think I should do? What are my options? Thanks in advance.
 

[Lucky2Lucky 2,526]

2 hours ago, SrilankanstoUS said:

Hello guys!! I need your opinion on my situation. I am a US & Sri Lankan dual citizen who recently moved from SL to US. When I was in SL, I petitioned for my husband to come to the United States and we are in the final stage of the process with the embassy. Since I came to the US during the covid period I couldn’t find work related to my field which is Bio Tech & Pharma. So I started working for a coffee shop as a cashier. But I wasn’t making enough to sponsor my spouse neither had I filed taxes before, so I submitted the i864 with a joint sponsor( income $30,101). She was working for a hotel but with this covid she was temporarily laid off from work but she was receiving unemployment benefits. So by the time of the interview of my spouse I could find a job in my field with an income slightly higher than the income requirement set by the DHHS poverty guidelines. It is about $1000 higher for the current year which is $22,608. It will be around $31,104 before taxes for the next year ($18 an hour & 36 hours a week).  We also don’t have any dependents. I prepared a new i864 including new income details and asked my husband to present it to the CO at the time of the interview. Then the CO had issued him a 221g to review the case and after almost a month later, yesterday he was informed by the embassy that the officer needs a new joint sponsor. Herewith attached a screenshot of the email from the embassy. I don’t know anywhere else to find a new joint sponsor. I would certainly make way above the income requirement next year as I will be having a pay raise starting from next month. Also in the email from the embassy they have mentioned that there is a requirement to file a i864A. From the readings I did, I don’t think there’s a requirement to file a i864A unless the petitioning USC spouse uses his/her family members as the joint sponsors to meet the income requirement.
 

What do you guys think I should do? What are my options? Thanks in advance.
 

Not everyone can afford to bring a relative to the US. You can wait until next year for your income to be higher or you can obtain a second job to supplement this one.

[Ryan H 3,812]

Moved from Progress Reports to Process & Procedures.