I-864 AOS How to handle employment ending

[David Borgeson 5]

Hi all,

 

We are just about ready to submit the I-864 and supporting documents, but I'm stuck on one issue, how to handle employment that I have now but will be ending due to our move to the US.

 

Basics: Married to a Japanese national, currently living in Japan, IR-1 visa application, currently self-employed but ending in March 2021, all income in local currency (JPY), file US taxes every year, $0.00 as my total income due to Foreign Tax Exclusion.

 

My I-864 so far: $0.00 in individual annual income (same as what's listed on the 1040 copies I'm submitting),  liquid assets from all sources listed in USD. We have a joint sponsor to cover the poverty line income threshold.

 

My question: should I include my current employment information in Page 4 Part 6 Item 4? Or leave all boxes in Page 4 Part 6 Items 1-6 unchecked? My assumption would be that since the name of my self-employment business is listed on my taxes, that I should list it here as well. But I have heard that NVC has thrown a checklist at people who do this and report $0.00 in income (though the reasons for the checklist are unclear), and I have seen advice that says to not even list employment that is not going to continue after the move to the US since in the eyes of NVC such income will not be available to support the intending immigrant and thus, basically doesn't count and could cause confusion, which is a bad thing. But I worry that not including my current self-employment business will trigger a checklist since my taxes and my I-864 form will be different in that small, but potentially significant, way.

 

Advice? To check box 4 or to not check box 4, that is the question on this Christmas Eve...

 

Thanks in advance.