Please help with I-864 AoS

[fem_femme 6]

Hi guys. I'm going through an anxiety here and would appreicate your help. Since Covid cancelled spouse's interview at the last minute last year, now it is coming up again, so I realized that covid also forced me to re-do my I-864 all over again and my situation has changed. I had already uploaded all I-864 affidavits and supporting docs to CEAC last year too. I'd like to give you a brief background before my below highlighted few questions please. For last March 2020, I had presented my 2019 taxes, which was only $11,285, so luckily I found a joint sponsor last minute before his interview back then and that JS was making enough, so I felt really relieved eventually. Although due to my low tax return last year, in my own I-864, I had added both of my retired parents' social security incomes as as a household members to meet the minimum requirement of a household of 4. Since I also had that JS as a backup, I felt fine. I figured that even though I meet the minimum requirement with my parents, in case if they turn down my I-864, the JS makes good money so that could be used. Now that we faced covid and a cancelled interview last year at this time, that JS who was an assistant professor, was faced with temporary lay-off for a year so she started getting unemployment benefits at the time my spouse's interview as cancelled, so UI has been her main income for the whole year and still is. She said that she's supposed to start going back to her work in August/September of this year, but right now it's irrelevant since she's getting UI income. So now, I am not even sure if I can use her as JS anymore as a back up still? I mean is UI benefit as an income by itself, would count as annual anticipated income? 

 

Now about me...my financial situation on my taxes is better now than what I had on 2019 taxes. Taxes reported on my new I-864 right now for the upcoming interview are: in 2018 ($11,285); 2019 ($23,120); 2020 ($47,650) <---------of this last tax return income of 2020, the $25,550 was derived from my self-employment and the rest are my unemployment benefits that I applied for in 2020. My 2021 annual anticipated income now would be my landlord income that remains the same as last year which again is $25,550, plus the UI I'm continuing to get still. Regarding assets, I have $23,500 in my bank account and fully own $680,000 mortgage-free real estate which is a fairly large 3 bedroom townhouse. My question is how to figure out my current annual income? Do I just stick to my landlord income of $25,550 when writing my annual income for 2021 in I-864 or should I add how much I got UI in 2021 although I don't know whether I should just add what I have been getting since January 1, 2021 until now that is official and known, and then calculate what I'll be getting from now until September since Cali extended UI but then Im thinking what if I get a new job and cancel UI. Someone told me that including UI as annual anticipated income is irrelevant and I shouldn't count it. I'm really confused how to treat this current annual income with my set landlord income that's same as last year along with this UI money. I suppose that I can skip on UI income on the form considering that what I made on my last year's taxes ($25,550) from rental income is above the 2 household minimum povery guideline of $21,550. I'd like to also include my bank account as asset and my real estate on my I-864 cover letter but not on my I-864 form, since my landlord income alone meets the povery guideline, it's rather to show the CO that that's what I have as assets on the side to make my I-864 stronger. Is this a good idea? PLEASE help me with these 3 highlighted questions as that's what I need to fill out and be done with I-864. I suppose there's no longer any need to include one or two parent on my I-864 like back then since then I used them because of my low income belowthe guideline. I think that my assets would no longer make use of my parents since I could have applied my assets in case I was below the treshold.

 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

You are using your parents social security income as your household income?

[fem_femme 6]

1 hour ago, Nitas_man said:

You are using your parents social security income as your household income?

Im using my own income...I just wrote a whole paragraph about it. 

[Nitas_man 3,100]

8 minutes ago, fem_femme said:

Im using my own income...I just wrote a whole paragraph about it. 

Then list your income, list your assets, provide proof of income/assets, and file it

It never hurts and sometimes helps to list assets, so provide it all.

You need two things - past income (tax returns) and current income.  Current is paystubs/matched bank statements for the current year.

Edited March 17, 2021 by Nitas_man

[fem_femme 6]

11 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

Then list your income, list your assets, provide proof of income/assets, and file it

It never hurts and sometimes helps to list assets, so provide it all.

You need two things - past income (tax returns) and current income.  Current is paystubs/matched bank statements for the current year.

Thank you...i'm just confused how to incorporate 2021 unemployment benefits with my landlord self employed income im getting from the rental....thats where my confusion is...how to use UI as in how to determine it for this year....  and im stuck on just that 1 question otherwise im finished with the whole form. 

[fem_femme 6]

Anyone that coould help as I have a day or two max to submit this? Thanks 

[pushbrk 12,906]

9 hours ago, fem_femme said:

Thank you...i'm just confused how to incorporate 2021 unemployment benefits with my landlord self employed income im getting from the rental....thats where my confusion is...how to use UI as in how to determine it for this year....  and im stuck on just that 1 question otherwise im finished with the whole form. 

You are self employed.  State your current income as it appears on the total income line of your 2020 1040 form.  Add your parents' Social Security and skip the joint sponsor.  Your JS is unemployed.  Sounds like your household income qualifies anyway.

 

No point in listing anything assets that are not "liquid".  Equity in rental property is a hassle to document.

[fem_femme 6]

15 hours ago, pushbrk said:

You are self employed.  State your current income as it appears on the total income line of your 2020 1040 form.  Add your parents' Social Security and skip the joint sponsor.  Your JS is unemployed.  Sounds like your household income qualifies anyway.

 

No point in listing anything assets that are not "liquid".  Equity in rental property is a hassle to document.

Thanks so much, sir! I did everything as you mentioned. Regarding my assets, the home is paid-off in 2013 and i have full ownership of it and the zillow's estimated value as of now I just checked it's $680,300, so isn't that the whole equity, in itself? Im just commenting on your "equity in rental property is a hassle to document" so if im not paying mortage, i thought that i should submit my grant deed, paid-off mortgage letter from the lender and the estimated zillow screenshot to show that that's the estimated value of my house to show the $680,300 as asset, plus make the CO realize that I am providing mortage free housing for my spouse....unless Im confusing myself as to what equity is? i thought that if there's no mortgage on a house then the whole equity is the full current price of the home?

 

I finished my forms again and I do have 1 question which is directly from I-864 instructions: Part 6., Item Number 2. that you are self-employed, you should have completed one of the following forms with your Federal income tax return: Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business), Schedule D (Capital Gains), Schedule E (Supplemental Income or Loss), or Schedule F (Profit or Loss from Farming). You must include each and every Form 1040 Schedule, if any, that you filed with your Federal income tax return." My 2020 tax packet include form 1040 (Individual Income Tax Return); Schedule 1 (Additional Income & Adjustments to Income); Schedule E (Supplemental Income & Loss)...I-864 instructions say to include one of the Schedules C, D, E, F...mine is Schedule E as mentioned, so does it mean I only include Schedule E withoout Schedule 1 as there's no mention of Schedule 1 (unless it's automatically part of Schedule E? Should I skip on Schedule 1 and submit income tax return 1040+Schedule E only? Just tryign to see which copies I should scan to send to my spouse as the interview is coming up shortly so your valuable input will be greatly appreciate it as we finally get through our interview. This is making me anxious and I feel like my anxiety is eating me alive the past day or two. I'm trying to calm myself down but it's hard as it's been a stressful year. 

[pushbrk 12,906]

Yes, your equity in a mortgage free home is it's current value.  A complete tax return is everything you would have mailed if filing by mail.  The instructions do not say to include "one of...".  The instructions say you should have completed.  It's not the same thing.  Send the complete tax return.

[fem_femme 6]

Do you guys know if there's a new 2021 USCIS poverty guidelines...the reason why Im asking is because uscis has 2020 guideline but there's a new 2021 that has a fee waiver title to it, then there's another that shows a 0% guidelines and im trying to figure out if USCIS just changed the guideline to 2021?

[fem_femme 6]

16 hours ago, pushbrk said:

Yes, your equity in a mortgage free home is it's current value.  A complete tax return is everything you would have mailed if filing by mail.  The instructions do not say to include "one of...".  The instructions say you should have completed.  It's not the same thing.  Send the complete tax return.

thank you!!!

[Lil bear 4,228]

14 minutes ago, fem_femme said:

Do you guys know if there's a new 2021 USCIS poverty guidelines...the reason why Im asking is because uscis has 2020 guideline but there's a new 2021 that has a fee waiver title to it, then there's another that shows a 0% guidelines and im trying to figure out if USCIS just changed the guideline to 2021?

https://aspe.hhs.gov/2021-poverty-guidelines

[fem_femme 6]

3 minutes ago, Lil bear said:

https://aspe.hhs.gov/2021-poverty-guidelines

thank you but it dosn't show the 125% minimum so im trying to find 2021 125% for california...i just heard that they changed from 2020 to 2021 now does anyone have info on this?

[Lil bear 4,228]

Just now, fem_femme said:

thank you but it dosn't show the 125% minimum so im trying to find 2021 125% for california...i just heard that they changed from 2020 to 2021 now does anyone have info on this?

Multiply the poverty line amount by 1.25

[fem_femme 6]

2 hours ago, Lil bear said:

Multiply the poverty line amount by 1.25

great thank you so much!