Are you required to submit your W2 with your I-864 when filing for AOS? (merged)

[Noktor 4]

My wife is filing for her AOS, and I will be the sponsor on the I-864 and my mother will be household member/joint sponsor on the I-864A. As the ones filling out the I-864/I-864A forms, are we required to submit W2's, or are the most recent tax transcripts of the past 3 years sufficient?

[Kawika & Michelle 108]

I haven't reached this step yet...but based off of what the website indicates:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/i-864

 

Filing Checklist

Did you provide the following?

For ALL sponsors: 

• A copy of your individual federal income tax return, including W-2s for the most recent tax year, or a statement and/or evidence describing why you were not required to file. Also include a copy of every Form 1099, schedule, and any other evidence of reported income. You may submit this information for the most recent three tax years, pay stubs from the most recent six months, and/or a letter from your employer if you believe any of these items will help you qualify. 

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

Just now, Kawika & Michelle said:

I haven't reached this step yet...but based off of what the website indicates:

 

https://www.uscis.gov/i-864

 

Filing Checklist

Did you provide the following?

For ALL sponsors: 

• A copy of your individual federal income tax return, including W-2s for the most recent tax year, or a statement and/or evidence describing why you were not required to file. Also include a copy of every Form 1099, schedule, and any other evidence of reported income. You may submit this information for the most recent three tax years, pay stubs from the most recent six months, and/or a letter from your employer if you believe any of these items will help you qualify. 

That's only if you use a return and not a transcript.

[K1visaHopeful 2,814]

Transcript only works for:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employed not self employed. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Single sponsors 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Noktor 4]

Is it better to provide tax returns or tax transcripts? My mother is the one who is the joint sponsor, since my income doesn't meet the requirements.

 

As per my understanding it's only required to send the most recent year tax return and or tax transcript, and w2? I don't want to send more than I need to.

Edited April 28, 2023 by Noktor

[powerpuff 6,697]

1 hour ago, Noktor said:

Is it better to provide tax returns or tax transcripts? My mother is the one who is the joint sponsor, since my income doesn't meet the requirements.

 

As per my understanding it's only required to send the most recent year tax return and or tax transcript, and w2? I don't want to send more than I need to.

Either tax return AND w2 or only tax transcripts. Tax transcripts are better as that’s the only evidence that you actually filed. Plus they’re simpler to read 

[top_secret 2,417]

If it is a tax transcript you shouldn't need to include W-2's or 1099's.    BUT, ,,,  if you do a search of people who got "Case FE Review Note:  Please submit every W-2/1099 for  xxxx",  including people who should not have had to submit them but got the RFE anyways, you get like a gazillion examples.  It seems like about the most common RFE at NVC.  So I would include them whether they are required or not.  No one ever got a RFE for including W-2's or 1099's that were not necessary.

[Kawika & Michelle 108]

You would think that in this day in age, one federal government agency would be able to read the data from another one. They could simply ask for permission or just do it when you submit the form and pull that information directly themselves instead of having people gather & print off a bunch of printed documents that they will likely never look at to begin with.

[OldUser 6,636]

30 minutes ago, Kawika & Michelle said:

You would think that in this day in age, one federal government agency would be able to read the data from another one. They could simply ask for permission or just do it when you submit the form and pull that information directly themselves instead of having people gather & print off a bunch of printed documents that they will likely never look at to begin with.

Even if they were able, they wouldn't do the leg work for a petitioner. The burden of proof is on petitioner when it comes to USCIS.

[Kawika & Michelle 108]

22 minutes ago, OldUser said:

Even if they were able, they wouldn't do the leg work for a petitioner. The burden of proof is on petitioner when it comes to USCIS.

 

Typical way for them to look at it. It's not like we don't pay taxes & fees to even allow the government agencies to exist & waste our time & money.

[OldUser 6,636]

45 minutes ago, Kawika & Michelle said:

 

Typical way for them to look at it. It's not like we don't pay taxes & fees to even allow the government agencies to exist & waste our time & money.

USCIS doesn't operate on US taxpayer's money. Fees only. If they had to do extra work for petitioner they'd need to hire more people or processing times would be even worse than now. More people is more money, meaning higher fees. It's not that simple. An immigrant should do absolutely everything to ensure the case is approved without RFEs and NOIDs. In the end of the day, immigrant and his family are the only ones who truly care what decision they get on the case and how quickly. In my view, it's much easier for petitioner to print more pages than have several people in multiple agencies work on their case to find the information. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by OldUser

[Kawika & Michelle 108]

2 minutes ago, OldUser said:

USCIS doesn't operate on US taxpayer's money. Fees only.

Hence why I said taxes for the IRS & other government agencies & fees for the USCIS. They are already talking in Congress about privatizing the industry because of how bad the government is in general when it comes to doing a job on time & under budget. As you just hinted at that it would likely take even more idiots to learn how to push a button to export a petitioner's IRS data from another US government agency. There will be no movement to streamline & simplify the system until they are forced to do it. Unfortunately we don't have terrorists that can blow things up that will cause them to work together like it has with the CIA, FBI, Homeland security, etc. Government workers don't get paid for good performance...they get paid the same amount regardless of how well or how badly they do their jobs.

[Noktor 4]

I have included my most recent tax transcript, and w2, bank statement showing how much money I have in my account. Do I also need to add to that a copy of my passport's information page, and my proof of US citizenship as well? I wasn't born in the US, but became a citizen through naturalization from my parents.

[powerpuff 6,697]

31 minutes ago, Noktor said:

have included my most recent tax transcript, and w2,

The instructions are every clear that if you’re submitting tax transcripts, you do not submit W2s.

 

32 minutes ago, Noktor said:

bank statement showing how much money I have in my account.

My opinion is that if you’re qualifying based on income, then it is unnecessary to include bank statements.

 

Instead, I would include, in addition to tax return transcripts, paystubs for the last 6 months and an employment verification letter. That is all we submitted - no RFEs and we were approved.

 

33 minutes ago, Noktor said:

Do I also need to add to that a copy of my passport's information page, and my proof of US citizenship as well?

You just need one documents showing your citizenship. You do not get extra points for submitting more. Personally, I’d go with the naturalization certificate.

[beloved_dingo 1,976]

37 minutes ago, Noktor said:

I have included my most recent tax transcript, and w2, bank statement showing how much money I have in my account. Do I also need to add to that a copy of my passport's information page, and my proof of US citizenship as well? I wasn't born in the US, but became a citizen through naturalization from my parents.

If you are submitting tax transcripts (from the IRS website) you do not need to include schedules like W-2s, 1099s, etc. Also, unless you are including assets to meet the requirements, paystubs and/or a letter from your employer confirming your current, ongoing pay is recommended rather than a bank statement. From the I-864 instructions: "[Y]ou may include a recent letter from your employer, showing your employer’s address and telephone number, and indicating your annual salary. You may also provide pay stubs showing your income for the previous six months."

 

You can use the biographic passport page to establish you are a citizen. For establishing U.S. Citizenship, the I-864 instructions state:

"Proof of U.S. citizen or U.S. national status includes a copy of your birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship, consular report of birth abroad to U.S. citizen parents, or a copy of the biographic data page of your U.S. passport."

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by beloved_dingo