Frustration with US Embassy in Colombia

[steadydee 0]

What a tough process this has been. I traveled in Colombia for 2006 and got married in Colombia in the beginning of 2007 before having to return to the U.S. for work. My wife and I applied directly to the U.S. Embassy with an I-864 hoping this would be a quicker process as we had read on the Internet. Now after her second solo visit getting a different story each time, we are starting to wonder. The worst part is being here in the U.S. with the feeling of not being able to help during her visits. That in addition to missing her like crazy.

Anyway, our situation is that today she went for her visit in Bogota. The last time they told her they wanted original tax returns and that the rest of the packet looked good (we had sent copies and transcriptions the first time). Today they told her that we have to do extra steps because I don't have a 2006 tax return since I was traveling that year and didn't file. The returns we do have include 2005, 2004 and 2003 all of which show I was making substantially more than the poverty line. We also have submitted a letter of employment showing the same level of income (although it shows that I recently started my job in June).

Specifically they told her that I have to show assets such as a house or property, or we have to get a co-sponsor.

My question is, why would I have to get a co-sponsor when my "most recent" (exact words from the I-864 instructions, why don't they apply?) tax returns show a pattern of solid earnings and my current job shows the same? My problem is that I don't have a house and since I'm adopted and not close to my family I don't have someone to be a co-sponsor.

What can I do?

Thank you,

Dennis

[MargotDarko 0]

What a tough process this has been. I traveled in Colombia for 2006 and got married in Colombia in the beginning of 2007 before having to return to the U.S. for work. My wife and I applied directly to the U.S. Embassy with an I-864 hoping this would be a quicker process as we had read on the Internet. Now after her second solo visit getting a different story each time, we are starting to wonder. The worst part is being here in the U.S. with the feeling of not being able to help during her visits. That in addition to missing her like crazy.

Anyway, our situation is that today she went for her visit in Bogota. The last time they told her they wanted original tax returns and that the rest of the packet looked good (we had sent copies and transcriptions the first time). Today they told her that we have to do extra steps because I don't have a 2006 tax return since I was traveling that year and didn't file. The returns we do have include 2005, 2004 and 2003 all of which show I was making substantially more than the poverty line. We also have submitted a letter of employment showing the same level of income (although it shows that I recently started my job in June).

Specifically they told her that I have to show assets such as a house or property, or we have to get a co-sponsor.

My question is, why would I have to get a co-sponsor when my "most recent" (exact words from the I-864 instructions, why don't they apply?) tax returns show a pattern of solid earnings and my current job shows the same? My problem is that I don't have a house and since I'm adopted and not close to my family I don't have someone to be a co-sponsor.

What can I do?

Thank you,

Dennis

You'll have to file for 2006. You can easily do backfiling though as long as you still know how much you made in 2006. www.irs.gov is helpful and so is their telephone hotline. You have to be able to show a 2006 tax return before they'll move things forward. That is unless you didn't make enough money in 2006 to be required to file - then you'll need proof that you didn't have to file. It sounds like they're being really sticky about it, so it would probably be easier just to do the backfiling.

[Bill y Bella 0]

You might want to ask this question in the Colombia Club. I think you will find it to be a very helpful forum.