Hello
I'm overwhelmed by this entire process. My husband (USC sponsor/applicant) and I (Canadian, beneficiary) have been living in Canada together since 2010.
I sponsored him to come live in Canada because it was a much simpler process than the other way around. But we're not happy here.
The US has more options for tolerable weather, and my career.
I was stupid to think that the I-130 was the hard part. We applied online.
The good news is that it was approved in less than a year.
The NVC sent me an email last October "Introduction to Document Collection". I see that I need to fill out form I-864 Affidavit of Support, to provide proof of domicile and US income.
I'm just baffled that we have to proof we plan to establish domicile... like, why would we go to all this trouble just to stay in Canada?
We don't have anyone we can use as a joint sponsor. We have liquid assets that are cashable (we'll have to cash in TSFA's regardless as you can only hold TSFA if you have Canadian residency), so my plan is to cash it out and transfer funds to our US based bank account. But I have seen some scary comments on here and other forums saying that Montreal is notorious for not approving visa's for those using assets as proof of income. I also saw a comment somewhere that you have to have 5x the annual poverty-line income if using assets as proof of income -- but isn't it supposed to be 3 x?
We don't have kids. Potentially my husband could move down there, get a job and a place for us. But I don't know any employer who would be okay with him taking the time off he'd need for a consular interview and again later to move me and the dogs down to the USA.
Does anyone have any advice to offer?
Timeline:
I don't understand most of the timeline codes on this forum.
October 2022: I-130 submitted online
September 2023: I-130 approved and notified via email and by physical mail
September 2023: NVC emailed us that they are ready to collect documents from us "Introduction to Document Collection"
September 2023 to Feb 2023: frozen in fear after seeing all the complex steps that we have to take to complete this process
Feb 5 2023: paid NVC filing fee and AOS fee
Currently: trying to figure out how to properly fill out I-864 and provide proof of income and domicile while living in Canada