US Immigration from China

My wife has her immigrant visa (IR-1) interview at a U.S. consulate in about two weeks, and I m getting anxious about how a sudden change in my employment might affect the Affidavit of Support (I-864).

Background

• Wife: 36 years old, Chinese citizen, unemployed for several years, still learning English. No children yet.

• Me: 33 years old, U.S. citizen. I ve been on a postdoc fellowship from an Israeli university for the past two years. My fellowship has been extended for the current academic year (Fall 2025), and I m applying for academic jobs in the U.S. for the following academic year (Fall 2026).

• Financials:

  • U.S. bank account + short-term T-bills (6 weeks): ~$83K

  • Israeli bank account: ~$10K

  • Wife s Chinese bank account: ~$20K

Additional note on domicile

Even though my postdoc appointment is from Israel, I ve actually worked remotely for most of the past two years because of various extended visits. Over the last year, I spent roughly six months visiting a U.S. university, three months in Israel, and three months visiting my wife in China, and I filed and paid state taxes for the most recent tax year. Because of this ongoing presence and continued ties, I believe I still meet the U.S. domicile requirement for the Affidavit of Support. (Correct me if I'm wrong.)

The issue

Due to the current risk of an Iran Israel conflict, I m considering not returning to Israel. However, due to stricter policy now, my university requires me to return in person soon; if I don t, my appointment will be terminated. They told me I have to make this decision within the next few days which is before my wife s visa interview.

If I lose the postdoc due to safety concerns, how will that affect my ability to meet the Affidavit of Support requirements?

My understanding so far

The official I-864 guidelines say that a sponsor needs income of at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of two, which is $26,438 for 2025. If income is below that level, the sponsor can use assets equal to 3 the shortfall, up to $79,314 if income is zero. Based on that formula, my available assets should technically be sufficient.

My concern

I ve heard that under the current administration, consular officers may exercise more discretion regarding financial stability and the risk of the immigrant becoming a public charge. I m worried that a sudden job loss (even if caused by safety/political circumstances) could be interpreted negatively at the interview.

Has anyone been in a similar situation, or does anyone know how consular officers view substantial assets vs. interrupted employment? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I'm asking this mostly out of curiosity for my own information, but how does the F4 all-in process look? My understanding is:

• File I-130 for sibling with USCIS. The priority date is the data when USICS receives the I-130.
• USCIS approves the petition and then the petition sits around until the PD is current. Doesn't really matter how long USCIS approval takes since the PD won't be current for a long time.
• Suppose it takes 20 years for the priority date to become current. Does this mean that the I-130 is sent to NVC 20 years after is was first received by USCIS?
• The NVC process is then started (documents, interview, and holdups like administrative processing, visa issuance) which could take months to years.
• Pack and move.

Am I understanding this process correctly?

Hello, I'm trying to see if I have a chance of being approved for DCF processing.

I, USC, and husband, Chinese, have 3 kids together. We have been in China for 8 years and my family would like us to move to the US asap.

They would like to hire me as a live-in caregiver for my soon to be 90 year old grandma.

1) Could a lawyer issue me a job contract on behalf of my gma's estates?

2) Does it matter what company issues the job contract?

3) What information must be included in the contract?

I am a Chinese citizen and have held a U.S. green card for 7 years. During this time, I traveled abroad twice, each trip lasting 2 months, for a total of 120 days.

My case is being handled at the USCIS Queens Field Office.

• At my first naturalization test, I failed because I wasn t well prepared.

• On January 6, 2025, I had my second naturalization test. I passed the history, reading, and writing parts, but the officer did not continue with the N-400 application questions or the Yes/No questions.

• Instead, the officer told my attorney and me that I would be given a third chance for an interview. The officer also took the original court disposition for a February 24, 2024 incident when I was arrested after a fight (which I had already truthfully disclosed on my N-400).

Since then, I have not received any correspondence from USCIS. My case status on the USCIS website still only shows the same update as in the screenshot attached.

I have consulted two immigration lawyers, but neither has encountered a case like mine. Even teachers from naturalization prep classes said they have never seen this situation.

Has anyone else experienced something similar at the naturalization interview? What should I do next? I would be very grateful for any advice or shared experiences.

Thank you!

Sorry to hijack this thread a little. My wife has been here, in America, for 3 years. She has a Permanent Residence Green Card valid through 6/9/2032. She went back for her mother's funeral and is now getting ready to come back. At this point she's been in China 5 weeks, will be 6 weeks when she returns. The passport is good until 2029. All she needs is her passport and green card correct?