Adventine

Speaking as another Filipina who married a US citizen, I am 99% sure that her family is expecting her to financially support them after her arrival in the US. This is another reality of marrying into a Filipino family.

Or did he ever register to vote as a US citizen (this is a very easy thing to miss on the application form when applying/renewing a driver's license in some states).

It's good that you're doing research before offering to sponsor any of them. In practical terms, I don't see any foolproof way for you to conceal your income from your family. Here are some ways I can see the info leaking out: - They may interview at an embassy where they are required to handcarry the I-864 which contains your income information. - They may stumble upon the sponsorship requirements online (easily found with a quick Google search) and realize you must making X amount to comfortably sponsor so many people. - When word gets around their community that you are sponsoring them for US visas, any nosy acquaintance with a basic understanding of US immigration can also realize you must be making good money and tell them that. - If you decide to sponsor them in stages (for example, parents first) and then your parents sponsor your siblings, there is no guarantee that your parents will earn enough to meet the sponsorship requirements. So they will likely ask you to be a joint sponsor. That means they will have access to your income and tax info. You can imagine exactly the same situation playing out with your wife's side of the family, especially if you file taxes jointly.

The only thing I'd advise is to seek marriage counseling before withdrawing the petitions. It's a lot of time and money invested already. If counseling doesn't work, then proceed with the withdrawal.

Moreover the AOS fees are set to go up (a lot) soon, so it's going to be even more expensive to file if they wait.

You know, looking at the PSA website options, I don't know if you should choose the CENOMAR or Marriage Certificate option for your wife. Someone should be by to confirm soon (maybe @Chancy ? )

Go to this site, order online for your wife and stepdaughter, have it delivered to your house https://www.psaserbilis.com.ph/ I think the CEMAR record will show all your wife's registered marriages and the annulment in a single document. If your stepdaughter has never been married, the CENOMAR will be a single page with a few lines saying they have no record of a marriage for this person. I'm on mobile right now so can't look up where exactly in the process you need the CEMAR/CENOMAR, but you will definitely need it for both of them.

Sorry, no idea on the SS income. Hopefully other veterans will stop by to comment.

I'm not an expert in the calculations for large families (my husband and I only did the I-864 with a household size of 2) but I believe you need to base your calculations on your total household size. If I remember right, you are sponsoring your Filipina wife and stepdaughter, and you also have two USC minor children. According to this link, you have to count all of them when calculating your household size. Thus the income/asset requirements for your family should be based on a household size of (edited) 5 people (see question How is Household Size Determined): https://rjimmigrationlaw.com/resources/uscis-form-i-864-affidavit-of-support-how-to-determine-if-a-sponsor-meets-the-income-requirements/#:~:text=Your household size includes you,would be six (6). To me, it's not logical to do two types of I-864 calculations for your wife and stepdaughter since you are supporting both of them, all of you live together as a family unit and you are all moving the US together. A consular officer would take this all into account when evaluating your qualifications as a sponsor.

@seekingthetruth I believe that bit about the 12 months comes directly from reading the Dept of State's field manual. Here is the link and the relevant section: Source: https://fam.state.gov/FAM/09FAM/09FAM030208.html

I think it was @flicks1998's fiancee who got her K1 visa re-issued with an extremely short validity date. Just a few days left with the medical exam validity, if I remember right.

Reviving this 4 month old thread: any news on the final fee increases? I've been monitoring VJ and news sources but no confirmed official increase so far.

If you've got USD 100k cash, the consulate might accept that as sufficient. But some consular officers insist on seeing evidence of US-based income. I would either line up a co-sponsor or find a US-based job. One other thought - I know China imposes strict currency controls and people can only take out a limited amount of money from the country. I don't know if that applies to your assets. If it does, it's another reason to have a co-sponsor or US job lined up.

The timeframes on Visajourney are based on the users who accurately enter their data in the system, which is a very small percentage of the total number of people who file for AOS and AP. The timeframes are good for estimates, but that's all they are - estimated based on limited information, which may or may not be accurate. If the fee structure changes by the time you file your own AOS package, you and your future wife will have to make the judgment call if the additional fee to file AP is worth it. In my opinion, it is.

I would file AP with AOS, even if the fee structure changes. For the simple reason that if you don't file AP and your future wife doesn't get to travel to the Philippines for her son's K2 interview, it's going to create unnecessary tension and friction between you and your new family.

I searched but didn't find any recent relevant answers to this. I'm filing my ROC packet next month and just realized our home printer only has the black ink cartridge. Being cheap efficient and wanting to make do with what I have at home, I prefer not to buy color ink if I can avoid it. Is it okay to print out my ROC packet in black and white? Obviously I will check if everything is readable/clear before sending the packet. The only item I can think that might be affected by B/W are pictures. Most of our evidence are financial documents and proof of residency/travel.

That's exactly what I'm submitting when I file my own Removal of Conditions this year - printed pages from our investment accounts showing each other as the beneficiary. This is also why other evidence is important. They are going to look at the totality of the evidence you submit. On its own, the TOD beneficiary designation is weak evidence. Combined with everything else you mentioned, it helps paint a picture for the USCIS that you and your spouse entered into (and maintain) a good faith marriage.

Proof of that Fidelity beneficiary info plus everything else listed in your original post look like solid evidence to me. You should be just fine.

I've heard of people using Fidelity like this. I'm guessing you have the Fidelity Cash Management Account? Have you listed each other as the beneficiary for each other's Fidelity accounts?

Only on VJ do I get ads for bicycle glow-in-the-dark tail lights that look like men's dangly anatomy. Clearly, the algorithm likes me.

My situation was different, because my husband was a US citizen, so I just moved into his home. Decent landlords in the US usually want to see your credit history, which you won't have as a new immigrant. This is why I recommend you search for areas with a large immigrant population from your country, because there will likely be landlords from your country who understand your situation and will be more open to renting to you. Same principle with looking for jobs. Since you don't have a US job history or degree, people from your country will be able to evaluate your qualifications better, and be more willing to offer you a job, since they are more likely to be familiar with the schools you went to / companies you worked for.

I recommend choosing a city with a significant community of people from your country. That support network will help you get started with places to live, job referrals, and just a new network of friends and acquaintances. Facebook is actually a good place to find these communities and ask for their recommendations before you make the move.

She can go home, like others have said. Speaking as a fellow Filipina who also financially supports an aging parent, why on earth would you want to petition her again? She had her chance, didn't like it, is a toxic presence for you and your husband, and is ungrateful for all the hard work and money you put into the process. Let her go back to the Philippines. You don't owe her another chance at a petition since she clearly doesn't want to live in the US.

A sandwich is great, but if you can get her a Filipino rice meal instead (plenty of Filipino stores in Houston), you'll get a few bonus smooches for sure!

Congratulations! Have a safe trip to the US.