How to correct form I-864 properly? Help!

[Erica & L 50]

Hi guys, me again, as always, with all the I-864 co-sponsor issues.

If anyone of you saw my previous posts, you'd know my wife's step dad had promised to co-sign, backed out, and now is basically being forced to do it by my wife's mom because he's basically been screwing us around for the past two months and she knows how badly we need this and how he was basically our only available opinion. To say it's been like pulling teeth, would be an understatement.

My question is: He recently mailed out to us his tax transcripts and the I-864 form signed, and we're still waiting on his birth certificate because he had to order a new one completely before he can fax me over a copy. I was just looking over the form and this is totally my error, but in part 1, the 1e box "I am the first/second of two joint sponsors." was checked instead of 1d "I am the only joint sponsor." When I was reading it over before he sent it, I read that as he was the second joint sponsor, and my wife was the first. Not realizing/forgetting that you can have two joint sponsors in addition to your primary sponsor, in this case, my wife.

I'm not sure how to go about correcting it because I've been reading a bunch of different things on visajourney from using correction fluid, to not using correcting fluid, to crossing things out with a and re-writing them above and signing off, to adding a separate page explaining your correction. Because it is a checkbox error, I assumed using correction fluid would be the only way to correct it because I can't cross a line through the incorrect box that was already checked off, that kind of defeats the purpose and would make more of a mess in my opinion.

The reason I don't just get the form corrected, re-printed, re-signed and sent again? I really don't think my wife's step dad would be to pleased and comply with re-sending more information than necessary unless I had proof, like a RFE, stating that I really needed it. Like I said, he's been very uncooperative, unwilling, and quite frankly really rude about the entire situation and I would almost rather risk just sending it in corrected properly so it's legible and accurate rather than "bother" him if it's not necessary.

The USCIS site says this:

Complete the Form Completely and Accurately:

• Use the most current form version.
• When possible, download the form from our website and complete it with a computer.
• If you hand write your answers, use black ink. Make sure your entries are neat, legible, and within the space provided.
• We use special scanners to read your forms and documents. The scanners will not properly read information that is greyed out, highlighted or corrected using correction fluid or tape.
• If you make an error, start over with a clean form.
• Complete the entire form; all forms have required fields (in the newer forms on our website, they are outlined in red). When these fields are left blank, we will return your form for corrections.

But has anyone ever got an RFE from using white out? I've seen lots of posts where people didn't have an issue with it, and for corrections much more pertinent than mine like names or dates or amounts, and it's obviously a silly error and doesn't make my application look suspicious in my opinion, and maybe if I attached an explanation, even if it scans incorrectly, the processor could make a manual adjustment to it? Obviously if I wrote an explanation, and only had one other I-864 form in my application, they should be able to figure out that the newly checked box would be applicable to my application? Ugh, I don't know!!

Any advice appreciated, as always.

Thank you.

Edited January 19, 2014 by justfromerica

[NikLR 13,227]

Redo that page, check the right box, print it out, send it with his signature on the page that has the signature... This is a really minor error.

You don't need to get him to redo the ENTIRE form, you can do that page, all on your own.

[ManCharsey 254]

Very Bad Solution - Use Correction fluid

Best Solution - Fix the error on a computer and print it out. Even if some portions of the form are filled out by hand, you don't have to bother. The scanner will only read the typed out parts that appear in the barcode below. And mind you not EVERY field is processed in the barcode so regardless they still human-read the forms.

And according to their field manual (I don't have the link now but can check it up and update his comment), barcode pertain to only the page on which it is on, so for example, changing something on a different page shouldn't affect how information previously typed in other forms. Barcodes on forms are all completely distinct and that's how barcode technology works though.

[NikLR 13,227]

There are no barcodes on the I-864 forms.

Just fix the page on the computer like I said (and the other poster said) and print it out. You're fine.

[ManCharsey 254]

NLR that is incorrect information. Actually there are barcodes but your ability to see the barcodes depends on how you print out the forms.

1. If you print out the forms directly from the USCIS website without saving, you will get the form without the barcodes.

2. If you SAVE the forms first onto your local computer, and print it out, you will have the barcodes.

But either way USCIS will still get the information because they scan and still use humans get data from the form. But with the barcodes, it's quicker to process since majority of the work will be done by scanners. That is why on the USCIS website, they advise everyone to first SAVE the forms before filling it out.

You can try it right now and see :-)

[NikLR 13,227]

Ah well these are the new forms and frankly I hadn't looked. So I assume are you talking about the stupid part at the bottom that says "undefined ||||| "? If so, I just printed them straight off the computer and never had that EVER on any of my forms. (plus we used the old forms, not the new ones because I've been in the USA since June 2013 and we didn't need to use the old forms. So looking at everything that I still have (which is everything)... absolutely NOTHING has that funny "barcode" on the bottom. YAY! So looking at my stuff, I'm correct, but yes I'm incorrect about the new stuff not having some stupid looking little barcode, because they do. EITHER WAY correct the spot that's wrong and print it off, no need to involve your FIL who seems like a big douche. Unless you want to argue about that now?

[ManCharsey 254]

Yeah is think the bar codes are only on the new forms and besides it only appears depending on how you print off the forms like I said. Either way is still right, they just a device that one method makes it a little more easier for them to process..but I guess, we shouldn't care about that lol..for what reasons do we pay them all these $$$

But yeah..the answer is exactly as stated. Fill out that page only on the computer and print it out.

[Erica & L 50]

Ugh, I didn't even think about that, for some reason I was thinking that every time you print off a form from the USCIS each form has a unique barcode and therefore if I printed off another page, I'd have unique barcodes for each of the pages and they might not process.

And yes, my FIL is being somewhat of a douche, and thank you guys for the help, my brain is so scattered I can't think properly!!

Hope everyone is having a good long weekend (if you're in the US) and thanks again!

[nightingalejules 678]

Best Solution - Fix the error on a computer and print it out. Even if some portions of the form are filled out by hand, you don't have to bother. The scanner will only read the typed out parts that appear in the barcode below. And mind you not EVERY field is processed in the barcode so regardless they still human-read the forms.

This is genius - and such a simple, elegant solution. Love it!

[Fatimahalzahra 5]

Very Bad Solution - Use Correction fluid

Best Solution - Fix the error on a computer and print it out. Even if some portions of the form are filled out by hand, you don't have to bother. The scanner will only read the typed out parts that appear in the barcode below. And mind you not EVERY field is processed in the barcode so regardless they still human-read the forms.

And according to their field manual (I don't have the link now but can check it up and update his comment), barcode pertain to only the page on which it is on, so for example, changing something on a different page shouldn't affect how information previously typed in other forms. Barcodes on forms are all completely distinct and that's how barcode technology works though.

This was really helpful

Thank you

Ugh, I didn't even think about that, for some reason I was thinking that every time you print off a form from the USCIS each form has a unique barcode and therefore if I printed off another page, I'd have unique barcodes for each of the pages and they might not process.

And yes, my FIL is being somewhat of a douche, and thank you guys for the help, my brain is so scattered I can't think properly!!

Hope everyone is having a good long weekend (if you're in the US) and thanks again!I

I thought the same-thing until I saw this post