Petitioner needs to be a US resident??

[Shiza Pervaiz Akhtar]

Hi I am a 22 yr old US citizen living with my parents in Pakistan. I understand that i can file form I-130 for their petitions right now but do I need to be residing in US to fill out the I-864 form for sponsorship when their petition is approved? Or can I fill out the form in joint sponsorship with a US relative living in US even if I am living outside US at that time?
Any help will be appreciated

[Awan96]

Hi I am a 22 yr old US citizen living with my parents in Pakistan. I understand that i can file form I-130 for their petitions right now but do I need to be residing in US to fill out the I-864 form for sponsorship when their petition is approved? Or can I fill out the form in joint sponsorship with a US relative living in US even if I am living outside US at that time?
Any help will be appreciated

Yes u can file your affidavit of support and get a joint sponsorship from some body also, if you meet any of these requirements.

Country of Domicile.

Indicate the country where you maintain your principal residence and where you plan to reside for the foreseeable future. If your mailing address and/or place of residence is not in the United States, but your country of domicile is the United States, you must attach a typed or printed explanation and documentary evidence indicating how you meet the domicile requirement.

If you are not currently living in the United States, you may meet the domicile requirement if you can submit evidence to establish that any of the following conditions apply:

1.You are employed by a certain organization.

Some individuals employed overseas are automatically considered as domiciled in the United States because of the
nature of their employment. The qualifying types of employment include employment by

A. The U.S. Government;

B. An American institution of research recognized by the Secretary of Homeland Security (you may find the list of
qualifying institutions at 8 CFR 316.20);

C. A U.S. firm or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the development of foreign trade and commerce with the
United States, or a subsidiary of such a firm or corporation;

D. A public international organization in which the United States participates by treaty or statute;

E. A religious denomination having a bona fide organization in the United States, if the employment abroad involves
the person’s performance of priestly or ministerial functions on behalf of the denomination; or

F. A religious denomination or interdenominational missionary organization having a bona fide organization in the
United States, if the person is engaged solely as a missionary.

2.You are living abroad temporarily.

If you are not currently living in the United States, you must provide proof that your trip abroad is temporary and that
you have maintained your domicile in the United States. Examples of proof include:

A.Your voting record in the United States;

B.Records of paying U.S. state or local taxes;

C.Having property in the United States;

D.Maintaining bank or investment accounts in the United States;

E.Having a permanent mailing address in the United States; or

F.Other proof such as evidence that you are a student studying abroad or that a foreign government has authorized a
temporary stay.

3.You intend in good faith to reestablish your domicile in the United States no later than the date of the intending
immigrant’s admission or adjustment of status.

You must submit proof that you have taken concrete steps to establish that you will domicile in the United States
at a time no later than the date of the intending immigrant’s admission or adjustment of status. Concrete steps
might include accepting a job in the United States, signing a lease or purchasing a residence in the United States, or
registering children in U.S. schools. Please attach proof of the steps you have taken to establish domicile as described
above

http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864instr.pdf

Good Luck.....

[Shiza Pervaiz Akhtar]

Thank you very much for the information!