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Hi guys! I am new to this forum, I have some questions and would greatly appreciate any help from you. Thank you!!
My current status is F1 STEM OPT. My wife, who is a US citizen, and I married in July. We are looking to apply for a marriage green card for me. Correct me if I am wrong, but according to research, I think our case is pretty straightforward since I am already in the US, entered lawfully, no criminal history, etc.
Our main concern is about the affidavit of support.
Our situations:
1. My wife (sponsor) is self-employed and she owns an online store. She has been self-employed for the past two years, but she is just starting to turn a profit this year. She is projected to make 40K this year. Since she has just started making money this year, she cannot use her tax documents from last year to prove income. She can only use her financial statements to back up her income. We are worried that it may be a problem by her not having a "stable" source of income.
2. My job currently pays 60K. I have a stable income and has been working this job for 2 years. I can meet the income requirement with my income. However, I've been wanting to quit my job to become a freelance designer. But by doing that, I will lose my proof of income, at least for a while.
3. We have about 120K in savings.
Questions:
1. What if: I quit my job before filing for the green card and we use my wife's income and our savings in the affidavit of support, would this likely cause any complications and would this be a good approach?
2. What if: I keep my job and use my income to file for the green card, then quit my job while the application is processing. Then tell the immigration officer during the interview that "I changed jobs and became self-employed, though I cannot prove income but my wife still makes 40K and we have 120K in savings". Would this likely cause any complications and would this be a good approach?
3. If I decide to quit my job after I filed the applications to USCIS, how long should I wait before I quit? Does this matter?
4. At the time of the interview, would it negatively affect our case if told the immigration officer that I am self-employed (but with no proof of income) or that I am actively looking for a job?
5. If I quit my job, do I have to worry about possibly accumulating the 150 unemployment days (STEM OPT rule) while the adjustment of status is pending? I know I am ok as long as my AOS is being processed. But what if I am out of F1 status due to 150 unemployment days, then my AOS gets denied for some reason, which then makes me completely out of status? Would I be in trouble if this happens?
Thanks again, greatly appreciate your help.
My current status is F1 STEM OPT. My wife, who is a US citizen, and I married in July. We are looking to apply for a marriage green card for me. Correct me if I am wrong, but according to research, I think our case is pretty straightforward since I am already in the US, entered lawfully, no criminal history, etc.
Our main concern is about the affidavit of support.
Our situations:
1. My wife (sponsor) is self-employed and she owns an online store. She has been self-employed for the past two years, but she is just starting to turn a profit this year. She is projected to make 40K this year. Since she has just started making money this year, she cannot use her tax documents from last year to prove income. She can only use her financial statements to back up her income. We are worried that it may be a problem by her not having a "stable" source of income.
2. My job currently pays 60K. I have a stable income and has been working this job for 2 years. I can meet the income requirement with my income. However, I've been wanting to quit my job to become a freelance designer. But by doing that, I will lose my proof of income, at least for a while.
3. We have about 120K in savings.
Questions:
1. What if: I quit my job before filing for the green card and we use my wife's income and our savings in the affidavit of support, would this likely cause any complications and would this be a good approach?
2. What if: I keep my job and use my income to file for the green card, then quit my job while the application is processing. Then tell the immigration officer during the interview that "I changed jobs and became self-employed, though I cannot prove income but my wife still makes 40K and we have 120K in savings". Would this likely cause any complications and would this be a good approach?
3. If I decide to quit my job after I filed the applications to USCIS, how long should I wait before I quit? Does this matter?
4. At the time of the interview, would it negatively affect our case if told the immigration officer that I am self-employed (but with no proof of income) or that I am actively looking for a job?
5. If I quit my job, do I have to worry about possibly accumulating the 150 unemployment days (STEM OPT rule) while the adjustment of status is pending? I know I am ok as long as my AOS is being processed. But what if I am out of F1 status due to 150 unemployment days, then my AOS gets denied for some reason, which then makes me completely out of status? Would I be in trouble if this happens?
Thanks again, greatly appreciate your help.
