help w/financial report

[paradiselost]

Good day. My Mexican fiance and I have begun the long journey to bring here to the U.S. We are now assembling all our paperwork, birth certificates, etc. My question to the list is this.
I own a small business, a music store, actually, and the past couple of years, due to the economy, my income has been less than normal. I own 2 houses, I have near 100K in savings and invesments, I own 3 cars etc. and I can prove ownership in all my properties. The thing here is, I do not take a paycheck from the store. I pay most all my bills through the store, as many small businesses do, and i cannot show a paystub. I can send in a copy of last years w2, but no check stub. Any suggestions about this?
I have no idea what the minimum is for approval on finances...does anyone know? Thanks in advance.

[Woodger]

Hi mate

Congrats!

I wouldn't worry about a thing, you sound like you have a great financial report to sponsor your fiance

the sponsor must prove they must earn 125% of the poverty level, which increases depending on the number of people they already financially responsible for (dependents under 18)

Here is the family size (2 would indicate your self and your fiance... and so on)

and the income (annually) they need to meet, is US $

1 13,538
2 18,213
3 22,888
4 27,563
5 32,238
6 36,913
7 41,588
8 46,263


Add 1 for each dependant above and beyond you and your fiance


You don't have to use a paystub, as you can submit copied of your tax returns as proof of income no problems there

Also, you don't have to submit the financial support documents until your fiance goes to the embassy for their final interview

Hope this helps!

Woodger

[paradiselost]

That sounds really good. I did not make enough last year, but perhaps I will this year. I can live several years off my savings, but of course I don't want to do this, I wonder how picky they are really going to be about this amount w/the amount of funds I have in reserve? There really is a lot to this, I just want to make sure that I don't have to do anything over.....I want to be as anal about paperwork and organiazation as is necessary to get this done right the first time. She and I have talked every night online for 14 months, and last month we met face to face for the first time. It was like *****. I do not want to wait a year to get this done. I have heard the running time for the I-129 application is about 5 months....does anyone know if this is about right? Thanks in advance.
Bryan

[Woodger]

Hey mate

I think with your savings etc.. you will be ok, however, it is possible to also use a co-sponsor, so if someone you know that is willing to do it will sponsor her, you can have them send in paperwork too, I did this with my fiance

Well, it does take a little time to get it going

Me and my fiance filed at the end of May, but now I'm just days away from actually receiving my passport back from the Embassy, and I have my flights booked for next wednesday to go out there with the visa for good.

I would say, that yes, be VERY anal with the paperwork, put yourself in the mindset of the officer that will review your case... be extremely anal!

Once you file, it goes to one of 2 service centres depending on where you live, California is the faster of the two, so hopefully you're close to Cali.

They take around 3 months to approve the application, then they forward it to the US embassy in your fiances home country, and there it can take around 2 to 3 months for your fiance to actually get the visa in her hand... so yeah, apply sooner rather than later !

Some people have trouble entering the united states once they state to the Point of Entry officer that they have applied for a K1 , so if she is visiting you, then best not to mention the K1 unless asked, have your fiance have documents to prove strong ties to return home after the visit, and also have a return flight booked. I have visited 3 times since the application went in and never had any trouble, but always had my paperwork to back me up (I am the foreign fiance)

Alternativley, you can visit her as many time as you like


It takes time, and patience, but it happens I am just days away

[Woodger]

p.s you can also use property value in the financial report

[paradiselost]

Looks like about 5-6 mos. Do I need to plan on being there w/her when she goes to the embassy for her visa? I have heard that they will not let you be there with her when she goes for her interview. I tell you, I sure am glad I found this site, it will be very helpful I think. Many thanks in advance.
Bryan
P.S., many congrats to you! you just days away, our journey has just begun.

[nichole]

Your assets can be used in the following way. There's actually a formula.


For example, say you need $18,200 to sponsor.

Your income that you can show on paper is $15,200 so there is a $3000 shortfall to make up in assets.

You have to show assets 5 times the shortfall in income. So the example shortfall of $3000 can be made up by showing assets of (5 x 3000) or $15,000 in your savings account or something you could easily turn to cash.

Some people say the I-134 Affidavit can be approved with only 3x the assets. There's no strict rule actually on the I-134 so most people turn to the I-864 for guidelines and try to follow those instructions for the I-134.

The I-864 is another Affidavit that you submit once the fiance has arrived, and married, and is preparing papers to file for Adjustment of Status.

[paradiselost]

Many thanks. That was the information I needed. I hope to have all my paperwork from Maria and I in the mail by the first of Jan. She is gathering all her information now. That will take about 3 weeks to get to me, by that time, I will have all my together. Then I guess we wait. That's going to be the hard part.