Need help on Sponsor docs

[tikal]

Firstly, this is a very informative site. I've read the list of the required sponsored docs, but I have the following questions for a visitor visa application for my uncle and aunt who will be applying from Mumbai on Oct 27.

[1] Are recent paystubs absolutely required?
[2] Are past W2s AND tax-returns also definitely required or good to have?
[3] If my relatives get a 6 month visitor visa on Oct 27, what is the time-limit within which they have to fly out of Mumbai?
eg. (a) To skip the winter here, if they come here in March '06, will they be able to stay till Sept '06 (6 months from date of entry?) OR
(b) They will be granted visa only till April 27, '06 (6 months from getting visa in Mumbai) OR
(c) Independent of when they fly out, this is a random process that depends entirely on the Immigration Officer who will stamp the expiry date when they land in the US?

I understand that if they get a 10 year visa, they can fly out any time.

Thank you very much for your help.

[taco]

If your uncle and aunt are affluent enough to afford this trip ,I'd
advise you against sponsoring (sending an I-134) them and
they should show self-financing the trip.

1 and 2. Yes if you send an I-134.
3. no time limit, they can fly out anytime till the visa expires.
The duration of stay will be decided by the date stamped at the entry, usually it is 6 months,can be less. Even if the visa expires, one can stay till the date on the I-94 card.

[tikal]

Taco, thanks for your quick reply. I have follow-ups:

[1] I read on this site that W2 OR tax-returns are fine. In your opinion, is either/or fine, or should I be sending both - W2s as well as tax returns?

[2] Would it be problematic to convince the interviewing officer as to why a nephew in US is sponsoring them for a sightseeing trip? Or is there some other reason why I should not be sponsoring them?

[3] If they get rejected this time, would it be more difficult for them to get a visa at a 2nd attempt when applying on their own financial strength?

[4] When can they re-apply after an initial rejection?

Thank you again,
Tikal

[taco]

1. Read the instructions(supporting evidence) on I-134; W2 or tax returns not listed as a specific requirement for salaried employees but you should send them anyway ; the guys at the embassy may want to look at anything.

2.Sponsoring an uncle and an aunt is not considered 'natural' as sponsoring one's parents is. And it also shows their inability to fund their own trip which means lack of good financial ties in India. These two issues combined may lead to a suspicion of immigrant intent. CONVINCING; No.
The consulars do not explain or ask you to explain what they indirectly interpret from one's situation.

3.Yes, problematic. How will they show a sudden change in financial strength? And if they had enough funds why did they ask for sponsorship
from you the first time?
The consulars look at the applicant's income more than his savings.

4.After 3 business days. But it is pointless to reapply unless you
can strongly overcome the reason for the denial. My advice is,
try to do it right the first time. And there are other important issues for your uncle's and aunt's application like their ages, their occupations, how many children, their ages, single or married, what they are doing, and what is the real purpose in coming to US?

[tikal]

Taco, You've hit some of my concerns regarding the application.

[1] I understand that they need to be fully prepared with docs - more docs cannot hurt.

[2] This is a key issue. Why is your nephew sponsoring you? is the question that is going to be central. They have 3 kids, all working in India. Both are 70+ and are retired. They have decent assets/net-worth (I don't know what kind of net-worth is considered 'substantial financial ties' to India), but from income point of view, it is investment income. Hard assets like real-estate have decent average annual appreciation, but they are non-cash. Liquid income is only from investment assets.

Since they don't have any kids here, I thought I would invite them for visiting the US, sight-seeing - don't know how to put this across the Consular officer that they like traveling and seeing new places, and would like to see the US. They have good savings and annual income from investments -So they have good financial ties to India. So the fact that I am sponsoring them should not imply that they do not have enough financial ties to India.

[3] As before - decent savings, but cash income is from liquid investments. What is a ballpark networth & income figure that a Consular officer would consider as compelling for them to return? What I am thinking is that even if the investment income is substantial, if a person is retired, they really don't need to be India to receive that income. With that logic, all retired persons would have their visitor's visa application denied - regardless of their income level.

In case they are denied, they will go with the same supporting documents from their side. There would be no jump in their financial strength. They will show the same 'good financial strength' the 1st as well as 2nd time.

[4] All 3 children are married and working in India. Their appointment is on Oct 27th, so as you said if they opt to self-sponsor, can they defer this appointment so as to get more time to strengthen their application?

[5] From your response, it seems that it is not a good idea to sponsor a non-parent relative, whether retired or not, whether they have decent savings/income or not. I was under the impression that with their profile, age and settled and married kids in India, this would be an easy go.

Thanks,
Tikal

1. Read the instructions(supporting evidence) on I-134; W2 or tax returns not listed as a specific requirement for salaried employees but you should send them anyway ; the guys at the embassy may want to look at anything.

2.Sponsoring an uncle and an aunt is not considered 'natural' as sponsoring one's parents is. And it also shows their inability to fund their own trip which means lack of good financial ties in India. These two issues combined may lead to a suspicion of immigrant intent. CONVINCING; No.
The consulars do not explain or ask you to explain what they indirectly interpret from one's situation.

3.Yes, problematic. How will they show a sudden change in financial strength? And if they had enough funds why did they ask for sponsorship
from you the first time?
The consulars look at the applicant's income more than his savings.

4.After 3 business days. But it is pointless to reapply unless you
can strongly overcome the reason for the denial. My advice is,
try to do it right the first time. And there are other important issues for your uncle's and aunt's application like their ages, their occupations, how many children, their ages, single or married, what they are doing, and what is the real purpose in coming to US?

[taco]

Taco, You've hit some of my concerns regarding the application.

[1] I understand that they need to be fully prepared with docs - more docs cannot hurt.

[2] This is a key issue. Why is your nephew sponsoring you? is the question that is going to be central. They have 3 kids, all working in India. Both are 70+ and are retired. They have decent assets/net-worth (I don't know what kind of net-worth is considered 'substantial financial ties' to India), but from income point of view, it is investment income. Hard assets like real-estate have decent average annual appreciation, but they are non-cash. Liquid income is only from investment assets.

Since they don't have any kids here, I thought I would invite them for visiting the US, sight-seeing - don't know how to put this across the Consular officer that they like traveling and seeing new places, and would like to see the US. They have good savings and annual income from investments -So they have good financial ties to India. So the fact that I am sponsoring them should not imply that they do not have enough financial ties to India.

[3] As before - decent savings, but cash income is from liquid investments. What is a ballpark networth & income figure that a Consular officer would consider as compelling for them to return? What I am thinking is that even if the investment income is substantial, if a person is retired, they really don't need to be India to receive that income. With that logic, all retired persons would have their visitor's visa application denied - regardless of their income level.

In case they are denied, they will go with the same supporting documents from their side. There would be no jump in their financial strength. They will show the same 'good financial strength' the 1st as well as 2nd time.

[4] All 3 children are married and working in India. Their appointment is on Oct 27th, so as you said if they opt to self-sponsor, can they defer this appointment so as to get more time to strengthen their application?

[5] From your response, it seems that it is not a good idea to sponsor a non-parent relative, whether retired or not, whether they have decent savings/income or not. I was under the impression that with their profile, age and settled and married kids in India, this would be an easy go.

Thanks,
Tikal

1. True, but their situation would carry more weight than their documents.
2. Purpose of travel needs to be real . The consulars have
their way of ''judging" what is real. Lengthy explanations won't count at all. For example, if your uncle tells the consular, the reason for his trip to US is that he likes seeing places, the consular will surely ask him if he has visited
any other country which is closer and cheaper than US. If not, he will get
the denial right there without the consular looking at all the documents he took with him.
3. That is true, retired status is a negative factor but many do get visas.
4. It could be hard for them either way because of all the factors combined.
5. It may work in some real situations for example someone in US sponsoring someone for medical treatment etc.

They could take a shot at it, sometimes you can get a friendly consular
and luck favours. For self sponsoring they should be able to show very good liquid cash and other savings too.
Or there is a real situation that I can think of ;
Many retired people go on package tours on their life time savings.
If they can make a trip to a european country first and then apply for US
on this basis ; it may work too.