QUESTION
Can I sponsor my mother for immigration even if I don't have a job now?
Asked on Sep 08th, 2015 on Immigration - Georgia
More details to this question:
I don't work right now, I just quit my job but I have a fair amount of money in my bank account plus assets which exceeds the Federal poverty line for two people in a household, also my mother who will be coming from Egypt and she has a good amount of expensive jewelry which can be considered as an asset, will that be acceptable in the immigration interview?
2 ANSWERS
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If you do not have any income, you need assets (including the money in the bank) with a total value in excess of 5 times the federal poverty guideline. If you live alone now, the poverty guideline for you+your mother is $19,912; so you need to have assets valued in excess of $99,560. Your mother's assets can be counted, but, as a practical matter, it might be difficult to obtain in Egypt a valuation of her jewelry that the embassy would believe. A possible way to obtain such valuation is to insure the jewelry through AIG or Lloyds Insurance (it would also make your mother's travel a little more secure).
Answered on Sep 11th, 2015 at 1:41 AM
A U.S. citizen may petition for her mother even if the U.S.citizen is unemployed. If the U.S. citizen does not have sufficient documentable income, documentation about assets may be used (as specified on the instructions to the Form I-864 Affidavit of Support) or a joint sponsor may be used in the application process. Some immigration law firms, including mine, offer legal services on a "flat fee" basis so that a client will know the total expense from the very beginning, and a few immigration law firms, including mine, offer an initial consultation free of charge.
Answered on Sep 10th, 2015 at 11:41 AM