QUESTION
If I am unemployed and have very little money, will that be a problem in filing the affidavit of support?
Asked on Jan 12th, 2015 on Immigration - Georgia
More details to this question:
I want to file an I-130 for my wife who is a Sri Lankan national. I currently live in Sri Lanka but have continued to maintain my US bank account and residence (with my mum) in the US. I am not employed currently and have very little money in my bank account. Will that be a problem when filing the affidavit of support? Do I put 0$ on my income?
3 ANSWERS
If your income and/or assets are insufficient for affidavit of support purposes, you will need to get a joint sponsor to sign the affidavit of support on behalf of your wife.
Answered on Jan 14th, 2015 at 7:21 PM
Bruce A. Coane
Yes it will be. A problem, and yes, if your income is zero, that's what you put on the I-864. You will also need a co-sponsor.
Answered on Jan 14th, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Although not clear from your question, I presume that you are a U.S. citizen living in Sri Lanka. The U.S. citizen petitioning spouse indeed must file an Affidavit of Support that accurately shows his earnings, and if the earnings are $0 then that should be reported on the Affidavit of Support. With insufficient earnings to meet the requirements of the Form I-864P Guidelines, it will be necessary to have a "joint sponsor" too. The joint sponsor need not be a relative, but instead may be nearly any U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident living in the U.S. with sufficient documentable income, who is willing to assume the responsibilities specified in the Affidavit of Support. 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 Jan 14th, 2015 at 9:30 AM