Financial sponsorship for immigrant visas

Wednesday, February 01, 2012

Q: I had an appointment at the United States Embassy yesterday to apply for an immigrant visa. I was told that I need to find a joint sponsor for my application. What does this mean and what should I do next?

A: In order to receive an immigrant visa, the petitioner in the United States must demonstrate adequate financial means to support the beneficiary. Individuals can determine whether the petitioner meets the financial sponsorship threshold by reviewing the income guidelines available in the Immigrant Visas section of the US Embassy's website. The income guidelines state minimum income levels given overall household size, which includes individuals previously sponsored by the petitioner who have not become US citizens, as well as dependents listed on the sponsor's federal income tax returns.

For most family-based immigrant visa petitions, the petitioner is required to complete an affidavit of support, Form I-864, for the visa applicant. The petitioner must also submit his most recent tax return, W-2 statement, job letter, and any proof of assets. If the petitioner did not pay taxes last year, he must provide a written explanation of why he did not do so.

A petitioner may count the income of family members living in the same household, such as a spouse. However, if that income is included, the family member must fill out an I-864A form and provide his or her most recent tax returns and proof of legal status in the US. Information about these forms and instructions on how to fill out the forms can be found on the US Citizenship and Immigration Service website, www.uscis.gov.

If the petitioner's income does not meet or exceed the legal threshold for financial sponsorship, then the petitioner must find a joint sponsor.

Each petition is allowed to have up to two joint sponsors, and those sponsors do not have to be related to the applicant. A joint sponsor must provide the form I-864 with an original signature, his most recent tax returns, W-2 statement, a job letter, any proof of assets, and proof of his status as a US citizen or US legal permanent resident. Also, a joint sponsor may count the income of family members living in the same household, such as a spouse. However, if that income is included, the family member must fill out an I-864A form and provide their most recent tax returns and proof of their legal status in the US. This information may be mailed directly from the joint sponsor to the US Embassy.

The US Embassy cannot continue to process an immigrant visa application until the required financial sponsorship information is received, so applicants are encouraged to resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

For additional information about visas, please visit the US Embassy Kingston's website at http://kingston.usembassy.gov/.

The US Embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.

Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will send them to the embassy.