how much $$$$

[chris g]

I know that I need to have a certain income level to be able to bring my girl here. My question is how much? I am a blue collar guy. I do alright with money, but its just me. My needs are small. What does the government look at? As far as I can tell this may be the only hicup in the thing. I know I can get a co-sponser, but to ask someone that makes me a little uncomfortable. I am a "pay my own way" type. I did not even get a credit card until 3 years ago.( I was 29) So how much is enough I there eyes?   One more thing. The whole visa thing. Do it my self or hire someone? I know to do it my self is cheaper, but I want to make sure it is done right, which means hire someone. So if I do hire, anyone that someone can recommend? Thanks for any help.

[Ray]

... in response to how much $$$$, posted by chris g on Feb 15, 2005

Hi Chris,

I agree with Jeff S on the subject of hiring someone to help you with the visa paperwork. If you do your own income taxes, you probably won’t have any trouble with the visa stuff. A good immigration attorney will help insure that you are doing everything correctly, but there are also a lot of dumb attorneys out there (not you Stephen) who will screw your papers up too. Figure on around $1,000 to $2,000 for a lawyer to do a simple Fiancée Visa process. If you do hire anyone, find an attorney who is a member of AILA (American Immigration Lawyers Association). There is a good immigration attorney who posts frequently on the Latin Forum, Gary Bala, but he is in Philly I think. At least he knows his stuff. Here’s his Web site if you want to contact him:

http://www.usaimmigrationattorney.com

Eric gave you some accurate info on the financial requirements. They use the annual published poverty guidelines as an income guide for qualifying. For a K-Visa (fiancée) you will need a minimum of 100% of the poverty level ($12,490 for two), but you will eventually need 125% ($15,612) to adjust status after you marry, so you can use that figure as a rough guide.

http://uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/affsupp.htm#poverty

What they actually expect is a steady income from a permanent job or a solid business if self-employed. The key number is total annual income before adjustments. You will need to provide copies of recent tax returns and W-2’s and/or evidence of other assets. They may or may not allow you to use a cosponsor but I would make sure that you qualify on your own to be safe. Before they approve her visa, they will look at the totality of her situation and your financial status to insure that she will not become a public charge after she arrives here.

Ray

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to how much $$$$, posted by chris g on Feb 15, 2005

Chris g

If  you  and  your  girl are just the 2 of you with no dependents involved   I think the minimum income level they are looking for is $ 15,600 or 125 % of the poverty level.  I beleive  the mininmum level is higher in Alaska and Hawaii  around $ 19,000.  

There is no need for a lawyer.  Unless your life and circumstances are very complicated, you are just wasting your money.  The forms are not that difficult  and there is no shame in asking questions here when you need to.  I do not believe that they look at your  credit rating or history  but they will want to review your  income tax forms for the last 3 years as you get inolved with the visa Process.

ALL THE BEST

ERIC

[Jeff S]

... in response to how much $$$$, posted by chris g on Feb 15, 2005

[This message has been edited by Jeff S]

Hi Chris:
Welcome to the board. Hopefully someone, probably Ray, will be able to post the exact income - but I know it isn't much. I'm sure you'll qualify if you have a steady job - even a blue collar one.

As for doing the paperwork. If you can follow directions and are careful, there's no reason you can't do it yourself. Most people do. There are plenty of people here to ask if you have any questions. People thinking they need to attorneys to fill out simple forms is what lawyers pray for every night before they go to bed. If you do hire them, they don't fill out the forms themselves anyway, but just pass it on to a secretary. They don't mind charging you like they spent hours laboring over it, though (right Stephen?)

Just a quick question, though. Your profile and post above  indicate a kind of young, kind of naieve guy, from small town middle America, (your use the terms "blue collar", "harmless" "idiot") Are you sure you really want to pursue Eastern European women? When I think of big city Russian girls and you, I get this image of an innocent lamb being led up the ramp of the slaughterhouse. Are you sure you wouldn't rather look for a small town Latin or Asian girl?

- Jeff

[chris g]

... in response to Re: how much $$$$, posted by Jeff S on Feb 15, 2005

Just about any time a man gets involved with a woman are we all "lambs to the slaughter". :-) Anyway,you looked at my profile. I don't even remember what I put down. I was just haveing fun. I do not think of myself as being smart, but I do think everyone one else is stupid. :-) I had a guy at work ask me something and I said "how should I know?" He said "because you're the smart one here." My reply was "that's like saying Moe was the smartest stooge." My point is it's hard to say how smart I am ( online IQ tests put it around 120, if you can belive them) being around idiots all the time makes me look good. But in the "real world" who knows? Thanks again for all the help. I will try to do the paper work myself. I just get nervous about, did I do that right? or this? Will this cause them to toss it out?  One last thing. My girl is small town asian. How small? She does not have electricity and gets water from a well. And I am 33 years old. Not young, but not old(but I feel old sometimes) later

[Jeff S]

... in response to Re: Re: how much $$$$, posted by chris g on Feb 16, 2005

Yes, After Jay (ever so subtley) pointed out my oversight in connecting your last post with this one, I remember now she's a Cambodian. I'm relieved after reading your profile. I also, was married for the first (and hopefully only) time to an Asian lady at 33. Out 20th anniversary is coming up next year!

Don't worry, plenty of us working class stiffs manage OK to afford this process. Jimmy St Louis' posts on the Latin board are pretty interesting though, and reflect some of my own thoughts after being married a few weeks. Things settled in though, after a while amd we worked out the cash flow fairly well.

I believe that picking the right wife can make the difference in a man's success in life. The right lady will increase your luck, income, fun, everything in life, while the wrong one can send you to hell on earth. There's a saying in just about every culture that behind every great man is a great woman or something of the sort and it's true. That concept is a major influence in Japan for picking spouses (Hey Bob, ask Akiko about 'ageman' and 'sageman') Fortunately I got an ageman (of course she got an agechin, too.)

- Jeff

[Bob S]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: how much $$$$, posted by Jeff S on Feb 17, 2005

"Ageman", eh?  I'll try to remember that when I call her tonight.  We had to make a quick trip back to her small hometown this past week due to a death in the family.  I came back early to work to pay for this trip while she stayed for another week to take care of her mother.  Was very ironic given that her father was so much opposed to our marriage, the stress may have percipitated his declining health and demise, then I as the son-in-law of his only child should be called upon to play a major role in his traditional Buddhist funeral ceremony (if he knew who was carrying the urn with his bones after the cremation, they would have jumped out and scampered away!).

Oh yeah, back on topic for the OP, whether you do the paperwork yourself or have a lawyer do it, you will still have to submit the same information.  The lawyer will have you do the footwork yourself anyway to track down all required info.  Then all the lawyer will do is put it down in the forms in the correct boxes in a nice typed font.  Remember that non-native-English-speaking immigrants use these forms all the time to sponsor family members to come over.  So unless your situation is particularly unusual (self employed? contractor paid only in cash with no paystub history? haven't filed a tax return in years?), you can plod thru the paperwork yourself over the course of an evening.
Go to the source and follow it step by step:
http://uscis.gov/graphics/faqsgen.htm#marriage

[Windmill Boy]

... in response to Sekai no naka ni ichi-ban tsuma desu, posted by Bob S on Feb 17, 2005

Bob San

I also am sorry to hear of Akiko's and your recent loss.  I hope at least you were able to spend some time with him during your trip in December.  Kat and I are looking forward to meeting with you, Akiko, and the rest of the LA crew  again on thursday April 14 th  for dinner.

Your tomodachi

ERIC

[Jeff S]

... in response to Sekai no naka ni ichi-ban tsuma desu, posted by Bob S on Feb 17, 2005

Sorry to hear you didn't get to make amends with papa-san before he passed away. Send Akiko-chan our condolences.

We're planning a couple weeks in Tokyo late April.

- Jeff

[Jay]

... in response to Re: how much $$$$, posted by Jeff S on Feb 15, 2005

HEY MR. MODERATOR!!!!  :-) Read the OTHER posts. The kids' got a girl from Cambodia! That's can be scary enough.

Just kidding with ya, Jeff. A good moderator, but not much on proofreeading!

Jay :-)