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I am wondering how to reestablish domicile. I know that the best case scenario is to actually travel back to the U.S., get a job, and get a lease or buy a house, but that's just not going to happen with me... At least I hope that's not the way things will work. That's my plan B. Plan A is to leave for the U.S. at the same time with my wife and three daughters. So... I was wondering if anyone out there can share some "reestablishing domicile" experiences with me that don't include the awful plan B scenario above? Also I was wondering what kind of documents are acceptable proof of "search for employment" or "search for residence"? I "search" even the correct word? I don't even know what "search for employment" means since I am currently in China. How does one earnestly search for a job or residence when they aren't even sure when their family will be allowed to immigrate? I realize I sound sarcastic but... I'm honestly wondering if anyone has a good answer to this question. Thank you all so much for such a great community site! I truly believe this site has the potential to change peoples lives and have seen examples of it here.

We submitted the application, and she received what I imagine is the blue slip (am i right?) Which states: "Your case requires additional processing, We will contact you and inform you of our decision. You may want to contact us every few months to check your case's status via the online form available" it says CCP with the box checked requesting explanation about her party membership affiliation. Also, it said it has insufficient information about my (I am the american) residency in USA, and asked me to submit evidence of job search and residency in USA. (they hand wrote "job search" on to the form). They also requested an I864-A and tax returns. Anyway, we submitted these about 65 days ago, and I have contacted them by the "online form" several times, but every time they just say "if you haven't heard back from us within 90 days then contact us again" What is the average wait time for people in my situation? Is there anything I should be doing in the mean time? Did I get the "blue slip"? how common is it and what does it really mean? My wife is worried and doesn't understand the situation very well, I try to console her, but I don't really understand the situation well myself. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks blue.rock

My wife and I are both working on her resume for her visa interview in a few weeks. In the instructions, it says that she needs to include a work plan explaining where she will seek employment after immigrating. She wants to work as a pre-school teacher or a Chinese teacher in the US. Should I be more specific than that? We are not sure where exactly she will look for work and we don't know which schools she will apply to. We will live in NY for the first several months while I finish up my master's degree, and we might move down south after I graduate. I guess my question is, how specific should we be in her work plan? How important is the resume to the visa officers? Also, to help claim domicile, I will provide my graduate school registration papers for the upcoming fall semester. Do you think this is enough? We are not 100% sure where we will stay in NY. There is a chance we will stay at a place my Grandma has in NYC. Would it help if my grandma wrote a letter stating that she will provide a place for us to stay and help support us when we immigrate to the USA? I realize I just asked a lot of questions. Any feedback would help. We wouldn't have gotten this far without this forum and I really appreciate it.

Ugh. I've been filing my taxes this whole time a single, also because my wife does not have a SSN. We have plenty of evidence for a bonafide marriage, including a four-year-old son, a bun in the oven, and heaps of photos with various family. Is this a problem? What should we do?

Hi, My husband, who is my sponsor, has been working in China for a non-American company for the past few years, therefore he does not have the W2 and 1099 forms. Would copies of his income tax returns from the past three years, along with the 1040 and 2555 forms provide enough evidence for the Affidavit of support? Also, regarding the I-864EZ eligibility requirements: 1. You filed a Form I-130 petition, for your relative (He filed for me) 2. There is only one applicant on the Form I-130 petition (Only me) 3. The income you are using to qualify is based entirely on your salary or pension and is shown on one or more forms W-2 provided by your employer. (All the qualifying income does come from his salary only, however, as mentioned earlier, he does not have the W2 to prove it, only the 1040 and 2555.) For the third requirement, would the 1040 and 2555 forms qualify, or should we go for the I-864 to be on the safe side? Thanks!

I am filling out theDS-260 Online information page - in place of the old DS-230 form and the website keeps asking me for an Invoice ID number. I have looked over all of my information, especially the e-mails and letters from NVC (which informed me that I can now schedule for an interview) and I cannot locate the Invoice ID number anywhere. So, my questions are many-fold: 1) Where can this number be found and how do I request for one if it was not included in the information I have already been provided? 1.5) Is the Invoice ID number only given to me once I have paid for the interview? 2) Also, the payment for the interview and application, must it be paid before going in to the consulate for an interview or can it be paid in the consulate itself prior to interviewing? 3) Last question - do I need to complete the DS-260 form prior to scheduling for an interview or can I schedule an interview first without completing the DS-260 form, as I have only used and submitted the DS-230 form before?

Hi guys, I was wondering what you guys might think about my intent letter. This is the first and hopefully last time I have to go through this process. I have been told that my letter is too casual and that my letter about my relationship with my spouse has too much information, Any thoughts? What should I omit? My letters are below: Intent Letter: To whom this may concern: I am writing this letter to attempt to provide proof of my intent to re-establish domicile in the United States as per the requirements of the I-864 form. I currently live in Thailand with my wife. My wife and I intend to move to the United States and live with my close friend and his family at their residence in Redmond, Washington, temporarily, while we look for a home to buy. We intend to move there shortly after her immigrant visa is processed. I have a permanent mailing address in the US where my mail has been going and where all of my belongings are currently stored. I also have a current bank account in the state of New York through Bank of America which can be used nationally. I have had this account since 2005 and continue to pay my school loans and credit cards every month utilizing this account. I first came to Thailand to visit my family, who all live in Bangkok, in 2011. My mother had decided to return to the country of her origins in 2004. My parents were getting older and I hadn’t seen them for seven years since I was living in the states. I decided to stay awhile and shortly thereafter decided to start school there to get a degree that would allow me to work abroad and continue to travel. That all changed after I met my wife. She was already in visa proceedings to go study in the US. She had been accepted at a university in Oklahoma and she dropped all her plans to make a life with me. We got married and have been extremely happy since. I decided to stop going to school in mid-2013 and started making plans to return to the US to start a family and return to Washington State largely due the political situation here. I worry about our safety and it has gradually gotten worse. We actually came to this conclusion around May 26, 2013 when a bomb was detonated at a store front on our main road. Currently, we live across from Ramkhamhaeng University where 4 students were killed and scores were injured in shootings and a bomb attack on Nov 30, 2013. I feel Bangkok is no longer a safe place. Upon return, my close friends and I plan to start up an online business while I find employment in the tech sector and or customer service/sales sector. Returning to the games industry is also an option. I will also seek to finish my education in night school to open doors of opportunity in the future. My wife has completed her certification to teach Chinese and intends to finish her education in Washington State and then continue for a Masters in Education. I thank you for your time in this matter and hope we will have met all parameters and requirements needed to begin the rest of our lives in America. Sincerely, xxxxxxxxxxx Relationship Letter: To whom this may concern: I first met my wife at my professor’s birthday party. Interestingly, a few weeks before I was to attend his party, he told me “You know, there’s a girl I know, who would be perfect for you”. Little did I know that the woman he was referring to would become my wife. We met briefly and unfortunately, I was not able to stay at the party. A couple of days later I received a message on Facebook. It was her. She had “liked” one of my silly photos. I messaged her back and we started to chat…a lot. We found that we had a lot of things in common. Our favorite cartoons as children were the same and we started to notice that we would type the same things when we were talking. We talked and talked for hours on end about anything and everything. We were quickly becoming great friends. She later invited me out to dinner with a bunch of other students. It would be the first time seeing each other since the party. When I sat down next to her, I felt more comfortable than I had ever felt in my life. I wasn’t sure if she had feelings for me for more than a good friend, but the way she looked at me and smiled when I talked to her made me feel something I had never felt. It literally felt as if I had known her forever. We all went to a lounge afterward and we chatted some more and a man selling roses walked by. I decided to buy a rose in front of everyone. I then handed it to Jijun (Daisy). All of the other girls were jealous. It was a great moment. We became inseparable and started spending copious amounts of time together. We gravitated towards one another. If we weren’t near one another, we were chatting on various chat apps and sharing photos and ideas and bits of our lives to one another. I knew in my heart I had found my “soul mate”. The one I was supposed to be with. She was my dream girl. I had a fortunate opportunity in meeting her, yet there was a sad reality upon the horizon. Jijun (Daisy)had been accepted to a school in the USA and was planning on leaving in a few short months for the states. We hadn’t expected to meet one another. We hadn’t expected to fall so deeply in love. I decided to just take it one day at a time and to enjoy the time that we had together. Daisy’s parents had already made plans to visit and I was delighted to finally meet them. I didn’t feel nervous at all and we all had a great time. As the departure date approached for her to return to China with her parents, she dropped a huge bombshell. She had decided to cancel her visa appointment at great expense, as her parents had already paid the necessary visa fees, and told me that she was going to stay with me in Bangkok and see where our relationship would go. When she returned from her Phuket trip, our families had dinner and it was then I walked up to her father and told him how crazy I was about his daughter and that I wished to marry her. I had learned to say it in Chinese. He approved. I was so elated. Later that night as we said our final goodbyes, Jijun’s father pulled me aside and told me that he trusted in me that I would take care of his daughter and that he was very happy to see his daughter so happy. The most amazing aspect was what my mother did. There had been a ring she promised to give me one day to ask someone to marry me. Problem was that she had never liked any of the women I had dated, so I was not sure if my mother would accept Jijun. I was amazed at how nice and sweet my mother was toward her. She had refused to meet all but one of my exes in the past. I had asked my mother for the ring and she had told me that she had sold the ring long ago. I was quite upset. I had planned on giving the ring to Jijun. One day, my mother had asked her to meet her for the day. I was amazed that my mom would ask to spend time with her. When she returned from their meeting, she was beaming. She then showed me her hand. The “lost ring” was on her finger. My mother had lied to me. She hadn’t sold it. She was holding on to it for the right girl. She wanted to make sure I didn’t give it to another. So my mother, who has hated everyone I had ever dated, personally gave Daisy my engagement ring. It was an amazing way to show she had accepted Jijun as her future daughter-in-law. We began to live together and planned to go to China to get married. We went to Chengdu for a month-long vacation and the day finally arrived. I married my dream girl on April 18th, 2013. Things have been amazing since then and I couldn’t have dreamed to ever be so happy in my life. I have such a great reason to wake up each day. We have talked a great deal about our future and decided it would be best to return to the United States to finish our education and shortly thereafter, start a family. When I think about this future, I smile a great big smile and breathe a sigh of contentment that I have my life partner at my side each day, looking towards the future, together. Thank you for reading. Yours, xxxxxxxxxxx

Hello and thanks million to this website and its many helpful members? I have been living and sometimes working here in China for the last 12 years. I met my wife in my 3rd week here and we have been together ever since. I never planned to go back to the US, it was my dream to live and die here in the central kingdom, but now that our child is 5 and is already being influenced by the so called education system here I realise, as my mum said there is only one "i" in the word family and she deserves better... My main concern in filing the I-130 is not proving we are married or that I am a citizen, but my past, current and future income(s)?..aka the I-864... My family state side is all but broken after the Bush era..(all below poverty level) Although we will have a place to stay and the rental income from the family owns will be enough to survive, it is still below the amount required for a family of three.. What can one do if the have no cosponsor? Has anyone ever made it back with out one and no job stateside? I will be able to get one once I obtain my Acupuncture license... Thanks and Sorry for the negative nature of this my first post also I have been off the grid since 1992 (no 1040s filed)

Hi everybody, Yesterday was a great day as my wife passed her interview and the visa should be here in a week or so! It feels so good to have this weight lifted off our shoulders. Since I learned most of the process and documentation needed from this website, I thought it appropriate to share our success story with a few tips/lessons learned. Sorry, this will be a long one... Background: I married my Chinese wife in 2009 while we were both expats working in Netherlands. A year later our daughter was born. We had initially decided that we wanted to move to the US so we started the immigration process in Amsterdam. After the I-130 stage but before the interview, we changed our minds. Our company had announced a new focus on China so many job opportunities arose in Shanghai (we both work in the same company). Now, about 3 years after moving to China (my wife had been living in Europe for 8 years), we have decided this time we are indeed ready to move to the US and settle down. Immigration process: We filed the I-130 in Beijing on March 21st and were quite surprised that the notification of approval came within 10 business days. For the I-130, I had brought 50 photos, our international marriage certificate from NL (original is in English among a few other languages), my daughter's birth certificate as well as consolar report of birth abroad. Document collecting: We thought this would be pretty straightforward but it proved to be a bit of a pain in the ass. First was my taxes. While living abroad I knew I had to file taxes and I knew that all my income would be excluded under the foreign income exclusion. So when I tried to efile, I was frustrated that turbotax would not let me file as married because my wife didn't have a SSN. Also, there was no point for me in the ITIN as her income would also be completely excluded so not tax benefit. I filed as single for my tax purposes just to get it filed and I did this for three years. Oops. When I joined this forum I realized this could create a problem so two months ago I filed the 1040X. The only correction was the check box from single to married-filing separately. The IRS still hasn't processed the correction and I'm not sure they even will bother since it doesn't affect money owed to them or money owed to me. But I wanted to have that for the GUZ to clearly show I'm married. Next were the police certificates. My wife was having a heck of a time with the police in Shantou (her Hukou) as they wanted to state that she had no police record in their district, rather than all of China. Luckily, she has a good friend who happens to work in the police dept there and she was able to pull a few strings to get that handled. I need to buy this lady some flowers! Additionally, my wife had previously lived in Belgium, France, and Netherlands. Luckily, we had police reports in 2010 from our previous immigration efforts for Belgium in France (both countries she hadn't lived in since 2005). However, we found out that even though the police certificates were issued years AFTER she left those countries, they couldn't be used since they were issued in 2010. Apparently even these expire after one year. So we had to again request police certificates. So Belgium and France were basically stating that, yep, we didn't make a mistake on the previous report. She really didn't have a police record! Irritating but we were pleasantly surprised that they arrived in China about two weeks after requesting them. We also learned that we could not request one from NL. The embassy in Guangzhou must to so on behalf of us. The translations also proved to be a bit complicated as every agency was accustomed to translating Chinese to English but not French to English. My wife spent quite some time asking around who could translate and also certify/notorize the Belgium/France police certificates. For the I-864 I had enough assets to qualify as meeting the threshold (I don't have a job lined up in the US yet). However, I learned from this website it is always a good idea to have a joint sponsor so I asked my sister to be my wife's sponsor (my sister makes a very comfortable salary). And this paid off as they did indeed ask my wife for a joint sponsor so I'm very happy we were proactive on this. Now, my biggest worry, domicle. I was very nervous about this so I tried as much as possible to provide overkill. I have a daughter and another kid due in less than two months so I really, really did not want to be forced to move back to the US and first find a job. I provided many documents with my parents address: my US bank account, child's college fund, 2 US credit cards, mutual fund account, IRA account, etc. I also had my parents write a letter stating we would live with them temporarily while looking for new jobs when returning to the US. I also had a few emails with my companies recruiters in the US stating our intention to relocate to the US. OK, on to the interview.... I waited with my wife in the long lines outside at 7am. We finally get to the front where the CGI-Stanley girls were putting barcoded stickers on the passport. My wife wasn't paying attention but I immediately noticed the girl put a different person's sticker on my wife's passport. I immediately told the girl (in Chinese) that she made a mistake but she ignored me. I again kept telling her it was wrong and explained again that it was not my wife's name. I even pointed to her master sheet's with all the names and showed her the correct one. "This is my wife" I showed her. She was a bit flustered and I think a bit embarrassed that a foreigner was correcting her mistake. Anyway, my wife went to her document intake and interview. She had provided a few originals such as our international marriage certificate and consular report of birth abroad for our kid. I stressed to her that we needed these back. They took them and said she would get them back before her interview. Later they called her back to collect these originals. She was smart and before just stuffing them in her bag she double-checked the documents. Sure enough, they weren't ours. They mistakenly had given her documents for someone else. A second mistake! Be sure to double check everything! Other than that, the interview was a breeze and they didn't ask her for half of the things we had ready at hand (including her resume). My wife was in at 7 and done by 10, though they did give her priority since she was pregnant. So we'll have the visa within a week or so! However, we can't move back right away as my wife is too far along in her pregnancy so we'll have to have our baby in Shanghai and do another Consular Report of Birth Abroad and make sure we enter the US by December 21, as that is the day the visa will expire. I told my wife, as long as I'm back before Xmas I'll be happy so now it's a must. It's been quite a journey with loads of documents and I'm so happy it's now done. One additional tip: do not get all worked up about possible ways to be denied a visa. It's important to know the key items that can cause this but I was really concerned with domicile and spent far too much time on various internet forums regarding failing due to domicile, which was completely unnecessary since it was out of my hands and most of the crap I was reading were about other countries domicile issues and not China. In the end it was a breeze. That's all I can think of right now. A big thanks to the community!! Steve

Dear All, I hope I can make this as coherent as possible. I am concerned that I will not be able to get my wife a green card, or into the US at all. I currently have been living with my wife for over a year in China and started the process for my wife's green card, however I found out that I need, or find someone, to sponsor her. Since I am unable to do this or have anyone that can. Does that mean my wife is unable to go to the US? We currently have a two and half month baby, but from everything I have read, researched, and found it seems a no go. I am 28 and my wife is 26. I currently work as an English Teacher but am worried now that my wife will never be able to visit the US, and I don't want to leave my wife. We have gotten the passport and SSN for the child already. I erroneously assumed that getting my wife into the US would be easy. , Your questions, comments, and/or feedback would be much appreciated. Regards, Robert

Just wanted to give an update on my application. I DCF'ed on 11/09/2012. Sent back the forms on 12/05/2012. Received the interview letter 01/27/2013. And we are now preparing for the interview. I been working and living with my wife. I am wondering if the officer will asks for evidences that we live together in China or why do we plan to go back to USA? We have bank statements to the same mail address. We have pictures of our trips, wedding dinner, and with friends. However, we have no pictures of us at home. What evidence can we provide to show that we live together And what could I show to prove that we plan to go back to the states to live? I have a letter from an employer that said they would hire me as long as I am back before June, 2013. Or they probably won't ask these questions?

Hi CFL, I filed the I-130 petition last month in Guangzhou (DCF), and my wife and I just received P-3. Here is the situation: I am living in China (have been for the past 7+ years) and am currently not working (I quit working with a local company earlier this year). My wife and I are planning on finishing the immigration visa process together from here in China and moving to the US together immediately afterwards. I'm working on the I-864 and have a couple of questions: My income for 2011 exceeded 125% of the HH poverty line, but for 2012, because I only worked for part of the year, my income falls short. First question (hopefully easy): To calculate my 2012 income, I'm using my actual, prorated salary (based on x months I worked this year). Is this correct, or can I use previous years (2011, 2010) as a benchmark? Although my actual 2012 income falls short, when I include my assets (bank accounts, etc), I come out over the 125% threshold [using their formula total assets needs to be greater than 5x the difference between 2012 income and the 2012 HH poverty line]. Second question: Should I sponsor my wife by myself, or does it look better to have a joint sponsor? e.g. Would it look better if my father was a joint sponsor, because I haven't lived in the US for 7+ years, I don't have a house in the US, and we are planning on initially living with him when we move back? Let me try and rephrase: Does having a joint sponsor help to reestablish domicile? Financially (income + assets), I meet the criteria for being the sole sponsor, but I am nervous that I may not fit their other criteria for reestablishing domicile. The things I do have in the US include: bank accounts, stocks, driver's licence, I've paid my taxes... but I don't have a job yet and I don't have my own house. Final question (this one is especially annoying me)! My address in the US (for driver's licence, bank statements, etc) is in NJ, where I grew up. However, my parents recently moved to Florida, and are trying to sell the NJ house. My US mailbox is still in NJ, but when my wife and I move to the US, we plan on initially living in Florida where my parents live (and I can change my addresses & driver's licence when I get back). My final question: Are my NJ bank statements, NJ driver's licence, everything NJ in my name... going to be a stumbling block for reestablishing domicile, especially if we say we are moving in with my parents in Florida? Right now, I have nothing in my name that says that my domicile will be in Florida (except for my parents). Would we be better off saying we'll move to the NJ address, or does it not really matter? The more I read these forums, I more I realize that these cases can get really complicated (or maybe I'm over-thinking?). I'm sorry for the mountain of questions... I just really hope that I'm doing this the right way. Thank you in advance!

I submitted an I-130 in Beijing for an IR-1 visa as I was living and working in China. We're about to return P3 to Guangzhou, but I have now left China to take an unexpected job opportunity in the U.S. Thus, my I-864 will show that my address is in the US and my country of domicile is in the US, which differs from the address I used on the initial forms submitted in Beijing. Does GUZ care about this?

Hello Candle Community! I came across this site a while ago, and already it's helped to clear up a lot, with the links & advice given by posters. So firstly, thanks to everyone who's given their time to keep this website going. I married my Chinese wife a few weeks ago, and we plan to move to the States next spring. We're about to begin the application process for her, and there are a few things that concern me. I'd appreciate any advice you all can give. My biggest worry right now is the I864, the Affidavit of Support, particularly the domicile issue. I plan to ask my dad to co-sponsor, since my income won't be sufficient, but I understand that I still require a domicile to be the primary sponsor. I've lived in China for four years now, and my US driver license has expired. I've read on a couple of sites that the petitioner may show the USCIS officer that steps have been (or will be) taken to re-establish a domicile--such as looking for a job, apartment searching--, then they may still qualify. Can anyone confirm (or elaborate on) that? Has anyone had experience filing I-864 this way? What would I need to prove I've taken those steps? We plan to go first to my parents' house for a couple months, then to meet up with a friend of mine & get an apartment together. If I show that my friend and I are looking for an apartment (and that I'll look for a job as well), is that helpful? Will my expired driver license be a problem? Alternately, I'd considered applying instead for a K3 first, thinking we could move to the States first & get a place to live (which I would use for the I-864), then apply for a change of status. But then I read that she will still need an affidavit of support, even for a K3 visa. Is that right? Or would this be an easier process for my situation? I hope I've made clear my position & what I'm trying to do. Let me know if there are other pieces I haven't considered here. As a side question (if this isn't too much for one thread), in putting together the I-130 packet, I was wondering what to include as evidence of our relationship. We've not been married long, so we don't have any shared property, and have never co-leased an apartment (not allowed in China unless you're married)--though we've lived together for nearly three years, we just don't have any documentation to prove it. I'm staying with her at her parents' apartment now, and have the police registration to prove that. I also have several pictures of me with her family I plan to include, some from the "Gan Xie Yan" dinner reception after we were married, and a few from trips we've taken together. We didn't have a ceremony. Most of the pictures are from before we were married, but show an ongoing relationship over several years (I plan to label & date each picture). We also have a letter from a private school explaining, in English, that we taught a children's class together (also before we were married). Are these relevant? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance for your advice. I'll be sure to post the results, in case it'll be useful to others. ** R~

Hi Everyone, My husband is a US citizen who's been living with me in Beijing for the past 6 years. He was actually assigned by his company in US to establish an office here. He had filed DCF I-130 for me this March and the petition had been approved. I'll attend my interview the end of June. My worry is over my husband acting as my affidavit sponsor, and proving domicile or intent to re-establish domicile. Is it that he's working for a US company good enough to prove his domicile? We have joint accounts in a US bank and a financial institution. We also stated his mother's address as our residence. In addition, we did file US federal taxes even after we left US. That' all we have. Are there anything else I need to do? Any advice would be much appreciated. Regards.

My husand and I are planning to apply for DCF in March. We met in Dec. 2007 and got married in July, 2010. He's retired since Feb. 2011. We have been looking for how to hand in our application for not a short time. But, there are some points we are still worrying about as follows, ---what documents should we hand in to Beijing Embassy with I-130 form? ---He has retired since Feb. 2011. And retirement fee is well above the 125% of poverty line. The retirement pay is automatically put into his US. bank account every month. We don't have tax return and stubs. How do we show our affidavite of financail support? Which form do we need to fill in? Do we need a co-sponsor? ---We don't have a rental place in U.S. Our plan is to rent a place to live temporarily or live with his mum for a short time and then look for the house to buy. But now we don't have one. Can we list his mum's apartment in the form as our decimile because all of his materials and documents are sent to his mum's home? ---Do I need to apply for ITIN number? Thanks in advance! DoubleJ

So our interview is in less than a week and I am worried about proving domicile. What we have right now is the following: Bank statements showing bills being paid and american credit cards being used Bank statements showing wire transfers from China to American bank account We are both un-empolyed while living in China...? Emails asking to lease a business in America We obviously cant rent an apartment in america yet because we are both currently jobless. Though I'm worried what we have might not be enough..

I want to ask first of all I posted a previous topic on something else and it disappeared and vanished. Apparently deleted. Though I'm not sure why...is it possible a server problem and if a moderator did delete it, do they usually send a message why? Looking ahead at police certificates me and my wife are at a disagreement on weather she needs one for when she lived in University. She tells me that Chinese websites say they you only need one from your principal home area. Im just a little concerned since or we put both her university residency and her home on previous applications and I would suspect they want a police certificate from both since it says from each locality. Does anyone have anyone have any experience with this issue? She also notes that all the police are connected in China anyways. (Though I'm not sure if that's true). Secondly a question about domicile. I just realized with my Support Affidavit i need to provide domicile. I got confused because before I thought that evidence was introduced somewhere else. How much evidence do they really want for this? will my join sponsor support affidavit and a copy of my bank record online from a us bank be enough? I dont have a job yet so I dont have anything like that to give. Some people noted online letters from parents on intent to live, but is that necessary if I am already getting them to sign a support affidavit? I dont own anything major in USA, except for a car, but that might actually be under my dad's name not mine.

So, I just received my P-3 an amazing two weeks after I received my NOA-2, which was a bit of a surprise. I'm just all giddy, and feeling on top of the world! I've got everything ready, including my Joint Sponsor in the United States. However, I am suddenly fearful of my laziness and procrastination. I have been in China for the last two and a half years. I have officially been a student learning Chinese, but I've been earning money on the side doing private English tutoring. I filed my 2008 taxes, which was the last time I earned taxable income in the United States, but I haven't known how to file my 2009 taxes. I planned to ask a tax professional back in the United States when I was in America back last September, but unfortunately I was too busy with other more pressing matters. And now I'm looking at the I-864 more deeply, and I'm getting more and more worried about my own I-864 and proving my domicile back in the United States, which unluckily, doesn't really exist. Do I need my 2009 and 2010 tax returns, even though I didn't legally earn any money or even illegally earn any taxable income? If so, how do I fill out the tax return forms with a bunch of blanks and zeros? Do I just do that, with almost no information, and send it in anyways? For my Domicile, is a valid driver's license enough? I don't have a bank account. I plan on using my joint sponsor's bank account, who I have been sending back any extra money I do have. Is the transfer of funds enough? My wife has a lot of money that we have saved together in her bank account, and we are planning on using that money when we go to the states. I have everything for my Joint Sponsor. Now, my Joint Sponsor is a friend, and my father has offered to be a Substitute sponsor. Is that possible?

Hello, I am in a similar situation. I have been living here for the past four years, working as a teacher with Universities. The salary isn't very high, somewhere around $10,000 per year. I've filed my taxes stating such. I have no one else to co-sponsor me. I have my Mother, but she is retired and has no income save her pension and retirement. I've had very good jobs when I was working in the States. Seeing this, it is making me very nervous. What should I do?

Hey guys, this is my first post. I came across the website a few weeks ago and am finding it awfully helpful and informative. I was wondering/hoping someone out there may have a similar experience to mine and could offer some advice ... I've been teaching English here in China for over 3 years and met my fiancee while here. I'm not too worried about proving we have a bonafide relationship (applying for the K-1, by the way) but do have some worries about the I-134. I'll have my brother as a joint-sponsor as the money I make here isn't much once translated into USD, and besides, going back to the States my current job and salary will be a moot point. I've read about showing evidence for the plan to re-establish residence in the US (proof of owning property, enrolling kids in school, job interviews lined up, etc). I own no property, I came here right after my college graduation. I have no kids to enroll in school. And since my contract won't end here until July, I can't really get jobs lined up so far in advance. Does anyone have experience with having lived in China and then taking a fiancee back to the States to establish residence there together? Do you think this will be a problem (especially having to wait till arrival in the States to find a job and rent a place)? I've got an active account with Bank of America and also a credit card from another bank, both of which are in use from time to time. Any advice/comments would be greatly appreciated!

I am in the middle of filing I-864 and DS-230 for my wife and kid, and just as ciao I am also getting concerned about this "domicile" and US income thing. We have been living abroad for the past 3 years because my wife couldn't stay in the US after her school in 2007 (working visa quota ran out). And because I am holding greencard, we couldn't do AOS for her in the States, nor would she be able to visit me in the States - you may all know how long and painful the process is for greencard holder's spouse to apply for LPR. So instead of letting the Pacific get in between us, we decided to go to some place where we can be together while waiting for her I-130 approval. In August 2007 we filed I-130 and soon after we moved to Japan - I worked as expat, and she mostly stayed at home. Since then we have always filed tax returns, maintained bank accounts (checking, saving, CD, stock, 401k, and so on), and I have also maintained mailing/residence address in the States (with my parents) Now to our surprise this May we received I-130 approval notice from USCIS, and soon emails from NVC to ask us fill in I-864 and DS-230. However after I went through the instructions I am getting worried: 1. Domicile requirement: Our plan is to move back to the States when my wife and kid get the greencard, but how to convince the Consulate? Bank / investment accounts would be enough? Or do I have to have my employer provide a letter saying they will transfer me back to the States very soon? 2. US income requirement: Since my employer is a non-US company, I do not have any W-2 form for the previous years but only the tax account transcripts from IRS. We did pay tax on the portion that is over the foreign tax credit limit, and that part is also above the poverty line requirement. Would this be OK? Or the income has to be "US income"? Any suggestions? Thank you very much.

I'm about to start the process of getting US visas for my wife and daughter. I've been reading about the requirements for an IR1 visa, and I'm getting nervous about this "domicile" thing. Seems like I need to have a fairly permanent place of residence in the US. I don't have one, since my family and I have been living overseas for the last 4 years. We have a hefty pile of cash, and plan to buy a house when we get back to the US. It should be clear from our financial records that we can support ourselves for decades to come (which is the real point of the requirement, I assume). So, what to do ??? (1) Hope that cash will serve as a substitute for a domicile (risky) (2) Ask a friend to be the "sponsor" (embarrassing; possible ??) (3) Quickly buy some house I've never seen (stupid) (4) Get a K3 visa instead (no domicile requirement ??) Any suggestions ? thanks

Hi CFL! I am nearly ready to DCF, for my wife in Beijing. I just wanted to ask the experienced DCF, people here for opinions and some advice on what I'll bring. Also a few questions. Quick summary first of Wife, and I. Spouse, and I have been living together in China, for nearly 8 years. Married together 4. We have a 19 month old daughter. I have been Teaching on and off, for the past 7 years. Currently unemployed. Haven't been back to the US, in 2 years. Wife and daughter, never been to the US, before. Wife got denied B2 tourist visa in 2003. (before marriage). Our plan is to bring our family back to America for a couple of years. Hopefully we can! Before I DCF, I really would like to know my chances of pink/denial after and if DCF is approved. Please give me honest opinions and advice. 1. My father will be Joint sponsoring. He is well above the 125% poverty level. 2. I am not worried about proving our marriage and relationship. 3. Wife doesn't have very strong ties in China. She is an elementary school teacher. 4. I am unemployed at the moment. 5. I am sure I will have a problem with Domicile. My Id card expired years ago. I no longer have a bank account in the US. I have never dealt with taxes. Can I deal with taxes online while being in China? I do have an annuity settlement which starts next year. Could I use that to show that I want to keep Domicile after arriving in the US, so that I can maintain the payments? What are some other things I could do to prove that I have the intentions to keep domicile? The last time I've been in the US was about 2 years ago. I have only been back twice during my 8 years in China. Should I be worried about denial because, I never maintained domicile? 6. Although it may not matter but my spouse and I are in our late 20's. We also have a very strong desire to succeed and have been putting all of our "Gong Fu" into this! Things I will bring when I DCF: Note: I will ask some questions. 1. I-130 Petition (2 Pages) 2. G-325A- Me - Do I need to print the instruction page and hand in also? 3. G-325A - Spouse - Chinese addresses are so long. Will writing them down in smaller letters be ok on the G-325a form? 4. Copy- Birth certificate and SSN Card - Me (1 page) 5. Copy - Passport cover and signature pages- Spouse (1 Page) 6. Copy - Passport cover and signature page - Me(1 Page) 7. Copy - My current Chinese (L) Visa (1 Page) I have called Beijing. and explained I am on renewable 6 month (L) visa's for the purposes of staying with family. USCIS, in Beijing said no problem. Lets hope so! 8. Copy - Our wedding certificate in Chinese (Red book for Spouse and red book for me) (2 Pages) 9. A notarized and translated copy of our wedding certificate. 10. A notarized and translated copy of Spouses, birth certificate. 11: Visa photos (2in x 2in - white background) of myself and Spouse. 12: Photos, of course to prove our relationship and marriage. How many pics would you guys say is enough? I have like hundreds... Should I also bring in wedding video? Numbers 9 and 10 are still in the process. How much did it cost for most of you to notarize and translate those docs? Anyways we are getting close to DCF. Is there anything I may be missing? I am planning on putting these files in folders, then using an accordion like folder case to organize everything. Another question that I had, is what goes in what folder? For example: Folder 1 I-130 and G-325A forms- into folder labeled (I-130 & G-325A's? LOL! much help appreciated on how to organize the folders Plus should I have my family send some invitation letters for my spouse? I really do want to thank all of you regardless if you guys reply to this post! CFL, has been very helpful and educational to me and my family!!!

Hello, As far as I can understand, the evidence I have for domicile are: -current driver's license -bank statement with 2000 dollars (don't know if this is enough?) -permanent mailing address I don't know if the above is enough to prove domicile, so I will be looking for a job. I am trying to find out: if a company in the US hires me, what should the letter they write on my behalf consist of? How does the US Consulate check this? Do they take the time to call the company? Cause if our significant other hands our documents over to the vo during the interview, don't they just look briefly over things? If anyone knows, it would be great. Thank you in advance!