Financial Support Doc's for Retirees

[tucsonjim]

I'm a rookie here and we're very early in the process. I mailed the I-129F package last week and found this forum and related links extremely helpful!! I was able to find answers to all quesitons I had by doing searches, so I appreciate all your help through the posts you have done that are searchable!!! Thanks much for taking the mystery out of this entire process. I was considering hiring a lawyer until I found this site and spent some time going through the info here, plus links to Visa Journey. I decided a lawyer would have minimal value add and probably would not be as knowledgeable as people here with recent experience, so thanks again!!

 

Question I have is if anyone has experience going through the financial support part of the K-1 process... i.e. I-134, requested letters, etc, as a retiree? I retired at the beginning of the year and have a fixed pension and sufficient assets to be well above the minimum level they are looking for, but I'm wondering if the embassy views a retiree situation as unusual, specifically if there are any special things I will need to watch out for or extra info I will need to produce to get them comfortable. Pension income for 2005, verses last 3 income tax returns is quite a different picture... Any ideas on how I should approach this would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks much and keep up the great info and dialogue here!!

Jim

[Guest Gene]

Welcome Aboard Jim

 

From what I have gathered her on this board the I-134 is not a legally binding instrument, but a preliminary check to make sure you are in the ballpark. I would suggest you give them what they ask for. They don't specificly ask for tax information unless you are self employed. Give them proof of income and just as long as it is 125% above the poverty level it should be OK. After she is here and you file for adjustment of status they require the I-864 which is a little more in detail and legally binding.

 

Don't over complicate the I-134. They don't even ask for it half the time at the interview. I am sure you will get many other views on this here, hopefully someone who is retired and survived this process. In fact here comes Frank, very wise and knowledgable listen to him.

 

Good Luck

Edited August 15, 2005 by Gene (see edit history)

[frank1538]

Welcome aboard the crazy roller coaster we call the visa process.

 

There are several members here who are retired or are on fixed pension/disability income, and it seems that as long as you can meet the income and/or asset tests, you should be okay. Also remember that under current GZ (Guangzhou) policies, only the I-134 is needed to get the K-1 visa. A more formal affidavit of support will eventually be needed when your SO (significant other) adjusts her status to legal permanent resident.

 

Pull up a chair, prop up you feet, grab a bag of Cheetos, and join us for a year or so. You're among friends who are for the most part sane enough to provide good information.

[HanLi]

Jim, let me add my welcome... as you have already gathered, there is a wealth of information here, and when you ask a question, it will be answered pretty quickly, and our fees are much more reasonable than any attorney. The major cost is posting your progress!!!

 

Your source of income is not that important, as long as you meet the criteria.

 

Good luck and welcome to the family

[tywy_99]

As long as you can meet or exceed the poverty level, as you have stated, I should think the I-134 would be the least of your concerns.

Just make sure you have all other evidence and supporting documents together needed to make the process go as smoothly as possible for you.

 

good luck and welcome

[david_dawei]

Jim ,

 

welcome to CFL !

 

The only way the interviewers really find out about whether you are retired or not is by asking the beneficiary:

1) for a I-134 (asks for employer)

2) for an employer letter (that you don't really have)

3) what work you do for a living.

 

I will say that at least one of these three is usually asked in every interview. I recall some woman explaining the US citizen as retired, etc.

 

I don't think this triggers much concern on the part of the interviewer.. as Ty stated, if you demonstrate meeting the guideline, you should be fine. Just have the proper supporting evidences if it is needed.

 

Again, welcome.

[tucsonjim]

Thanks for all for your nice greetings and fast replies... very fast indeed!! I'm glad to know there is no special scrutiny of retirees as long as the numbers are ok. I hope that will be the least of my concerns. The ball appears to be in my SO's court from here on, except for the financial support part that I need to provide, so I was starting to read up and figure out what I will need to do and when.

 

What is the recommended point in the process to actually prepare this info and solicit letters from employer, banks, etc? In the case of my employer, they hired a 3rd party financial company to administer their retirement funds and payments to retirees, so I assume I will need to request a letter from them, since that is where the funds come from now.

 

I was mainly concerned that I don't have an income tax statement for previous years that is representative of my income now and hoped that wouldn't be a problem as long as I can produce documents of current income and assets that exceed the minimum requirements, so your responses helped reassure me of that.

 

Thanks again for all your fast responses!!! This is great having so much info and experience to help guide us through the maze. I've got my Cheetos all stocked up and my feet are up Frank!! Looks like a long wait ahead!!

[Guest Gene]

You don't want those documents to Old, maximun 6 months, but the fresher the better. Maybe start looking into how long it would take you to get those so you can gage when to get them. I waited to get the interview date first, my documents were easy and quick to get.

[david_dawei]

Just noticed that your not even a week into the process and already looking ahead to the I-134 !

 

By the time of your interview, you will have filed another year...SO get very comfortable in that chair...

 

The financials should be gathered close to the interview, about 1-2 months prior is fine, since they don't like them too old. I have my interview in less than 30 days and still getting the last ones together...

[tucsonjim]

Just noticed that your not even a week into the process and already looking ahead to the I-134 !   

 

By the time of your interview, you will have filed another year...SO get very comfortable in that chair...

 

The financials should be gathered close to the interview, about 1-2 months prior is fine, since they don't like them too old.  I have my interview in less than 30 days and still getting the last ones together...

146836[/snapback]

Thanks much David and Gene!

 

I thought this info would need to be sent for review around P3 or at least with P4. Seems strange they would wait to check that out at the interview!! I'm very surprised to learn that! For sure I will have a tax return filed by then!!

 

OK, now I can just set back and relax.... or fret over how long all this stuff takes is more like it!

 

Thanks again for your help!

Jim

[skibum]

Jim, I am and was retired when we went through the visa process. No problem if you can show the min income. You still should send the tax returns. I copied my SS statement and copies of my financial statement from Fidelity for Dec of one year to Dec of the next so they could see the capital gain for the year. I rolled my pension into an IRA so did not have that problem.

Gerald

[Trigg]

I'm retired with retirement pension and Va disability income. It is no problem. A simple letter from your income source stating your income and expected lenth of time you will draw it along with the I-134 and applicable tax return, if any, will do.

[cosmiclobster]

Welcome to CFL Jim

 

As everyone has said, don't sweat the I-134 until after she has her interview date, and not even then! If you have the docs, it will be no problem.

 

Hey, I spent about 8 days in Tucson last year. It was 100 degrees at 7AM in May and finally "cooled down" to about 80+ at 11PM

But it was a dry heat . . . . .

[yuehan123]

Moon was asked by the VO "what does he do for work?" ans: "He doesn't work." VO: "What did he do before?" ans: "something-something" truth is she did not really understand what I did because it was 5 years before. VO "Oh, ok"

 

I believe this has more to do with relationship than financials.

[tucsonjim]

Welcome to CFL Jim!

 

We went the CR-1 route which required an I-864 through NVC instead of the I-134. I'm retired also and had no problem witrh this path. The bottom line for GZ (or NVC) seems to be "Show me the money". If you meet or exceed the 125% of poverty guidelines it should NOT be a problem.

 

Re: letter from employer. I got one from the retirement board (and I had prior scheduled payment statements as back-up @ GZ). Richard

146861[/snapback]

Thanks Richard, I guess I won't worry about this one, since I will have no problem "showing them the money". I get a statement mailed to my home address each month after Fidelity does a direct deposit to my bank account. The statement shows the monthly details, gross, net after tax for current month and year-to-date. By the time of our interview next year, I will have filed an income tax return for my retirement salary, so I am wondering if I could use recent statements plus the previous tax year's tax return instead of a letter. I can also show corresponding bank deposit records if needed. To me that's "showing them the money". This seems like more trouble than is necessary to track down someone at Fidelity to send me a letter stating what is on the monthly statements, which are mailed to me in mailers and impossible to forge... Fidelity is simply administering the retirement plan for my former employer.

 

Your thoughts (or others) about that approach? ... especially since it doesn't appear to be focused on in the interview very often. My bank is local so it would be easier to handle. I have several online accounts where most of my financial assets reside, so I would need to show recent statements for those assets instead of letters, so I don't understand why that isn't good enough for everything if they are just wanting to "see the money".... I'm sure I'm missing something here... Thanks!!