Immigration Blog

Affidavit of Support Co-Sponsor Information and Requirements

By |August 14, 2014|


An affidavit of support co-sponsor is needed when a sponsor a U.S. immigration visa does not meet the minimum financial income requirements.  Here is a quick overview of must to know information and requirements for being an affidavit of support co-sponsor.

What is an affidavit of support co-sponsor?

An affidavit of support co-sponsor takes on the financial and legal responsibility for the foreign national you are petitioning. It is a binding contract that assures the U.S. government that the foreign national will be provided for financially.

What are the requirements to be an affidavit of support co-sponsor?

A co-sponsor can be a friend or family member as long as they meet the following requirements:

  • They live in the U.S.
  • They are 18 or older.
  • They are either a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder.
  • This person meets the financial income requirement on their own.

How to determine the financial requirement for the co-sponsor:

The co-sponsor is responsible for their household (him or herself, spouse, and dependent children) plus the foreign national being sponsored on the immigrant visa. The minimum financial income requirement can then be identified based on their household size. The USCIS provides a minimum income requirement guide.

What is needed to present the co-sponsor’s financial qualifications?

Though the required documents may vary depending on the circumstance, the co-sponsor may need to present:

  • Tax returns
  • W-2s
  • Employment letter
  • Pay stubs
  • Bank account statements

Social Security and other benefits may be included on the affidavit of support, but it is preferred to show financial qualifications through income alone. The co-sponsor has to fill out and sign the affidavit of support.

What are the financial responsibilities and risks of being a co-sponsor?

What most people don’t realize is that co-sponsorship is a legal contract that binds you to the foreign national until they become a U.S. citizen. Part of this responsibility is ensuring that the foreign national does not take any government aid or become dependent on government benefits including:

  • Food stamps
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Medicaid (nonemergency)
  • Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

In the case that the foreign national obtains these benefits, you may be responsible for paying them back to the U.S. government. Additionally, if the foreign national divorces their petitioner before becoming a U.S. citizen, they may seek spousal support from their co-sponsor. Because the co-sponsor takes the financial responsibility for the foreign national, they may be obligated to provide such monetary support even if the couple divorces. While having a co-sponsor is a great way to meet the financial income requirement, it is important for everyone involved to understand the responsibilities and qualifications of the co-sponsor. If you have any additional questions contact us at 1-855-VISANOW.

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USA Visitor Visa Process: How to apply for a USA Visitor Visa

By |August 11, 2014|

The USA Visitor Visa Process

If you are looking to apply for a USA visitor visa you might need a USA B-2 Visitor visa.

This travel visa allows an individual to visit family, visit friends, see tourist attractions, go to a wedding, or even take a short recreational class.

Unless you are a citizen of one of the countries on the Visa Waiver Program, you are going to need to apply for a B-2 visitor visa.

To  apply for USA visitor visa you will need to fill out the DS-160 form and schedule an interview at nearest the U.S. Embassy or consulate. After filling out the DS-160 form you will want to save the confirmation page because you will need to bring it to your interview.

During the interview the officer will ask you about your reasons for wanting to go to the United States, the financial support you have for your trip, and establish that you have strong reasons to go back to your home country.

The reason the officer will be asking you these questions is to determine that you have no plans to turn your temporary visit to the U.S. into a permanent stay. Therefore, you should make sure that you gather documents and other evidence to establish that your trip will be temporary, that you have the financial means to support yourself, and that you must return to your home country.

If you have any questions about the USA visitor visa please feel free to email us at [email protected] or call us at 1-855-VISANOW.

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Affidavit of Support Income Requirements: How to Determine the Income Requirement

By |August 5, 2014|

When applying for a U.S. immigration visa or Green Card, the USCIS will want the petitioner to meet specific affidavit of support income requirements.  The petitioner must be either a U.S. citizen or a Green Card holder.  Here is how you can determine your affidavit of support income requirement.

 

Determining Affidavit of Support Income Requirements

When determining what income requirement applies to the petitioner, he or she must first determine the household size. The household size includes:

  • The petitioner.
  • The foreign national beneficiary.
  • Any dependent children of the petitioner.
  • Any children the foreign national is bringing with them.
  • Anybody listed as a dependent on the petitioner’s Federal income tax return.
  • Anybody else the petitioner is supporting.

The total number of individuals will determine the household size.

After determining the household size, check out USCIS’s affidavit of support income requirements.

If you do not meet these requirements, you can look into finding an affidavit of support co-sponsor or show evidence of supplemental income.

We will be looking at the ways to show supplemental income in future blogs.

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Five B-2 Visitor Visa Interview Questions to Expect

By |August 1, 2014|

The B-2 Visitor visa process will require most applicants to attend a short interview.  It can be nerve wracking, but you’ll need to confidently answer some questions for a consulate officer.

These five B-2 visitor visa interview questions will most likely be asked, so be sure to know the answers and practice before your interview for the best chances of approval.

 B2 Visa Interview Questions:

 

  1. Where are you traveling? 

The consulate officer will want to hear the same information that you wrote on the DS-160.  If your information is unclear or contradictory, your visa may be denied.  Be clear and brief about where you’ll travel to in the U.S.

 

  1. What will you do in the U.S.?

Let the consulate officer know about main activities you’ll plan on doing in the U.S.  Name the tourist destinations, social events, or any other major landmarks that you’ll visit.  This will make the purpose of your trip known to the officer.

 

  1. Who do you know in the U.S.?

The consulate officer will be curious about whether you have relatives, a fiancée, or other people that would make you move to the U.S.  Be honest when listing whom you know.  If you are visiting a significant other who is a U.S. citizen the officer may have suspicion that you’ll try to marry and immigrate.

 

  1. How long will you be in the US?

Give a definite number of days, weeks, or months so the officer is confident in your promise to leave the U.S.  If you look unsure or struggle to give a straightforward answer, he may think you have intentions to stay permanently.

 

  1. What are your ties to your home country that require you to return?

Talk about a job, property, or a family member dependent on you.  Your obligations back home are the proof of nonimmigrant purposes, so make sure you tell the officer why you need to return home.

 

These B-2 visitor visa interview questions are asked often, but no two interviews are the same. Your specific situation may need special attention by an immigration lawyer to best prepare your application and help you prepare for the interview.

Lastly, make sure you feel comfortable and confident. If you have any questions about these B-2 visitor visa interview questions or the B-2 process in general, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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U.S. State Department’s Technical Glitch is Causing Problems With Visas

By |July 31, 2014|

A technical glitch has interfered with the issuing of U.S. travel visas.

As The Wall Street Journal reports, the State Department experienced a technical glitch between July 19th and July 23rd. As of today, the problem hasn’t been completely resolved, though the system is back up and running. This issue has created a backlog of people waiting to hear about their visas.

The problem originated with the Consular Consolidated Database and is not contained to any particular country or visa category.

The State Department issued an apology through spokeswoman Marie Harf saying, “We apologize to applicants and recognize this may cause hardship to applicants waiting on visas and passports. We are working to correct the issue as quickly as possible.”

It is not known how many people have been affected, but it is estimated to be in the millions. One country alone saw 50,000 applicants affected by this glitch.

And unfortunately that included VISANOW users.

“We fully understand the difficult position this creates for our clients, and we share their hope that the issue is resolved shortly.  In the meantime, we continue to be available to respond to questions and counsel clients to assist them through this process, “ says Eric Frank, Director of Legal Services.

If you are working on your visa application through VISANOW please feel free to contact us with any questions.

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The VISANOW SHRM 2014 Wrap-Up

By |July 25, 2014|

Last month, HR professionals from all over the country came to Orlando for the SHRM 2014 Annual Conference and Exposition.

This event is a chance for HR Professionals to keep up to date with the latest news and best practices for human resource management.

This is why VISANOW was in attendance at SHRM 2014.

“We’ll Surprise You” at SHRM 2014

Our message this year was “we’ll surprise you.”

We wanted to let HR professionals know that when they use VISANOW, they will be (pleasantly) surprised by:

  • How fast we can get them their visa.
  • How easy we’ve made it to get a visa.
  • How much money we can save them.
  • If they work with VISANOW they might actually enjoy the process.

As we told each and every person that visited our booth, we want to make it easier for HR professionals and their employees get an immigration visa. Of course we didn’t just tell them; our sales team was on hand to show them live demos of our web application.

Inside our Booth

We also gave away four iPad minis to people who visited our booth. Three of these iPad minis were given via a live drawing.

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The fourth was given away to the best tweet.

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And here is Anna picking up her iPad mini.

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We used Twitter to expand the conversations we were having in our booth to the entire convention.

Here are a couple that we really enjoyed.

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We had a great time at SHRM 2014 and we are looking forward to seeing all of you next year. In the meantime, check out this video with some of the highlights of the week.

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The VISANOW Sales Team “Restarts” at iO Chicago

By |July 10, 2014|

Way back in January, the VISANOW sales team had a kickoff to get ready for the year.

With the first six months of this year in the rear view mirror and sights set on what lies ahead, the sales team took an afternoon to “restart.”

The Sales Team Restarts

As Vice President of Sales, Joseph Kim explains that he “wanted to give the Corporate Sales and Client Management teams an experience outside of the office to get away from the everyday grind. We all get into mid-year ruts. The ‘VISANOW Sales Restart’ day was meant to reenergize and refresh each team member so they can see the bigger picture of 2014 and to remember that we are building a strong, solid company with an amazing service. My goal was to give everyone a breath of fresh air to learn, gain some motivation, and rejuvenate for a big finish.”

So where did the sales team go to get a breath of fresh air, gain motivation, and gear up for the rest of the year?

Chicago’s very own iO Chicago.

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Improv Training at iO Chicago

You might have heard of iO Chicago, as it boasts an impressive list of alumni that includes Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Seth Meyers, Amy Poehler, Mike Meyers, Vince Vaughn, and many others.

Naturally, you might be wondering what a sales team would be doing getting improv training, and Corporate Team Lead Keith Wilson has an answer.

“I chose iO Chicago because I have heard of other companies doing it for sales training, and they really got a lot out of it. It is a fun activity and a salesforce can learn skills like listening, confidence, and teamwork. From what I saw, iO Chicago is the absolute best for corporate trainings, “ says Keith.

During the improve training, instructor Adal Rifai made an important distinction between stand-up and improvising: “if we believed that the individual was better, we’d all be doing stand-up, right? But improve is a team or group sport.”

Teamwork and continuous improvement are highly valued by VISANOW, and improv training actively encourages the use of them both.

As we head into the back half of 2014, the VISANOW sales team is ready to go.

Now can they get a suggestion from the audience?

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What is the Difference Between a B-1 and a B-2 Visitor Visa?

By |July 1, 2014|

Not sure if you should apply for a B-1 or B-2 Visitor visa?

It all comes down to what you plan on doing while you are in the United States.

The B-1 Visitor Visa

If you are coming to the United States to do any kind of business-related activities, you are going to want to apply for the B-1 Visitor visa.

Some of the most common “business-related” activities include:

–       Negotiating or signing contracts.

–       Purchasing business supplies.

–       Attending a business meeting, exhibit, or convention.

–       Settling an estate.

–       Taking an exam held in the U.S.

–       Performing professional services.

–       Competing in a non-professional sporting event.

–       Conducting independent research.

The B-2 Visitor Visa

If you are coming to the United States for personal activities, you are going to want to apply for the B-2 Visitor visa.

This could include coming to the United States to:

–       Visit family or friends.

–       Go to a wedding, reunion, or ceremony.

–       Get medical treatment.

–       Visit tourist attractions.

–       Take a short recreational class (like a two-day cooking class).

Now that you know what visa to get for your trip, all you have left to do is apply.

Above all, we hope you have a great trip!

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H-1B Alternatives: The E-2 Visa

By |May 22, 2014|

H-1B ALTERNATIVES

With the demand for the H-1B visa far exceeding the cap, it is important to know the H-1B alternatives available to HR professionals and employees.

According to the USCIS, there were 172,500 applications filed between April 1, 2014 and when the cap closed on April 7. The cap is set at 65,000, with another 20,000 available to individuals with advanced degrees. This means that roughly 50% of H-1B petitions will be not be accepted.

One alternative to the H-1B visa is the E-2 visa.

E-2 VISA

The E-2 visa is a work-based visa option available to foreign nationals from countries that have entered into treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States.

To be eligible for the E-2 visa the person or entity investing into the U.S. enterprise must maintain a controlling interest of at least 50% ownership of the company at all times.

If the investor is a business (and not a single person), the entity must have invested a substantial amount of capital to start the U.S. entity and/or maintain a controlling interest at all times of the transfer of the employees to the U.S. entity. Also, the nationality of the entity must be that of a country belonging to the treaty of commerce and navigation with the U.S. and the employee being transferred must belong to this nationality as well.

Furthermore, when the investor is a business, the employee being transferred generally must be a manager, executive, or a person essential to the operations of your business.

When applying for the E-2 visa you can bypass the USCIS and apply directly at the U.S. consulate abroad which will cut down overall processing times. However, each consulate has their own rules and procedures, so processing times may vary.

Most E-2 visa stamps will be valid for at least two years, but foreign nationals entering the U.S. on an E-2 visa will only receive 2 years of E-2 status in the U.S. per entry. To get an extension you will need to file Form I-129 to the USCIS or attend a new visa stamping appointment at a U.S. consulate abroad.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind about the E-2 visa if you are considering using it as one of the H-1B alternatives.

First, the E-2 visa is not dual-intent like the H-1B visa. So, if you are looking to pursue permanent residence in the U.S., you may have to transition to an H-1B visa or other dual-intent visa like the L-1 visa.

Second, the evidence required to obtain an E-2 case be very document-heavy, which can lengthen turnaround and approval times.

To obtain a new E-2 visa stamp, consulates will sometimes require that the foreign national apply “de novo” at a U.S. consulate abroad, which is essentially like starting from the beginning of the process.

If you didn’t make the cap you may want to consider the E-2 visas as one of your H-1B alternatives.

 

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Do I Really Need to Use An Attorney For my Visa?

By |May 16, 2014|

Do I really need to use an attorney to get my visa?

We hear this question often and here is the honest answer:

No, you don’t really need an attorney to get your visa.

But let me ask you another question, can you do your taxes on your own?

Of course you can.

Doing Taxes on Your Own vs Getting Professional Help

It’s pretty simple if you’re single and don’t have any deductions. However, taxes become even more complicated if you are married, have kids, invest in stocks, own a business, do free-lance work, or have any number of different scenarios going on in your life.

Taxes can be complicated and take up a lot of your time, which is why people hire accountants or use online tax preparation services.

Plus, let’s be honest do you really want to spend the majority of your time researching tax rules and regulations?

So, Do You Really Need to Use An Attorney to Get Your Visa?

In the same way doing your immigration case on your own is certainly possible, but it is complicated and researching immigration can take up a lot of your time.

There is also a risk that your visa application can be denied. Sometimes the denial can be for something as simple as an error in your paper work.

When you work with an attorney they can make sure that all your paper work is filled out correctly.

Both the B-2 Visitor Visa and the K-1 Fiancé visa require a consulate interview before the visa is approved.

Working with an attorney experienced in consular interview preparation can help minimize that risk.

If your loved one plans to visit the United States for a trip that has been years in the making do you want to see it canceled because the Consular Interview didn’t go well?

So no, working with an attorney is not required when applying for a visa, but it is certainly an important option to consider.

And Envoy makes working with an attorney fast and easy. We have taken all the paper work and moved it online. You upload all your forms and documents online and an attorney can see it right away. If any changes need to be made you can do it online, from your computer or tablet.

The Envoy Resource center is filled with information about immigration, including videos about what to expect when you go to the consular interview.

So no, you don’t need to use an attorney to get your visa, but working with Envoy means you have the best-possible chance for getting a visa approved.

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VISANOW is now Envoy.

As part of our mission to create opportunities for organizations and global talent, we’ve updated our brand and how we communicate our message. In a time when thinking globally is how organizations grow and progress, we help businesses build world-ready workforces.

Envoy’s workforce management platform features premiere tools for navigating the immigration process for all your sponsored employees; knowledgeable Envoy-affiliated attorney and customer support; and resources to help you learn how to become an expert in the global immigration process.

You will be redirected shortly. Go to EnvoyGlobal.com to see the new changes.