I have discovered that, unless I am being taken, your lady friend from Russia will know your exact income. I received K-1 approval. Now I must submit documentation to the embassy in Moscow a bunch of documents verifying my employment, last three W-2's, tax returns and letter from employer stating hire date, position and annual salary. Not to mention last three months pay stubs and three months bank statements. etc. etc.
Not only must I provide such info, I must give it to her to take to the interview. Is this true???????
I think it is total B.S to have to do this. But won't she be surprised - and elated - when she finds out the real salary? It sucks!!!!!!!!!! I was hoping to do this without revealing how much money I make on an annual basis.
Question ------ has anyone else had experience dealing with the US immigration service? And is this something they really need to know? I have already given proof of my ability to support a family. Now I am asked to give a total divulgence of my monetary gains to her... Well, not all...
Not that I would attempt to keep it secret... I did not reveal how much I make or anything to her... I wanted to make sure she loved me for the person I am and not what was put into the bank account. And now I discover that she has the ability (right)to veto everything based on my financial disclosure. ?????????????????? WTF?
What do you mean WTF? Yes everything you mentioned IS REQUIRED. Always was. It's called the I-134 form and you send everything you mentioned to her to bring to the interview.
And exactly HOW did you previously reveal your ability to support her? Not in the initial K-1 petition documents.
What is your question about US immigration. This is part of the process. Go to the Visa Journey website and Read the Guides.
If revealing this information makes you uncomfortable, you can withdraw the petition. And if your annual salary is adequate, you don't have to send bank accounts and the other stuff; I didn't. Just my annual salary, tax transcripts and three recent pay summaries.
And yes if you don't make that much, why would you keep this a secret from her? If there is true love, these matters will not matter. If your relationship is not that solid, then maybe you should wait and solidify that before you file.
baron - not the point -- relationship is more than solid. I just did not realize they needed to know every dime. The inital K-1 asked all of that. I just find it interesting that I must now submit many of the same documents again and more. I suppose that it is she know everything. It was just something we never discussed completely. She did not care how much money I made and I did not care to share it with her. I did not want to come across as someone who was trying to impress her with salary or money. And now she is going to find out that I make more in a year than she could make in ten, fifteen or twenty yeas. It is just spooky. It is something I did not even think about before...
None of these documents were required for the initial K-1 filing; but maybe you did send more than required.
And yes for USCIS and the Moscow Embassy, they want to see all of this information, so that they will know that you make enough money such that she will not become a public charge.
And yes this is for her benefit so that she will know what sort of life to expect. Again, you only need to send the salary part (or maybe one of many salaries?).
Again, go to the VJ website to learn about what more information will be required to be disclosed in the future; your life with immigration is only beginning!
yes baron I understand now, thanks, will log into vj soon
I just had a discussion with her. She finally understands that my salary is far above the average bear. She accused me of cheating her by not telling her how much I really make. It was never really discussed in earnest. I just said I did okay. She thought I was poor. Which is actually a good thing. Money was not a part of the equation.
I am thinking about getting a new double wide for when she gets here! And a couple brand new 70's vintage Monte Carlos for the front yard! I could surprise he with a pit bull on a chain already waiting for her arrival. Or should I just wait and let her pick one out when the people in back have another litter? Last time though it was a collie mix.
When you install the pit bull, make sure that the chain is anchored to a car axle hammered into the ground -- a serious Detroit axle (you can take one from one the Montes, of course they won't be good for anything else), not one of those piss-ant Jap car axles.
When you pick her up from the airport here in the US of A, be sure to wear a ripped tank-top with a cat hanging through one of the holes. And of course, your driver car needs a couple of Rheingold cans hanging from the mirror.
The fiancee visa requirements for the UK are almost identical. Must say it is pretty intrusive to have to prove you have a relationship and also she has to prove that she has honerable intentions. Makes you feel pretty damn inadaquette when you want your girl here for all the right reasons yet she gets treated like shes here for a free meal. The system is pretty unfair in my opinion.
Before this topic gets totally sidetracked off topic, I'd like to offer my advise (which is worthless).
"She accused me of cheating her by not telling her how much I really make. It was never really discussed in earnest."
I can understand not wanting to entice her with money, etc.......but you two have decided to marry each other. If both of you are serious, and if you are ready for a marriage based on total committment to each other, there should be no secrets. No need to embelish, but she will want to be an equal team member. Of course you the man and she the woman will do their respective parts, but purposefully "withholding" information can be seen by her as not a total committment from you. She might think "What else is he not telling me?" She will want to know how she will live in the US and what she will do and how she can help the family, etc etc. And I am sure you want her to be standing right beside you and not in back of you.
Funny how Imbra has changed things so much. My wife didn't know my income or my assests or anything prior to our marriage. She was sent a packet(packet 4) with information that told her what she was required and all other information was in Kiev. Nothing about my personal information since the Embassy and USCIS already had this information.
I might disagree with Baron a little bit regarding personal information. I would never give that out to a woman I was dating in the states or was engaged too. After our marriage I opened all information to my wife, Living trust, securities all things she would need to know if something happened to me, where to access this, who the attorney was, banking and investment information. It's bad enough that the Fed crawls up your ass for this information to marry a woman from the FSU, then sets the level just above the poverty line to be married.
I side with Julian on this one, love doesn't need to have one's portfolio exposed.
You could filed all the documents in seprate envelopes and mark on the outside what they are, leave them sealed and they will be opened by the interviewer. Just good organization skills I would say..
Tom
thanks for the input all,
I agree that it should not be neccessary to divulge all accounts of income. However, as nasfan6 has stated, it should be in the best interest not to share this information until you are married.
It was for this reason that I did not tell her my income. Actually it was because of this I did not tell her - or any woman - so she would not fall in love with a bank account!
And it does not matter if she is from Russia, Ukraine or Jersey City - especially Manhattan - that income is her desire to be with you. Just like it was when I lived in Southern California. So that we did not discuss financials and income is a bonus! She told me that men tend to exaggerate regerding their income and that when I told her I made more than the average she just blew it off. .... How cool is that? And to think I pay more in taxes than she makes in a couple years...
The point is this. Whethter or not you feel the need to impress someone with income or whether you just hope for someone who is compatible with you I'll take compatibility over money any time.
durak -- I'll just try to keep the chain anchored as best I can. With the tall grass and weeds growing around the cars, I am thinking a cement block with a built in re-bar hook to keep the dogs at bay. :)
to baron -- trust that we have discussed everything. except it never was an issue on income. it was something that was just never discussed. there was an understanding that I did okay. she did not ask for numbers, and I didn't feel the need to bring it up... that's all... How many guys tell their new American girl how much they make? Although this is much beyond the 'girlfriend' status. But even so, I am sure guys don't reveal their life savings etc. to a woman until there is certainly more than just a committement to marry. Am I wrong?
baron -- but you a right -- there should be no secrets. there never have been, except money never seemed to be a issue so it was never discussed. only that I told her she would be in charge of money since she has a degree and experience in economics. and I could not care less about money. as long as I have enough to buy a case of beer, I am okay. kidding of course
I guess the point I was going to make with that statement was that given such comedy differences in income (i.e. a factor of 100 or so in this case) a girl might have unrealistic expectations in the difference in lifestyle that this might translate into.