Cr1: Basic And Financial Questions

[bangkokburning]

It appears that we cannot go the K1 route due to BKK embassy disallowing cosponsors. I am presuming this means filed from Thailand AND filed from the USA? Therefore, if we do this, we will need to marry and use the CR1/DCF route.

I should mention first, we have every intention of remaining together, the sticking point is do we risk her B1/2 visa and go for the relo to states OR do we just make annual trips back. If we marry, her status on arrival may be suspect, If we apply for CR1 - her visa is for all intents and purposes - dead.

We would like to marry but seems illadvised with the B1/2. We will finish must-see USA and roll the dice...

Anyway -

I.

I am not employed, nor have any w2s to speak of for many a year.

Can I print use my bank account and brokerage statements or would I be better off back filing and filing forward? How many years (3)? I have always come just uner the wire in dollar terms for required filing income (much of what I have is in retirement plans, etc..)

I will obviously need a cosponsor and my parents will do this for us. If both file jointly, do they both sponsor? What if my father passes within the five years? Can they both be listed as cosponsors on one 864?

If I were to liquidate all finances I would have approximately 85k in cash/401k and another 20k (USD) in cash from items that can be readily and easily auctioned. So that is 100k. My other assets (the bulk of) that cannot be liquidated within the one year time period - so these cannot be claimed.

My parents will gladly sponsor and I do not have a job - I will use them as cosponsors. I have heard that w/o a job a sponsor is really a must. Incidently, my parents can more than cover a 4 pax household @ 125% poverty.

Using my parents as co-sponsors - does this make the household four (mom, dad, self, wifey)? OR is it just two for poverty level? When is 3x used and when is 5x assets used? 100% or 125% *** Is it 125% for financee and 100% for wife?

Due to so many variables listed -Could someone lay out my formula, I am only guessing at this point. What would our formula be, based on assets only for myself and my gf (future wife) - with/out cosponsor??

At any time can my wife's assets (cash) be used in the formula? She should have about US15k when all this goes down. It appears finacee' no, wife under certain terms.

I guess in the end, we just want to have the biggest chuck of money/s reflected on the form as legal and proper, but I would really like to know what we need to shoot for.

II.

What are things we can do a year prior to being married to make the whole thing move more quickly and efficiently (eg: medical, start vaccines, gather what paperwork [fresh birth certificate, house registration, notarized docs] )

What is the best evidences of us being "together" over the past years: Lease, my visas (only tourist), our flight itineraries, photos. Thing is we live together so not much email or fb going to and fro between us. Any help here would be great.

I doubt any of the follow would hinder her chances, but what might it help by the time of her interview??

What is USCIS specifically looking for? It's astonishing to think how our relationship might be even questioned, we are like hand and glove.

Here is what she is looking like:

2-4 trips to USA, 2 separate visas

30 to 45 days spent in the house of my parents by filing time

College degree

Good job, not well paid but solid, honest work

Decent savings, despite penchant for travel

Record of her coming/going from states, Korea, Singapore

Couple: together 3 years prior to marriage, 3.5 years prior to filing

Living together 3 years prior to filing

Limited email saved (some) when we met (we started to travel together within weeks of meeting)

Limited email when I was back in US alone (calling on voip is really cheap)

Many intl trips togther (US and Asia), we have flight itineraries

Limited fb contact - I mean, we live together

We spent lots of time together tripping around BKK, country and region

Have loads (hundreds) of very nice photos posted on fb from many, many different trips

Photos with my parents

Thanks

Edited February 22, 2012 by bangkokburning