"sponsor" Paperwork To Bring Wife To America

[DavidRaydo]

I have recently been married and I want to bring my wife back to America. Due to my low level of income I was told I would need to get my parents to sign a form saying they could help out (sponsor) us. Can anyone help me with the name of this form? I imagine my parents will have to download it in America and then mail it out here. Thank you for time and I appreciate any advice anyone might have

[Thanyaburi Mac]

Looks like you're in for a whole lot of paperwork over the next few months. Start here for the processes:

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/immigrant_visas/immigrant-visa-process.html

The "sponsorship" form(s) is just one of the many documents that'll be needed. It's probably the Form I-134, Affidavit of Support

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-134.pdf

But, there's a lot more to the Immigrant Visa process, more info here:

http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis

FYI, if you've lived in Thailand for perhaps a year (not real sure of the time required), you might be able to file your paperwork with the U.S. CIS office in Bangkok. If so, that'd save a lot of time, rather than mailing the IV package to the office in the U.S. that covers the area where you live.

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/usgmain/uscis.html

Note, there's several commercial offices in Bangkok where you PAY for assistance in filling out the paperwork. Not necessary to use them, but some folks do. I have NO recommendation for any of them, I've never used any. Here's a couple:

http://www.thailand-lawyer.com/us-visa-immigration/filing-for-us-immigrant-visas-at-the-uscis-in-bangkok.html

Here's another one:

http://www.usfamilyvisa.com/uscis-offices/bangkok.html

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[sirineou]

this is a good forum where you can get all the info you need and download all the forms

http://www.visajourney.com/

I believe this is the form you need for a sponsor

http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-864.pdf

Good luck

[Unwisemonkey]

Just a word of advice. If your income level is so low that you can not sponsor your wife by yourself, stay in Thailand. If you value your marriage, stay in Thailand, go to school, get your wife in school, and prepare to return to the States. While you may make enough to live on by yourself back home, what your income is for a two person household means you fall below the poverty line back in the states. From the governments perspective you they will now have essentially two wards to help support instead of none.

Family in the states is different then it is here, and in my experience they are unreliable. They may say they will help with xyz but then when you call on them to do something like take your wife out while you are at work or help invite her on social outings etc. they will have some excuse as to why now suddenly they can not do what they promised.

What ends up happening is you have a foreign girl in a foreign land completely isolated. I don't know about your wife, her personality or your family but this seems like a risky to me. In my own experience my ex could not socialize even when there were other Thai's in our community. My ex has some psychological issues and this is confirmed, so I don't mean to be contrary but irregardless it takes a strong woman to leave her family and start a new life in a new country where she has no support system and statistically speaking (psychological issues aside) the deck is stacked against you.

Think it through, have a job lined up for both of you and plan it out. I went back to the states recently and the economy is not doing that great still. The costs of University here as a foreigner are the same as they would be back home and the both of you could come back to the states with skills in demand. Check out the Department of Labors website for what the U.S. is looking for. There are shortages of engineers in many fields and these will be skills that you can use in any country.

[sirineou]

Just a word of advice. If your income level is so low that you can not sponsor your wife by yourself, stay in Thailand. If you value your marriage, stay in Thailand, go to school, get your wife in school, and prepare to return to the States. While you may make enough to live on by yourself back home, what your income is for a two person household means you fall below the poverty line back in the states. From the governments perspective you they will now have essentially two wards to help support instead of none.

Family in the states is different then it is here, and in my experience they are unreliable. They may say they will help with xyz but then when you call on them to do something like take your wife out while you are at work or help invite her on social outings etc. they will have some excuse as to why now suddenly they can not do what they promised.

What ends up happening is you have a foreign girl in a foreign land completely isolated. I don't know about your wife, her personality or your family but this seems like a risky to me. In my own experience my ex could not socialize even when there were other Thai's in our community. My ex has some psychological issues and this is confirmed, so I don't mean to be contrary but irregardless it takes a strong woman to leave her family and start a new life in a new country where she has no support system and statistically speaking (psychological issues aside) the deck is stacked against you.

Think it through, have a job lined up for both of you and plan it out. I went back to the states recently and the economy is not doing that great still. The costs of University here as a foreigner are the same as they would be back home and the both of you could come back to the states with skills in demand. Check out the Department of Labors website for what the U.S. is looking for. There are shortages of engineers in many fields and these will be skills that you can use in any country.

This is all very good advise, and should certainly be taken in to consideration by the OP, Though the Op does not say what his income used to be when he was back in the US and what his employment opportunities will be when he goes back.

Many people here in Thailand for a while would find them selves in the same situation as the OP,,

being here in Thailand for a few years , not having worked much, or underemployed by western standards, and unable to provide sufficient recent tax returns,to sponsor a wife.

In that situation an additional sponsor,or sponsors are required.

Non the less the advise given by Unwisemonkey is good advise,

nothing kills relationships quicker as insufficient funds, add to that the isolation and cloture shock of a new country and it could be a recipe for disaster.