Form I-134, Affidavit of Support

After the USCIS approves an I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e), one of the requirements that the petitioner needs to prepare is the submission of Form I-134, Affidavit of Support. This is a less complex version than the Form I-864, another form for Affidavit of Support, which incidentally, will be submitted in support of an immigrant visa application.

For purposes of today’s column, let us focus on the I-134. Under this simplified form, the petitioner/sponsor would provide evidence of his own assets in order to show that he can take care of the fiancee and the latter will not become a public charge or a recipient of government welfare benefits. Here is a list of assets and what documents you as a petitioner/sponsor can submit as proof:

1.) Employment - The form asks if you are employed and the name of employer. So you must have a certificate of employment signed by your company head or HR. It must indicate whether you are a regular, casual, part-time, or full-time employee;

2.) Businesses - If you are a businessman or self-employed, provide copies of your business permits, incorporation papers, etc.

3.) Deposits - You must provide a letter from your bank certifying the amount of your deposits, when it was opened. You must also provide bank statements preferably in the last 3-6 months with frequent activity so as to convince USCIS that this is not a dummy account or just “show money” for visa purposes.

4.) Real Estate - You must provide evidence of ownership of real properties such as land titles, warranty deeds, etc. If the property is under mortgage, you must also indicate as it could also affect the property’s present value.

5.) Stocks and bonds - If you own certificates of stocks and bonds, you must also include that along with its most recent valuations

6.) Life Insurance - You must include copies of your life insurance policies and the cash surrender value of your insurances.

7.) Income - You must submit your latest income tax returns, along with recent paystubs;

8.) Personal properties - You can make a rough estimate of the value of your personal assets such as jewelry, motor vehicles, personal effects, appliances, etc.

9.) You must also provide evidence of US citizenship such as a US birth certificate, naturalization certificate, certificate of citizenship;

One tip: Once you receive your approval notice from USCIS, it would be very advantageous if you start preparing the abovementioned documents because some of those may take some time to gather and obtain.

This column is not a substitute for professional legal advice obtained from a US-licensed immigration attorney. The information contained herein does not constitute a warranty or guarantee or legal advice regarding a reader’s specific immigration case. No attorney-client relationship is and shall be established with any reader.

For any questions, comments and observations, please contact Atty. Marco Tomakin at [email protected]