Immigrant sponsors

The US immigration system is quite robust and offers a wide variety of alternatives that immigrants can use to request a legal residence permit issued by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which is the branch of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responsible for responding to immigration applications.

One of the main tasks of the USCIS is to verify that immigrants will not become a burden on the local economy. With this, we mean that most immigrants must demonstrate that they have the financial resources necessary for their stay in the US. This excludes immigrants who request international protection through some humanitarian programs such as refuge.

Immigrants can also choose to have a sponsor, who can be an American citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR). Typically, applications for family-based visas and some employment visas require a responsible sponsor to fill out Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, and demonstrate that they have the financial ability to prevent the immigrant from becoming economically dependent on the US government.

American citizens or LPRs can choose to be sponsors when they want to help an immigrant (usually family members) to obtain legal permanent residence or Green Card.

Do you need help filling out required forms for your immigration process? Contact Motion Law and follow the advice of experts.

DHS proposes increasing requirements for immigrant sponsors

On October 2, 2020, DHS published a notice of proposed rulemaking, explaining new parameters for the “Affidavit of Support on Behalf of Immigrants.”

Broadly speaking, DHS proposes requesting more financial information from immigrant sponsors. Within the details are included:

• Credit reports.
• Credit scores.
• Tax returns for the last three years.
• Bank information.

With this, DHS intends to ensure that sponsors will be able to support the immigrant and that if (s)he uses public benefits, the sponsor will be able to reimburse the full amount.

On top of that, if the sponsor does not fully meet these requirements or has received means-tested public benefits within 36 months before becoming a sponsor, (s)he will need to have a co-sponsor for the application to be accepted.

Important fact

It is important to clarify that this rule has not yet been implemented. The public still has the possibility to submit comments before November 1, and it is still subject to extensive review and changes.

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Why is it essential to seek reliable help?

The US’ immigration law tends to be quite robust, on top of that, policies and requirements are constantly changing, even more so now under the Trump administration. Therefore, it is essential for you to seek reliable help from immigration experts, who are up to date with current policies and can guide you towards the success of your application.

If you have any questions about an immigration issue or relating to a case you may have currently in progress, then please don’t hesitate to contact us for a FREE Phone Consultation with one of our expert immigration attorneys.

Simply call Motion Law today at: (202) 918-1799.