Who Needs A Joint Sponsor In The U.S.?

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The U.S. Government uses the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services poverty guidelines. to determine if a person has a sufficient income of their own or if they need an Affidavit of Sponsorship from the sponsor or another person.

Poverty level guidelines may vary depending on economic conditions in the United States, which means that even if the individual qualified for a Green Card based on their income at one time, they may not currently qualify.

Upon arrival in the United States, many immigrants dream of being able to petition for their family members when they obtain citizenship or permanent residency but face the obstacle of not having enough money to be able to sponsor or support and protect them upon arrival in the United States.

The U.S. financial crisis is affecting immigrants by decreasing work in key sectors, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for everyone to get a job with a living wage.

Many immigrants have jobs where they are paid the minimum wage or even less, for inhumane working hours.

What Is A Sponsor In An Immigration Case?

The sponsor in an immigration case is a person who is committing to financially support the person who intends to immigrate to the United States.

Having a sponsor is a requirement for immigration cases such as Family Petitions.

A sponsor is not a requirement in humanitarian cases, such as the VAWA program, the U Visa, or the T Visa, but for most immigration cases, it is necessary to have a person who is willing to financially support the immigrant.

The sponsor is usually seen as the person who is petitioning for the beneficiary, who is the immigrant seeking to enter the United States.

Who Can Be A Joint Sponsor On A Visa?

Certain requirements for sponsor eligibility must be met to carry out the sponsorship in the case of the immigrant.

The joint sponsor must have legal status to be in the United States, they must be a citizen or permanent resident.

You must also be at least 18 years of age, live in the United States, and meet financial eligibility requirements.

There are some entry guidelines that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides each year for immigrants.

Currently, the sponsor must meet above 125 percent of the poverty line. This is based on the size of the household and how much the sponsor earns.

Most Common Joint Sponsor Concerns

It is often seen in joint sponsors the fear of the legal obligations that are incumbent upon them if they undertake this sponsorship role.

A very common concern is that the joint sponsor does not know how much money to pay, and what other steps to take when taking on this legal and financial responsibility.

Another common concern is not knowing how long this obligation lasts due to misinformation about what being a joint sponsor entails.

Also, the fact of not having certainty about the minimum income needed to be eligible in this immigration process is something that makes the potential joint sponsor doubt and automatically makes them think that they do not earn what is necessary to move forward.

An important and extremely common aspect in the immigrant community is the fear of not being able to fulfill the commitment of being a joint sponsor for the beneficiary of the immigration case, and this is due to the possible changes that may occur in the sponsor’s life in the future.

Due to the lack of information on the subject of what are the requirements or legal avenues necessary to carry out the sponsorship process, there are fears and uncertainties in this process, both on the part of the sponsor and the beneficiary.

A beneficiary may tend to be insecure about starting the immigration process because they do not know who they can count on to be their sponsor, or if only a close family member is accepted in this sponsorship role.

It is advisable to consult an immigration attorney who will provide you with personalized legal advice depending on your specific personal situation so that you can begin the process without doubts or insecurities that may stop you from moving forward.

In fact, before beginning the immigration process, the beneficiary and joint sponsor are asked to sign a series of documents. The documents show as a reminder of all the answers to the concerns mentioned above, to reassure and provide more confidence at the beginning of the process.

Is There Another Way To Know If I Have The Necessary Income To Become A Sponsor?

Another way to find out if the sponsor has enough income to sponsor your family is with the tax return.

There, you will be able to verify your income according to work or business, stocks, pension, or unemployment.

If the sponsor is unable to meet this income, another way to make the sponsor eligible is their financial capacity, which could be measured by their property, assets, or accounts.

If the sponsor individually cannot reach the level required to be eligible, other members of the household may join the tax return.

If you are still unable to meet these financial requirements, there is the possibility that someone else may do so.

That person is known as a co-sponsor or joint sponsor, so in either case, they are also financially responsible for the health benefit.

Does The Sponsor Need To Earn A Minimum Salary To Qualify?

Yes, the person who is willing to begin their role as a sponsor needs to earn at least minimum wage to qualify.

This is one of the main requirements to be able to sponsor an immigrant.

The USCIS guidelines for sponsors are updated approximately every year, and the official USCIS website provides updates.

In these guidelines, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency relies on household size, and this often varies.

The larger the sponsor’s household the more money it has to earn to financially support a person to immigrate to the United States.

This is because the sponsor is the person who will temporarily cover the expenses generated by the beneficiary, which would be the immigrant who intends to immigrate to the country.

If I Am A Citizen & I Don’t Have Enough Income, Can My Uncles Sponsor My Family Too?

There are many cases of U.S. citizens who are in their youth and their first job, and many times, they do not have the necessary income to petition their parents or relatives under the role of sponsor on their own.

The first thing that may come to this citizen’s mind is to ask for financial and legal help from close relatives, such as asking uncles and aunts to be co-sponsors.

Before considering enlisting the help of another person to become involved in the role of a sponsor in an immigration case, there are several things to consider.

It is important to know the legal status of the family you want to sponsor.

You should also know how much your aunts and uncles are earning, and additionally know how many relatives you are seeking to petition.

At Lincoln-Goldfinch Law Firm we have never stopped a case because someone did not meet a requirement to be a sponsor.

This is because we do not start any process without being informed of all the important details, as there are many occasions when we may need the beneficiary to have an additional sponsor.

USCIS Statistics

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processes more than 480,000 Family Visas annually.

There are more than 16 million people who are part of a family in which at least one member is undocumented. This is known as a mixed-state family unit.

In 2019, more than one million people became lawful permanent residents of the United States.

In fact, of these one million immigrants, 40 percent of these individuals received their Green Card through Family Petition.

It is estimated that about 75 percent of unauthorized immigrants have lived in the United States for more than 10 years.

In 2017, 27 percent of foreign-born U.S. residents were from Mexico.

Should you have additional questions about your joint sponsor, or your specific case, you may contact us at (855) 502-0555. After a brief 10-minute evaluation of your case over the phone, we will let you know what options you have. You can also follow us on our social networks so you don’t miss our weekly broadcasts on Facebook, YouTube and Twitch.
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