During the immigration processes of family petitions, the petitioner will have to demonstrate that they have sufficient financial means to support the family member that is being requested. USCIS has established the guidelines for poverty, and the petitioner, through the Affidavit of Support, must show that he/she receives more than a certain amount of money per year. When for any reason, the petitioner does not earn the amount of money requested by the administrative entity, it will be necessary to request the help of a joint sponsor. In today's blog we are going to be talking about what a joint sponsor is.
A joint sponsor is nothing more than a person who, through their financial assets, will help the petitioner or main sponsor of a family petition, to meet the minimum financial requirements to sponsor their relative to receive a green card. As I explained in the introduction, on many occasions, the main sponsor does not meet the minimum financial requirements and needs the help of another person, and this person is the joint sponsor.
The joint sponsor must be an American citizen or permanent resident of the United States, residing in the country, and of course having sufficient assets to be a sponsor. A requirement that many people do not seem to understand is that when a joint sponsor is needed, the sponsor must, by itself, meet the minimum financial requirement. What does this mean: You CANNOT combine the assets and earnings of the main sponsor with the joint sponsor to arrive at the minimum amount required in the poverty guidelines; rather, the joint sponsor, alone, must meet the minimum required.
The obligations of a joint sponsor includes: providing the sponsored with financial support and reimbursing the government in the event that the sponsored requests public benefits. The joint sponsor will NOT be responsible for providing support to the main sponsor, for paying the sponsor's credit card, medical or student debts, nor for providing assistance or support in the event that the sponsored person is in legal trouble.
The obligations of the joint sponsor begin at the moment the family petition is approved and end when the sponsored becomes a US citizen, has lived for more than ten years in the United States, or abandons his/hers permanent resident status.
If the joint sponsor does not comply with its obligations to provide financial support to the sponsored person, it could happen that the sponsored person files a lawsuit in the corresponding court. If in addition, the sponsored requested help from the United States government, or some public benefit from the federal government, then the government could also file a lawsuit against the joint sponsor, to be reimbursed.
Signing an Affidavit of Support is equivalent to a responsibility that must be taken very seriously. My advice is that you do not take responsibility for people you do not know, otherwise you could suffer consequences in the future.
For more information, or if you would like a free consultation, do not hesitate to call us. Our firm is dedicated to handling immigration cases, and we can help you with yours. In Y. Morejon Attorney, P.A. your problem is our problem.
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