Establishing US domicile while living abroad

akennis

New Member
Hello.

I'm preparing to sponsor my wife to obtain a US Green Card. I hope to file the i-864 form as her sponsor. I have been living abroad for nearly 20 years and am planning to move back to the US together with my wife once her Green Card is obtained. In reading the instructions for i-864 I understand that the sponsor must be domiciled in the US. If the sponsor is not domiciled in the US then they, as far as I can understand, have to prove with hard evidence that they will travel to the US together with the immigrant at the same time and then, immediately, establish a domicile. It seems that providing a variety of evidence supporting this is recommended. One example is a job offer, or even potentially a documented job search/interview. I also wonder if as another piece of evidence I can provide a written agreement between myself and my father, who resides in the US, that my wife and I will live with him after arriving in the US. Would a well written document to that effect help to substantiate that I am intending to establish a US domicile concurrent with our move to the US?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
The CO would be the final arbiter of what constitutes appropriate documentation that establishes intent to domicile in the US. Any documentation that shows where you both plan to live couldn't hurt, but remember that the CO should be convinced of your intent.
 
On a technical issue, your wife will not get a green card before she moves to the US. She will get an immigrant visa, which has to be used within max 6 months of issue (sometimes shorter), and she will get a green card after she has used that to enter the US.
 
Good point Susie, his wife would get an IR1 visa (assuming married 2+ years). The visa is a one-time use visa to enter the US. Once the green card fee is paid + US entry on Immigrant Visa, the actual green card is thereafter produced and mailed to a US address.

This is to ensure that the green card, aka Permanent Resident Card, is to actually live in the US.
 
Thanks everyone. Does anyone have advice to share on how I can demonstrate clear intent to establish a domicile in the US without moving to the US before my wife does?
 
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