Learn about the realities of the I-864 as an enforceable contract and the ethics of joint-sponsor representation,

1. Advanced I-864 issues
August 31, 2016
Greg McLawsen
Managing Attorney

2. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
www.soundimmigration.com
America’s web-based
immigration law firm
page 2

3. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
www.soundimmigration.com
Do you do removal?
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4. Greg McLawsen
Managing Attorney
Sound Immigration
@mclawsen
greg@soundimmigration.com
www.soundimmigration.com

5. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
www.soundimmigration.com/events
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6. Have an idea for
an event?
Want to speak?

7. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
www.soundimmigration.com/lawyers
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8. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Outline
Suing sponsors
It’s a very real thing
01
Joint sponsor ethics
The rules have changed
02
Complex filing issues
Common complexities
03
page 8

9. Suing sponsors

10. A contract
Capital ‘C”

11. Who are the
plaintiffs?

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I-134 distinguished
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The sponsor’s *two* duties
• Maintain immigrant at 125% FPG
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The sponsor’s *two* duties
• Repay gov’t agency for means-tested benefits:
• Primarily: Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security
Income (SSI).
• Not emergency disaster aid, for example.
• Also, no duty to repay “medical bills” (though creditors do
occasionally try).
page 14

15. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
What terminates the sponsor’s duty?
• What terminates the Sponsor’s duty?
• Beneficiary…
1. Becomes citizen.
2. Credited w/ 40-quarters of work.
3. Abandons residency and departs U.S.
4. Deported and gets new sponsor.
5. Dies.
• Not dissolution/separation.
• Not departure to (residence?) foreign country.
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16. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Established legal propositions
• The I-864 is an enforceable.
• Period… not up for discussion any longer
• The contract is between the Sponsor and U.S. Gov’t
• Beneficiary is… a 3rd-party beneficiary
• Consideration?
• Used to be: overcoming inadmissibility
• Now: becoming a permanent resident
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Jurisdiction
• Personal jurisdiction.
• Sponsor expressly submits to any competent court
• One (silly) exception in D. Utah.
• Subject matter jurisdiction.
• Federal
• Typically close enough to a federal question
• But not close enough for M.D. Florida (Winters, etc.)
• State.
• Unanimous: yes
• But as an alimony/maintenance order, authority split
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Damage$
• Measure.
• Difference between actual income and 125% FPG
• FPG changes annually; use Guidelines per year
• “Income”?
• Courts unclear about what rule govern
• C.F.R. looks to federal income rules
• Duty to mitigate?
• Sixth Circuit: no, b/c no federal common law duty to mitigate
• Mainly looked to policy
• Different result in states (?)
• (Eroding?) Majority rule: is duty to mitigate, generally
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Attorney fee$
page 19

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Affirmative defenses almost always fail
• Lack of consideration.
• Prior iteration: “overcome inadmissibility”
• A thing of value… at least after gloss
• Current version: “becoming permanent resident”
• i.e., you don’t get LPR status without this form
• Unconscionability
• So far a loser… similar to prenuptial agreements
• Not a contract of adhesion
• Fraud
• Possible; always fails at summary judgment stage
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21. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
How about a pre/post-nuptial waiver?
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22. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Take away: approach cases as if your sponsor will be sued
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23. Joint
sponsor
ethics
Don’t do I-864s for joint sponsors!

24. The familiar
pickle

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News flash!
You are a joint
sponsor’s attorney (if
you draft the I-864)
Period.
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26. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Only two options
Not clientClient
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Your certification as preparer
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Plus this
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Conflict rule
ABA Model Rule 1.7(a):
Except as provided in paragraph (b), a lawyer shall not
represent a client if the representation involves a
concurrent conflict of interest. A concurrent conflict of
interest exists if:
(1) the representation of one client will be directly
adverse to another client; or
(2) there is a significant risk that the representation of
one or more clients will be materially limited by the
lawyer's responsibilities to another client, a former
client or a third person or by a personal interest of the
lawyer.
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Directly adverse?
Presumably there’s
a shared goal.
Otherwise
why sponsor?
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31. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Significant risk of material limitation?
How do you advise
your joint sponsor
client?
page 31

32. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Not “what’s good enough” – what’s best
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Don’t fool yourself – someone is paying
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34. Complex
filing
issues

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Good news from the National Visa Center!
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36. w w w . s o u n d i m i g r a t i o n . c o m
Are you sure that you need an I-864?
page 36

37. Screen for 40
quarters
DACA kids are
coming!

38. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(3)

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New jobs
page 39

40. Self-employed

41. • Federal returns – personal and business
• P&L statement
• Checks/payments (6 months min) from
business
• Or, 6 months bank statements.
• Frankly optional: business license, article
of incorporation.
Proving up income
for the
self-employed

42. • Social Security earnings
• Non-taxable investments
• Legal settlement
• Gifts, inheritance
• Life insurance
• Child support
• Scholarships, grants
• Disability insurance
Using non-taxable
income to meet
125% FPG

43. Foreign assets

44. www.soundimmigration.com/events
Greg McLawsen
Managing Attorney
@mclawsen
253-203-3170
greg@soundimmigration.com
www.soundimmigration.com