How immigration lawyers request a pay stub from sponsors
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask the sponsor for their most recent pay stubs, covering several consecutive pay periods, from their current employer. They show that the income on last year’s return continues today. If the sponsor started a new job, ask for the stubs from that job and an offer or employment letter, so current income is documented from both sides.
Why immigration lawyers need a pay stub
The I-864 asks for current annual income, and the tax return only shows the past year. The form instructions mention evidence of current employment, such as recent pay statements or a letter from the employer. Pay stubs are the quickest proof: they carry the employer’s name, the pay rate and year-to-date earnings, which let you check the current income figure the sponsor writes on the form.
What exactly to ask for
Pay stubs from the last several pay periods, most recent first, as PDFs from the payroll portal or clear scans. Each stub should show the employer name, the sponsor’s name, the pay period and year-to-date totals. Repeat the request closer to the interview, because an officer may ask for more recent ones.
What to check when it arrives
- The stubs are recent and consecutive, with no missing pay period in between.
- The employer and pay rate match what the sponsor lists as current employment on the I-864.
- The year-to-date figure, projected over the year, is consistent with the current income on the form.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your recent pay stubs
Hi [Client name],
Your tax return shows last year’s income; for the affidavit of support I also need to show what you earn now. Could you send your most recent pay stubs from your current job, covering the last several pay periods?
A PDF from your payroll portal is ideal. Please make sure each stub shows your name, your employer, the pay period and the year-to-date totals.
If you can send them by [date], that keeps your case moving. If you changed jobs recently or are paid in cash, let me know and we will find another way to document your income.
Thank you, [Your name]
Sources
The rules above come from these primary sources. Check them, and your local rules, before you rely on them.
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a pay stub, an unreadable or blurry scan or a copy where one of these is missing or cut off: the employee’s name, the net pay, the pay period dates. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.