Sponsor passed away

[dd3007]

We have received our family based (F3) Green Card visa interview appointment letter. As our sponsor passed away a few months ago, understand that we need to find a new sponsor, who can submit the Affidavit of Support and federal tax returns.

1) Can a US Citizen friend, who can submit Affidavit of Support and Federal tax returns, be the new sponsor?

2) Should the new US Citizen sponsor be currently residing in US; and be present at the US airport to sign any document when we land there on an immigrant visa?

Appreciate your valuable inputs.

[newacct]

When you say "sponsor", do you mean the petitioner? If the petitioner dies before the principal beneficiary immigrates, then the whole petition dies, and nobody gets to immigrate. It's not just a matter of "finding a new sponsor". There are only limited circumstances when the petition can be reinstated:

• INA 204(l) reinstatement: if at least one beneficiary was residing in the US when the petitioner died, and continues to reside in the US when requesting the reinstatement, or
• Humanitarian reinstatement: if there is some special humanitarian reason for your case specifically

Only if you can get the petition reinstated through one of these limited circumstances would you need to find a substitute sponsor for the I-864.

Edited April 11 by newacct