For most family-based immigration I-130 petitions the sponsor is required to complete USCIS Form I-864 Affidavit of Support. Form I-864 is used to verify that the sponsor meets the financial requirements to sponsor their family member for US permanent residence. See how to determine if a sponsor meets these income requirements.
Where do I find the income requirements for a sponsor?
The income requirements for the affidavit of support can be found on USCIS Form I-864P. The income requirements are listed by “Sponsor’s Household Size.” With each member of the household the income requirements for sponsorship increase. See the chart above. USCIS Form I-864P is updated annually. Make sure you are relying on the most recent I-864P when determining income requirements. Those that are not on active duty in the US armed forces use the 125% of HHS Poverty Guidelines.
How is the household size determined?
Your household size includes you, your dependents, any relatives living with you, and the immigrants you are sponsoring. For example, if the petitioner (1) has a spouse (1) and three (3) children at home, and they will be sponsoring their parent (1) for an immigrant visa, the household size would be six (6). If using the chart above, the sponsor would need to meet the income requirement of $46,487. Verify the current income requirements through USCIS Form I-864P in the link below.
What if I am the sponsor and I don’t meet the income requirements?
If you are not able to meet the income requirements as the sponsor, you have a few options:
- You may add the cash value of your assets. This includes money in savings accounts, stocks, bonds, and property. To determine the number of assets required to qualify, subtract your household income from the minimum income requirement (125% of the poverty level for your family size). You must prove the cash value of your assets is worth five times this difference (the amount leftover). If the person being sponsored is a spouse or son/daughter (who is 18 years or older) of a U.S. citizen: The minimum cash value of assets must be three times the difference between the sponsor’s household income and 125% of the federal poverty guideline for the household.
- You may count the assets of the relatives you are sponsoring.
- You can use a joint sponsor. A joint sponsor is someone who is willing to accept legal responsibility for supporting your family member with you. A joint sponsor must meet all the same requirements as you, except the joint sponsor does not need to be related to the immigrant. The joint sponsor (or the joint sponsor and his or her household) must reach the 125% income requirement alone. You cannot combine your income with that of a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement.
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