125% Federal Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support

To sponsor a family member for a green card, your income must reach at least 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for your household size on the Affidavit of Support. For 2026, that starts at $27,050 for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. USCIS publishes the full chart on Form I-864P, which took effect March 1, 2026, and updates it each year after the Department of Health and Human Services releases new poverty figures.¹

2026 Income Thresholds by Household Size

HHS recalculates the poverty guidelines each year for inflation, and USCIS multiplies each figure by 1.25 to set the minimum income on Form I-864. For the 48 contiguous states, D.C., and U.S. territories, the 2026 numbers are:¹

2 people: $27,050
3 people: $34,150
4 people: $41,250
5 people: $48,350
6 people: $55,450
7 people: $62,550
8 people: $69,650
Each additional person: add $7,100

Alaska and Hawaii sit higher because of elevated living costs. A two-person household in Alaska needs $33,813 at the 125% level, and the same household in Hawaii needs $31,113.¹

Active-Duty Military Sponsors

Sponsors on active duty in the U.S. armed forces sponsoring a spouse or child only need to meet 100% of the poverty guidelines, not 125%. For a two-person household in the contiguous states, that lowers the requirement from $27,050 to $21,640.² The State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual specifies that the sponsor must be on active duty “other than for training” and must present a military identification card.³ Joint sponsors and substitute sponsors can only claim the 100% level if they themselves are on active duty and the immigrant is their own spouse or child.

Counting Your Household

The threshold that applies to you depends on how many people are in your household, and miscounting is a common cause of delay. Include:⁴

Yourself
Your spouse
Any unmarried children under 21
Any other dependents listed on your most recent federal tax return
The immigrant you’re sponsoring, plus any relatives immigrating with them
Any immigrants you previously sponsored on a Form I-864, if that support obligation hasn’t ended

That last category surprises people. If you sponsored a sibling years ago and they haven’t naturalized or earned 40 qualifying work quarters, they still count in your household size for a new petition.⁵ Relatives who live with you but aren’t your dependents or previously sponsored immigrants are generally excluded.

What Income Counts

USCIS uses the “Total Income” line from your most recent federal tax return (IRS Form 1040) as the starting point.⁴ That figure includes wages, salaries, self-employment earnings, and other taxable income. Officers also review current income through employment verification letters and recent pay stubs to confirm your finances haven’t slipped since the last filing. Self-employed sponsors must include every schedule filed with the return, such as Schedule C, D, E, or F, because that income tends to fluctuate and gets closer scrutiny.⁵

If Your Income Falls Short

Missing the threshold doesn’t end the petition. You have three ways to close the gap, and you can combine them.

Add a Household Member’s Income

You can pool income with a parent, child, adult son or daughter, or sibling who shares your principal residence.⁶ Each contributor signs Form I-864A, a binding contract that makes their income available for the immigrant’s support.⁷ The sponsored immigrant can also contribute income this way if they can show it will continue from a lawful source after they get permanent residence.

Use Assets to Cover the Gap

Assets can make up an income shortfall, but the multiplier is steep. The combined net value of qualifying assets must exceed:⁸

Three times the shortfall when sponsoring a spouse or child (age 18 or older) of a U.S. citizen
One times the shortfall for an orphan who will gain citizenship through adoption
Five times the shortfall in all other cases

Sponsoring a sibling with a $10,000 income gap, for example, requires at least $50,000 in qualifying assets. Savings, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and real estate equity all count. Use the net figure: a home worth $300,000 with a $250,000 mortgage contributes $50,000.⁸ The immigrant’s own assets can be counted as well.

Bring in a Joint Sponsor

A joint sponsor takes on a separate, independent obligation rather than combining income with yours. They must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or U.S. national, at least 18, and living in the United States or its territories, and they don’t need to be related to anyone involved.⁵ The joint sponsor must independently meet the 125% threshold for their own household size, counting the immigrants they are sponsoring. Their income is not added to yours; USCIS evaluates them on their own. A joint sponsor with a four-person household who takes on one immigrant must clear the five-person figure of $48,350.¹

How Long the Obligation Lasts

Signing Form I-864 creates an enforceable contract. Federal law binds you to keep the immigrant at or above 125% of the poverty line for as long as the affidavit remains in force.⁹ The obligation ends only when one of five things happens:¹⁰

The immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen
The immigrant earns 40 qualifying quarters of work (roughly 10 years)
The sponsor dies
The immigrant dies
The immigrant gives up permanent resident status and leaves the country

Divorce is not on that list. If you sponsor a spouse and the marriage later ends, your financial obligation continues until one of the five conditions is met. If the immigrant receives means-tested public benefits, the agency that paid them can seek reimbursement from you, including legal fees, and the immigrant can sue you directly to enforce the support obligation.¹⁰

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
2
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
3
U.S. Department of State. 9 FAM 601.14 Affidavit of Support
4
U.S. Department of State. I-864 Affidavit of Support FAQs
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
8
eCFR. 8 CFR 213a.2 – Use of Affidavit of Support
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1183a – Requirements for Sponsors Affidavit of Support
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Affidavit of Support