Affidavit of Support for K-1 Visa: I-134 Income and Documents

The affidavit of support for a K-1 visa is Form I-134, the Declaration of Financial Support that the U.S. citizen petitioner signs to show they can keep their foreign fiancé off public assistance during the 90-day K-1 stay. The income floor is 100% of the federal poverty guidelines for the sponsor’s household size, which in 2026 is $21,640 for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states.¹ A consular officer will refuse the visa if the financial showing looks thin, so the form and its supporting documents deserve real attention.

What Form I-134 Is and Who Signs It

Form I-134 is the financial declaration a consular officer uses to decide whether a K-1 applicant is likely to become a public charge, a ground of inadmissibility under federal immigration law.² Only the U.S. citizen who filed the underlying K-1 petition (Form I-129F) can sign it. The obligation covers the fiancé’s temporary stay of up to 90 days.³

A separate I-134 is required for each beneficiary. If the fiancé is bringing children who will travel on K-2 visas, the sponsor prepares an additional form for each child.³

The current edition of the form is dated 01/20/25 and remains valid through 12/31/2027.⁴ Download the current version directly from USCIS before filling anything out. The form is signed under penalty of perjury; notarization is not required.³

Income Threshold: 100% of the Poverty Guidelines

K-1 sponsors have to show income of at least 100% of the federal poverty guidelines for their household size.⁵ That is a lower bar than the 125% figure that applies later at the green card stage. Household size counts the sponsor, all dependents, and the incoming fiancé.

The 2026 thresholds in the 48 contiguous states are:¹

Household of 2: $21,640
Household of 3: $27,320
Household of 4: $33,000

Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures. A household of two in Alaska needs $27,050, and the same household in Hawaii needs $24,890.⁶

Using Assets or a Second Sponsor to Qualify

A sponsor whose wages fall short can lean on assets. The form asks for the value of bank accounts, investments, and real estate, all listed in U.S. dollars even when the asset sits outside the country. Consular officers weigh liquid savings more heavily than assets that would take years to convert, such as retirement accounts or real property.

If assets still do not close the gap, another person can file a separate I-134 as an additional financial supporter. That person has to independently document their own income or resources and meets the same evidentiary requirements. The fiancé can also present evidence of their own financial self-sufficiency at the interview.⁵

Documents to Include With the I-134

The form itself asks for the sponsor’s legal name, address, Social Security number, and employment details including employer and job title. What consular officers really look at, though, is the paper trail behind those entries. A useful packet typically includes:

The most recent federal tax return with all schedules and W-2 forms attached.
Recent bank statements showing balances and a pattern of deposits.
An employment verification letter from the sponsor’s employer on company letterhead, confirming hire date, position, and salary.
Statements for investment accounts, property appraisals, or other proof of value for any assets the sponsor is counting toward the threshold.

Any document not in English needs a full English translation. The translator has to certify in writing that they are competent in both languages and that the translation is complete and accurate, and the certification should carry the translator’s name, signature, address, and the date. That applies to foreign bank statements, employment records, and any other non-English financial evidence.

Inaccurate or inflated numbers on the form carry immigration consequences for both the sponsor and the fiancé, so figures should match the documentation exactly.

How the Affidavit Reaches the Consular Officer

Unlike most immigration forms, the I-134 is not mailed to a USCIS processing center. The sponsor prepares the completed form and supporting documents and sends the packet directly to the fiancé abroad. The fiancé then brings it to the K-1 interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Before the interview, the fiancé pays a $265 visa application fee.⁷ Some consular posts want the documents uploaded through the Department of State’s online portal ahead of time. Even when digital upload is available, the fiancé should carry the originals to the interview so the officer can verify signatures against the scans.

At the interview the consular officer reviews the I-134 alongside questions about the relationship itself, evaluating whether the relationship is genuine and whether the sponsor can realistically provide support. If the officer finds the financial evidence insufficient, the visa can be refused outright or held under a 221(g) refusal that requests additional documentation. In the latter case, updated bank statements, a stronger employment letter, or an added I-134 from a second supporter can often resolve the issue.

How Binding the I-134 Actually Is

The I-134 is not the same instrument as Form I-864, and confusing the two causes real trouble. Three separate courts have ruled that the I-134 does not create a legal contract and represents only a “moral obligation,” and the State Department itself states that the I-134 “should not be accorded the same weight as Form I-864.”⁸ Federal regulations at 8 CFR § 213a.5 confirm that the statutory enforcement mechanisms built for the I-864, including the government reimbursement provisions, do not clearly reach I-134 signers. No recent court has tested whether the current version of the I-134 is enforceable.

That does not make the form empty. The practical enforcement happens at the front end: the consular officer can and will refuse the K-1 visa when the financial showing is weak, so the fiancé never boards the plane. Whatever the courts have said about after-the-fact liability, the affidavit still functions as a gatekeeper before entry.

Planning Ahead for Form I-864 After the Wedding

The I-134 only covers the K-1 period. Once the couple marries and the foreign spouse applies for a green card through adjustment of status, the sponsor files a new and considerably more demanding affidavit: Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA.⁹

The I-864 raises the income floor from 100% to 125% of the poverty guidelines, which for a two-person household in 2026 works out to $27,050.⁶ Active-duty military members sponsoring a spouse keep the lower 100% threshold. The I-864 is also a legally enforceable contract: the government or the sponsored immigrant can sue the sponsor for reimbursement of means-tested public benefits the immigrant receives.⁸

A sponsor whose income barely clears the 100% mark for the I-134 will hit a wall six months or a year later at the I-864 stage. Planning for both thresholds at the outset avoids a scramble between the wedding and the adjustment filing.

Mistakes That Get K-1 Applications Refused

The most common problem is submitting an outdated edition of the form. USCIS revises Form I-134 periodically, and consular officers reject expired editions on sight. Check the edition date on the USCIS site before sending anything overseas.

The second is thin documentation. Sponsors sometimes send the form with a single pay stub or one month of bank activity. Officers want to see a pattern, not a snapshot. Several months of bank statements and a full tax return with W-2s carry considerably more weight than one document in isolation.

A third issue is structural rather than paperwork-related. The K-1 applicant can only adjust status through marriage to the specific U.S. citizen who filed the petition.⁹ The financial commitment on the I-134 is tied to a relationship whose legal viability depends entirely on that marriage taking place, so both parties should understand what the sponsor is signing up for before the packet leaves the country.

1
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-134, Declaration of Financial Support
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-134 – Declaration of Financial Support
5
U.S. Department of State. Nonimmigrant Visa for a Fiance (K-1)
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
7
U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Affidavit of Support
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Fiancee of U.S. Citizen