I-864 Affidavit of Support: Filing, Sponsors, and Income

To file Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support, you download the current edition from USCIS, calculate your household size and required income against the Federal Poverty Guidelines, gather your most recent federal tax return with W-2s or 1099s and proof of your U.S. status, sign the form, and submit it either through the Consular Electronic Application Center portal (if the immigrant is abroad) or as part of the adjustment of status package (if the immigrant is inside the United States). Every step below matters, because a single missing signature or outdated form edition sends the whole filing back.

Confirm You Actually Need to File

Almost every family-based immigrant visa applicant needs an I-864 before receiving a green card. Some employment-based applicants need one too, specifically when a relative filed the employer petition or owns a significant share of the sponsoring company.¹

You do not need to file if the intending immigrant falls into one of these categories:

Already has 40 qualifying work quarters credited under Social Security (roughly ten years).
Is a child who will automatically become a U.S. citizen upon admission under INA section 320.
Is a self-petitioning widow or widower filing Form I-360.
Is a VAWA self-petitioner.
Is an investor immigrant applying through Form I-526 or I-526E.
Is a human trafficking victim adjusting status under INA section 245(l).

Certain employment-based workers are also exempt when no qualifying relative filed or substantially owns the petitioning employer.²

Qualify as a Sponsor

The petitioner who filed the family-based visa petition is always the primary sponsor. To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, at least 18 years old, and domiciled in the United States or a U.S. territory.¹

If you currently live abroad, you must show that your stay is temporary and that you will re-establish your U.S. home by the time the immigrant is admitted. Concrete evidence helps: signing a lease or buying a home in the U.S., opening a U.S. bank account, transferring funds, accepting a U.S. job offer, registering children in U.S. schools, or applying for a Social Security number. Closing foreign accounts or resigning from a foreign job also strengthens the case. One document may be enough, but several are safer.

Meet the Income Requirement

Your total household income must reach at least 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size. Active-duty service members sponsoring a spouse or child need only meet 100 percent.²

Count Your Household Correctly

Household size is one of the most common places filers slip up. Count yourself, your spouse (even if your spouse is the immigrant), all of your dependents under 21, anyone you claimed on your most recent tax return, the intending immigrant, and any other immigrants you previously sponsored under an affidavit that is still in effect.

Current Income Thresholds

The 2026 guidelines, effective March 1, 2026, set these 125 percent thresholds for the 48 contiguous states, D.C., and most U.S. territories:³

Household of 2: $27,050
Household of 3: $34,150
Household of 4: $41,250
Household of 5: $48,350
Household of 6: $55,450
Household of 7: $62,550
Household of 8: $69,650

Alaska and Hawaii use higher figures. A household of two must show $33,813 in Alaska and $31,113 in Hawaii.³ These figures update annually. Always pull the current Form I-864P from the USCIS website before filing.

Using Assets to Cover a Shortfall

If income alone does not reach the threshold, you can supplement it with assets that could realistically be converted to cash within a year: savings accounts, stocks, bonds, or equity in real estate. The assets must be worth significantly more than the income gap. For most sponsored immigrants, the total asset value must equal at least five times the difference between your household income and the required income. If you are a U.S. citizen sponsoring your spouse or a child who is 18 or older, the multiplier drops to three times the difference.²

An example: your household income is $22,050 and the threshold is $27,050, leaving a $5,000 gap. If you are a U.S. citizen sponsoring your spouse, you need at least $15,000 in qualifying assets. For any other sponsored family member, you would need $25,000.

When Your Income Isn’t Enough on Its Own

Add a Joint Sponsor

A joint sponsor can step in when your income falls short. The joint sponsor does not need to be related to you or the immigrant. They must independently meet the 125 percent threshold for everyone they are sponsoring, and their income cannot be combined with yours to get there.² They must also be at least 18, be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident, and live in the United States. Each joint sponsor files their own I-864.

Add a Household Member With Form I-864A

Another option: have a household member sign Form I-864A, a separate contract making their income and assets available to you. The household member becomes jointly liable, and if the sponsored immigrant later receives certain government benefits, the agency that paid can pursue repayment from both of you.⁴ The household member submits their own IRS transcript or tax return with W-2s and 1099s alongside the form.

Substitute Sponsors

If the original petitioner dies after the visa petition is approved and USCIS allows the petition to continue, a substitute sponsor must file a new I-864. A substitute sponsor must be related to the immigrant as a spouse, parent, in-law, sibling, adult child, grandparent, grandchild, or legal guardian, and must meet all the same financial and eligibility requirements.¹

Documents to Attach

Download the most current version of Form I-864 from USCIS. Submitting an outdated edition gets your filing rejected on the spot.

Personal and Employment Information

Provide your full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current mailing address. The form asks for a five-year employment history with names and addresses of each employer. If you are self-employed, describe the business and the date it was established.⁵ List every dependent in your household with name, date of birth, and relationship.

Tax Returns and Proof of Income

Include either an IRS transcript or a photocopy of your federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year, along with all W-2s and 1099s. If you filed a joint return, include your own W-2s or 1099s so USCIS can isolate your portion of the income.² IRS transcripts are worth the extra step because they come directly from the IRS.

Only the most recent year is required. If earlier years strengthen your case, you may submit transcripts or copies for up to the three most recent tax years.² If you were required to file a return but did not, file the late return with the IRS first, then attach the transcript or copy to your I-864.

Proof of Status

U.S. citizens include a copy of their birth certificate, valid U.S. passport, or naturalization certificate. Lawful permanent residents include a clear copy of both sides of their green card.⁵ Active-duty military members should include proof of service, which qualifies them for the 100 percent threshold.

How and Where to Submit

Where you file depends on where the immigrant is applying.

If the immigrant is processing through a U.S. consulate abroad, upload the I-864 and all supporting documents through the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) portal. Scan your documents, upload them under the Affidavit of Support Documents section, and press Submit Documents. Your case then goes into line for review at the National Visa Center.⁶ The State Department charges a $120 fee for the affidavit of support review when it is reviewed domestically.⁷

If the immigrant is already in the United States and adjusting status, the I-864 goes into the adjustment package filed with USCIS. Once USCIS receives it, the agency issues a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, confirming receipt.⁸ Processing times vary from several months to over a year depending on the service center and backlog.

Mistakes That Delay or Sink the Filing

An unsigned form is rejected outright. If USCIS accepts the form for review and then finds the signature deficient, the agency denies it entirely.² Check the signature block before mailing anything.

Beyond the signature, the common failures are incomplete forms and thin income documentation. Blank fields give USCIS grounds to reject or deny. Missing W-2s attached to a joint return, an undercounted household, or an expired form edition all lead to the same outcome: a request for evidence that adds months. Knowingly providing false information or a fabricated document can lead to denial of the I-864 and denial of any future immigration benefit.²

Obligations That Continue After You File

Signing the I-864 creates a legally binding contract with the U.S. government. It does not end when the immigrant gets a green card, and it does not end if you and the immigrant divorce. Your obligation terminates only when the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, is credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work under Social Security (with the caveat that no federal means-tested public benefits were received during any qualifying quarter after December 31, 1996), dies, permanently leaves the United States, or loses permanent resident status and is removed. Your own death during the immigrant’s lifetime does not end the obligation; it becomes enforceable against your estate.⁹

If the sponsored immigrant receives certain federal means-tested benefits, including Supplemental Security Income, SNAP, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, non-emergency Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the paying agency can demand reimbursement from you and sue for the full amount plus legal fees if you refuse.

File Form I-865 Every Time You Move

While your affidavit is still in effect, any change of address must be reported to USCIS within 30 days on Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address. The clock starts the day you move. Every move requires a new filing.⁹

Failing to report brings a civil fine of $250 to $2,000. If USCIS can show you failed to report while knowing the sponsored immigrant received means-tested benefits, the fine rises to between $2,000 and $5,000.⁹ Most sponsors have never heard of Form I-865, which is exactly what makes it dangerous.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Affidavit of Support
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-864 Instructions
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
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U.S. Department of State. Submit Documents
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U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797 Types and Functions
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1183a – Requirements for Sponsors Affidavit of Support