I-864 Income Requirements for Green Card Sponsors

To sponsor a green card applicant on Form I-864, you generally need annual income of at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guideline for your household size. For 2026, that means $27,050 for a two-person household in the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory, with the threshold rising by roughly $7,100 for each additional person. The I-864 income requirements are set each year by USCIS on Form I-864P, based on the Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines, and the affidavit itself is a legally enforceable contract with the federal government.¹²

2026 Minimum Income by Household Size

These are the 125 percent thresholds for sponsors in the 48 contiguous states, D.C., and U.S. territories:¹

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

Each additional person beyond eight adds $7,100.³

Active-Duty Military Sponsoring a Spouse or Child

If you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and sponsoring your own spouse or child, you only need to meet 100 percent of the poverty guideline instead of 125 percent. For a two-person household in the contiguous states, the 2026 requirement drops to $21,640.¹² Training status doesn’t count, and the reduced threshold doesn’t apply to a joint sponsor who happens to be in the military.

Higher Thresholds in Alaska and Hawaii

Sponsors domiciled in Alaska or Hawaii use separate tables. For 2026, a two-person household needs $33,813 in Alaska and $31,113 in Hawaii at the 125 percent level, or $27,050 and $24,890 respectively for active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child.¹ Use the guideline for wherever you’ll be domiciled when USCIS adjudicates the case.

How to Count Your Household Size

The threshold you have to hit depends entirely on which row of the table applies, so counting correctly matters. Start with yourself, then add:

The intending immigrant.
Any dependents immigrating with that person.
Everyone related to you by birth, marriage, or adoption who lives in your home.
All of your unmarried children under 21, whether or not they live with you.
Anyone you previously sponsored on an I-864 whose obligation is still active.

The last item catches people. If you signed an I-864 for a former spouse who hasn’t yet naturalized or earned 40 qualifying quarters of work, that person still counts in your household size today.² Each added person raises the required income by several thousand dollars.

What Income Counts

USCIS looks at the “Total Income” line on your most recent federal tax return. That includes wages, salaries, commissions, Social Security or pension income, interest, dividends, and net rental income. The income has to be lawful and reasonably expected to continue. A one-time event like the sale of a property generally won’t satisfy the requirement on its own.

Submit your most recent year’s federal tax return or an IRS transcript. If that return understates where you are now (for example, you recently started a higher-paying job), you can voluntarily add up to three years of returns to show the trend, along with recent pay stubs or an employer letter confirming current income.⁴

If Your Income Falls Short

Four options exist when your own income isn’t enough, and they can be combined.

Add a Household Member’s Income

An adult household member (18 or older) who lives with you can pool their income with yours by signing Form I-864A, which makes them jointly liable for supporting the immigrant.⁵

Count the Immigrant’s Own Income

The intending immigrant’s income can count toward your household total if the immigrant either lives with you or is your spouse, and the income comes from a lawful source that will continue after the green card is issued. If the immigrant has no accompanying dependents, no separate I-864A is needed; their income is simply added to yours. If they do have accompanying family members, an I-864A is required.⁶

Use Assets to Fill the Gap

Assets can supplement income, but not dollar-for-dollar. The value must exceed your income shortfall by a multiple that depends on the relationship:⁴

Most sponsors: assets must equal at least 5 times the shortfall. A $5,000 gap requires $25,000 in qualifying assets.
A U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse or a child age 18 or older: 3 times the shortfall.
An orphan who will acquire citizenship under INA section 320 on admission: 1 times the shortfall.

Qualifying assets include savings, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and real estate, and equity in a primary residence can be included. Expect to document ownership, a recent licensed appraisal for real property, and any mortgages or liens so USCIS can see net value. The assets must be convertible to cash within a reasonable time without causing financial hardship to you or your family.⁴

Add a Joint Sponsor

A joint sponsor is someone outside your household who independently meets the 125 percent threshold for their own household size plus the immigrants they agree to cover. Incomes are not pooled between the primary sponsor and a joint sponsor; the joint sponsor has to qualify on their own. USCIS allows up to two joint sponsors per case, which lets one cover some immigrating family members while a second covers the rest. Everyone who signs an I-864 becomes legally liable.⁷⁴

How Long the Obligation Lasts

The financial obligation you take on by signing the I-864 ends only when one of five things happens: the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, earns 40 qualifying quarters of work (roughly ten years), dies, permanently leaves the United States, or loses permanent resident status and is removed.²

Divorce is not on that list. If you sponsored a spouse and later divorced, you remain financially responsible until one of the five events above happens. A private settlement between divorcing spouses does not override the federal contract. If the sponsored immigrant later receives means-tested public benefits such as Medicaid (other than emergency Medicaid), SSI, SNAP, TANF, or CHIP, the paying agency can send a written demand for reimbursement and sue if you don’t pay within 45 days, with a ten-year statute of limitations running from the last date benefits were received.⁸¹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1183a – Requirements for Sponsors Affidavit of Support
3
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 6 – Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Important Reminder for Means-Tested Public Benefit Granting Agencies