Requirements to Be a Joint Sponsor for a Green Card

To serve as a joint sponsor on a green card case, you must be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident, keep your principal home in the United States, and earn at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size on your own income. Those are the core joint sponsor requirements for a green card petition, and they apply whether or not you are related to the immigrant. A friend, a coworker, an employer, or a stranger willing to take on the obligation can qualify, as long as each element is met.¹²

A joint sponsor steps in when the petitioner’s own income does not reach the level immigration law requires. You file your own separate Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) alongside the petitioner’s.

Who Qualifies

The eligibility checklist for a joint sponsor mirrors the checklist for the petitioner, except that no family or personal tie to the immigrant is needed.¹ To qualify, you must:

Be at least 18 years old.
Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident.
Be domiciled in the United States or one of its territories.²
Meet the 125% income threshold independently, without combining resources with the petitioner or another joint sponsor.³

Domicile means your principal residence is in the United States and you intend to keep it there. If you are living abroad temporarily, for work or military service, you can still qualify if you can show U.S. ties and an intent to return. One thing to be clear about: your domicile satisfies your own eligibility only. If the petitioner cannot show U.S. domicile, adding you as a joint sponsor does not fix that problem — the petitioner has to establish domicile on their own.

The Income Floor for 2026

The income you must show is at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size.⁴ For a joint sponsor, household size is not just who lives with you. It includes you, anyone you already claim as a dependent, anyone you have previously sponsored on an I-864 whose obligation has not ended, and every immigrant you are agreeing to sponsor now.

The 2026 thresholds for the 48 contiguous states, D.C., and most territories are:⁵

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. USCIS republishes the current numbers every year on Form I-864P.⁴ A simple example: if you are single, have no dependents, have never sponsored anyone before, and are sponsoring one immigrant, your household size is two. In most states you would need at least $27,050 in annual income for a 2026 filing.

If Your Income Falls Short

Two paths can close a gap.

The first is assets. Property you can convert to cash within a year without major loss counts — typically bank accounts and stocks. A primary residence generally does not.⁶ The value of qualifying assets must equal at least five times the gap between your actual income and the required income. If the threshold is $27,050 and you earn $22,050, the shortfall is $5,000, so you would need $25,000 in qualifying assets. The multiplier drops to three times the gap when a U.S. citizen is sponsoring a spouse or a child age 18 or older.³

The second is a household member’s income. A person who lives with you can sign Form I-864A, a binding contract making their income available to support the sponsored immigrant. Their income is then combined with yours.⁷ By signing, they take on the same legal liability you are taking on. If the immigrant later receives means-tested public benefits, that household member can be pursued for repayment alongside you.¹ They will need to file their most recent federal tax return and W-2s with the I-864A.

Documents You Have to File

You submit your own separate Form I-864 with supporting evidence in a few categories. Missing documents are one of the most common reasons affidavits get sent back, so it pays to have everything in hand before filing.

Proof of status. U.S. citizens submit a copy of a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization certificate. Lawful permanent residents submit copies of both sides of the Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).⁸

Tax returns. Your most recent federal income tax return is required, with all W-2s, 1099s, and schedules. You can also submit returns from the two prior years and pay stubs from the last six months if those help show your earning ability.⁸ Self-employed sponsors should include Schedule C, D, E, or F.

Employment verification. A letter from your employer confirming job title, salary, and whether the position is permanent can strengthen the file, especially if your current income is higher than what appears on your last tax return.

Asset documentation. If you are using assets to close an income gap, include proof of ownership and value: bank statements, brokerage statements, or appraisals for real estate other than your primary home.

What You Are Actually Signing

Form I-864 is a legally enforceable contract, not a character reference. As a joint sponsor, you are personally on the hook to support the immigrant financially, and you can be sued if you do not.¹

The obligation is to keep the sponsored immigrant at an income level of at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.⁶ If the immigrant receives means-tested public benefits — Medicaid, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program — the agency that paid those benefits can demand repayment from you.⁴ If you refuse, the agency or the immigrant can bring suit.

When the Obligation Ends

Your financial responsibility ends only when one of these happens:⁶

The immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen.
The immigrant is credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work under the Social Security system, which is roughly ten years of employment.
The immigrant permanently leaves the United States.
The immigrant dies.

Divorce is not on that list. If the petitioner and the immigrant later divorce, your obligation continues in full.¹ You also cannot withdraw on your own once the immigrant has been admitted. Realistically, this can be a ten-year financial commitment with no exit clause.

When Two Joint Sponsors Are Allowed

A single case can have up to two joint sponsors, but only when one joint sponsor cannot cover every family member on the application.³ In that setup, one joint sponsor files an I-864 covering some of the immigrants and the other files a separate I-864 covering the rest.

Each joint sponsor has to meet the 125% threshold independently for their own household size, counting every immigrant they personally sponsor. Incomes cannot be pooled across joint sponsors. Two joint sponsors earning $20,000 each do not add up to $40,000 for eligibility purposes; each is evaluated alone.³ Both are jointly and severally liable for the immigrants they sponsor, which means the government or the immigrant can pursue either one for the full amount owed.¹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Affidavit of Support
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1183a – Requirements for Sponsors Affidavit of Support
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-864 Instructions for Affidavit of Support
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support
5
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – Detailed
6
U.S. Department of State. I-864 Affidavit of Support FAQs
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. href=”https://www.uscis.gov/i-864a” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA