Form I-864, Affidavit of Support: Help Center

Welcome to the Affidavit of Support Help Center. If you feel that you need some help with the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, you are not alone. Technical errors with the Form I-864 are among the most common reasons for denial of permanent residence applications.

What can you do here at the Affidavit of Support Help Center?

Learn: The below plain-English guide explains the basics of how to complete the I-864 and the legal responsibilities of sponsors and household members.

Research: The below guide includes 150+ footnotes with references to legal authorities.

Ask Questions: You are welcome to ask questions of a general nature in the Comments section below.

Consult with an experienced immigration attorney: If you would like our law firm to prepare or review your Form I-864 and supporting documents, answer your questions, and provide related advice, see here to schedule an appointment.

Information contained here should not be construed as legal advice. Do not act or rely on this information without seeking legal advice from a qualified lawyer who learns your goals, investigates the specific facts of your case, researches how the law may apply to those facts, and then gives advice taking all that into account.

Contents

1. Introduction

Applicants for lawful permanent resident status (i.e., a green card) must prove they are not likely in the future to become a “public charge,”[1] meaning a person who relies on cash welfare for their income, or who is in long-term care (a nursing home).[2]

In 2019, under the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)[3] and the State Department[4] promulgated rules redefining public charge more strictly, essentially posing a wealth test on immigration. Among other things, the Trump-era rules expanded DHS’s definition of ‘‘public charge’’ and designated certain factors or factual circumstances that could be weighted positively or negatively, and some that would be ‘‘heavily’’ weighted, either positively or negatively, to consider whether an applicant was likely at any time to become a public charge. However, the Biden administration has rolled back the Trump-era rules.[5]

To avoid a “public charge” finding, most family-sponsored immigrants and certain employment-based immigrants must have a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, submitted on their behalf by the same person who filed the visa petition.[6]

The Form I-864 is a contract with the U.S. Government in which a sponsor promises to provide support to maintain a sponsored immigrant at a minimal annual income level. In this contract, the sponsor also agrees to reimburse any federal or state agency that provides a means-tested benefit to the sponsored immigrant.[7]

The sponsor must normally show that his or her current year’s household income is[8] and future income likely will be[9] at least 125% of the poverty guidelines. Exceptions are allowed where either[10]:

  • the sponsor together with the intending immigrant can show significant assets; or
  • a joint sponsor executes a separate affidavit of support.

The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) generally provides that applicants for immigrant visas or adjustment of status, are ineligible if they lack a sufficient affidavit of support.[11]

Errors in the Form I-864 and missing supporting documents are common problems in family-based immigration cases. This Guide explains the requirements and procedures to file an affidavit of support. The Guide also explains the legal obligations that a sponsor or household member undertakes with respect to the affidavit of support.

2. Who Is a Public Charge?

Most family-sponsored applicants for permanent resident status[12] must prove they are not likely to become a “public charge.” The term “public charge” means primarily dependent on the U.S. Government for either (a) public cash assistance for income maintenance or (b) payment for long-term institutional care.[13]

The term “public cash assistance for income maintenance” means[14]

  1. Supplemental security income (SSI);
  2. Cash temporary assistance for needy families (TANF), but not including supplemental cash benefits or any non-cash benefits provided under TANF; and
  3. State and local cash assistance programs that provide for income maintenance (often called state general assistance).

In making public charge decisions, the officer should consider the “totality of the circumstances,” including the applicant’s age; health; family status; assets, resources, and financial status; and education and skills.[15]

“A healthy person in the prime of life cannot ordinarily be considered likely to become a public charge, especially where he has friends or relatives in the United States who have indicated their ability and willingness to come to his assistance in case of an emergency.”[16]

An officer’s public charge decision is forward-looking, so it cannot be based solely on the prior (or current) receipt of public benefits.

A State Department rule explains that an acceptable affidavit of support “should normally be considered sufficient” to avoid a public charge finding.[17]

Receipt of other non-cash or supplemental assistance should not be considered by the officer in making a public charge decision. This includes, for example[18]:

  1. The Food Stamp Program;
  2. The Medicaid Program (other than payments under Medicaid for long-term institutional care);
  3. The Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP);
  4. Emergency medical services;
  5. The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program;
  6. Other nutrition and food assistance programs;
  7. Other health and medical benefits;
  8. Child-care benefits;
  9. Foster care;
  10. Transportation vouchers;
  11. Job training programs;
  12. Energy assistance, such as the low-income home energy assistance program (LIHEAP);
  13. Educational assistance, such as Head Start or aid for elementary, secondary, or higher education;
  14. Job training;
  15. In-kind emergency community services, such as soup kitchens and crisis counseling;
  16. State and local programs that serve the same purposes as the Federal in-kind programs listed above; and
  17. Any other Federal, State, or local program in which benefits are paid in-kind, by voucher or by any means other than payment of cash benefits to the eligible person for income maintenance.

Similarly, cash benefits that have been earned (e.g., social security payments, old age survivors disability insurance (OASDI), U.S. Government pension benefits, and veterans benefits) are not considered public cash assistance for the purposes of a public charge determination.[19]

3. Is a Form I-864 Needed in Your Case?

3.1 Cases Requiring Form I-864

The Form I-864 is required, effective December 19, 1997, in the following situations[20]:

  1. Immigration based on an approved Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.
  2. The intending immigrant is a K-1 fiance(e) filing a Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, based on the approved Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e).
  3. Immigration based on a Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, or Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition for orphan.
  4. Immigration based on a Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker, in which a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident relative (spouse, parent, child, adult son or daughter, brother or sister) of the intending immigrant is the petitioner or for a company in which such relative has an ownership of 5% or more.

Use of a Form I-864 is inappropriate in other situations, such as:

  • applications for nonimmigrant visas, including K-1 fiancée visas;
  • applications for permanent resident status by refugees and asylees; and
  • applications for permanent resident status through registry, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act, and the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Moreover, an applicant is exempt from the Form I-864 requirement in the situations described in the following section.

3.2 Exemptions from the Requirement to Submit a Form I-864

The following categories of intending immigrants are exempt from the requirement to submit a Form I-864.[21] Instead, these individuals should file a Form I-864W, Intending Immigrant’s Affidavit of Support Exemption [22]

Automatic Citizenship

The intending immigrant is a child (other than a stepchild) who, upon being granted LPR status, will automatically become a citizen under Child Citizenship Act on the basis that he or she is under age 18 and residing with a U.S. citizen parent.

Self-Petitioners

The intending immigrant is a self-petitioning widow(er), battered spouse, or battered child.

Social Security Credits

No Form I-864 is required where the intending immigrant can be credited with 40 quarters work in the U.S. within the meaning of the Social Security Act.[23] Social Security credits can be earned by working in the U.S., by working overseas for an American company or its affiliate, by self-employment overseas, or by working overseas in a country that has a Social Security agreement with the United States.[24] This can be a combination of the following[25]:

  • quarters worked by the intending immigrant;
  • quarters worked by a parent before the intending immigrant reached age 18[26]; and
  • quarters worked during the marriage by the intending immigrant’s spouse, provided, if either the marriage has not terminated or the spouse is deceased.
  • However, “quarters cannot be counted more than once even if there are multiple circumstances that apply to make a quarter qualifying.”[27]
  • Example:
  • Jorge is an LPR who has been married for four years to Marta, a Salvadoran who has been in the United States for six years. She has worked during that time with employment authorization obtained as an asylum applicant. Jorge filed an I-130 petition for her last year, which was approved. Her priority date is current, and she is applying for an immigrant visa. She earned 24 qualifying quarters during her six years of employment. She also can be credited with Jorge’s 16 quarters earned during their marriage. Together, she has amassed the 40 quarters needed to be exempt from the affidavit of support requirement.[28]

A quarter of coverage represents a calendar quarter in which the individual’s earnings covered by Social Security exceed a specific threshold. For 1978 and after,[29] the number of quarters of coverage credited for a year (from 0 to 4) is calculated in terms of total covered earnings for the year. That is true of self-employment income both before and after 1978. Under this approach, work during a single month, if well compensated, can give rise to the maximum four quarters of coverage for the year. During 2008 wages of $1,050 generated one quarter of coverage; $4,200, a full four.

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Amount of Earnings Needed to Earn One Quarter of Coverage[30]

But a quarter after 1996 can’t be counted if the intending immigrant, parent, or spouse who worked received federal means-tested benefits during that quarter.[31]

Under a 2004 amendment, quarters of coverage are not awarded for work performed in the U.S. by noncitizens who have neither been lawfully issued Social Security numbers nor granted B1 or D visas.[32]

In a case where the exemption applies because the intending immigrant can be credited with 40 quarters of work, a Social Security Statement should be submitted for the person or persons who performed the work.[33] The Social Security Statement can be requested online. Start by creating an account at https://www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/.

Sample Social Security Statement

3.3 When and Where to File

Immigration Based on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

The process for family-sponsored immigration normally begins by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident filing a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. The I-130 asks whether the beneficiary will either (a) file a Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, with USCIS, or (b) apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

The I-130 beneficiary may file a Form I-485 with USCIS if he or she is physically present in the U.S. and meets certain other requirements. In that case, the I-864 should be submitted with the Form I-485.

Otherwise, the I-864 is submitted as part of the immigrant visa application process:

  • If the petitioner resides within the United States, the I-130 is filed by mail with a USCIS lockbox. After the I-130 is approved, it is forwarded to the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. The immigrant visa applicant’s documents and I-864 are submitted to NVC for review for completeness. NVC charges a fee of $120 for the I-864 review.[34] NVC then forwards the file to the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, where the I-864 will be reviewed by the consular officer as part of adjudicating the immigrant visa application.[35]
  • If the petitioner resides outside the United States, the petitioner may choose to file the I-130 by mail with a USCIS lockbox, in which case the I-864 subsequently will be submitted to NVC as described above. Or the petitioner may file the I-130 with an international USCIS office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate. In such cases, after the I-130 is approved, the I-864 will be submitted by the immigrant visa applicant to the consular officer at the time of the immigrant visa appointment.

Immigration Based on Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e)

If immigration is based on Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e), after approval by USCIS of that form the fiance(e) will apply for a K-1 visa at a U.S. consulate abroad. For the visa to be approved, the fiance(e) or spouse will need to prove he or she is not likely to become a public charge, but the Form I-864 is not used. Instead, sometimes the Form I-134, Affidavit of Support, may be appropriate.

Subsequently, the fiance(e) will enter the U.S., marry the petitioner, and file a Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status. The petitioner must file a Form I-864 at the same time.

4. Qualifying as a Sponsor

4.1 Petitioner

The petitioner who filed the Form I-129F, I-130, I-140, I-600, or I-600A must qualify as a “sponsor”[36] and file a Form I-864.

4.2 Joint Sponsor

If the sponsor is unable to prove the means to maintain the minimum income level in the future, a “joint sponsor” may also be used.[37] A joint sponsor does not have to be related to the petitioning sponsor or the intending immigrant.[38] Nevertheless, there have been numerous reports of affidavits of support by joint sponsors being found deficient because the joint sponsor was not related to the intending immigrant.[39] According to the State Department, consular officers are now assessing the relationship, in particular whether it is such that the joint sponsor intends to comply with the contract, as part of the public charge “totality of the circumstances” analysis.[40] So the most cautious approach is to use a relative as joint sponsor where possible.

The joint sponsor must execute a separate Form I-864. The joint sponsor must satisfy the income requirements independently. In other words, the petitioner and joint sponsor may not pool their income to arrive at a total that satisfies the income threshold.

Use of a joint sponsor does not relieve the petitioner from the responsibility to meet the sponsorship requirements, file federal income tax returns for the three most recent years (if legally required to do so), and file a Form I-864.

Each intending immigrant may have not more than one joint sponsor. And in family-based preference category cases comprised of a principal beneficiary and at least one accompanying derivative, the sponsor may use up to two joint sponsors.[41]

4.3 Death of the Petitioner

Unfortunately, there are occasions when a petitioner who has filed a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, dies before his or her relatives immigrate. It may still be possible to complete the immigration process. The death’s impact on the requirement to file a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, is discussed below.

Widow(er) of a U.S. Citizen

A person immigrating as the widow(er) of a U.S. citizen is exempt from the Form I-864 requirement.

To immigrate as a widow(er), a Form I-360, Petitioner for Widow(er),[42] must be filed within two years of the U.S. citizen spouse’s death, and must prove:[43]

  1. the couple was married (and not legally separated) at the time of the spouse’s death;
  2. the spouse was a U.S. citizen at the time of death (not necessarily during the whole period of the marriage);
  3. the widow(er) has not remarried before acquiring permanent resident status.

The child of a qualifying widow(er) is also entitled to status as a derivative if accompanying or following-to-join the principal beneficiary.[44] No I-864 is required.[45]

Surviving Relative Consideration

In addition to widow(er)s discussed above, other beneficiaries of pending or approved I-130s who (a) resided in the United States at the time of the death of the petitioner and (b) continue to reside in the United States, may immigrate notwithstanding the petitioner’s death.[46]

A “substitute sponsor” must file an I-864. The substitute sponsor must be a close relative of the beneficiary (e.g., spouse, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sibling, child at least 18 years of age, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, grandparent, or grandchild) or a legal guardian.[47]

Humanitarian Reinstatement

I-130 beneficiaries who do not qualify for the above “surviving relative consideration” but whose petitioner died after the I-130 was approved and before permanent resident status was granted, may file a motion to reinstate the revoked I-130 based on humanitarian factors.[48]

As part of the motion to reinstate the petition, an I-864 by a substitute sponsor should be included. The “substitute sponsor” here must meets the same requirements as in “surviving relative consideration cases.[49]

Derivative Beneficiaries Following to Join the Principal Applicant

A derivative beneficiary “following to join” a principal applicant means the spouse or child of the principal beneficiary of an I-130 who applies for an immigrant visa or is granted adjustment of status 6 months or more after the principal has immigrated.[50]

Eligibility of derivative applicants seeking to follow-to-join a principal applicant who has already acquired lawful permanent resident (LPR) status is dependent on the continuing LPR status of the principal, not on the status of the petitioner.[51]

Therefore, if the petitioner dies after the principal applicant has already become an LPR and one or more derivative applicants seek to follow to join the principal applicant, the derivatives retain eligibility to follow-to-join despite the death of the petitioner, and there is no need for reinstatement of the petition. In such circumstances, the derivative applicant seeking to follow-to-join needs an I-864 by any qualified sponsor, including the principal applicant who has already become an LPR.[52]

4.4 Requirements to Qualify as a Sponsor

The requirements to qualify as a sponsor (including a joint or substitute sponsor) are that an individual must be[53]:

  1. a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident;
  2. age 18 or older; and
  3. “domiciled” in the U.S., including any U.S. territory or possession.

4.5 The Domicile Requirement Explained

In General

Part 4, item 5, of the Form I-864 asks a sponsor to list his or her country of domicile:[54] The instructions further specify that if your “mailing address and/or place of residence” is abroad then you must attach an explanation of how you meet the domicile requirement.[55]

The concept of domicile is related to residence, which is defined as “the place of general abode; the place of general abode of a person means his principal, actual dwelling place in fact, without regard to intent.”[56] You can think of your residence as the place where you sleep most nights. A domicile, in contrast, is a “principal residence” which the sponsor “inten[ds] to maintain” for the “foreseeable future.” [57]

A person who is residing abroad bears the burden of proving U.S. domicile in one of the following ways:[58]

In General. The sponsor can show they are “residing” abroad temporarily but remain “domiciled” in the United States.[59] The necessary elements are: (a) departure from the U.S. for a limited, and not indefinite, period; (b) an intention to maintain a U.S. domicile at the time of departure; and (c) continuing ties to the U.S. [60] The State Department lists as examples students, contract workers, and non-governmental organization (NGO) volunteers.[61]

Additional situations where a person will be considered as residing abroad temporarily include:

  • Approved Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes. A permanent resident living abroad temporarily pursuant to the terms of an approved Form N-470, Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes, is considered to be domiciled in the U.S. To file a Form N-470, a person must be physically present in the U.S. for one continuous year after being granted permanent resident status and must contemplate being abroad for more than one year for purposes of employment for certain U.S. employers, public international organizations, or religious organizations.[62]
  • Working Abroad for a U.S. Employer, Public International Organization, or in a Religious Capacity. A U.S. citizen living abroad “temporarily”[63] counts as “domiciled” in the U.S. if their employment “meets the requirements of section 319(b)(1) of the Act” related to expeditious naturalization.[64] Namely, the employment must be by (a) the U.S. Government; (b) an American institution of research recognized by the Attorney General; (c) “an American firm or corporation engaged in whole or in part in the development of foreign trade and commerce of the United States, or a subsidiary thereof”; (d) a public international organization in which the United States participates by treaty or statute; or (e) certain religious organizations.[65]

Procedurally speaking, the citizen should provide “a written explanation and documentary evidence” of how the domicile requirement is met.[66] The specific evidence required is not specified and may vary from case to case, but in our firm’s experience at a minimum it should include a declaration or affidavit from an officer of citizen’s employer who has access to relevant company records and states[67]:

  1. the name of the employer and nature of the employer’s business;
  2. whether the employing entity is owned in whole or in part by United States interests (e.g., date and state of incorporation, that the corporation is currently in good standing);
  3. whether the employing entity is engaged in whole or in part in the development of the foreign trade and commerce of the United States;
  4. the nature of the activity in which the citizen spouse is engaged. (It may also be helpful to explain the type of employment, such as contract employment or regular employment); and
  5. the anticipated period of employment abroad.

Establishment of Domicile

It is sufficient for a sponsor not domiciled in the United States to prove they will establish such domicile not later than the intending immigrant’s admission or adjustment of status.[68]

In our firm’s experience, it is usually sufficient for the sponsor to provide a written statement to the consular officer explaining such intent.

Preferably, the sponsor will also have some evidence corroborating that intent, such as[69]:

  • Accepting employment (as evidenced by a job offer and acceptance, employment contract, and/or paystub) or seeking employment (as evidence by job applications, interviews scheduled, thank you letters for interviews, rejection letters, etc.)
  • Plans for where to live in the U.S., at least temporarily, such as:
    • Renting an apartment (as evidenced by a lease, receipt for payment of rent, and/or 2-3 recent utility bills from different companies, such as electricity, gas, internet, water, phone, trash pickup)
    • Purchasing a residence (as evidenced by a deed, mortgage statement, and/or most recent property tax bill and receipt evidencing payment)
    • Arranging to stay in a relative or friend’s home
    • Engaging a real estate agent and beginning a search for a home to purchase
  • Registering children for school or daycare, or arrangements to hire a nanny
  • Opening a bank account, transferring funds, or investing
  • Voter registration. (To find and print out your voter registration, go to https://www.vote411.org, then click on “Verify Voter Registration.”)
  • Moving quotes or signing a contract with a mover or providing documentation that you have already shipped household belongings back to the U.S.
  • Money transfers to the U.S. in anticipation of the move
  • Driver’s license or ID from the state where you will live

A sponsor’s stated intention to re-establish U.S. domicile must be judged by the consular officer to be credible. Credibility may be easier to establish in some cases than others. For example, if a spouse is immigrating, the officer may believe it’s natural for the sponsor to move to the U.S. to stay together. But an officer may doubt whether a sponsor would necessarily move to the U.S. when a sibling or adult son or daughter immigrates. Where an officer is not satisfied the sponsor intends to establish U.S. domicile in the future, the officer may require evidence the sponsor has actually done so, such as in this consular officer’s request for additional evidence:

Provide a photo of the petitioner holding a current newspaper with the date clearly visible standing in front of a U.S. post office and color copies of all pages of the petitioner’s international passport[ ] with page numbers clearly visible. [Further, the] petitioner must show that she/he spends a preponderance of time in the U.S. This time spent in the U.S. needs to be over a period of time. In other words, the petitioner must show that the petitioner is truly maintaining a residence in the United States, not just traveling for a couple of months at a time and then returning [abroad]. Although there is no time frame [required] to establish residence, it must be convincing evidence of continued ties to the United States and that the petitioner has, in fact, taken up residence in the United States.

Note that an immigration officer must later deny the intending immigrant’s application for admission to the U.S. or adjustment of status, if the sponsor has not, in fact, established a domicile in the United States on or before the date of the decision.

5.3 Definitions Related to “Income”

The following definitions are tedious but critical to understand:

Income / Total Income

USCIS regulations define “income” as the “total income” listed on IRS forms.[70] See:

  • Form 1040 (line 9 for 2021 and 2022)
  • Form 1040A (for years before 2018); or
  • Form 1040EZ (for years before 2018).
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Income Section of the 2021 IRS Form 1040

The Form I-864 at Part 6, item 24, asks for the sponsor’s “total income” as reported on the Form 1040 or 1040EZ for the three most recent years:

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The 2021 IRS Form 1040 shows that “total income” includes:

  1. Wages, salaries, tips, etc.

2b. Taxable interest

3b. Ordinary dividends

4b. IRA distributions—taxable amount

5b. Pensions and annuities—taxable amount

6b. Social Security benefits—taxable amount[71]

  1. Capital gains (or loss)
  2. “Other income” from Schedule 1, line 10, which includes:
    1. Taxable refunds, credits, or offsets of state and local income taxes

2a. Alimony received

3. Business income (or loss)

4. Other gains (or losses) from Form 4797

5. Rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, trusts, etc.

6. Farm income (or loss)

7. Unemployment compensation

8. “Other income,” which includes, for example, most prizes and awards, jury duty pay, and gambling winnings[72]

IRS also specifies that certain types of income are nontaxable and therefore should not be counted towards “total income” for tax purposes. Some examples include:[73]

  • Child support
  • Life insurance proceeds received because of someone’s death (other than from certain employer-owned life insurance contracts)
  • Gifts and bequests (except certain gifts from a foreign person)

For further details, see IRS Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income (Feb. 2020).

Means-tested public benefits, such as food stamps, SSI, Medicaid, TANF, or CHIP are excluded from the definition of income.[74]

Oddly, there is some authority that nontaxable income can be counted as income for I-864 purposes:

  • Child support[75]
  • Tax-free income (such as a housing allowance for clergy or military personnel) … [is] considered income.[76]

That authority appears to be questionable since nontaxable income is not within the IRS definition of “total income.”[77]

My Current Individual Annual Income

“My current individual annual income” should be listed in part 6, item 7.

“Current” individual annual income refers to your “reasonably expected household income”[78] for he “current year,” meaning the year that the sponsor signs or submits the affidavit of support.[79]

(If more than one year passes between the filing of the Form I-864 and the intending immigrant’s interview, the officer may in the exercise of discretion request additional evidence.[80] In such cases, the “current year” for which the sponsor’s income must meet the threshold refers to the year of the officer’s request.)

Calculate this figure as follows:

  • Estimate your taxable income: This is not the amount shown on the prior year’s IRS Form 1040.[81] This is your estimate for how you will later fill in the Income section of this year’s Form 1040. I recommend that you take a look at the Income section of your prior year’s Form 1040, delete any income attributable to your spouse, and then use the prior year’s numbers as a starting point to estimate your annual income for the current year.
  • Do not include any income from employment which you (the sponsor) have not yet started. “The prospect of employment in the United States that has not yet actually begun will not be sufficient to meet [the income] requirement.”[82]
  • In making your estimate, take into account whether any employment is likely to continue through the end of the year; whether typical seasonal changes in work schedules and hours may impact the calculation; whether any end-of the-year bonus is likely; and whether your salary is likely to change.[83]
  • Add any nontaxable income of the types listed above.

My Current Annual Household Income

In Part 6, Item 20, fill in “my current annual household income.” The “household” may include, in addition to the sponsor’s income, the income of any of the following individuals used in calculating the household size[84]:

  1. a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident at least age 18 who has the same principal address as the sponsor; is related to the sponsor as a spouse, adult son or daughter, parent, or sibling; and signs a Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member;
  2. a U.S. citizen, national, or lawful permanent resident at least age 18, whom the sponsor has lawfully claimed as a dependent on the sponsor’s most recent Federal income tax return (even if that person does not live at the same residence as the sponsor) and who signs an I-864A; or
  3. the intending immigrant, if their income will continue from the same source after becoming a permanent resident[85] and either (a) they have the same address as the sponsor; or (b) they are the sponsor’s spouse. The intending immigrant only needs to sign an I-864A if their income will be used to support accompanying dependents. (No I-864A is required for the intending immigrant’s own case to count her own income.[86])

There is no requirement that the household member be domiciled in the United States.

Calculate these individuals’ annual income using the same method you calculate “my current annual individual income.”

5. Calculating Whether You Meet the Minimum Income Requirement

The “minimum income requirement,”[87] also known as the “income threshold,”[88] is calculated as follows: the current year’s household income and future years’ likely household income must be at least 125%[89] of the poverty guidelines for the household size. This requires some explanation.

5.1 Definition of “Household Size”

Part 5 of the Form I-864 requires that the sponsor calculate his or her “household size.” Household size is calculated by counting the following persons. Don’t count anyone twice[90]:

  • “Dependent children” means all your unmarried children under age 21, even if you don’t have custody of them. “You may exclude any who have reached majority under the law of their place of domicile” if “you do not claim them as dependents on your Federal income tax returns.”[91]
  • “Other dependents” refers to persons besides “dependent children” listed as dependents on your most recent Federal income tax return.[92]
  • Other persons “sponsored on Form I-864 or Form I-864EZ” refers only to persons sponsored after these forms were put into use on December 19, 1997.

5.2 Poverty Guidelines

USCIS Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines, show the minimum income required for the household size. The I-864P is effective upon publication (about March 1 of each year) and is based on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

125% of the Federal Poverty Line for the District of Columbia and all states except Alaska and Hawaii[93]

Sponsor’s Household Size

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2

$20,575

$21,137

$21,550

$21,775

$22,887

$24,650

3

$25,975

$26,662

$27,150

$27,450

$28,787

$31,075

4

$31,375

$32,187

$32,750

$33,125

$34,687

$37,500

5

$36,775

$37,712

$38,350

$38,800

$40,587

$43,925

6

$42,175

$43,237

$43,950

$44,475

$46,487

$50,350

7

$47,575

$48,762

$49,550

$50,150

$52,387

$56,775

8

$52,975

$54,287

$55,150

$55,825

$58,287

$63,200

For each additional person add

$5,400

$5,225

$5,600

$5,675

$5,900

$6,425

5.4 Determining the Sufficiency of Your Current Annual Household Income

The “minimum income requirement,”[94] also known as the “income threshold,”[95] is that “my current annual household income” and your future years’ likely household incomes must be at least 125%[96] of the poverty guidelines for the household size.

Future years’ likely household income: If the income threshold for the current year is met, that year’s household income “shall be given the greatest evidentiary weight” for determining “whether the sponsor is likely to be able to maintain his or her income in the future.”[97] Further, once the income threshold for the current year is met, the future likely income “may be held to be insufficient … only if, on the basis of specific facts … it is reasonable to infer that the sponsor will not be able to maintain his or her household income at a level sufficient to meet his or her support obligations.”[98] The sponsor’s three most recent Federal income tax returns are certainly relevant to evaluation to evaluating the sufficiency of future income.[99] They may show, for example, that the sponsor’s income has not consistently met the threshold or that the sponsor’s income is declining over time.

Another specific fact which may be relevant to proving future years’ likely household income is a recent change in the sponsor’s job:

Suppose, for example, that the sponsor recently started a new job after a long period of unemployment. If the sponsor has a reasonable prospect that the employment will continue, then it may well be that the affidavit of support will be sufficient. If, however, the new position is, by its terms, only temporary or seasonal, it would be reasonable to hold that the income is not sufficient to show that the sponsor can reasonably be expected to be able to maintain his or her household income at the income threshold.[100]

Nowhere mentioned in the rules but possibly relevant are facts indicating that the sponsor’s death or retirement is imminent.

5.5 Foreign-Earned Income and Housing Exclusion

For U.S. citizens and permanent residents employed abroad, if during the last 3 years you claimed a foreign-earned income and housing exclusion (FEIE) on your taxable income (up to $101,300 for 2016), this will be shown as a negative amount in the income section of your IRS 1040. As a result, it’s not uncommon for expats’ tax returns to not meet the income threshold.

But, in calculating one’s current annual income for purposes of the Form I-864, one option would be for a sponsor to elect not to claim the FEIE. For some sponsors, this would mean paying more taxes. Others may be able to avoid higher taxes by claiming a foreign tax credit instead of the FEIE. So one tip to avoid needing a joint sponsor may be to calculate one’s current annual income without the FEIE. Probably the calculation would be most persuasive if presented in a letter from a certified public accountant and supported by evidence of the foreign-earned income.

As mentioned above, a sponsor must persuade the government not just that his current household annual income is sufficient, but also that his future household annual income is likely to be sufficient. Low income shown on the sponsor’s 3 most recent Federal income tax returns due to claiming the FEIE would certainly be relevant to evaluation to evaluating the sufficiency of future income, as mentioned above. But the current year’s income should be “given the greatest evidentiary weight” in that determination, as mentioned above.[101] So a sponsor with a stable employment history whose estimated current household individual income is sufficient should be able to submit an acceptable I-864 despite low income shown on recent tax returns due to the FEIE.

6. Proving Income and Assets

6.1 Evidence of Income

Tax Transcripts or Returns

The sponsor filing a Form I-864 or the household member filing a Form I-864A must submit either a photocopy or an Internal Revenue Service-issued transcript of his or her complete Federal income tax return for the most recent taxable year.[102] Transcripts are strongly recommended. If a photocopy is submitted, also submit copies of all schedules filed with each return and all Forms W-2 and Forms 1099 used to meet the income threshold.[103]

The sponsor or household member may, at his or her option, submit federal tax transcripts or returns for the three most recent years if the sponsor believes that these additional tax returns may help in establishing ability to meet the minimum income requirement.[104]

When to File Your Federal Income Tax Return

For most people, the due date for filing your federal income tax return is generally April 15 of each year. If the due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, the due date is moved to the next business day.[105] For 2020 tax returns, IRS has delayed the filing deadline to May 17, 2021 due to COVID-19.[106]

If you are a U.S. citizen or resident alien residing overseas, or are in the military on duty outside the U.S., on the regular due date of your return, you are allowed an automatic 2-month extension to file your return and pay any amount due without requesting an extension. For a calendar year return, the automatic 2-month extension is to June 15.[107]

If you cannot file your tax return by the date it is due, you should request an extension of time to file. To receive an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your return, you can file Form 4868. File your extension request by the due date of your return.[108]

An exception applies if the individual had no legal duty to file a Federal income tax return for the most recent tax year:

  • If you were not required to file a Federal income tax return under U.S. tax law because your income was too low, attach a typed or printed explanation.[109] You can check the IRS Form 1040 instructions for details about whether you were required to file a tax return. For 2022, see the IRS Form 1040 instructions at page 8 under the heading “Do You Have to File?” For example, if your filing status is “married filing separately” then you must file a return if your gross income (whether earned in the U.S. or abroad) was at least $5.

Typically, the explanation of why you were not required to file a tax return should be “a written statement from the sponsor, signed under penalty of perjury, attesting to the amount of his or her income for the relevant year and to the fact that a tax return was not required by law.”[110] Also attach “a copy of the instructions from the IRS publication that shows you [were] not obligated to file.”[111]

  • If you were not required to file a Federal income tax return under U.S. tax law for any other reason, attach a typed or printed explanation including evidence of the exemption and how you are subject to it.[112] The initial evidence submitted with the Form I-864 or I-864A must also include any evidence of the amount and source of the income that the individual claims was exempt from taxation and a copy of the provisions of any statute, treaty, or regulation that supports the claim that he or she had no duty to file an income tax return with respect to that income.[113]

One strategy to deal with questions of whether or not an individual had a legal duty to file a return is just to submit it to IRS. If it evidences no tax liability, there is no penalty for late filing.

Make sure that income and other details are reported accurately on tax returns. In any case in which a consular officer “comes into possession of information that leads the officer to conclude that a violation or potential violation of U.S. tax law may have occurred with respect to any person,” the officer may refer the information to the IRS.[114]

Tax Returns for the Sponsor of a Nonresident Alien Spouse

If you are the sponsor of a nonresident alien (NRA) spouse, then when you file your tax return you will need to choose an appropriate filing status (married filing jointly, married filing separately, or head of household). Do not file as single. Discuss with your tax adviser whether it may be beneficial to apply for an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) for your spouse.

A “nonresident alien” is a person who is not a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident and has not been physically present in the U.S. for long enough to meet the IRS’s “substantial presence test.”[115]

An ITIN is issued to people such as NRA spouses who don’t qualify for a Social Security Number (SSN) but need a similar number for purposes such as filing U.S. taxes or to claim or allow a spouse to claim a tax benefit.[116]

If you are a U.S. citizen and your spouse is a NRA, then your spouse will need an ITIN if, upon consultation with your tax adviser:

  • you wish to make a special election to file married filing jointly (MFJ). Note that if you do so, your spouse’s worldwide income is subject to U.S. taxation; or
  • you plan to file either married filing separately (MFS) or head of household (HoH) and claim a personal exemption for your NRA spouse.

However, your spouse won’t need an ITIN simply because you file MFS or HoH, as long as you’re not claiming a spousal exemption. In such case, you can simply write “NRA” instead of an ITIN on your return. (Note: this option may not be available if you efile).[117]

To apply for an ITIN, see IRS, Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (Oct. 12, 2016), https://www.irs.gov/individuals/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin.

Additional Evidence of Income

In many cases, the sponsor or household member’s current income is consistent with the income shown on the most recent tax return. But the sponsor may also include as evidence of income:

  • letter(s) evidencing his or her current employment and income
  • paycheck stub(s) (showing earnings for the most recent six months)
  • financial statements
  • other evidence[118]

Such additional evidence is critical if there have been changes in the source of the individual’s income from what was shown in the most recent tax return.

6.2 Evidence of Assets

The rules allow that if the sponsor is unable to meet the minimum household income requirement, then in the alternative it can be shown that “significant assets” are available to support the sponsored immigrant.[119] The assets can belong to:

  • the sponsor
  • household members who have signed Form I-864A
  • the principal sponsored immigrant

The assets can be listed in Form I-864 at part 7.[120]

For the assets to be considered “significant” their total value (less any offsetting liabilities) must meet the applicable formula:

  • If the intending immigrant is the spouse or child of a U.S. citizen, “significant” means three times the difference between the sponsor’s household income and minimum income requirement for the household size.[121]
  • If the intending immigrant is an alien orphan, in certain cases, “significant means one time the difference between the sponsor’s household income and minimum income requirement for the household size.[122]
  • In all other cases, “significant” means five times the difference between the sponsor’s household income and minimum income requirement for the household size.[123]

Example of How to Count Assets:

Assume you are petitioning for a parent and your household size is 4:

125% of 2012 Poverty Guideline (48 Contiguous States)

$28,812

Sponsor’s Income

$20,500

Difference

$8,312

Multiply by 5

x 5

Minimum Required Net Value of Assets

$41,560

For each asset, the sponsor must submit proof of ownership.[124] The sponsor must also include any liens and liabilities relating to the asset, and a statement indicating date of acquisition, where the asset is located, and the evidence of how the value was determined.[125]

The assets must be “available for the support of” the sponsored immigrant.[126] To qualify as “available,” the assets must be “readily converted into cash within one year”[127] without “undue harm to the sponsor or his or her family members.”[128] An example of an asset that is not “available” would be a retirement account that will not mature within one year.[129]

There is no requirement that the assets be located in the United States, but beware of foreign laws that limit the amount of cash or liquid assets an individual may transfer abroad. Such laws may prevent foreign assets from being made “available for the support of” the intended immigrant in the United States.[130]

Examples of assets include but are not limited to:

  1. Savings account: Submit either bank statements covering the last 12 months or a bank letter from an officer of the bank including deposit/withdrawal history for the last 12 months, and current balance.[131]
  2. Educational accounts
  3. Certificates of deposit
  4. Stocks: Submit evidence of the present cash value or expected earnings and, if the income is derived from a source outside the United States, a statement as to how the income is to be transferred to the United States.[132]
  5. Bonds
  6. Individual retirement account (IRA)
  7. 401(k) retirement account
  8. Real estate: The appropriate proof of ownership may be the deed. The net value must be determined by a recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser, as well as evidence of the amount of any outstanding mortgage, trust deed, or other lien on the home.[133]
  9. Vehicle: If the sponsor is counting a vehicle as an asset, he or she must own at least one more working automobile that is not included.[134] In estimating the current worth of a vehicle, the “blue book” value should be the standard measurement. The appropriate proof of ownership is the vehicle title.
  10. Insurance with a cash surrender value.
  11. Other personal property: Appropriate proof of ownership may be the sales receipt or other proof of purchase.

7. Filing and Government Review of the Form I-864

7.1 Supporting Documents to File

Each sponsor or joint sponsor, should include the following documents in support of the affidavit of support:

  1. Form I-864 or I-864 EZ.[135] You may use the shorter EZ form if[136]:
    1. You are the Form I-130 petitioner;
    2. You are filing the affidavit of support only on behalf of the “principal” beneficiary (i.e., the person named as the beneficiary of the immigrant petition), as opposed “derivative” beneficiaries (i.e., the spouse or children of the “principal”); and
    3. “The income you are using to qualify is based entirely on your salary or pension and is shown on one or more Forms W-2 provided by your employer(s) or former employer(s).”[137]
    4. “If a joint sponsor is used, the petitioner may not use Form I-864EZ.[138]
  2. If you are a joint sponsor or substitute sponsor, include evidence of U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident status.
  3. If you are a joint or substitute sponsor, you may want to prepare a statement explaining why you are willing to agree to sign an affidavit of support. The officer may make request such a statement.[139]
  4. If you are a substitute sponsor, include evidence of your relationship to the sponsored immigrant

.

  1. Your IRS-issued tax return transcript[140] or a photocopy of your tax return for the most recent year.[141] The transcript is “strongly recommend[ed],”[142] but if you submit a photocopy of your return:
    1. If you filed on paper; the IRS Form 1040 should include your signature(s);
    2. If you e-filed, you should submit the IRS acknowledgment that they received your return, including the “submission ID number.”[143] If you used a tax preparer to e-file, you may have received or may request from the preparer an IRS Form 9325, Acknowledgment and General Information for Taxpayers Who File Returns Electronically.[144] If you self-prepared your tax return, you may have received an acknowledgment directly from IRS; and
    3. You should also submit as initial evidence copies of all schedules filed with each return and all Forms W-2 and Forms 1099 in meeting the income threshold.
    4. If you haven’t filed your tax return for the most recent year, include a copy of your IRS Form 4868, Application for an Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, and a copy of the income tax return from the previous year.[145]
  2. You may, at your option, submit federal tax transcripts or returns for the second and third most recent years if these additional may help in establishing ability to meet the minimum income requirement.
  3. If, as explained above, you had no legal duty to file a Federal income tax return for one of the three years, you must provide a written explanation.
  4. You may also include as initial evidence of income: letter(s) evidencing current employment[146] and income, paycheck stub(s) (showing earnings for the most recent six months), financial statements, or other evidence of your anticipated household income for the year in which the intending immigrant files the application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status. Such evidence is critical if there have been changes in the sponsor’s income from what was shown in the most recent tax return.
  5. If relying on assets, submit evidence as outlined above.
  6. Evidence of your U.S. domicile:
    • NVC: If your mailing address and/or place of residence is not in the United States, but your country of domicile is the United States, write an explanation attached to the I-864, I-864EZ, or I-864A, and provide documentary evidence indicating how you meet the domicile requirement, as discussed above.
    • Consulate:
      • If you submitted documents to NVC, update them.
      • If you were not required to submit documents to NVC, in most cases, to prove U.S. domicile, submit copies of a state driver’s license or ID card and either (a) evidence of employment in the U.S.. or (b) a few recent utility bills.
  7. If you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and are sponsoring your spouse or child, submit proof of your active military status.
  8. If you will be relying on the assets or income of a household member, then submit:
    1. Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member, where specified above.
    2. proof the household member resides with the sponsor and is related to the sponsor, if they are neither an intending immigrant nor listed as a dependent on your most recent year’s Federal income tax return; and
    3. a copy of his or her individual Federal income tax return, including W-2 and 1099s, for the most recent tax year, or evidence that they were not required to file. You may optionally submit this information for the most recent 3 years if you believe it will help you qualify. And you may submit additional evidence of income and assets, as specified above.

Note on signatures for Forms I-864, I-864A, and I-864EZ: The State Department has announced that “original or ‘wet ink’ signatures are no longer required” on these forms. Instead, the form can be signed as usual, then scanned, and a photocopy can be submitted. But an electronic signature is not acceptable.[147] The same is true for forms filed with USCIS.[148]

7.2 Completing Form I-864 for Multiple Beneficiaries

Each “principal” beneficiary must submit a separate Form I-864 bearing an original signature. The term “principal” beneficiary means the person on whose behalf the petition has been filed, as opposed to their spouse or children, who are called “derivative” beneficiaries.

All derivative beneficiaries who will accompany (i.e., immigrate at the same time or within six months of) the principal beneficiary must be included in the principal’s Form I-864.

Accompanying derivative beneficiaries should submit a photocopy of the Form I-864 submitted for the principal but not submit extra copies of the supporting documentation.[149]

7.3 National Visa Center Review Process

For those cases in which the petitioner must submit a Form I-864 to the NVC, you should understand that the NVC reviews the form for completeness, whereas a consular officer makes the final decision whether the Form I-864 is sufficient to approve the visa.[150]

If a form is not complete, NVC will send a notification in the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) portal explaining what is wrong and asking that the I-864 be corrected and submitted.

If NVC has recommended the submission of a joint sponsor but you believe that the affidavit of support is sufficient without a joint sponsor, then you may submit a written statement that the I-864 submitted is sufficient. Once the case is otherwise documentarily complete, it will be forwarded to the consular post for an officer to make the final decision.[151] An example of a situation where this can happen is that I the sponsor’s income is insufficient, NVC staff will not analyze whether assets listed in the I-864 are sufficient to make the I-864 sufficient. Instead, NVC would recommend that a recommendation that a joint sponsor be added, when in fact that is not necessary.[152]

7.4 Government Requests for Additional Documents

The conditions under which the government may request additional documents are different for immigrant visa applicants and Form I-485 applicants.

Immigrant Visa Applicants

For immigrant visa applicants, the validity of Form I-864 or Form I-864-EZ is indefinite from the time the sponsors and contributing household members have signed Form I-864, Form I-864EZ, and Form I-864A.[153] The affidavit of support is based on the Federal Poverty Guidelines in effect at the time of its submission.[154] But the government may request additional documentation in the following situations:

  • if the affidavit of support or tax return reflects insufficient income based on the year the affidavit of support was submitted, then the officer may request additional evidence of income from current employment or self-employment or other sources; or
  • if the officer has a “specific reason (other than the passage of time)” to question the veracity of the income stated in the affidavit of support.[155]

If the officer determines that additional documentation is required, then the sufficiency of the sponsor’s current year income will be governed by the current poverty guidelines.[156]

For Adjustment Applicants

For applicants who have filed with USCIS a Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, the general rule is that the sufficiency of an affidavit of support is based on the sponsor’s anticipated income and the poverty guidelines for the year in which the Form I-864 was filed.[157] But the USCIS may request additional documentation in two situations:

  • if (a) the most recent income tax return, the anticipated household income listed for the year the sponsor signed the Form I-864, and the evidence for the income for the year of filing “all” show an income that is insufficient for the poverty guidelines effective when the Form I-864 was filed; and (b) a joint sponsor has not filed a sufficient Form I-864; or
  • at least one year has elapsed since the Form I-864 was submitted, and the facts in the case, as supported by the evidence in the record, provide a “specific reason (other than simply the passage of time) to believe” that the sponsor’s income is no longer sufficient.

In such cases, USCIS may issue a request for evidence of the current year’s income and determine its sufficiency based on the poverty guidelines in effect on the date the request for evidence is made.[158]

8. Sponsor’s Legal Obligations

This part describes the legal obligations of a sponsor (including a joint or substitute sponsor) who has submitted a Form I-864.

8.1 Legally Enforceable Contract

The sponsor’s contractual obligations under the affidavit of support begin when the intending immigrant obtains permanent resident status based on the affidavit.[159] Therefore, the sponsor may withdraw the affidavit at any point before the intending immigrant is granted permanent resident status but not afterwards.[160]

A Form I-864 will be legally enforceable against the sponsor in a law suit brought by either the sponsored immigrant or a federal, state, or “other entity” that provides a means tested benefit to the sponsored immigrant.[161] In other words, the sponsored immigrant can sue the sponsor to enforce the maintenance agreement. And, if the immigrant ever obtains a means tested benefit, the agency or entity that provided it can also seek reimbursement from the sponsor.

The Form I-864 does not make you responsible for the actions of the intending immigrant in either criminal or unrelated civil matters.

A joint sponsor accepts joint and several liability with the sponsor or substitute sponsor, in any case in which the sponsor or substitute sponsor’s household income is not sufficient to support the requirements of the law.[162]

Enforceable by the Sponsored Immigrant

The sponsored immigrant can require the sponsor to maintain him or her at the minimum income level.[163] That level appears to be 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for a family size of one person,[164] which is $14,850 for 2016 in all states except Hawaii or Alaska.[165] The sponsor can provide either cash or in-kind benefits (e.g., housing, food, or clothes). If the sponsored immigrant’s income falls below the minimum income level, a right to sue arises.[166] The sponsored immigrant may also recover reasonable attorney fees incurred in enforcing the support obligation.[167]

The sponsor may be able to reduce the amount of support by any income or benefits the sponsored immigrant is receiving from other sources, such as employment income.[168]

Precedent is mixed as to whether any court award would be reduced if the sponsored immigrant “fails to mitigate” by looking for work.[169]

Enforceable by a Federal, State, or Other Entity

If the sponsored immigrant receives a “means-tested benefit,” the agency or entity that provided it may seek reimbursement from the sponsor. So if the immigrant suffers a debilitating injury or illness, the sponsor could be required to reimburse the full amount of any means-tested medical, cash, or in-kind benefits paid by the government agency or entity.

The term “federal means-tested program” has been defined to include only five programs:

  • food stamps for adults
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Medicaid (nonemergency)
  • the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

Each state is also encouraged to identify all state programs that satisfy the definition of means-tested, and to issue public notices of those determinations.

Certain federal means-tested programs, such as emergency Medicaid and school loans and grants, are exempt from the sponsor reimbursement requirement. Also exempt are immunizations or testing and treatment for communicable disease symptoms (outside of Medicaid), short-term noncash emergency aid, school breakfast or school lunch, Head Start, student financial aid, Job Training Partnership Act programs, certain noncash services that are available regardless of income, or many other programs that have not been named as “means-tested” benefits.

In states that choose to provide Medicaid and CHIP to children and pregnant women regardless of their date of entry, sponsors do not need to repay the cost of health services received by these groups. And, sponsors who are receiving food stamps do not need to repay the cost of food stamps received by the sponsored immigrant.[170]

It is unlikely that a sponsored immigrant will qualify for many means-tested benefit programs during the contract. This is because in most states immigrants will be barred from receiving benefits from these programs for five years after obtaining permanent resident status.

Waiver or Indemnification

Would any of the following waivers or indemnifications be permissible?

  1. The sponsored immigrant waives the right to sue the sponsor (or joint sponsor or household member) for support.
  2. The sponsored immigrant indemnifies the sponsor (or joint sponsor or household member) so that if a government entity were to sue the sponsor for reimbursement of benefits the sponsored immigrant will guarantee to repay the sponsor.
  3. The sponsor indemnifies the joint sponsor or household member so that if the sponsored immigrant sues for support or a government entity sues for reimbursement of benefits the sponsor will guarantee to repay the joint sponsor or household member.

There are apparently some situations where a sponsored immigrant can waive the right to sue the sponsor for support. DHS commentary states that “[i]f the sponsored immigrant is an adult, he or she probably can, in a divorce settlement, surrender his or her right to sue the sponsor to enforce an affidavit of support.”[171]

What’s less clear is whether a waiver or indemnification as part of a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement is enforceable. To date, only unpublished decisions have addressed this issue. These cases all involved general waivers of support not specifically mentioning the I-864. And most hold that such agreements are not enforceable.[172] One rationale is that an I-864 modifies a prior nuptial agreement waiving support.[173] It seems this could be resolved by drafting the agreement to specify an intention that it not be modified by a subsequent I-864. A second rationale is that it would be contrary to public policy to allow a sponsor to avoid the support obligation: that would make it more likely that the sponsored immigrant would become a public charge, which is exactly what the I-864 was designed to avoid.[174]

In sum, a waiver or indemnification is a possible way to protect a sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member, but there is some precedent that such agreements are unenforceable.

Note that the I-864 is a contract between the sponsor and the Federal government. A waiver or indemnification agreement between private parties can’t eliminate the government’s right to sue on the contract: the “sponsored immigrant and the sponsor (or joint sponsor) may not . . . alter the sponsor’s obligations to DHS and to benefit-granting agencies.”[175]

8.2 Termination of the Contract

The liability of the sponsor executing a Form I-864 terminates only on one of the following occurrences:[176]

  1. The sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen;
  2. The sponsored immigrant earns or can be credited with a total of 40 qualifying quarters, as defined by social security law. Note that the sponsored immigrant can be credited with quarters worked by a spouse during the marriage, but not quarters worked by a prior spouse after divorce[177];
  3. The sponsored immigrant dies;
  4. The sponsored immigrant loses or abandons LPR status and departs from the U.S.[178];
  5. The sponsored immigrant is ordered removed but readjusts status in immigration proceedings through submission of a new Form I-864; or
  6. The sponsor dies.[179]

A divorce will not nullify the sponsorship agreement. Thus, a spouse who sponsors an immigrant will remain liable under the affidavit until one of the above conditions occur. In divorce proceedings, state courts have fashioned spousal support orders that include support per the Form I-864.[180]

Nor are affidavit of support obligations discharged in in bankruptcy, if owed to a spouse, former spouse, or child.[181]

Note that there is no requirement that the sponsored immigrant, or any federal agency, notify the sponsor when any of the above conditions have been satisfied. As a result, there may be no easy way for the sponsor to learn when his or her obligations or liability under the I-864 have ended. Information regarding the sponsored immigrant’s, or his or her spouse’s or parent’s, earnings record on file with the Social Security Administration are protected by the federal Privacy Act.[182] Comparable information regarding the sponsored immigrant’s eligibility for, or obtaining, naturalization may be similarly blocked. While USCIS will provide automated information to agencies and entities that will facilitate their enforcing the sponsor’s obligation to reimburse the cost of means-tested programs, there is no equivalent exchange of information to a sponsor defending against those actions or maintenance actions brought by the sponsored immigrant.

8.3 Notification of Change of Address

Sponsors also have a continuing obligation to inform USCIS and the state where the sponsored immigrant is residing within 30 days of changing their address, or else be subject to stiff civil fines. Only persons who execute the I-864 are required to file the change of address form—not those who execute the I-864A. Potential fines range from $250 to $2,000 for the first failure to report; if the failure is with knowledge that the sponsored immigrant has received a means-tested program, then the fines increase to between $2,000 and $5,000.[183] USCIS has created a form specifically for this purpose—Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address. The sponsor completes the one-page form and mails it to the USCIS service center that has jurisdiction over the sponsor’s new address.

9. Household Member’s Legal Obligations

A household member who signs a Form I-864A must agree to be jointly and severally liable for any reimbursement obligation that the sponsor may incur. They are also jointly and severally liable on a claim brought by either the sponsored immigrant or any agency or entity that provides a means-tested program to the sponsored immigrant. They must submit to the personal jurisdiction of any court hearing the matter. The sponsor may commence a legal action against any of the household members to enforce the I-864A, as may the sponsored immigrant and any agency or entity that provides a means-test benefit program to the sponsored immigrant.[184]

A household member’s obligations under the I-864A terminate when the sponsor’s obligations terminate.

As mentioned above, a household member does not have an obligation to file the Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address.

10. A Joint Sponsor’s Financial Data Can Be Kept Confidential from the Sponsored Immigrant(s) and Other Sponsor(s)

A joint sponsor who completes a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, can keep the financial data submitted to immigration authorities confidential from the sponsored immigrant(s) and other sponsor(s).[185]

USCIS previously suggested that, “For privacy, you may enclose these documents in a sealed envelope marked ‘Form I-864: To Be Opened Only by a U.S. Government Official.’”[186] For documents mailed to USCIS, that strategy can still be used. For documents hand-carried to USCIS, security rules may prevent sealed envelopes from being carried into federal buildings, but the attorney can submit your documents directly to USCIS without disclosing them to others. Similarly, the attorney can mail or email documents to the National Visa Center without disclosing them to others.[187]

11. Can a Sponsored Immigrant Receive Public Benefits?

Yes. Sponsored immigrants may qualify for certain benefits. Immigrants who have been in the country for less than 5 years generally are not eligible for the five federal “means-tested public benefits”:

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly called “Food Stamps”) (in California, called Cal-Fresh)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Medicaid (nonemergency) (in California, called Medi-Cal)
  • Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

To complicate the situation, states can choose to provide Medicaid and CHIP to lawfully residing children and pregnant women regardless of their date of entry, without sponsor-related barriers.

Sponsored immigrants are eligible for emergency Medicaid and most other federal benefits. And, in some states, immigrants can get state-funded (but not federally-funded) medical, food, or cash assistance.

Even after the 5-year bar, “deeming” of income may still impede most immigrants from qualifying for means-tested programs. This means that the income of the sponsor, as well as of the sponsor’s spouse, will be “deemed” to belong to the sponsored immigrant, thus making the latter financially ineligible for the benefit program. An immigrant could be eligible, nevertheless, in three situations: (1) the sponsor’s and immigrant’s combined incomes are low enough to satisfy financial eligibility guidelines; (2) the sponsor is not providing any income and the immigrant would otherwise go without food or shelter; or (3) the immigrant spouse or child has been the victim of battery or extreme cruelty.

  1. INA § 212(a)(4)(A). ↑

  2. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(A). ↑

  3. DHS, Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, 84 Fed. Reg. 41292 (Aug. 14, 2019). ↑

  4. DOS, Visas: Ineligibility Based on Public Charge Grounds, 84 Fed. Reg. 54996 (Oct. 11, 2019) (interim final rule). ↑

  5. DHS, Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, 86 Fed. Reg. 14221 (Mar. 15, 2021) (final rule removing the Trump-era rule); DHS, Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility, 87 Fed. Reg. 55472 (Sept. 9, 2022) (final rule); DOS, Ineligibility Based on Public Charge (final rule), 88 Fed. Reg. 60574 (Sept. 5, 2023). See also DOS, Update on Public Charge (Mar. 26, 2021). DHS states that as a consequence of the rollback of the Trump-era rules, DHS will apply the public charge inadmissibility statute consistent with INS, Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, 64 Fed. Reg. 28,689 (Mar. 26, 1999) (1999 Interim Field Guidance). ↑

  6. INA §§ 212(a)(4)(B), (D). ↑

  7. INA § 213A(a)(1). The form and instructions are available from USCIS at http://www.uscis.gov/i-864. ↑

  8. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(II)(C). ↑

  9. INA § 213A(f)(1)(E). See 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2). ↑

  10. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(A). ↑

  11. INA §§ 212(a)(4)(B), (D). ↑

  12. The “public charge” ground of inadmissibility does not, however, apply to a few types of permanent residents, including, for example, those who received their green card as refugees or asylees, Amerasian special immigrants, and in some cases under the Cuban Adjustment Act (CAA), the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA), or the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act (HRIFA). ↑

  13. INS, Field Guidance on Deportability and Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds, 64 Fed. Reg. 28,689 (Mar. 26, 1999); 9 FAM 40.41 N2. ↑

  14. 64 Fed. Reg. at 28,692; 9 FAM 40.41 N2.1. ↑

  15. INA § 212(a)(4)(B); 68 Fed. Reg. at 28,690. ↑

  16. 64 Fed. Reg. at 28,690, quoting Matter of Martinez-Lopez, IO I. & N. Dec. 409, 421-422 (AG, Jan. 6, 1964). ↑

  17. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(2)(c) (Mar. 6, 2017). ↑

  18. 64 Fed. Reg. at 28,693; 9 FAM 40.41 N2.2. ↑

  19. 9 FAM 40.41 N2.2. ↑

  20. 8 C.F.R. §§ 213a.1, 213a.2(b)(2); Cable, DOS, 98-State-042068 (Mar. 12, 1998), AILA Doc. No. 98031291. ↑

  21. 9 FAM 601.14-2(b). If the immigrant fits into one of these subcategories, then according to 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(a)(2)(ii), the requirement that a qualified sponsor file an I-864 “shall not apply.” ↑

  22. 9 FAM 601.14-2(b)(4) (Feb. 24, 2020). ↑

  23. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(a)(2)(ii)(C); Form I-864 Instructions at 1 (July 2, 2015); 8 USCIS-PM G.6(C)(1). The policy behind this exemption is that the support requirement is no longer enforceable once the immigrant can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of coverage. INA § 213A(a)(3). ↑

  24. See SSA, How International Agreements Can Help You, https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10180.pdf. (last viewed Jan. 8, 2017). ↑

  25. 8 USCIS-PM G.6(C)(1). ↑

  26. A stepchild may be credited with a stepparent’s quarters. 20 CFR § 404.357: “Who is the insured’s stepchild? You may be eligible for benefits as the insured’s stepchild if, after your birth, your natural or adopting parent married the insured. You also may be eligible as a stepchild if you were conceived prior to the marriage of your natural parent to the insured but were born after the marriage and the insured is not your natural parent. The marriage between the insured and your parent must be a valid marriage under State law or a marriage which would be valid except for a legal impediment described in § 404.346(a). If the insured is alive when you apply, you must have been his or her stepchild for at least 1 year immediately preceding the day you apply. For purposes of determining whether the conditions of entitlement are met throughout the first month as stated in § 404.352(a)(2)(i), you will be considered to meet the one year duration requirement throughout the month in which the anniversary of the marriage occurs. If the insured is not alive when you apply, you must have been his or her stepchild for at least 9 months immediately preceding the day the insured died. This 9-month requirement will not have to be met if the marriage between the insured and your parent lasted less than 9 months under one of the conditions described in § 404.335(a)(2)(i)-(iii).” ↑

  27. 8 USCIS-PM G.6(C)(1) n.51. ↑

  28. Charles Wheeler, Public Charge and Affidavits of Support: A Practitioner’s Guide 116 (2d ed 2020). ↑

  29. For years prior to 1978, the determination for wages actually applied to the four separate quarters of the year (the 3-month periods ending March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31). ↑

  30. Social Security Administration, Quarter of Coverage, https://www.ssa.gov/oact/COLA/QC.html (last visited May 31, 2023). ↑

  31. A Federal means-tested benefit is any public benefit funded in whole or in part by funds provided by the Federal Government that the Federal agency administering the Federal funds defines as a Federal means-tested public benefit under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (Pub. L. 104-193). Federal means tested benefits include: SSI (Supplemental Security income), TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), food stamps, Medicaid, and State Child Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP). AFM § 20.5(o). ↑

  32. See Martin on Social Security § A 400, available at http://www.law.cornell.edu/socsec/martin/2socseca.htm. ↑

  33. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2 (a)(2)(ii)(C); 9 FAM 40.41 N3.4-2 (Dec. 3, 2008); NVC website (http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_3198.html); 9 FAM 40.41 PN3. (July 14, 2006); DOS Cable, Immigrant Visa Petitions: 40 Quarters SSA in Lieu of I-864 (Feb. 22, 2002), AILA Infonet Doc. # 02022233. ↑

  34. U.S. Dep’t of State, Fees for Visa Services, http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/fees-visa-services.html (last visited Nov. 26, 2015). ↑

  35. See generally U.S. Dep’t of State, Begin National Visa Center (NVC) Processing, http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/immigrant-process/approved/contact.html (last visited Nov. 26, 2015). ↑

  36. INA § 213A(f)(1)(D). ↑

  37. INA § 213A(f)(2). ↑

  38. Form I-864 Instructions at 3 (Sept. 19, 2011); 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(7) (“[T]he joint sponsor can be a friend or a non-relative who does not reside in and is not necessarily financially connected with the sponsors household.”). See also DC Bar Ethics Opinion 354, Providing Financial Assistance to Immigration Clients Through Lawyer’s Execution of Affidavit of Support on Form I-864 as Joint Sponsor (A lawyer representing an immigrant may not act as a joint sponsor because of the conflict of interest created and because guarantees of financial assistance to clients are prohibited.) ↑

  39. Letter from AILA, NILC, and CLINIC to David Neuman, Dir., Office of Legal Affairs, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Dep’t of State, re: public charge determinations (Aug. 28, 2018), AILA Doc. No. 18082836. ↑

  40. AILA, CLINIC, NILC Update on Public Charge, AILA Doc. No. 18092632 (posted Sept. 26, 2018). ↑

  41. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(C). Since the limit of two joint sponsors is only for “accompanying” derivatives, it would be possible to have a third joint sponsor for derivative relatives who are not “accompanying” because they will be entering the U.S. more than 6 months after the principal beneficiary. Form I-864 Instructions at 3 (Sept. 19, 2011). ↑

  42. If the widow(er) is the beneficiary of a pending or approved I-130 at the time of the U.S. citizen spouse’s death, the I-130 “converts” into an I-360. 8 C.F.R. § 204.2(i)(1)(iv). ↑

  43. INA §201(b)(2)(A)(i); 8 C.F.R. § 204.2(b) ↑

  44. 8 C.F.R. § 204.2(b)(4); 9 FAM 42.42 N5.1. ↑

  45. Memo from Donald Neufeld, Acting Assoc. Dir., USCIS, Additional Guidance Regarding Surviving Spouses of Deceased U.S. Citizens and their Children (REVISED), HQDOMO 70/6.1.1-P (Dec. 2, 2009). ↑

  46. INA § 204(l). ↑

  47. INA § 213A(f)(5)(B). ↑

  48. 8 C.F.R. § 205.1(a)(3)(i)(C). ↑

  49. INA § 213A(f)(5)(B); 9 FAM 40.41 N6.4(a). ↑

  50. See 22 C.F.R. § 40.1(a)(1), defining an “accompanying” derivative beneficiary as one issued an immigrant visa within 6 months of the principal’s immigrant visa issuance or adjustment of status; 9 FAM 40.1 N7.1 (defining “following to join”). ↑

  51. If the principal has died or lost status, or the relationship between the principal and derivative has been terminated, there is no longer a basis to following to join. 9 FAM 40.1 N7.1. ↑

  52. 9 FAM 40.41 N6.4(b); 9 FAM 40.41 N10.2; AFM 20.5(d)(6)(B). ↑

  53. INA § 213A(f). ↑

  54. Form I-864 (rev. July 2, 2015), at 4. ↑

  55. Form I-864 Instructions 4 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  56. INA § 101(a)(33). ↑

  57. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1. ↑

  58. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(1)(ii). ↑

  59. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(1)(ii). The definitions for these terms defy logic. Residence is defined as one’s “principal … dwelling place,” and domicile is defined as one’s “principal residence.” That makes the latter one’s “principal, principal dwelling place.” To claim the former is abroad and the latter is in the United States is on par with Lake Wobegon’s claim that all its children are above average. ↑

  60. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(5). See AFM ch. 20.5(d)(2). Continuing ties may include, for example, a U.S. voting record, state or local tax payment records, property, bank or investment accounts, and a permanent mailing address. Form I-864 Instructions 5 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  61. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(5). ↑

  62. INA §§ 316(b), 317. ↑

  63. Note the circular reasoning: a citizen will be recognized as residing abroad “temporarily” if they are living abroad “temporarily.” 8 C.F.R. § 213.2(c)(1)(ii)(A). See 9 FAM 302.8-2(C)(5)(b)(4). But see Form I-864 Instructions at 5 (July 2, 2015) (omitting the temporariness requirement: “Some individuals employed overseas are automatically considered as domiciled in the United States because of the nature of their employment.”); USCIS Adjudicator’s Field Manual ch. 20.5(d)(2) (same); Matter of Kane, 15 I. & N. Dec. 258 (BIA 1975) (indefinite employment abroad for a U.S. company counts as temporary for purposes of determining whether a permanent resident has abandoned that status), citing Matter of Wu, 14 I. & N. Dec. 290 (RC 1973) (stay abroad was “temporary” for purposes of qualifying for a reentry permit, where applicant worked for a U.S. company abroad for more than 4 years and had an approved N-470), Matter of Manion, 11 I. & N. Dec. 261 (DD 1965) (stay abroad was temporary for purposes of qualifying for a reentry permit, where applicant worked for a U.S. company abroad for more than 6 years). ↑

  64. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(1)(ii); AFM ch. 20.5; 9 FAM 302.8-2(C)(5)(b)(4). ↑

  65. INA § 319(b)(1). See Gary Chodorow, Expeditious Naturalization for Spouses of U.S. Citizens Employed Abroad (Nov. 23, 2014), http://www. lawandborder.com/expeditious-naturalization. ↑

  66. I-864 Instructions at 3. ↑

  67. 8 C.F.R. § 319.11(a), related to the documentary evidence for expeditious naturalization, requires actually requires the applicant’s statement of intent, but in practice our firm has found a statement by the employer of the U.S. citizen to be more helpful. ↑

  68. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(ii)(B). ↑

  69. Form I-864 Instructions 5 (July 2, 2015); 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(5) (Oddly, in direct conflict with the regulations, subparagraph 3(b) states that the consular officer “must be satisfied that the sponsor has, in fact, taken up principal residence in the United States.”) ↑

  70. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1. ↑

  71. See Income Taxes and Your Social Security Benefit (last viewed Mar. 15, 2020). See also IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits, 2020 Publication 915 (irs.gov) (This publication includes a worksheet to determine the amount of your Social Security benefits which are taxable, if any). ↑

  72. IRS Form 1040 and 1040-SR Instructions at 83-84 (2019). ↑

  73. Id. at 84. ↑

  74. 71 Fed. Reg. 35731, 35738 (Jun. 21, 2006); AFM ch. 20.5(k)(4)(F). ↑

  75. Form I-864 Instructions at 8 (Oct. 15, 2019) ↑

  76. 9 FAM 601.14-5(b)(3)(d) (Feb. 24, 2020). ↑

  77. See Charles Wheeler, Affidavits of Support: a Practitioner’s Guide 148 (2020) (“Until USCIS or DOS issues further guidance, proceed as if those interpretations remain in effect.”) ↑

  78. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(ii)(C). ↑

  79. The regulations describe the “current year” as the year in which the intending immigrant files the application for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status. 8 C.F.R. §§ 213a.2(a)(1)(v)(A), (c)(2)(ii)(C). The I-864 instructions are silent on the matter. The USCIS Adjudicators Field Manual refers to both the year the Form I-864 is “signed” and the year it is “filed.” AFM ch. 20.5(e)(1). The State Department’s Foreign Affairs Manual refers to the year the Form I-864 is “submitted.” 9 FAM 40.41 N6.5 (a)(3)(a). ↑

  80. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(a)(1)(v)(B). ↑

  81. Form I-864 Instructions at 8 (Oct. 15, 2019). One reason the implementation of these rules has been confusing is that prior versions of the Form I-864 asked the sponsor to report only the income as shown on the most recent Federal income tax return, not the “current” income. See e.g. Form I-864 at 3 (Jan. 21, 2008). As a result, some Forms I-864 were improperly denied without considering evidence of current income that had risen since filing the return. The present version of the Form I-864 does provide more clarity by asking in Part 6, item 7, about the sponsor’s “current individual annual income.” E.g. Form I-864 at 3 (Jan. 21, 2008). ↑

  82. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1. ↑

  83. George Rodriguez, Charles Wheeler, and Donald Wolfson, Panning for Gold: Affidavit of Support Issues, AILA Immigration Practice Pointers (2013-2014 ed). ↑

  84. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1; Form I-864A Instructions at 1-2 (July 2, 2015); AFM 20.5(i)(3) (mentioning the age requirement). ↑

  85. 9 FAM 601.14.-2(c). ↑

  86. 8 C.F.R. 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(C)(3); Form I-864 Instructions at 9 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  87. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(A). ↑

  88. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(ii)(C). ↑

  89. Or 100% for a petitioner who is on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (not in training) and is sponsoring a spouse or child. 9 FAM 40.41 N5. ↑

  90. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1; FAM 40.41 N7.1. ↑

  91. Form I-864 Instructions at 6 (July 2, 2015). Special rules apply to determine if a stepchild, child born out of wedlock, or adopted child falls within the definition of “child.” See INA § 101(b)(1). A stepchild counts as a child if under age 18 at the time of the parent and stepparent’s marriage. Id. A stepchild further counts as a “dependent” child if sponsor’s children, as defined in section 101(b)(1) of the Act (other than a stepchild who meets the requirements of section 101(b)(1)(B) of the Act, if the stepchild does resides with the sponsor, is claimed by the sponsor as a dependent for tax purposes, or is seeking to immigrate based on the stepparent/stepchild relationship. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1 (defining “household size”). ↑

  92. Id. ↑

  93. Http://www.uscis.gov/i-864p. See that form for figures applicable to Alaska, Hawaii, and active members of the U.S. armed forces not in training. ↑

  94. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(A). ↑

  95. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(ii)(C). ↑

  96. Or 100% for a petitioner who is on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces (not in training) and is sponsoring a spouse or child. 9 FAM 40.41 N5. ↑

  97. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(ii)(C). ↑

  98. Id. ↑

  99. INA § 213A(f)(6). ↑

  100. 71 Fed. Reg. 35732, 35738 (June 21, 2006) (supplementary information to final rule on affidavits of support on behalf of immigrants). ↑

  101. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(ii)(C). ↑

  102. 8 C.F.R. §§ 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(A), 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(D). ↑

  103. Id. For example, you were self-employed, you should have complete done of the following forms with your return: Schedule C (Profit or Loss from Business), Schedule D (Capital Gains), Schedule E (Supplemental Income or Loss) or Schedule F (Profit or Loss from Farming). Form I-864 Instructions at 8 (Sept. 19, 2011). ↑

  104. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(A). ↑

  105. IRS, Topic No. 301: When, How, and Where to File (Mar. 5, 2021). ↑

  106. IRS, Tax Day for Individuals Extended to May 17 (Mar. 17, 2021). ↑

  107. IRS, U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad (Nov. 9, 2020). ↑

  108. IRS, Topic No. 301: When, How, and Where to File (Mar. 5, 2021). ↑

  109. Form I-864 Instructions at 8 (July 2, 2015); 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(B). ↑

  110. AFM ch. 20.5(i)(1). ↑

  111. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(17)(d)(1)(f). See 71 Fed. Reg. 35732, 35739 (June 21, 2006). ↑

  112. Form I-864 Instructions at 8 (July 2, 2015); 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(B); 71 Fed. Reg. 35732, 35739 (June 21, 2006). ↑

  113. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(B); ↑

  114. 9 FAM 603.2-6(C)(a)(1) (Apr. 22, 2019). ↑

  115. IRS, Taxation of Nonresident Aliens (Oct. 7, 2016), https://www.irs.gov/individuals/international-taxpayers/taxation-of-nonresident-aliens. ↑

  116. Peggy Creveling, An ITIN Primer: Everything You Need to Know About U.S. Individual Tax Identification Numbers, Wall Street Journal (June 18, 2015), http://blogs.wsj.com/expat/2015/06/18/an-itin-primer-everything-you-need-to-know-about-u-s-individual-tax-identification-numbers/. ↑

  117. Creveling, supra, citing IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax 22 (2015), https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p17.pdf. ↑

  118. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(A). ↑

  119. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii). See INA § 213A(f)(6)(A)(ii). ↑

  120. Form I-864 Instructions a 6 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  121. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(B)(1). 9 FAM 601.14-5(b)(5)(c). See Form I-864 Instructions a 9 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  122. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(B)(2). ↑

  123. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iii)(B)(3). ↑

  124. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(iiii)(B). ↑

  125. Form I-864 Instructions at 3 (Sept. 19, 2011). ↑

  126. INA § 213A(f)(6)(A)(ii). ↑

  127. 9 FAM 40.41 PN2.13; see AFM 20.5(k)(5) (same). ↑

  128. Form I-864 Instructions at 9 (Dec. 8, 2021). ↑

  129. “Vesting” in a retirement plan means ownership. This means that each employee will vest, or own, a certain percentage of their account in the plan each year. An employee who is 100% vested in his or her account balance owns 100% of it and the employer cannot forfeit, or take it back, for any reason. Amounts that are not vested may be forfeited by employees when they are paid their account balance (for example, when the employee terminates employment) or when they don’t work more than 500 hours in a year for five years. ↑

  130. Some confusion arises from 9 FAM 40.41 N6.6, which states that assets “must be available in the United States for the applicant’s support and must be readily convertible to cash within one year” (emphasis added). This is best read to mean that it must be possible for the cash value of the asset to be made available in the United States. See

    DOS Cable # 133584, I-864 Affidavit of Support—Update No. 17: More Q’s and A’s, AILA Doc No. 98072291 (July 22, 1998)(“27. Q: Can the assets of the petitioner/sponsor be overseas, assuming they are readily convertible within 12 months and can be transferred out of the foreign country? A: Yes.”); DOS Cable # 235260, I-864 Affidavit of Support Update No. 2—Q’s and A’s, AILA Doc No. 97122359 (Dec. 17, 1997) (“The applicant must clearly demonstrate the ability to take the money or assets out of the country where they are located. Many countries have strict regulations which severely limit the amount of cash or liquid assets an individual may take or send abroad.”). ↑

  131. USCIS will accept either. AFM ch. 20.5(k)(5)(A). However, the State Department rules mention only a bank letter. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(2)(f) (Jan. 3, 2018). The U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou states that they have a “preference” for a bank letter but may accept bank statements. See email from U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to Gary Chodorow, May 12, 2009. ↑

  132. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(2)(f) (Jan. 3, 2018). ↑

  133. Form I-864 Instructions at 3 (Sept. 19, 2011). ↑

  134. Form I-864 Instructions at 3 (Sept. 19, 2011). ↑

  135. Some prior editions of the Form I-864 included blanks to be completed by a notary to show that the sponsor signed under oath. However, notarization is no longer required. AFM ch. 20.5(b). ↑

  136. Form I-864EZ Instructions at 1 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  137. Form I-864EZ Instructions at 1 (July 2, 2015). ↑

  138. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(4)(c)(2). It is not clear whether USCIS agrees with this State Department requirement. ↑

  139. See sample 221(g) requests in author’s file. ↑

  140. IRS issues various types of transcripts. See IRS, Transcript Types and Ways to Order Them, https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-return-transcript-types-and-ways-to-order-them (Sept. 27, 2016). The consensus is that the “Tax Return Transcript” is most appropriate. See 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(A) (“transcript of [the] complete Federal income tax return”). ↑

  141. 9 FAM 302.8-2(C)(4). ↑

  142. The NVC website states, “NVC strongly recommends the submission of tax transcripts since they typically provide the information necessary for an evaluation of completeness of the Affidavit of Support and result in more efficient processing. Sponsors may submit copies of tax returns but must comply with the file size limits for electronic uploads to CEAC and could be delayed by requests for additional documentation.” See also Department of State/AILA Liaison Committee Meeting 2 (Apr. 11, 2019), AILA Doc. 19050132. ↑

  143. USCIS states that e-filers should submit their IRS-issued “declaration control number.” AFM 20.5(i)(1). That number has been replaced by the “submission ID number.” http://community.hrblock.com/t5/DIY-Products/Submission-ID-Number-vs-Declaration-Control-Number-DCN/td-p/24785#.VphGVtpumUk. ↑

  144. A sample Form 9325 is available at https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f9325.pdf. See also, IRS, ERO Duteis after Submitting the Return to IRS (Oct. 26, 2016), https://www.irs.gov/uac/ero-duties-after-submitting-the-return-to-the-irs. ↑

  145. USCIS Policy Memorandum, “Consolidation of Policy Regarding USCIS Form I-864, Affidavit of Support (AFM Update AD06-20),” 14 (June 27, 2006), AILA Doc. No. 06063013. ↑

  146. A letter of employment from the current employer should be on letterhead and signed by a company representative, should show the employer’s address, phone number, dates of the employment, type of work performed, wages paid, number of hours per week worked, and prospects for future employment. 9 FAM 601.14-5(b)(3) (Feb. 24, 2020); NVC, Step 5: Collect Financial Evidence and Other Supporting Documents (last visited Feb. 12, 2021); National Benefits Center-AILA Questions and Answers 9 (May 6, 2016), AILA Doc. No. 16080935.]. Note that “The prospect of employment in the United States that has not yet actually begun will not be sufficient to meet [the household income] requirement.” 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1. ↑

  147. 9 FAM 601.14-10(a). See DOS, Ink Signature No Longer Required on Affidavits of Support (Dec. 28, 2016), AILA Doc. No. 16122801; AILA, DOS Alert: “Wet Ink” Signatures Not Required for I-864, Affidavit of Support (Jan. 10, 2017), AILA Doc. No. 17011033. ↑

  148. The form instructions don’t require an “original” signature. See Form I-864 Instructions at 2 (July 2, 2015) (“Each affidavit must be properly signed and filed. For all signatures on this affidavit, USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature.”).. ↑

  149. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(g)(1). ↑

  150. NVC, I-864 Affidavit of Support (FAQs) (last viewed Mar. 11, 2020). ↑

  151. U.S. Dep’t of State / AILA Liaison Committee Meeting at 9 (Mar. 5, 2020), AILA Doc. No. 20031030. ↑

  152. National Visa Center / AILA Liaison Committee Meeting (Nov. 1, 2018), AILA Doc. No. 18120605). ↑

  153. 9 FAM 601.14-4(a)(4). ↑

  154. Id. ↑

  155. 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(4)(f)(1). ↑

  156. Id. ↑

  157. AFM ch. 20.5(e)(1). ↑

  158. AFM ch. 20.5(e)(2). ↑

  159. See 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(e) (support obligations commence when intending immigrant is granted admission as immigrant or adjustment of status). ↑

  160. 8 C.F.R. §§ 213a.2(e) – (f). ↑

  161. INA § 213A(a)(1)(B). See, e.g., Moody v. Sorokina, 40 A.D.3d 14, 19, 830 N.Y.S. 2d 399 (2007) (holding that trial court erred in determining that I-864

    created no private cause of action). ↑

  162. 8 C.F.R. 213a.1 (defining “joint sponsor”). ↑

  163. INA § 213A(a)(1)(A). See Stump v. Stump, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26022 (Oct. 25, 2005). ↑

  164. Erler v. Erler, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 10361 (9th Cir. June 8, 2016). ↑

  165. Https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines. ↑

  166. See, e.g., In re Marriage of Sandhu, 41 Kan. App. 2d 975, 207 P.3d 1067 (2009) (holding that beneficiary had no cause of action due to earnings over 125% of the Poverty Guidelines); see also Iannuzzelli v. Lovett, 981 So. 2d 557 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2008) (noting that beneficiary-plaintiff was awarded no damages at trial because she had failed to demonstrate that she had been unable to sustain herself at 125% of the poverty level since her separation from the marriage). ↑

  167. Form I-864; 8 C.F.R. § 213A(c). ↑

  168. But see Erler v. Erler, 2016 U.S. App. LEXIS 10361 (9th Cir. June 8, 2016) (silent on whether support from sponsor should be reduced due to contributions from sponsored immigrant’s adult son for rent and living expenses. ↑

  169. Liu v. Mund, 686 F.3d 418 (7th Cir. 2012) (no duty to mitigate). But see Younis v. Farooqi, 597 F. Supp. 2d 552, 556 (D. Md. 2009). ↑

  170. “Federal Guidance on Public Charge: When Is It Safe to Use Public Benefits?,” www.nilc.org/document.html?id=164. ↑

  171. 71 Fed. Reg. 35732, 35740 (June 21, 2006). ↑

  172. Blain v. Herrell , No. 10-00072 ACK-KSC, 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 76257 (D. Haw. July 21, 2010) (enforceable); Shah v. Shah, Civil No. 12–4648 (RBK/KMW), 2014 WL 185914 (D. N.J. Jan 14, 2014) (unenforceable); Toure-Davis v. Davis, No. WGC-13-916, 2014 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42522 (D. Md. Mar. 28, 2014) (unenforceable); Erler v. Erler, No. CV-12-2793-CRB, 2013 WL 6139721 (E.D. Cal. Apr. 10, 2014) (unenforceable). See Greg McLawsen, Suing on the I-864 Affidavit of Support: March 2014 Update, 19 Bender’s Immig. Bull. 343, 350-351 (2014). ↑

  173. Toure-Davis, at 15; Erler, at 7, n.1. ↑

  174. Toure-Davis, at 23; Erler at 7; Shah. ↑

  175. 71 Fed. Reg. 35732, 35740 (June 21, 2006). ↑

  176. 8 C.F.R. §§ 213a.2(e)(2)(i)–(ii). ↑

  177. See Davis v. Davis, 2012 Ohio 2088, 970 N.E.2d 1151 (Ohio Ct. App. 2012). ↑

  178. Abandonment or loss of permanent resident status can occur through affirmative misconduct or departure from the

    U.S. Misconduct could include the commission of crimes, fraud, or other miscellaneous acts. Abandonment through departure depends on the length of time the permanent resident has been absent from the U.S. and his or her intention as to whether the absence is temporary. ↑

  179. On the sponsor’s death, future liability of the sponsor’s estate for actions brought by the sponsored immigrant or agencies seeking reimbursement will likely be a matter of state law interpretation. In any event, the sponsor’s estate is not relieved from liability for any reimbursement obligation that accrued before the sponsor’s death. See 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(e)(3). ↑

  180. For example, Liu v. Mund, 686 F.3d (7th Cir. 2012) (sponsored immigrant has no duty to mitigate support owed by looking for a job); Love v. Love, 1975 EDA 2010 (Penn. Super. Ct.), citing Naik v. Naik, 399 N.J.Super. 390, 944 A.2d 713 (N.J. Super.2008), Younis v. Farooqi, 597 F.Supp.2d 552 (D.Md.2009); Shumye v. Felleke, 555 F.Supp.2d 1020 (N.D.Cal.2008); Barnett v. Barnett, 238 P.3d 594 (Alaska 2010). ↑

  181. Among the types of debts that are excluded from discharge in bankruptcy are “domestic support obligations,” whether owed to support the beneficiary or to the government for benefit reimbursement. 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(5), 101(14A). Several courts have confirmed this. See e.g. In re Ortiz, 2012 Bankr. LEXIS 5324, 2012 WL 5556935 (Bank. M.D. Fla. 2012); In re Cook, 473 B.R. 468 (Bankr. M.D. Fla. 2012). See also Cheryl Kilborn and Jason Kilborn, Like Diamonds, Affidavits of Support Are (Almost) Forever, AILA Voice (Sept. 2014). ↑

  182. 5 USC §522a. ↑

  183. INA § 213A(d). ↑

  184. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(C)(2); Form I-864A, p. 3. ↑

  185. See David N. Simmons, Rule 1.7 of the Rules of Professional Conduct and I-864 Joint Sponsors: Conflicts According to the Perspective That Counts, 21-16 Bender’s Immig. Bull. 02 n.19 (2016); Charles Wheeler, Immigration Law and the Family 208 (2d ed. 2011-2012). ↑

  186. Form I-864 Instructions at 4 (Oct. 18, 2007). ↑

  187. Immigration authorities are prevented by the Privacy Act from releasing such financial data to others. An exception is that financial data may be released to other government agencies, as explained in the Form I-864 Instructions at 15 (July 2, 2015). ↑

151 responses to “Form I-864, Affidavit of Support: Help Center”

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  4. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    I am currently retired, and I receive social security retirement benefits. Can I count them as “income” for purposes of the I-864?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Scott: Thanks for your question. As mentioned above, only “taxable” Social Security benefits count as income. You can see that above in the excerpt from the Income section of the IRS Form 1040. There are blanks for “Social Security benefits” and “Taxable amount.” Only the latter counts towards “total income” on line 22 of the 1040, which is the key line for determining one’s income for I-864 purposes. Take a look at your 1040 from last year. Assuming it was completed correctly, you can tell how much you claimed was taxable.

      Reply
    2. RAMAKRISHNA Avatar
      RAMAKRISHNA

      I have the petitioned for my son, who will be accompanied by his wife and two minor children. My income isn’t sufficient for the affidavit of support. (I get social security income of $ 8000 per year.) My son has Cash, Stocks and Fixed Deposits in Indian Rupee. They will obtain RBI permission for conversion to U.S. dollars. Can my son’s assets be used?

      Reply
      1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
        Gary Chodorow

        Ramakrishna: I understand that you are a lawful permanent resident, you have filed an I-130 for your son, and that his wife and children will be accompanying him to the U.S. If I have misunderstood, let me know. In this case, your son’s assets–if proven to the consular officer’s satisfaction–can be counted. Your I-864 should list those assets.

        Reply
  5. Shanghai Helen Avatar
    Shanghai Helen

    Gary: I filed an I-130 for my husband. Now, his immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou is coming up, so we’re researching the I-864. We’re living in Shanghai, where my husband works. I’m currently a stay-at-home mom with two young children. I haven’t filed federal income tax returns. I’m looking for a joint sponsor. Do I still need to file my own I-864?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Helen: As the petitioner who filed the Form I-130, you must file a Form I-864 and file federal income tax returns for the three most recent years (if legally required to do so). Moreover, you must prove you meet the other qualificaitons for a “sponsor,” including being domiciled in the U.S.

      I understand that you’re not working, but before you look for a joint sponsor, you may want to see if you and your husband’s assets are sufficient to meet the minimum income requirement.

      If you are unable to meet the minimum income requirement, a “joint sponsor” may also be used. A joint sponsor does not have to be related to the petitioning sponsor or the intending immigrant. The joint sponsor must execute a separate Form I-864. The joint sponsor must satisfy the income requirements independently. In other words, the petitioner and joint sponsor may not pool their income to arrive at a total that satisfies the income threshold.

      Regards,
      Gary

      Reply
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  7. SB Avatar
    SB

    Dear Gary,

    I am a US citizen, married to a UK citizen and currently living in the UK for the past 9 months. We are currently unable to make a decision regarding where we will be settling permanently. However, I want to keep the option open for us settling in the US within the next 3 years and file a greencard for my husband.

    Regarding showing sufficient funds for the Affidavit of Support, could my joint account and funds in the UK count towards that as well or do they have to be funds in the US?

    Many thanks for your help.

    Regards,
    SB

    Reply
  8. Gary Chodorow Avatar
    Gary Chodorow

    SB,

    As mentioned above, there is no requirement that assets be located in the United States in order to count for I-864 purposes.

    Beware that in some countries laws exist that limit the amount of cash or liquid assets an individual may transfer abroad. Such laws may prevent foreign assets from being made “available for the support of” the intended immigrant in the United States. To my knowledge, that’s not an issue in the UK.

    Reply
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  10. Mohamed Kotb Avatar
    Mohamed Kotb

    My wife and I been living abroad for 4 years now. Her I-130 for me has been approved, and currently my immigrant visa application is at the NVC stage. We have a house in the U.S. My wife wasn’t required to file U.S. tax returns for the last 3 years and didn’t do so.

    1. Which form do we fill if we will rely on my wife’s assets? What if we will rely on a joint sponsor?

    2. How much trouble will it be that my wife hasn’t filed tax returns?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Mohammed.

      Your wife, as the petitioner, must file a Form I-864. (The I-864EZ is inapplicable because the income she is relying on is not her employment or retirement income).

      If your wife wants to rely on the value of your jointly owned house as an asset, the appropriate proof of ownership may be the deed. The net value must be determined by a recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser, as well as evidence of the amount of any outstanding mortgage, trust deed, or other lien on the home. Assuming your wife is a U.S. citizen, if you the value of the asset is at least 3x the income threshold for your wife’s household size, no joint sponsor is required. (Use a 5x multiplier if your wife is a lawful permanent resident).

      If your wife will instead rely on a joint sponsor, then she still needs to file an I-864. The joint sponsor will too. In that case, discuss with your attorney the possibility of not listing the house as an asset in your wife’s I-864. That way you could skip the expense of paying for an appraisal.

      If as you mention above your wife had no duty to file Federal income tax returns for the most recent 3 years, she must explain why. If she claims she had no legal duty to file for any reason other than the level of her income for that year, the initial evidence submitted with the Form I-864 must also include any evidence of the amount and source of the income that she claims was exempt from taxation and a copy of the provisions of any statute, treaty, or regulation that supports the claim that she had no duty to file an income tax return with respect to that income.

      Reply
  11. Kristin Avatar
    Kristin

    Hello, thank you for this helpful info. Am I correct in thinking that the I-864 form is filed after the initial 1-130 application package is reviewed? Or, should that be submitted along with the 1-130?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Kristin:

      As mentioned above, the process for family-sponsored immigration normally begins by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident filing a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. The I-130 asks whether the beneficiary will either (a) file a Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, with USCIS, or (b) apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad.

      The I-130 beneficiary may file a Form I-485 with USCIS if he or she is physically present in the U.S. and meets certain other requirements. In that case, the I-864 should be submitted with the Form I-485.

      Otherwise, the I-864 is submitted as part of the immigrant visa application process:

      * If the petitioner resides within the United States, the I-130 is filed by mail with a USCIS lockbox. After the I-130 is approved, it is forwarded to the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. The immigrant visa applicant’s documents and I-864 are submitted to NVC for review for completeness. NVC charges a fee of $120 for the I-864 review.NVC then forwards the file to the U.S. embassy or consulate abroad, where the I-864 will be reviewed by the consular officer as part of adjudicating the immigrant visa application.

      * If the petitioner resides outside the United States, the petitioner may choose to file the I-130 by mail with a USCIS lockbox, in which case the I-864 subsequently will be submitted to NVC as described above. Or the petitioner may file the I-130 with an international USCIS office, U.S. Embassy, or U.S. Consulate. In such cases, after the I-130 is approved, the I-864 will be submitted by the immigrant visa applicant to the consular officer at the time of the immigrant visa appointment.

      Reply
  12. Cristina Mandeville Avatar
    Cristina Mandeville

    Hi Gary, My sister (in Chicago) petitioned for my mom (in Philippines). My sister has been notified by immigration authorities that her income is not sufficient to meet the threshold for the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. Can I be a joint sponsor (I-864) for my mom even though I live in California?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Cristina,

      Your eligibility to serve as a joint sponsor–filing a Form I-864–is not negatively impacted by the fact that you live separately from your sister (the petitioner/sponsor). As a joint sponsor, the only requirement related to your residence is that you must be domiciled in the U.S.

      Note that since you don’t live with your sister (and, I assume, are not listed as a dependent in her most recent Federal income tax return), it’s not an option to file a Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member.

      Reply
  13. Meghan Gibson Avatar
    Meghan Gibson

    Hi. I’m filing a K-1 petition for my fiance. My father is supporting my fiance’s stay as I’m in school with no income. Is an I-864 needed?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Meghan,

      No I-864 is needed for your fiancé to get a K-1 visa, but in certain cases a Form I-134, Affidavit of Support, is appropriate. Your father may qualify as the sponsor.

      Following his entry to the U.S. in K-1 status, along with his Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status, you’ll need to file an I-864. If your income doesn’t meet the threshold, your father may qualify as a joint sponsor.

      Reply
  14. Attorney Arrested for Forging Forms I-864, Affidavits of Support – U.S. & China Visa Law Blog

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    Reply
  15. Jeff K. Avatar
    Jeff K.

    Hi Gary,

    One area which is still not clear to me is the household size calculation. I’m the U.S. citizen, and I filed the I-130 on behalf of my wife. We live in the U.K. My mother will file an I-864 as a joint sponsor. She lives alone. We’ll live with her temporarily when we move to the U.S.

    So the question is, in the calculation of the household size, what would my I-864 have for household size and what would my mother’s be? The confusing part is whether I should include the current household size (for me 2, for my mom 1) or intended household size after arrival (for me 3, mom 3). How do you count this properly?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Jeff K:

      Assuming that you’ve given me complete facts about the household members, here’s how you calculate household size:

      Your household, as shown on your I-864: 1 sponsor + 1 sponsored immigrant = 2.
      Your mother’s household as shown on her I-864: 1 sponsor + 1 sponsored immigrant = 2.

      The fact that you plan to live with your mother in the future does not impact the calculation. Right now you and your mother are not members of the same household.

      Reply
  16. Bouchra Jawad Avatar
    Bouchra Jawad

    Hi Gary,
    I am a US citizen and I filed the form I-130 on the behalf of my mom and dad, their petitions were approved.
    I am a stay at home mom and dependent on my husband’s income, he is willing to be the sponsor for my parents, we filed the I-864 A, but the NVC is asking for the following:

    [x] We received your financial evidence form and/or supporting documents. We found that the sponsor or petitioner’s Form I-864, Affidavit of Support is missing. Please complete and submit Form I-864.

    [x] If you were not required to file a federal income tax return under U.S. tax law, attach a written statement indicating why you did not file Federal income tax returns.

    [x] Your {2014} IRS transcript from the most recent tax year. You can get a transcript on the IRS’s website: https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript. If you cannot get an IRS transcript, please send a photocopy of your federal individual income tax return. If you provide a photocopy, you must include a copy of every Form W-2 and Form 1099 that relates to your return(s).

    [x] Your {2014} IRS tax schedules.

    [x] Your {2014} W-2 forms(s).

    My questions are:
    1- Who needs to fill the form I-864 me the petitioner, or my husband since he is going to be the sponsor?
    2- What are the IRS tax schedules?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Bouchra:

      I understand that your husband filed an I-864A. Nonetheless, as mentioned above, you as the petitioner who filed the Form I-130 are also required to qualify as a “sponsor” and file a Form I-864. The NVC is asking for that.

      Reply
  17. Sankara Avatar
    Sankara

    Hi Gary,

    I am a US citizen. My parents have filed Forms I-485, Applications to Adjust Status, based on approved I-130s I filed for them. I filed Forms I-864 with the I-485s. After graduating medical school, in July 2015 I took a job as a pediatric resident with an annual salary of $56,000.00. With my I-864, I have submitted an official employment letter from the hospital verifying date of employment, nature of my job and annual salary.

    But the USCIS is asking for the following initial evidence as stated here after:

    [1] The petitioner/sponsor on Form I-864 must submit a complete Federal income Tax return submitted to the IRS for the most recent tax year. If you were not required to file a federal income tax return under U.S. tax law, attach a written explanation of why you are not required to file.

    [2] The petitioner/sponsor lists their current income on Form I-864 as an amount to be considered as sufficient; however, no evidence has been submitted as proof of current income. Submit evidence of the petitioner/sponsor’s current income. Such evidences should include: pay stubs for the previous 6 months, evidence of other income, letter of employment containing the following: Dates of employment, Nature of job, Yearly salary earned, Number of hours per week worked, and Prospects for future employment and advancement.

    What do I need to submit to USCIS? In particular, do I need to file Federal income tax returns with IRS? And why is USCIS asking for an employment letter despite the fact that I previously submitted one?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Sankara:

      My understanding from your above comment is that you had very little income prior to July 2015 and that USCIS is seeking further financial evidence from you. I can’t give you reliable legal advice without having interviewed you and reviewed your I-864 and financial evidence. So my only advice is to hire our firm or a competent immigration attorney to give you the legal advice you seek. That said, here’s some general guidelines which may or may not apply to your particular case:

      First, a sponsor is required to have filed tax returns for all three most recent years. (This should include your W-2 and any other pages, sometimes called “schedules,” filed with IRS). Failure to do so will mean that the Form I-864 is insufficient. An exception is that if the individual had no legal duty to file a Federal income tax return, he or she must explain why he or she had no legal duty to a file a Federal income tax return for that year. To check whether one’s income was high enough to require filing a return, a person (or their tax adviser) can check the IRS Form 1040 instructions for the relevant year. Those instructions are available at http://www.irs.gov.

      Second, I know that you submitted a job letter to USCIS and that you’re confused as to why USCIS is asking for another one. Maybe the officer (a) lost your letter, (b) overlooked your letter, (c) believes your letter was insufficient, (d) wants an updated letter, or (e) printed out this request for evidence without proofreading it. Whatever the officer’s rationale, perhaps my advice would be to submit a new letter. Generally speaking, where an officer requests evidence (e.g., a job letter, pay stubs, etc.), and an applicant can provide it, and that evidence helps rather than hurting the case, an applicant should submit it.

      Reply
  18. Arvind Avatar
    Arvind

    Hello
    My wife, the petitioner, is sponsoring her sister. My wife filed tax returns with IRS for 2015, 2013 and 2012. Since she had no income in 2014, she was on my son’s return and was shown as his dependent.

    My question is about Part 6, item 19. What should be 3 Most Recent Tax Years? Can 2014 be skipped and 2013 be shown as 2nd most & 2012 as 3rd most? Your guidance will be helpful. Thanks

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Arvind:

      The context and the related form instructions make clear that a “tax year” doesn’t refer to a year you filed a return, but instead an accounting year (i.e., for almost all individuals, the calendar year).

      Q18 asks: “Have you filed a Federal income tax return for each of the three most recent tax years?

      Q19 asks asks for your income “as reported on my Federal income tax returns for the most recent three years.”

      So, your wife’s most recent accounting years are 2015, 2014, and 2013.

      Since your wife filed no return in 2014, as explained above, she must submit an explanation why she had no legal duty to a file a Federal income tax return for that year.[

      Reply
  19. Isidor Avatar
    Isidor

    Hello Gary,

    I just started a new job 2 months ago. Can I use that income to qualify as a joint sponsor?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Isidor,

      To answer your question, let’s break the question down into 2 parts.

      First, if you want to file the I-864 this year, 2016, you need to calculate what your income will be for this year, ASSUMING that you can continue this employment for the rest of the year. Is it sufficient to meet the minimum household income requirement?

      Second, you need to consider whether you can prove it is REASONABLY LIKELY that you will actually keep the job for the rest of the year. As mentioned in supplementary information from USCIS to its rule on I-864s:

      Suppose, for example, that the sponsor recently started a new job after a long period of unemployment. If the sponsor has a reasonable prospect that the employment will continue, then it may well be that the affidavit of support will be sufficient. If, however, the new position is, by its terms, only temporary or seasonal, it would be reasonable to hold that the income is not sufficient to show that the sponsor can reasonably be expected to be able to maintain his or her household income at the income threshold.

      Reply
  20. Yalonda Avatar
    Yalonda

    Hello Gary,

    I was wondering can child support be counted as income on the I-864 affidavit of support form?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Probably. The I-864 Instructions at 7 (July 2, 2015) state that “If your claimed income includes alimony, child support, dividend or interest income, or income from any other source, you may also include evidence of that income.” Still, that strikes me as odd because child support is not taxable income. IRS Publication 504, Divorced or Separated Individuals (2015). But “income” for I-864 purposes is defined as being taxable income. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.1; I-864 Instructions at 8 (July 2, 2015).

      Reply
  21. Arthur Avatar
    Arthur

    Hi Gary,

    Can someone who was never filling tax returns (he had no legal duty to do so because he was not working) be a joint sponsor? Few weeks ago that person got a first job in the US and is making enough money to meet the minimum household income requirement.

    Basically I want to ask if someone who has no employment history and was not filling taxes so far can be a joint sponsor.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Arthur:

      As mentioned above, if an individual had no legal duty to file a Federal income tax return for a particular year, he or she must explain why. But that doesn’t disqualify the individual from filing an I-864.

      Further, if the individual with no record of employment just got a job, that income can still be used as evidence of the individual’s current individual annual income.

      As mentioned above, if the individual recently started a new job after a long period of unemployment, the immigration official must determine whether the individual has a reasonable prospect that the employment will continue. For example, if the new position is, by its terms, only temporary or seasonal, it would be reasonable to hold that the income is not sufficient to show that the sponsor can reasonably be expected to be able to maintain his or her household income at the income threshold. So the individual should consider providing a job letter, employment contract, and/or other evidence showing that the job isn’t just temporary or seasonal.

      Reply
  22. Tunzala Avatar
    Tunzala

    Hi Gary,

    Can a sponsored immigrant’s assets (e.g., bank deposits) be counted to help meet the minimum income requirement?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Yes, see above.

      Reply
  23. Erler v. Erler: Enforcement of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, Obligations – U.S. & China Visa Law Blog

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    Reply
  24. Angelo Avatar
    Angelo

    Mr. Gary

    My future wife is going to be my sponsor as an American Citizen. The problem here is that she’s been living almost her entire life here in Chile. She does not have a residence there, since she’s been living here. How we can proceed if we want to move there? We are saving money to do that and we both are professionals (pharmacist).

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      See the section above on Re-establishment of Domicile in the U.S. The requirement is that your wife move to the U.S. not later than when you enter the U.S. for the first time with the immigrant visa. What requires further thought is how to prove that in your particular situation–evidence of where she will live, where she will work or go to school, etc.

      Reply
  25. Alejandro Ponce Avatar
    Alejandro Ponce

    Hello,

    What does one need to do if co-sponsor decides to withdraw their affidavit of support before I-485 has been approved? Also, what would one need to do if I-485 has been approved?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Alejandro: A sponsor can withdraw an I-864 only prior to the sponsored immigrant being granted permanent residence through approval of an I-485 or entry to the U.S. with an immigrant visa. Written notice should be provided to the agency where the I-864 is pending. After permanent residence has been granted, it’s too late to withdraw–the sponsored immigrant has already received the benefit, so the sponsor is subject to the I-864 obligations.

      Reply
  26. Dan Avatar
    Dan

    Hello,

    Can a I-864 beneficiary waive their personal rights to sue the sponsor in regards to the I-864 obligations?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      See the section on “Waiver or Indemnification” above.

      Reply
  27. Hasan Rafie Avatar
    Hasan Rafie

    Hi Gary,
    I am a US citizen currently living in Jordan. The U.S. Embassy in Amman has approved the I-130s I filed on the behalf of my wife and two kids (both under 18). They are now applying for immigrant visas.

    I and now receiving lifetime retirement benefits from the social security department, but my annual income is a little short of the minimum required income threshold. My wife is currently working but will be terminating her employment once we get the final immigration approval, at which time she will be entitled to lifetime social security benefits.

    I have assets in Jordan in the form of property (both residential and commercial) with value far exceeding the required 3x the income threshold.

    1. Can I count my Jordanian social security benefits as income?

    2. Can my wife act as joint sponsor?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Hi Hasan,

      1. This is the first time I have considered this question. My preliminary analysis is that foreign social security benefits should count as income to the extent that they are taxable in the U.S. If you are filing your I-864 in 2017, then calculate what your 2017 taxable income from foreign social security benefits will be. Ask your tax advisor for assistance with the calculation.

      2. Your wife can’t be a joint sponsor because she doesn’t meet the requirement of being a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident. But your wife’s income could be counted as a household member, if her income will continue from the same source after becoming a permanent resident. This may not be helpful to you because her foreign employment income will end when she becomes a permanent resident and she hasn’t yet begun receiving Jordanian social security income.

      So you may want to consider relying on you and your wife’s assets. Start by calculating the amount you have in bank or investment accounts. Then, consider using the real estate. See the above article for what evidence you will need of ownership and the value of the real estate.

      Reply
  28. Hasan Rafie Avatar
    Hasan Rafie

    Thank you Gary.This was very helpful

    Reply
  29. Maa Avatar
    Maa

    Hi,

    I am a US citizen. I am trying to provide affidavit of support for a friend who is applying for a green card. He doesn’t have enough income to meet the poverty guidelines. I have been retired for over two years and have zero income except for what I withdraw from IRA and 401-K. I have enough assets to meet the 5X the poverty guidelines and that is what I intend to use to qualify. Do I need to show my income tax copies still even though I am not using income to qualify? Will it be OK to just provide evidence of ownership of enough liquid assets?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Maa: Yes, you must provide tax return transcripts or photocopies, unless you had no legal obligation to file a return, as mentioned in Part 6.1 above.

      Reply
  30. Valeria Avatar
    Valeria

    Hi. I have an A (diplomat) visa. My mother-in-law filed a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for my wife 10 years ago, and the priority date just became current. My and I will be filing Forms I-485, Applications to Adjust Status, with USCIS. My mother-in-law is retired and cannot show proof of income for the I-864. Can my income be counted? As a diplomat, my income is foreign-sourced and is not taxed.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Valeria:

      You are asking a very specific question, so I’ll let you know my first impression, but this is not legal advice. You should discuss this issue in detail with a qualified immigration attorney at our law firm or another.

      A petitioner (such as your mother-in-law) will typically need to file an I-864, even if her income is insufficient. That I-864 will be on behalf of the principal sponsored immigrant (your wife) and any derivatives (you).

      The sponsor’s assets can be counted, as explained above. Also, the assets of the principal sponsored immigrant (your wife) can be counted. Derivatives’ assets (i.e., yours) can be counted if the derivative lives with the sponsor and signs a Form I-864A.

      “Income” from a sponsored immigrant can be counted if the income will continue from the same source after becoming a permanent resident and the income-earner lives with the sponsor.

      I put “income” in quotes above because the definition of the term is limited. The toughest part of your question to answer is whether your employment income as a diplomat, which you don’t pay taxes on, can be counted. As mentioned above, income means the “total income” for purposes of Federal income tax liability. “Total income” is listed Line 22 on IRS Form 1040. Your non-taxable employment income likely wouldn’t be shown there. So it may not count for purposes of the I-864. There are some contrary legal arguments that could be made, but I’ll leave that for a more detailed discussion, which you should have with a qualified immigration attorney.

      Reply
  31. Garrett Avatar
    Garrett

    I filed a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for my wife. I’ll need a joint sponsor to meet the income requirement. Will the joint sponsor need to sponsor just my wife, or me and the children too?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Garrett: No I-864 is required on behalf of a U.S. citizen.

      Reply
  32. Anne Royle Avatar
    Anne Royle

    Hi. My 20-year-old U.S. citizen daughter wants to sponsor her father for U.S. permanent residence. Is this allowed? Also, will my husband recently sold a UK home, and the equity from the sale is being held by the legal department of the real estate who handled the sale until settlement is reached between him and the ex-wife. Since he is an equal owner, can 50% of the equity be listed and qualify as an asset on the I-864? Thank you for your help!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Anne: For a U.S. citizen son or daughter to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, on behalf of a parent, one requirement is that the son or daughter must be at least age 21. As to the proceeds of a home sale, to count as the sponsored immigrant’s asset, he or she would need to submit (among other things) evidence the proceeds can be “readily converted into cash within one year” for purposes of the sponsored immigrant’s support. From the facts you state, it’s not clear whether it can be proven the settlement will be reached within one year.

      Reply
  33. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    Hi Gary,

    I want to petition for each of my parents. I am trying to fill out the affidavit of support. I have filed taxes jointly with my husband, but he does not want any sort of responsibility for my parents. Can I be the sponsor without him, and what type of documents would I then need so as to avoid having to involve him?

    Also, if I have to fill out an I-864 for each parent separately, do I have a household size of 3 or 4? I live with my husband no dependents and no kids just our dog.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Emma:

      Even though your IRS federal income tax return was filed jointly with your husband, still it’s possible for you alone (without your husband) to sponsor your parents. You just need to prove that your income and/or assets alone (without your husband) are sufficient. The tax return(s) and attachments (e.g., Forms W-2) shown to the government should make it clear which income is yours versus which is your husband’s.

      Also, if you sponsor both parents, then your household will be 4. No, you don’t need to count your dog! (ha ha)

      Reply
  34. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    Hi Gary,

    Thank you so much for your assistance. If I may, I’d like to ask one more question:
    On Part 3 would I then also write my other parent’s information under family member ? It says Do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition, so I’m taking that as I would not put anything there.

    Then under Part 5 household size I understand I would write 1 for part 3 # 28 + 1 for myself + 1 for spouse, + ? I don’t know whether to check or not on # 6 -> it says “if our hace sponsored any other persons on form I-864 who are now lawful permanent residents. Well neither parent I am applying for is one yet. So how do I end up with a total household of 4 on the form?

    Once again, Thank you so much for your willingness to assist those who like me as desperately trying to understand these forms and fill them out correctly.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Emma,

      You’ll have a separate I-864 for each parent. In Part 3 of each form, list only the corresponding parent. As it says, “Do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition. Then, in Part 5 of each form you’ll show a household size of 3 (the immigrant you are sponsoring, yourself, and your spouse).

      The form is not well-designed for this scenario. Nevertheless, your true household size will be 4 counting both parents. Here’s how I imagine it: a USCIS officer interviews both parents. The officer approves the mother’s case, at which time she becomes a permanent resident. Then, the officer would note that for your father’s case the family size has increased to 4 because in Part 5 your mother counts as an “other person” you have “sponsored” who is “now” a “lawful permanent resident.”

      In sum, each form that you fill in will show a family size of 3 in Part 5, but for both parents to immigrate, your income/assets need to be sufficient for your true family size of 4.

      Reply
  35. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    Hi Gary,

    My friend has married a U.S. citizen. My friend has asked me if I could file a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, as a joint sponsor. If I do so, would I become responsible to support his U.S. citizen spouse as well?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Paul: No.

      Reply
  36. Megan Avatar
    Megan

    Hi Gary,

    My husband (intending immigrant) is currently working in the US on an L1 visa. His salary supports me (petitioner) and our 2 children, and is well above the required 125% poverty line. Can we simply submit I-864 (me, with almost no income) and I-864A (him, with sufficient income), or will we also need a joint sponsor?

    I haven’t been able to find too much guidance in the case of the intending immigrant spouses using I-864A to fulfill the affidavit of support requirement.

    Thanks

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Megan: My understanding is that you are the I-130 petitioner for your husband and are wondering whether his income can count towards the minimum household income required for the I-864. As mentioned above in Part 5.3, the income of an intending immigrant who is the sponsor’s spouse can count as household income if his income will continue from the same source after becoming a permanent resident. He only needs to sign an I-864A if his income will be used to support accompanying dependents. No I-864A is required for him to count his income for his own case. See 8 C.F.R. 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(C)(3); Form I-864 Instructions at 9 (July 2, 2015).

      Reply
  37. Ryan Jones Avatar
    Ryan Jones

    I am a U.S. citizen, living abroad, and unemployed. I want to sponsor my spouse for immigration. We will marry in July, and our daughter will be born in September. If I then move to the U.S. to establish domicile and start earning an income, will I need to earn the entire 120% of minimum poverty level between September and the end of the year? Or should postpone moving back to the U.S.?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Ryan:

      The first consideration is the timing for filing the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, for your wife. If you file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with a USCIS lockbox, it may be 6 months before you need to file the I-864 (because USCIS first needs to approve the I-130 and forward it to the National Visa Center, at which time you would submit the I-864). If you file the I-130 with a USCIS or U.S. Consulate abroad, then your wife would submit the I-864 within a few months later at her immigrant visa interview.

      If you want to rely on income from your employment to meet the I-864 threshold (as opposed to relying on you and/our your wife’s assets or a household member or joint sponsor’s income or assets), then at the time you file you will need to earn the threshold amount. The form does ask about your “current individual annual income” (Part 6, Item 2) and “current annual household income” (Part 6, Item 15). Yes, those questions refer to the calendar year. But the test for sufficiency of your income is not based on the calendar year. Instead, the question is simply whether your demonstrate the means to maintain your wife at an annual income of at least 125% of the Federal poverty line. 8 C.F.R. 213a.2(c)(2). So if the evidence shows you are unemployed until Dec. 1, 2017, at which time you take a job, then you file an I-864 on Dec. 2, the I-864 will be approved if you demonstrate the means to support your wife going forward, regardless of your total income for 2017.

      Obviously, the timing for your move, the potential separation from your family, and the I-864 strategy are key concerns for you. You may find it worthwhile to consult with our firm or another competent immigration lawyer about this. It may save you money, time, and frustration.

      Reply
  38. Azeem Avatar
    Azeem

    Hi,
    I need to clear some confusion regarding my CR1 application. My wife’s income does not meet the poverty guideline for our family size, so her brother will act as a joint sponsor. Do both my wife and her brother need to fill a Form I-864?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Azeem: Yes.

      Reply
  39. Pearl Avatar
    Pearl

    Hi Gary,

    My uncle filed an I-130 for my father under F4 category and it was recently approved. However, my uncle has become uncooperative with the whole process but he didn’t withdraw the petition, he is just leaving it all up to my father.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Pearl: As mentioned above in Part 4.1, the I-130 petitioner must qualify as a sponsor and submit a Form I-864. It may be time to see if there’s a way to settle any family disputes.

      Reply
  40. Michel Avatar
    Michel

    Hi Gary,

    I am concerned that for my U.S. citizen wife to meet the “domicile” requirement to sponsor me we may need to be apart for a long period of time. We currently live abroad with our children. Is there a period when my wife will need to go to the U.S. before I am able to immigrate?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Michael: Good question. In those particular cases Where the sponsor’s plan for meeting the “domicile” requirement is to re-establish domicile in the U.S., then, as mentioned above in Part 4.5, the sponsor must prove she “will establish a domicile in the United States on or before the date of the principal intending immigrant’s admission” with the immigrant visa. So usually the sponsor just shows she intends to move back to the U.S. with the sponsored immigrant. She proves that, as mentioned above, through any of a number of types of evidence. Most commonly, she shows evidence of where she will live, work, and/or go to school in the U.S. Frankly, consular officers almost always are satisfied by such evidence. In a rare case where the officer is not satisfied during the interview and requests additional evidence of the sponsor’s domicile, the sponsor may actually need to move back to the U.S. to provide even strong evidence to the officer. In summary, it’s very likely that you and your wife will not need to be separated for her to prove domicile.

      Reply
  41. John Avatar
    John

    Hi Gary,

    Thank you for providing such great information. I read that using a joint-sponsor to prove adequate income is frowned upon during the K-1 visa process, as the sponsor would not have the same level of legal commitment as that required during a CR1 application. Do you feel that this is accurate?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      John: It’s true that a Form I-134, used in the K-1 visa process, is not legally binding, so a joint sponsor’s promise to provide support may not strongly influence the officer. It may depend in part on how strong the relationship is between the joint sponsor and the visa applicant. Are they close relatives, or do they barely know each other? In any case, if the petitioner’s I-134 is weak in terms of income and assets, and if the visa applicant shows possible signs of becoming a public charge, there may be no choice other than to seek a joint sponsor.

      Reply
      1. John Avatar
        John

        Hi Gary,

        Great. Thank you for the quick response.

        Reply
  42. Dan OGrady Avatar
    Dan OGrady

    Can an I-864 affidavit of support be withdrawn after an employment authorization document (EAD) is approved by USCIS but prior approval of the Form I-485, Application to Adjust Status??

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Dan: Yes, as discussed above, a sponsor may withdraw an affidavit of support at any point before the intending immigrant is granted permanent resident status

      Reply
  43. Larry Kindred Avatar
    Larry Kindred

    I am completing my I-864. Do I need to count my son in my household size? If I do, I would fall $1500 under the minimum household income level. My son was listed on my 2016 taxes as a dependent. But he stopped being a dependent in August of 2016. He does not live with me. He works for himself. He will not be claimed as a dependent on my 2017 taxes either.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      On the Form I-864, Part 5, in calculating your household size, you are asked to list “dependents.” The statute says the same thing. INA sec. 213A(f)(6)(A)(iii). The instructions state that you “must include each and every person whom you have claimed as a dependent on your most recent tax return.” That tracks the regulations. 9 CFR sec. 213a.1 (definition of household size).

      One option may be to wait a couple months until you have filed a 2017 tax return not listing your son as a dependent. Discuss this and other options with our firm or another competent immigration lawyer.

      Reply
  44. Ricky Avatar
    Ricky

    Hi Gary

    My wife is filing an I-864 for me, and we both currently reside overseas. What should we write in the current annual income question (Part 6, Item 2)? Would that be same as the amount on line 22 of last year’s Federal tax return, her current annual income overseas, or something else? Also, how should we convert the amount to USD?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Ricky: Form I-864 Part 6, Item 2, asks for the sponsor’s “current individual annual income.”

      As mentioned above in Part 5.3 of this article, “income” means the “total income” for purposes of Federal income tax liability. “Total income” is listed Line 22 on IRS Form 1040. But the “current individual annual income” isn’t what’s reported on last year’s tax return; instead, it’s the sponsor’s best estimate of what income she will earn this current year, converted to USD using any reasonable method. In short, your wife will need to estimate what she will later write in the income section of this year’s tax return.

      As mentioned in Part 5.4 of this article, prospective employment in the United States that has not yet actually begun should not be counted.yet actually begun.

      Reply
  45. Michelle D Avatar
    Michelle D

    (1) I only filed a Federal tax return 1 of the last 3 years. Is this a problem?
    (2) Can I use a joint sponsor that owes IRS money?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Michelle D:
      (1) As mentioned in Part 6.1 above, failure to file Federal tax returns for all of the 3 most recent years so render a person ineligible to serve as a sponsor, except that if the individual had no legal duty to file a Federal income tax return, he or she must explain why he or she had no legal duty to a file a Federal income tax return for that year. See Part 6.1 for further details.
      (2) Owing IRS money will not disqualify a person from serving as a sponsor. Still, a person can’t list as an asset property on which IRS has a lien without disclosing that lien. See Part 6.2 above for more about this. More broadly, the government may query whether the sponsor’s income and assets, after deducting the liability to IRS, are still sufficient to support the sponsored immigrant at 125% of the poverty guidelines.

      Reply
  46. Thea Avatar
    Thea

    Hello,

    My boyfriend, an American citizen, has filed a Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) for his father, who lives in Venezuela.

    Me and my boyfriend have talked about moving back to my home country in Europe in about 2 years. If his father immigrates before then, will we still be able to proceed moving to Europe, or will my boyfriend have to stay in the US since he will be the sponsor of his father?

    Thank you for your time!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Thea: As explained in Part 4.5 above, the concept of domicile is related to residence, which is defined by the Immigration and Nationality Act as “the place of general abode; the place of general abode of a person means his principal, actual dwelling place in fact, without regard to intent.” You can think of your residence as the place where you sleep most nights. The key difference between residence and a domicile is that the latter requires an intention to remain for the “foreseeable future.” For example, a student from the United States who is studying abroad may count as “residing” abroad, but if she intends to move back to the United States upon graduation, she may still be “domiciled” in the United States. So if your boyfriend wants to sponsor his father, then your boyfriend at the time of signing the I-864 and at the time his father immigrates must intend to reside in the U.S. for the foreseeable future. One option may be for your boyfriend to put off making plans to move abroad until after his father immigrates. Another option may be for your boyfriend to plan to move abroad only “temporarily” as explained in Part 4.5 above so that his domicile remains in the U.S.

      Reply
  47. Lisa Avatar
    Lisa

    Hello,

    I have been living and working in the UK for the last 6 years, earning well above the required 125% above the FPL. My I-130 for my husband has been approved, and we have our interview at the US Embassy next week. My employment income will not continue once we move back to the US. Will I be able to use my income to be the financial sponsor or will we need to use our assets or find a joint sponsor?

    Many thanks for any advice you can offer.

    Lisa

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Lisa: The I-864 needs to prove that not just now but in the future you will be able to support your husband. See Part 1 above. Since you’re quitting your UK job, you have no direct evidence of your future income. You may be able to rely on your and your husband’s assets, delay the interview until you get a job in the U.S., and/or get a joint sponsor.

      Reply
  48. Debra Ghallab Avatar
    Debra Ghallab

    Hi Gary,
    I sponsored my husbands children. My husband is a U.S. citizen now and his children just became U.S. citizens 7 months ago. We are getting divorced in February. Am I still responsible for the children?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      The obligation as an I-864 sponsor ended when the sponsored immigrants became U.S. citizens. See Part 8.2 above.

      Reply
  49. Breanne Avatar
    Breanne

    Hello,
    Thank you for the helpful information above! I am a U.S. Citizen petitioning for my spouse and have filed an I-130 from outside of the U.S. We live in Canada and will need to re-establish the U.S. as our domicile country. My spouse and I both have foreign earned income which will not count towards qualifying for the minimum requirement on the affidavit of support. Our assests will not qualify either, so we will use a joint sponsor living in the U.S. I’m wondering what to put on the line asking for my current individual annual income. I have been filing U.S. taxes and I could go with my best guess for the current year but if it won’t qualify anyway should I just put “Not applicable” and explain in the additional comment section at the end? Or would it be best to put an actual number there? Thanks for the help!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Breanne: You should still answer the question on the form.

      Reply
  50. Matt Avatar
    Matt

    Hi Gary,

    I am helping my mother complete Form I-864. She gets social security payments every month. At the end of the year she gets an SSA 1099. Can her social security benefits be included in current individual annual income on the I-864?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Hi Matt: As mentioned in Part 5.3 above, only the taxable portion of her Social Security benefits counts as income for I-864 purposes. For help calculating which portion of her benefits are taxable, see IRS Publication 915, Social Security and Equivalent Railroad Retirement Benefits.

      Reply
  51. Ray Avatar
    Ray

    Hello Gary,

    I am graduating from an American university in China this May and would like to bring my spouse back home with me. Do I need to get a job in the U.S. and wait until I’ve filed taxes? I don’t want my family to help with joint sponsorship. My father has a security clearance requirement for his job. Sponsoring his daughter’s Chinese spouse would be bad for that.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Ray: You may be able to file the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, at a USCIS office in China then move back to the U.S. to start a job before your spouse’s immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. It’s unlikely that a consular officer would require that you provide more than one paycheck stub, much less a tax return showing the employment income. As to whether your father would have any issues with his security clearance, he may want to talk with his security officer to learn more.

      Reply
  52. Jack Avatar
    Jack

    Hi: I am a U.S. citizen sponsoring my spouse. I understand that the total value of assets must only be equal to at least 3 times (not 5 times) the difference between the poverty guideline and my income. Does that same 3x test apply if I use a joint sponsor who supplies evidence of his assets?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Yes.

      Reply
  53. Alex Avatar
    Alex

    Hi Gary,

    I am a US citizen petitioning for my spouse. I need to submit my affidavit of support to the NVC. I have a couple of questions:

    1. I am currently unemployed. Can I use the Form I-864 EZ?

    2. I did not file taxes for year 2017. Is that OK?

    3. What is meant by “current individual annual income”?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Alex:

      1. Technically, yes, it is possible to use the Form I-864EZ if you are unemployed. The requirements for using that form are listed above in Part 7.1. Most importantly, “The income you are using to qualify” must be “based entirely on your salary or pension and is shown on one or more Forms W-2 provided by your employer(s) or former employer(s).” So if you have 2017 W-2s that are sufficient, you can use the EZ form. Still, if you are unemployed, you need to consider how you will prove the ability to support the sponsored immigrant in the future. This may involve showing your assets (in which case you can’t use the EZ form) or perhaps getting a joint sponsor. Without such evidence, it’s possible for an officer to determine that you are likely to find a new job and therefore able to support the sponsored immigrant in the future, but not all officers would be so open-minded.

      2. If you are required by law to file a return, you must file it to qualify as a sponsor. See Part 7.1.

      3. For the definition of “current individual annual income,” see Part 5.3.

      Reply
  54. Applying for a B1/B2 (Visitor for Business or Pleasure) Visa as the Spouse of a U.S. Citizen | Chodorow Law Offices

    […] in order to qualify for a green card, still the U.S. citizen spouse must ordinarily prove “domicile” in the U.S., meaning that not later than when the foreign spouse immigrates the citizen […]

    Reply
  55. Vishwa Rajan Avatar
    Vishwa Rajan

    Hi Gary,

    Thank you for the very clear information!

    I plan to be a joint sponsor for my sister, who is immigrating on the basis of marriage to a U.S. citizen.

    I filed taxes jointly with my wife, but my individual income is more than sufficient to sponsor my sister, i.e., over 125% of the poverty guidelines for my household size.

    A. Am I correct that I may omit my wife’s income in Part 6 (items 8-10)?

    B. In Part 6 (item 20) related to “My current annual household income,” should I also omit my wife’s income?

    C. In Part 6 (item 24) When completing the total income amounts for the three most recent tax years, should I also omit my wife’s income?
    Thank you very much!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Vishwa:

      A. Part 6 (starting with item 8) asks about “income you are using from any other person who was counted in your household size). The instructions at page 8 specify that “If your individual annual income listed [is sufficient] you do not need to include any other household member’s income. So you may omit your wife’s income.

      B. Part 6 (item 20) is just the sum total of you and other persons’ income you wish to count in your household size, so again you may omit your wife’s income.

      C. Part 6 (item 24) ask for “my total income … as reported on my Federal income tax returns.” The instructions at pages 8-9 are not super clear about what “my total income” means in the context of a joint tax return. Is it just your individual income or is it the number shown under “total income” in the IRS 1040 line 22 for you and your wife? USCIS and State Department guidance both make clear that you should show the exact number on IRS Form 1040 line 22, not try to calculate which part of that income is yours versus your spouse’s. AFM 20.5(k)(4)(D); 9 FAM 302.8-2(B)(13)(e)(3)(d)(iii).

      Reply
  56. John Hasrouni Avatar
    John Hasrouni

    Hi Gary:

    I am an I-130 petitioner employed abroad. For my I-864, I will rely not on my foreign income but instead on my assets.

    In the I-864, Part 3, item 7 asks for “My current individual income.” Is it ok to list “0” since I am not relying on my employment income for purposes proving my wife is not a public charge?

    Thank you very much for your reply.

    John H.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      John:

      This question on the I-864 doesn’t depend on your strategy. It is a pure factual question asking you to estimate your 2018 income, so in performing that calculation, you should consider all forms of taxable income, including any taxable employment income (after the foreign-earned income exclusion).

      Reply
  57. Fergal Avatar
    Fergal

    Hi Gary,

    I am an LPR currently residing in Ireland with my spouse, who I am sponsoring. However, the NVC will not accept my Irish salary as proof I earn over the 125% poverty level once I return to the U.S. I have a reentry permit expiring March 2020. I am struggling to find a joint sponsor or secure additional assets.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      I sympathize with your situation.

      Reply
  58. Hare Avatar
    Hare

    Hi Gary: My husband is filing a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, for me. In part 6, items 24a,24b and 24c, what income should he record for his “total income … as reported on my Federal income tax returns for the most recent three years”?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Hare: Please see my above answer to Vishwa on this point.

      Reply
      1. Hare Avatar
        Hare

        Thank you so much for the helpful information, Gary. This helps a lot.

        Reply
  59. Chintan Patel Avatar
    Chintan Patel

    Hi Gary,
    My mother has filed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, for me. Its been submitted, and I have received confirmation from NVC, and will be getting interview date soon. Issue is throughout application form, my mother’s name is wrong. In this case, what can we do to correct these basic mistakes ?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Discuss with a lawyer the option of bringing corrected forms to the consular interview.

      Reply
  60. MMK Avatar
    MMK

    Thanks for the helpful post and comments, Gary. I am a “joint sponsor” for a friend to bring over his wife and kids from Ghana. My question is about preventing ID theft: Any other time I’ve copied tax documents to verify income (to secure a lease, e.g.), I’ve always blacked out all or part of the Social Security number. Is that permissible here? I’m reluctant to have hard copies or PDFs of our sensitive information will be floating around domestically and overseas. Are there any steps you can recommend? Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      MMK: Good question. I have seen no guidance from the agency on this point. But here’s one USCIS Administrative Appeals Office decision finding that evidence was weak because the account numbers were redacted: “The photocopies of the credit cards have the cards’ account numbers blacked out so it is impossible to tell if the cards were issued on a joint account.”

      Reply
  61. MMK Avatar
    MMK

    Thanks for your reply.

    Reply
  62. pat Avatar
    pat

    If an illegal immigrant works in the US for a number of years, paying Social Security taxes using their ITIN (because they have no Social Security number), then they later become an LPR, do the SS credits earned with the ITIN count towards termination of the I-864?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Yes, if the SS credits show up on their Social Security statement.

      Reply
      1. pat Avatar
        pat

        Thank you so much for your response Mr. Chodorow, really appreciate it!!

        Reply
  63. Charla Avatar
    Charla

    My husband has a ITIN number and we file taxes together I do not work. I am his petitioner and sponsor for Immigrant Visa. Do I need to file a I-864A for him because the income on the taxes is all his on I-864? I cannot find a straight answer to this on USCIS website and input would help greatly.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Charla: As explained below, no I-864A is required for the intending immigrant’s own case to count his or her own income. But a separate issue if your husband has been working in the U.S. without authorization is whether your husband falsely completed a Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. That could impact eligibility for permanent resident status. I encourage you to consult with our office or another qualified immigration lawyer about that.

      Reply
  64. Allen Avatar
    Allen

    Can a household member (sponsor’s spouse) be rejected because of age on the I-864A. I`m a male age 79 and my wife (the petitioner/sponsor) on the I-864 does not work. I have plenty of income, but I`m concerned that they will reject it because of my age.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Allen: All of us will retire and die some day, at which point our income will likely dry up. Your concern that age could impact whether an affidavit of support is sufficient is rational because the applicant must show that in the “future” they are not likely to become a “public charge.” An officer could consider your age and likely lifespan according to actuarial tables as a factor regarding whether in the “future” the applicant will likely become a public charge. The good news is that in the past I haven’t seen such factors lead to a finding that the affidavit of support is insufficient. The bad news is that now that public charge rules have been revised, it’s too early to know whether many officers will use a household member’s age a negative factor in making that overall determination.

      Reply
  65. Narayanan Satyamurthy Avatar
    Narayanan Satyamurthy

    Hi Gary,

    This is a very useful site. Thank you!

    I am applying for AOS with an approved I-140 under Alien Worker (H1B). My spouse and child are applying with me as Derivative Applicants on I-485. They are currently in the US on H4 Dependent visa. Under the new Public Charge rules, do I need to submit I-864 for them?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      If you are not required to have an I-864 filed on your behalf, neither are your dependents.

      Reply
      1. Narayanan Satyamurthy Avatar
        Narayanan Satyamurthy

        Appreciate your quick response. Thank you!

        Reply
  66. Juan Avatar
    Juan

    Hi Gary,

    I am completing Form I-864, Part 6, Item 24, which asks for “My total income … as reported on my Federal income tax returns for the most recent three years.”

    For 2019 and 2018, my total income was about $38,000. But during 2017, I was studying, and I filed taxes, but I didn’t have any income. Do I put that in blank in letter Item 24? Will that be a problem?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Juan:

      If your 2017 “total income” is listed in your tax return as zero, then that’s what you should write in item 24.

      The good news is that the sponsor’s income requirement doesn’t focus on the past. As described in Part 5.4, the “minimum income requirement” is that your “current annual household income” and your future years’ likely household incomes must be at least 125% of the poverty guidelines for the household size. The sponsor’s three most recent Federal income tax returns are certainly relevant to evaluation to evaluating the sufficiency of future income. But now that you’re no longer a student and have begun employment, the government is likely to believe that your 2018 and 2019 income of $38,000 (and your current income, which I’ll assume is comparable) is more indicative of future income than your past income when you were a student.

      Reply
  67. ciarrai Avatar
    ciarrai

    Hi,

    I have a general question about the i-864ez form. In Part 5 3.b the form asks “Date of Retirement (mm/dd/yy). The question comes directly after 3.a “Name of Former Employer”. Am I correct in assuming this question is asking for the date that I left my previous employment, rather than the date I plan to retire?

    Many thanks!

    Reply
    1. Helen LI (Case Manager) Avatar
      Helen LI (Case Manager)

      The question is only for people who are retired. It inquires about what date they retired.

      Reply
  68. Mayra Avatar
    Mayra

    Hello,

    I have petitioned for my 62-yr-old father. My income alone will not be sufficient for I-864 sponsorship purposes. So my question is:

    1. What form does my U.S. citizen husband fill out to help?

    2. I am due to give birth to a baby in December this year. The case just to the National Visa Center, so my father’s immigrant visa interview my be after the baby is born. How do I calculate my household size?

    3. If I receive Medicaid, will this negatively impact my ability to sponsor my father?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Mayra:

      1. Generally, a sponsor can can count their U.S. citizen spouse’s income as part of their current annual household income if the spouse is at least age 18, has the same principal address, and signs a Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member. If the spouse signs that Form I-864A, the sponsor can also count the spouse’s assets on the sponsor’s Form I-864.

      2. When calculating household size, an unborn child would not be included. The Form I-864 itself does not state that the sponsor has an affirmative duty to update information about their finances or household size after the I-864 has been submitted to the government, but the government may request updated information.

      3. No. See Part 4.4 for a list of the requirements to qualify as a sponsor.

      Reply
      1. Mayra Avatar
        Mayra

        Thank you so much for kindly answering my questions!

        Reply
  69. JL Avatar
    JL

    HI! I filed a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for my husband. I do not qualify to be the sponsor, can my husband who is the intending immigrant be the sponsor/joint sponsor?
    My husband isn’t “domiciled” in the U.S.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      JL:

      No, a family-sponsored immigrant cannot sponsor himself. See Part 4 above.

      However, the sponsored immigrant’s assets can be counted towards meeting the sponsor’s income threshold. See Part 6.2 above.

      And the sponsored immigrant’s income can count towards meeting the sponsor’s income threshold, in certain circumstances. See Part 5.3 above.

      Reply
      1. JL Avatar
        JL

        Very helpful! Thank you so much for your input.

        Reply
  70. SK Avatar
    SK

    Hi Gary,
    Speaking of sponsoring a Nonresident Alien Spouse, will USCIS ask for a copy of the special election that allows to file married filing jointly with the non resident alien spouse?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      SK: Form I-864 Instructions (revised Dec. 8, 2021) require that you “must provide either an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) transcript or a photocopy from your own records of your Federal individual income tax return for the most
      recent tax year.” The regulations further state that if you submit a photocopy you “must also submit … copies of all schedules filed with” the return. 8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(c)(2)(i)(A). The election to treat the nonresident alien spouse as a resident is a statement attached to the Form 1040. Our firm’s practice is to submit to USCIS all statements attached to the 1040 and schedules.

      Reply
      1. SK Avatar
        SK

        Thank you very much for this very insightful reply! I understand that the transcript won’t require the copy of the election. Is this correct?

        Reply
        1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
          Gary Chodorow

          Correct.

          Reply
  71. Timothy Blatch Avatar
    Timothy Blatch

    My spouse (sponsor) recently submitted an I-864 for me (sponsored immigrant) and we received a Request for Evidence -as her income was not above the required level of the poverty guideline it appears. She is a US Citizen while I am a UK citizen. We are both retired.
    She had reported on the form that she received no income and reported assets which she thought adequate.
    She did not report any income on my part however, and we now believe that if we had reported my pensions (issued from the UK) that would have improved her income position as we believe these would be taxable in the US when and if I were approved as PR.
    However, this would require that the original I-864 form she submitted would now need to be revised to reflect this (my) additional income. I cannot find any reference to whether it is permissible to re-submit a revised I-864 form as well as sending in the additional supporting documentation. What is your experience of forms which need revising because of requests for information. Any information you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Yes, a corrected Form I-864 may be submitted to USCIS in response to a request for evidence.

      Reply
  72. James Avatar
    James

    Hello,

    Thank you for providing this helpful information to those of us navigating the immigration system.

    My wife, her daughter (my step-child) and I currently live abroad. We’re applying for their CR-1 and CR-2 visas. For the i-864, since I’m a foreign worker, my income may not count, so I’m planning to show assets as proof of my ability to support them.

    I’m not clear on the regulations on assets for step-children. Is it the same as for children of US citizens? Do I need to show 3 times 125% of the poverty level, or do I need to show 5 times 125% of the poverty level because she is not my biological child and is a step-child?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Stepchildren and biological children are treated the same for purposes of the Form I-864 income threshold–3 x 125% of the Federal poverty guidelines.

      Reply
  73. Javohir Avatar
    Javohir

    My income for the most recent tax year and the second most recent tax year is above the federal poverty guidelines. But the third most recent tax year income is below the federal poverty guidelines. The I 864 form is asking for all three years’ income but is only asking for tax return or transcript for the most recent tax year. Does having income below the federal poverty guidelines for the third most recent tax year disqualify me as being a sponsor?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Javohir: For an I-864 to be approved, the sponsor’s “current annual household income” and future years’ likely household income must be at least 125% of the poverty guidelines for the household size. If the evidence shows that the income threshold for the current year is met, that year’s household income shall be given the greatest evidentiary weight. In other words, the current year’s income is more important than any of the prior years’ incomes shown on your tax returns. See Part 5.4 above for further details on this point.

      Reply
  74. Kim Cisse Avatar
    Kim Cisse

    Why isn’t non taxable income on SSA not included for I864

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Kim: The short answer is that for I-864s the USCIS defines “income” as the “total income” listed on IRS Form 1040, and for the 1040 only taxable SS amounts–not non-taxable SS amounts–count. See Part 5.3 above.

      Reply
  75. Irene Avatar
    Irene

    Hi Gary,
    I’m trying to complete the I-864 as a joint sponsor to my brother’s wife and daughters. I’m an American citizen living in the US and my income is sufficient to support them. my question is do I complete just 1 form for my sister-in-law and nieces or a separate 1 for each since there is a separate I-130 for each? Thank you in advance!

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Hi Irene: See Part 7.2 above for an answer to your question.

      Reply
  76. Immigrant Visa Guide – Chodorow Law Offices

    […] Form I-864, Affidavit of Support: Help Center […]

    Reply
  77. jaz v Avatar
    jaz v

    I am sponsoring my husband’s CR1 visa application. NVC notified me that I am documentarily qualified but that I may need a joint sponsor. My federal income tax returns for 2022 and 2021 are below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines for our household size of 3. For those years, I operated a business. But now I have two jobs with wages above 125%. Will my past tax returns disqualify me?

    Reply
    1. Gary Chodorow Avatar
      Gary Chodorow

      Jaz Z: See Part 5.4 above for information on this point. The current year’s income is most important. Prior years’ income is relevant, but only if it appears to the officer that the sponsor will be unable to maintain his or her current income at a sufficient level.

      Reply

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