Form I-864

Form I-864 demonstrates that the sponsor can financially support the newcomer. In addition, the sponsor must submit copies of their most recent tax returns, W-2s, and 1099s. They must also submit proof of their assets, such as stocks, bonds, and real estate. They must sign the affidavit in black ink to make it acceptable to USCIS. In order to sponsor a green card applicant, the financial sponsor must earn at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the year in which they are filing an Affidavit of Support. The minimum income requirement applies to both individual and joint sponsors. A sponsor must have sufficient income to support the immigrant visa applicant for at least three years after their arrival in the United States.

If a sponsor does not meet the income requirements, they can find another person to be a joint sponsor with them. However, the new financial sponsor must meet all of the requirements of a sponsor, including citizenship, age, residence, and income. Joint sponsors are not allowed to combine their incomes to sponsor more than one person. In addition to the income requirement, the National Visa Center (NVC) must pay a sponsorship fee. The sponsorship fee is separate from the filing fee for the immigrant visa application. The NVC will review the I-864 and other supporting documents for completeness. Any missing or inaccurate information can delay the processing of the visa application. The NVC may request more information from the sponsor or joint sponsor. They may also ask the sponsor to provide additional evidence to establish their ability to support the visa applicant.

If you are unable to meet the income requirement for an affidavit of support on your own, you may choose to use a joint sponsor. A joint sponsor is a person who files a separate I-864 Affidavit of Support alongside the primary sponsor. The joint sponsor can be either a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident. In addition to meeting the income requirements, a joint sponsor must agree to assume liability for the financial well-being of the immigrant. This is a critical part of the process and should not be taken lightly.

How to Fill out Form I-864?

Form I-864 is long ( 11 parts and 10 pages) and may take hours to complete. Here is a summary of what you should do to complete an I-864:

Part I: Basis for Filing Affidavit of Support

• In this part, you need to check a couple of checkboxes to report your sponsorship status.
• You also need to complete the mailing address section.
• Complete other info (country of citizenship or nationality, date of birth, etc.)

Part II: Information About the Principal Immigrant

• Enter Principal Immigrant info (names) here.

Part III: Information About the Immigrants You Are Sponsoring

• This section takes a whole page and allows you to complete sections about up to 5 family members.

Part IV: Information About You (Sponsor)

• In this part, enter your name, mail address, physical address, and other information like country of domicile, date of birth, SSN, Citizenship, and USCIS Account Number (if any).

Part V: Sponsor’s Household Size

Part VI: Sponsor’s Employment and Income

• This part requires you to enter information related to your employment status. These include your employers or your status as self-employed.

Part VII: Use of Assets to Supplement Income

Note: You can skip to Part 8 if your income, or the total income for you and your household, from Part 6, Item numbers 20. or 24a, – 24. c. exceed the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size.

• Enter your assets here (Optional)

Part VIII: Sponsor’s Contract, Statement, Contact Information, Declaration, Certification, and. Signature

This part of the form gives information about what could legally happen if you sign it. Here are some of the questions asked and answered in this part:

• What is the legal effect of my signing Form I-864?
• What if I choose not to sign Form I-864?
• What does signing Form I-864 Require me to do?
• What other consequences are there?
• What if I do not fulfill my obligations?
• When will these obligations end?

Part IX: Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature.

• This part includes sections that require the filer to provide info about the interpreter.

Part X: Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature of the Person Preparing this Affidavit, if Other Than the Sponsor

• This part includes sections that require the filer to provide info about himself/herself.

Part XI: Additional Information

You must use this part when required to provide any additional information within this affidavit.