See whether your income is high enough to sponsor a family member on Form I-864. The requirement is the same whether they are already in the United States or applying from abroad.
Updated as you type, based on the current USCIS I-864P income table.
When you sponsor a family member for a green card, you promise to support them financially so they will not need public benefits. To back that promise, USCIS asks you to show a minimum income for your household size, and it publishes the exact figures every year on Form I-864P.
The requirement is 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size, published by USCIS each year on Form I-864P. Bigger households need more income. Alaska and Hawaii have their own higher tables. Active-duty sponsors petitioning for a spouse or child only need to reach 100%.
Your household size is you, your spouse, your dependent children, anyone else you claim as a dependent, and the relative or relatives you are sponsoring. A bigger household raises the income you need, so count carefully. The intending immigrant is always included even if they do not live with you yet.
You are not stuck. A joint sponsor can file their own I-864 using their income, a relative in your home can add their income on Form I-864A, or you can use savings and property. Assets generally need to be worth five times the gap, or three times if a U.S. citizen is sponsoring a spouse or child.
The same income test applies on both routes. If your relative is already in the United States, the I-864 is filed with their green card application (Form I-485). If they are abroad, it goes to the National Visa Center before their consular interview. Either way, the income line is identical.
You generally need a household income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size, which USCIS publishes every year on Form I-864P. The exact dollar figure depends on how many people are in your household and whether you live in Alaska, Hawaii, or anywhere else. Enter your details in the calculator above to see the current number for your situation.
Count yourself, your spouse, your dependent children, anyone else you list as a dependent on your taxes, and every relative you are sponsoring on this affidavit. If you have sponsored other immigrants before and that obligation has not ended, include them too. A larger household raises the income you need, so it pays to count accurately.
A low income does not end your case. You have three common ways to make up the difference: bring in a joint sponsor who meets the requirement on their own income and files a separate I-864, add the income of a household member who signs Form I-864A, or use significant assets such as savings or property equity. The calculator shows how big the gap is and how much in assets it would take to close it.
Yes. Assets you could convert to cash within a year, like bank balances, stocks, or the equity in a home, can fill an income gap. As a rule, the assets must be worth five times the shortfall between your income and the requirement. That multiple drops to three times when a U.S. citizen sponsors a spouse or a child. The immigrant's own qualifying assets can count as well.
It does. The Affidavit of Support is required whether your relative adjusts status inside the United States or gets their immigrant visa at a consulate abroad. For consular cases, the I-864 goes to the National Visa Center before the interview. The income line is exactly the same on both paths, which is why this calculator works for sponsors of immigrants who are still overseas.
Yes. If you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and you are sponsoring your own spouse or child, you only need to meet 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines instead of the usual 125%. Set the active-duty question to yes in the calculator and it switches to the lower line automatically.
When the Affidavit of Support is filed together with a green card application (Form I-485) inside the United States, there is no separate USCIS fee for it. For consular processing, the National Visa Center charges a $120 Affidavit of Support review fee, paid once for the case. Neither fee can be covered by a fee waiver.
Immiva is a flat $129 to guide a family green card from the petition through the Affidavit of Support, step by step. That service fee is separate from any government filing fees, which you always pay directly to USCIS or the State Department.