Form I-864: proving your sponsor can support your relative

The I-864 is not just another form in the stack. It's a legally enforceable contract in which the U.S. petitioner — the sponsor — promises to financially support the relative who is immigrating, so that person won't have to depend on government assistance and become what the law calls a "public charge."

Because that promise is the government's safeguard, an Affidavit of Support is required in nearly every family-based green card case — whether your relative is adjusting status from inside the United States or going through consular processing abroad. If the sponsor signs it, the obligation is real and the government can hold them to it.

That's exactly why the income piece deserves care. A sponsor who clearly meets the requirement, with documents that line up, gives the case a strong foundation. A sponsor who falls short — or whose paperwork is inconsistent — is one of the most common reasons a family case stalls or draws a request for more evidence.

Information current as of July 2026. The rules described here are general; the exact dollar figures are set by USCIS and updated every year.

To qualify as a sponsor, your petitioner must generally show household income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size. There's one notable exception: certain active-duty members of the U.S. armed forces who are sponsoring a spouse or child only need to meet 100% of the guidelines.

The poverty guidelines aren't a single number. The figure you have to meet depends on your household size and, in some cases, your state — and the guidelines are refreshed every year. For that reason we don't print a dollar table here that could go out of date. Instead, check the official figures USCIS publishes for the Affidavit of Support:

View the official USCIS I-864P poverty guidelines ↗

To make that concrete: for 2026, 125% of the guidelines for the 48 contiguous states works out to roughly $27,050 for a household of two, $34,150 for three, and $41,250 for four. Alaska and Hawaii run higher.

Figures change every year, and the amounts on USCIS's I-864P page are the ones that control your case — always check the current table before filing.

These two terms sound similar but work differently, and mixing them up is a common slip.

A joint sponsor is a completely separate qualifying person — often a relative or close friend — who steps in alongside the petitioner. A joint sponsor must meet the income requirement on their own, files their own Form I-864, and takes on the very same legally enforceable obligation as the original sponsor. They are not a co-signer in name only; they are fully on the hook.

A household member, by contrast, is someone already in the sponsor's household whose income can be combined with the sponsor's to reach the requirement. That's done with Form I-864A, a contract between the sponsor and the household member. This is useful when, for example, a spouse or adult child living in the home earns enough to close the gap.

Which approach fits — joint sponsor, household member, assets, or some combination — is one of the things we work out with you before anything is filed.

Signing an I-864 is a serious, long-term commitment — and it's worth understanding before anyone signs. The support obligation continues until one of these things happens:

The obligation ends when…	What that means
Citizenship	The immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen
40 work quarters	The immigrant is credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work — roughly 10 years
Permanent departure	The immigrant leaves the United States permanently and gives up residency
Death	The immigrant dies

One point surprises a lot of people: divorce does not end the obligation. If the sponsoring spouse and the immigrant later divorce, the sponsor's promise under the I-864 stays in force until one of the events above occurs. The contract is with the government, not with the marriage.

What if I don't earn enough?

You still have paths forward. The most common is adding a joint sponsor — a separate person who meets the income requirement on their own and signs their own I-864. You may also be able to combine the income of certain household members using Form I-864A, or use significant assets to make up the difference. We figure out which option fits your facts before filing.

Does my spouse's income count?

It can. If your spouse is a member of your household, their income can be combined with yours to reach the requirement using Form I-864A. We'll confirm whether that applies to your situation and prepare the form so the combined income is documented correctly.

Can I use savings or assets?

Yes. When current income alone doesn't reach the requirement, significant assets — such as savings, investments, or property — can be counted to help close the gap. There are rules about how assets are valued and documented, and we walk you through exactly what to show.

Does divorce cancel the affidavit?

No. Divorce does not end the I-864 obligation. The Affidavit of Support is a contract with the U.S. government, and a sponsor's commitment continues until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, is credited with 40 qualifying work quarters, permanently leaves the United States, or dies — regardless of whether the marriage lasts.