If you're helping a family member immigrate to the United States, there's a good chance you’ll need to complete Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. This critical form is the government’s way of making sure new immigrants won’t become a financial burden on the public.
Many immigration attorneys consider the Affidavit of Support to be one of the most difficult U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) forms to prepare. USCIS routinely rejects Form I-864 or issues a Request for Evidence (RFE) as a result of incorrectly prepared Affidavits of Support. This is significant. That’s because the intending immigrant’s green card application will be denied if the I-864 does not meet the requirements. In fact, an insufficient (or poorly prepared) I-864 is one of the most common reasons for a green card denial.
Form I-864 Explained
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, is a contract between a sponsor (typically the petitioner) and the U.S. government. By signing the form, the sponsor promises to financially support the immigrant beneficiary if necessary.
Immigration officers require this form for most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants. The idea is simple: the U.S. government wants to make sure new immigrants won’t rely on public benefits and have a financial safety net through the sponsor.
Without a sufficient form I-864, Affidavit of Support, the green card will not be granted. It's a vital part of the process to remove the public charge grounds of inadmissibility.
Download an Affidavit of Support Sample
Seeing a completed Affidavit of Support sample can help you understand how the form is filled out. Accordingly, we've provided an example (using a hypothenical sponsor) that reflects a typical Form I-864 prepared through CitizenPath.
Remember, this sample is just for reference. Each case is different, so be sure to prepare your own Form I-864 based on your actual income, household size, and circumstances. The remainder of this article describes the preparation of your affidavit and refers to this sample I-864.
Determining Affidavit of Support Household Size
Before assessing if your income is sufficient to sponsor the intending immigrant, calculate your household size. This includes yourself, any existing dependents, and any immigrants you intend to sponsor. Consider your children and any other dependents in your household. Essentially, anyone you can claim as a dependent on your income tax return should be included in your I-864 household size.
If you wish to include their income, you may also account for non-dependent relatives living with you, such as:
- Parents
- Siblings
- Adult children (age 21 or older)
However, include non-dependent relatives only if you intend to count their income to meet the income requirements. CitizenPath will assist you in making this determination when calculating Affidavit of Support income.
In the Affidavit of Support sample, the sponsor has a household size of eight members, including the sponsor, sponsor’s spouse, sponsor’s two children, a dependent parent, principal beneficiary, beneficiary’s spouse (derivative beneficiary), and the beneficiary’s child (derivative beneficiary).
Determining Current Income on Form I-864
Generally, your household income must be at least 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines to sponsor someone for a green card. This ensures you can financially support the intending immigrant and that they won’t rely on public assistance. If you're active-duty military and sponsoring your spouse or child, the requirement is only 100 percent of the poverty level.
What Counts as "Income"?
Your current annual income is what matters most — not just last year’s tax return. If you have one job, simply project what you’ll earn this year, including regular wages, bonuses, and overtime if it's consistent.
For most people, typical incomes comes from:
- Wages or salary
- Self-employment income
- Retirement or pension income
- Alimony or child support
- Dividends and rental income
Other sources of income may qualify. However, don’t include public benefits like SNAP (food stamps), Medicaid, or SSI. These don’t count toward your income.
Federal Poverty Guidelines
Once you have your current annual income, you will need to compare it to the federal poverty guidelines to determine if it is sufficient to be a sponsor. The required income for your situation depends on three factors:
- Your household size;
- State or U.S. territory where you reside; and
- Your military status.
CitizenPath automatically calculates this for you based on your answers. But if you want to check manually, you can refer to the current year’s Form I-864P, which lists the poverty guideline tables.
Sample Form I-864 Demonstrates Income Qualification
In the Affidavit of Support sample, the sponsor has a household income of $89,650. Based on the table in the federal poverty guidelines, this income is more than 125 percent of the poverty guidelines for a household of eight in the state of California. If the sponsor’s wife also has separate income, she could act as a household member with contributing income. A household member generally must submit Form I-864A along with the principal sponsor’s I-864. CitizenPath’s software will also help you navigate this supplemental form (I-864A) for household members.
Affidavit of Support Sample Cases
Understanding how to meet the income requirement can be tricky, especially when household size or income sources vary. To help you get a better sense of how this works in real life, we’ve included a couple of common examples. These scenarios show different ways sponsors meet the Form I-864 income guidelines — whether through personal income, household members, or using a joint sponsor.
Example 1
Joseph petitioned his foreign spouse for permanent residence and is now preparing Form I-864 to sponsor her. Joseph was unemployed for the first six months of the year, but started working at a job on July 1 that pays an annual salary of $50,000. He does not expect to earn income from any other sources, and he is planning to work for this employer indefinitely. Joseph’s current individual annual income is $25,000 (not $50,000) because that is the amount of income he is anticipating earning in the current year (January through December).
Example 2
Pascual filed a petition to help his parents immigrate to the United States. His parents are now applying for an immigrant visa at the U.S. embassy, so he’s completing Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, for each parent. Pascual is a bartender who also has a graphic design business on the side. In determining his income, he can use his wages, tips and business income. If Pascual counts all of the tips he earns from bar tending and counts the cash he gets from graphic design jobs, he would make enough to sponsor his parents. Unfortunately, Pascual has under reported this amount on previous years’ tax returns. In fact, based on last year’s tax returns, Pascual would not qualify as a sponsor. In this Affidavit of Support sample case, Pascual's parents would benefit from obtaining a joint sponsor. The joint sponsor will submit a second Form I-864.
How CitizenPath Helps with Form I-864
CitizenPath makes it easy and affordable to prepare Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. Our Affidavit of Support Package helps sponsors prepare the form accurately and quickly by guiding them through each question with plain-language explanations.
Here’s how it works:
- Answer simple questions — no confusing legal jargon
- Get real-time alerts — avoid common errors and omissions
- See if your income qualifies — our system automatically calculates based on your answers
- Receive custom filing instructions — including a checklist of supporting documents for your situation
Our I-864 service is free to try. You only pay when you're ready to print. And we back every form with a money-back guarantee if USCIS denies it due to an error made by our system.
Take the Stress Out of Form I-864
Filing Form I-864 is a serious responsibility, and an Affidavit of Support sample can only take you so far. Mistakes on this form can delay a green card application or even result in denial. You don’t have to figure it out alone. That’s why thousands of people trust CitizenPath to get it right. With CitizenPath, you can file with confidence — without paying expensive attorney fees.
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