Affidavit of Support for Family Sponsors

When you are applying for immigration through family, it is important to prove that you are not likely to rely on public assistance. To do so, the family members who signed your I-130 petition will need to submit an Affidavit of Support or Form I-864. This document can be quite lengthy, but it is necessary to demonstrate your financial stability and ability to support yourself in the United States.

If you are being sponsored by someone, they will need to fill out Form I-864. This form can be quite long and difficult to understand. However, if you are the only person being sponsored and your sponsor meets the income requirements on their own, they can use a shorter and simpler version of the form called I-864EZ.

Form I-864 is not required for most employment-based petitions or nonimmigrant visas. However, some applicants might need to fill out the shorter Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support.

Support Requirements

Your sponsor must show sufficient earnings or assets to take care of their own family plus you, the immigrant. Every year, the federal government computes and publishes a document called the Poverty Guidelines, which can be found on USCIS Form I864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support (https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p).

A Long Term Commitment

The affidavit is a long-term commitment and is enforceable by the U.S. government for any means-tested public benefits utilized by sponsored immigrant. For short, if the immigrant were to use welfare or specific other forms of public assistance, the government could make the family member who signed the Affidavit of Support pay the money back.

REMEMBER

·         A sponsor’s obligation does not end until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, has earned 40 work quarters, dies, or permanently leaves the United States.

·         A sponsor remains legally obligated even after a divorce.