On this page
- Short answer
- What is the I-864, and what does the sponsor promise?
- Who must file one?
- How is the income test set (I-864P)?
- What if the sponsor's income isn't enough?
- When does a household member sign I-864A?
- When is a joint sponsor needed?
- Which edition, and what else changed?
- How do you collect signatures from several people?
- Can you prepare these forms for many signers at once?
- Questions people ask
- Sources
Short answer
Form I-864 is a legally binding contract in which a sponsor promises the US government to support an intending immigrant. Most family-based immigrants need one from the petitioner, who must show income or assets of at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines on Form I-864P for their household size (100% for active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child). If that isn't enough, household members can add income on Form I-864A, assets can count, or a joint sponsor can file their own I-864.
Key takeaways
- The petitioner always signs an I-864, even when a joint sponsor is used.
- The income test is 125% of the poverty guidelines on Form I-864P for the sponsor's household size.
- Each household member whose income or assets are used signs a separate Form I-864A.
- A joint sponsor must meet the test alone; there can be no more than two.
- The obligation doesn't end with divorce. It ends at citizenship, 40 quarters of work, death, or loss of permanent residence.
The petition is filed and the relationship evidence is strong. Then you reach the affidavit of support and realise the case now depends on three more people: the sponsor's tax returns, a brother who lives with them, and maybe a family friend willing to be a joint sponsor. Each signs their own form, and each needs their own documents.
This guide explains Form I-864 and its companions, I-864A and I-864P, using the current USCIS instructions. It's general information, not legal or financial advice. An immigration attorney or DOJ-accredited representative can advise on your case.
What is the I-864, and what does the sponsor promise?
It's a contract. The instructions say: "This affidavit is a contract between a sponsor and the U.S. Government. Completing and signing Form I-864 makes you the sponsor." The sponsor agrees to use their resources to support the intending immigrants named on it, if that becomes necessary, and shows they have enough income or assets to do so.
USCIS is blunt about the consequences. If the sponsored immigrant receives certain means-tested public benefits, "the benefit granting agency can request repayment from the sponsor," and if the sponsor doesn't repay, the agency "may sue the sponsor." USCIS adds: "Sponsors should not take on this obligation if they are not prepared to follow through on the financial commitment."
How long it lasts, from the instructions: until the immigrant becomes a US citizen or "can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work," or until the sponsor or immigrant dies, or the immigrant stops being a permanent resident. "Divorce does not end the sponsorship obligation."
Who must file one?
The petitioner, in most family cases. USCIS says most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants need the form. The instructions list immediate relatives of US citizens, all family preference immigrants, K-1 and K-2 entrants adjusting status, and some employment-based immigrants whose relative filed or owns part of the petitioning business.
The sponsor must be at least 18 and domiciled in the US. And, from the instructions: "The petitioning sponsor must sign and complete Form I-864, even if a joint sponsor also submits an I-864."
Some intending immigrants don't need one. The instructions list:
- anyone who has earned, or can be credited with, 40 qualifying quarters of work in the US (including some credit for a spouse's or parent's work)
- a child who will automatically become a US citizen under INA section 320 on admission
- self-petitioning widows or widowers adjusting status based on Form I-360
- self-petitioning battered spouses and children (VAWA) adjusting status based on Form I-360
How is the income test set (I-864P)?
By the poverty guidelines on Form I-864P. The sponsor must show income "at least 125 percent of the current Federal Poverty Guidelines" for their household size. Sponsors on active duty in the US Armed Forces or Coast Guard sponsoring their spouse or child need only 100 percent, but that doesn't apply to joint or substitute sponsors.
The figures change every year and differ for Alaska and Hawaii, so read them from the current I-864P page (opens in a new tab) rather than any blog post.
Household size is where most miscounts happen. From the instructions, it includes the sponsor plus, "no matter where they live":
- any spouse
- dependent children under 21
- any other dependents on the sponsor's most recent federal tax return
- everyone being sponsored on this affidavit
- anyone previously sponsored on an I-864 or I-864EZ whom the sponsor is still obligated to support
Relatives who live with the sponsor (adult children, parents, siblings) can be added only if their income is needed and they sign I-864A.
Evidence for every sponsor, from the USCIS checklist: the most recent federal income tax return with W-2s, every 1099 and schedules, or a statement explaining why no return was required. The sponsor may add the last three years' returns, six months of pay stubs or an employer letter if they help.
What if the sponsor's income isn't enough?
Four routes, which can be combined. The instructions list: income from household members or tax dependents who sign I-864A; the intending immigrant's own income, if it will continue from the same source; the value of assets; or a joint sponsor whose income or assets meet 125 percent on their own.
| Route | Who signs | Key condition |
|---|---|---|
| Household member's income | Each member signs Form I-864A | 18 or older; lives with the sponsor (or is a tax dependent) |
| Intending immigrant's income | Usually no extra form | Will continue from the same source; a non-spouse must live with the sponsor |
| Assets | The sponsor (and any I-864A member using assets) | Convertible to cash within a year; value must meet a multiple of the shortfall |
| Joint sponsor | Joint sponsor signs their own I-864 | Meets the test alone, for everyone they sponsor |
Assets. The total must generally equal at least five times the difference between household income and the guideline. It's three times if a US citizen is sponsoring a spouse or a child 18 or over, and equal to the difference for certain orphans adopted in the US. A car only counts if the sponsor also owns another working car not included.
When does a household member sign I-864A?
Whenever the sponsor uses that person's income or assets. USCIS asks for "a separate Form I-864A for each person whose income you will use", and for each household member using assets other than the intending immigrant's. The member must be at least 18 when signing, and I-864A is filed with the I-864.
I-864A is a contract too. USCIS warns that household members who sign it "agree to use their income to help the sponsor financially support the sponsored alien" and can be asked to repay benefits, or be sued, alongside the sponsor.
Each I-864A member also provides their own most recent federal tax return or IRS transcript, with W-2s and 1099s if it's a copy, plus proof they live with the sponsor and how they're related, where needed.
When is a joint sponsor needed?
When the petitioner can't meet the test even with household income and assets. A joint sponsor files their own I-864, must be "at least 18 years of age, domiciled in the United States," and a citizen, permanent resident or US national, and must be "willing to be held jointly liable with the petitioner." They don't have to be related to anyone.
Rules from the instructions:
- The joint sponsor must meet the income requirement for everyone they sponsor "without combining resources with the petitioning sponsor or a second joint sponsor."
- "There may be no more than two joint sponsors." A second is needed only if the first sponsors some, not all, of the family members.
- The petitioner stays "legally accountable" and still signs their own I-864 with their tax return.
- Joint sponsors provide proof of their own citizenship, permanent residence or US national status.
A substitute sponsor is different: someone who steps in when the original I-130 petitioner has died after approval. The instructions list the relatives who qualify.
Which edition, and what else changed?
Use only the edition on the USCIS I-864 page. In 2026, USCIS issued a new edition and stopped processing the older one after a set date. The current edition also "includes a privacy release that authorizes USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies." A credit freeze can therefore slow things down.
USCIS's advice is that a sponsor with a credit or security freeze "should expeditiously respond to any requests made to release a credit or security freeze." Tell sponsors about this before they sign, so it isn't a surprise.
How do you collect signatures from several people?
Plan it like a small project. List every signer (petitioner, any I-864A household members, any joint sponsor and their household members), the form each signs, and the documents each must supply. Then chase documents first and signatures last, so nobody signs a form with numbers that later change.
A working checklist:
Once complete, USCIS says the sponsor gives the forms and documents "to the immigrant you are sponsoring to file with their Form OF-230 or Form I-485." If the immigrant files the I-485 online, they can upload it as evidence. After filing, a sponsor who isn't a US citizen must report a move within 10 days on Form I-865, per the instructions.
Can you prepare these forms for many signers at once?
Yes, if each signer's details live in one record. Fill each person's I-864 or I-864A from it, send each signer their own draft to check, then collect ink signatures. Keeping household size and income figures in one place stops them drifting between forms.
AppliFlo's PDF & Word forms includes the I-864 and I-864A in its library of 54 official forms, filled from the case record. Sign supports signer roles and signing order, which suits routing each person's draft for review and sign-off with an audit trail. For the forms USCIS receives on paper, print the final versions for handwritten ink signatures.
For where the I-864 sits in the full package, see the family green card forms guide, and the I-130 checklist for the petition that comes first.
Questions people ask
What is Form I-864?
Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, is a contract between a sponsor and the US government. By signing, the sponsor agrees to use their resources to support the intending immigrant if needed. If the immigrant receives certain means-tested public benefits, the agency that paid them can ask the sponsor to repay and can sue if they don't.
Who has to file an affidavit of support?
Most family-based immigrants need one from the petitioner: immediate relatives of US citizens, all family preference immigrants, and K-1 or K-2 entrants adjusting status, plus some employment-based immigrants. Exceptions include immigrants with 40 qualifying quarters of US work, children who automatically become citizens on admission, and self-petitioning widow(er)s and VAWA self-petitioners.
When do I need Form I-864A?
When the sponsor uses a household member's income or assets to meet the income test. USCIS asks for 'a separate Form I-864A for each person whose income you will use.' Household members must be at least 18 when they sign. An intending immigrant whose income is used only completes I-864A if their spouse or children are immigrating with them.
What is a joint sponsor?
A joint sponsor is a US citizen, permanent resident or US national, at least 18 and domiciled in the US, who files their own I-864 when the petitioner's income isn't enough. They needn't be related to anyone in the case. They must meet the income test on their own, without combining with the petitioner, and there can be no more than two joint sponsors.
Which edition of I-864 is accepted?
Only the edition shown on the USCIS I-864 page. USCIS published a new edition in 2026 and stopped accepting the previous one after a set date, so check the edition date at the bottom of every page against uscis.gov/i-864 before the sponsor signs. The I-864A follows the same pattern. All pages must come from one edition.
Sources
- USCIS — I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INAuscis.gov (opens in a new tab)
- USCIS — Instructions for Form I-864 (PDF)uscis.gov (opens in a new tab)
- USCIS — I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Memberuscis.gov (opens in a new tab)
- USCIS — I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Supportuscis.gov (opens in a new tab)
- USCIS — G-1055, Fee Scheduleuscis.gov (opens in a new tab)
