Affidavit of Support Income Requirements: I-864 Poverty Guidelines 2026

The Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) is one of the most consequential documents in any marriage green card application — and one of the most misunderstood. USCIS denies thousands of petitions annually because sponsors calculated household size incorrectly, used the wrong income figure, or failed to understand what counts as qualifying income. A denial here means a rejected green card and the full cost of refiling.

This is not merely paperwork. The I-864 is a legally binding contract between you and the U.S. government. It survives divorce, bankruptcy, and most life changes — remaining active until the immigrant naturalizes, accumulates 40 Social Security work quarters (roughly 10 years), dies, or formally abandons their green card.

2026 Income Thresholds (125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)

Sponsors must demonstrate annual household income at or above 125% of the HHS Federal Poverty Guidelines based on household size. For a standard sponsoring household:

Military exception: Active-duty U.S. Armed Forces or Coast Guard members sponsoring a spouse or child only need to meet the 100% FPG threshold — not 125%.

Alaska and Hawaii carry substantially higher thresholds due to elevated cost of living. If you live in either state, use the correct column.

How to Calculate Household Size

This is where most applicants go wrong. Household size is not the number of people living in your home — it is a defined legal calculation:

1. The sponsor themselves
2. The sponsor's spouse (if married and living together)
3. All dependents claimed on the sponsor's most recent federal tax return
4. The principal intending immigrant (your foreign spouse)
5. Any derivative applicants immigrating within six months (e.g., children immigrating on the same petition)
6. Any other foreign nationals the sponsor has sponsored on a previously executed I-864 that remains legally active

Notice that #6 includes immigrants you sponsored years ago. If you filed an I-864 for a sibling five years ago and they still hold LPR status (not yet naturalized), they count in your household size — which pushes up your income requirement.

Errors in household size are one of the most common I-864 RFE triggers. An officer who spots a previously sponsored immigrant not included in the count will issue a deficiency notice and reset your processing timeline.

What Income Qualifies

Qualifying income includes all taxable and non-taxable income streams you can document:

• W-2 wages and salary
• Self-employment income (from Schedule C or Schedule F)
• Retirement pension distributions
• Social Security benefits (including SSI income of the sponsor — though means-tested SSI is excluded from the beneficiary's calculation)
• Alimony received

Explicitly excluded:

• SNAP benefits (food stamps)
• Medicaid
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) received by the beneficiary
• TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
• Other means-tested public benefits

USCIS requires proof of income. For employees, this means the most recent federal tax return (1040 with all schedules), W-2 forms, and recent pay stubs. Self-employed sponsors also need their Schedule C and business tax returns for the past three years.

Using Assets to Make Up a Shortfall

If your current income falls below the threshold, you can supplement with assets — but the math is strict.

For a U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse, the liquid asset value must equal at least three times the gap between your income and the required threshold. For example: if the requirement is $25,550 and your income is $20,550, the shortfall is $5,000. You need $15,000 in qualifying liquid assets.

Qualifying assets include:

• Checking and savings account balances
• Stocks, bonds, and mutual fund holdings
• Real estate net equity (documented market value minus outstanding mortgage)

You cannot use retirement account balances locked behind early-withdrawal penalties as liquid assets without strong documentation of actual accessibility.

Joint Sponsors: When You Cannot Meet the Requirement Alone

If the primary petitioner cannot meet the income threshold using income and assets, they must bring in a joint sponsor. A joint sponsor is not a co-signer in the traditional sense — they are taking on a completely independent legal obligation.

I-864 joint sponsor requirements:

• Must be a U.S. citizen or LPR
• Must be at least 18 years old
• Must have a U.S. domicile
• Must meet the income requirement independently — their household size plus the intending immigrant (and any derivatives)
• Must file their own separate, standalone I-864 (not the same form as the petitioner)
• The joint sponsor's obligation is equally enforceable and equally long-lived as the primary sponsor's

A common misconception: the joint sponsor's income is not combined with the petitioner's income to reach the threshold. The joint sponsor must independently satisfy the requirement on their own income and household size. If they do not, they cannot serve as joint sponsor regardless of the petitioner's combined total.

The petitioner must still file their own I-864 even when using a joint sponsor. Both forms are submitted together. Missing either one triggers an RFE.

Multi-Country Note

UK, Canadian, Australian, and NZ citizens sponsoring a U.S. citizen or LPR spouse face the same I-864 rules if the foreign spouse is immigrating to the U.S. The domicile requirement is key — the sponsor must be domiciled in the U.S. or intend to establish U.S. domicile before or simultaneously with the immigrant's admission. Sponsors currently living abroad can still file, but they must demonstrate intent and means to reestablish U.S. domicile.

Getting the I-864 right the first time matters more than most applicants realize. The US Green Card Through Marriage Guide includes a complete walkthrough of the affidavit of support, household size calculation worksheets, and what to do if you are close to the threshold but not quite there — including exactly how to document assets correctly and how to choose and brief a joint sponsor.