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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Fill out Form I-864 online

Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA

Form I-864 is a contract between a sponsor and the U.S. Government. The sponsor shows that their income, and assets if needed, are enough to support the intending immigrants named on it, and agrees to support them if it becomes necessary. Most family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants need it to get an immigrant visa or a Green Card.

Fill out Form I-864Blank form from the USCIS

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Edition
Edition 08/24/26
Pages
12
Fillable fields
219
Checked against the USCIS
November 8, 2026

GuruPDF is not affiliated with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This page explains the form in plain words; it is not legal or tax advice. Always check the official instructions before you file.

Who uses Form I-864

  • Petitioners who filed or are filing Form I-130, I-129F, I-600 or I-800 for a relative, fiancé(e), orphan or Convention adoptee
  • U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident relatives who filed Form I-140 for a family member, or who own at least 5 percent of the business that filed it
  • Joint sponsors, when the petitioner cannot meet the income requirement; each joint sponsor must qualify without combining income with the petitioner or another joint sponsor
  • Substitute sponsors, when the I-130 petitioner died after the petition was approved
  • Interpreters and preparers who help the sponsor and complete Parts 9 and 10

Before you start

  • Your U.S. Social Security number (required), date and country of birth, and your A-Number or USCIS Online Account Number if you have one
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship, U.S. national status or permanent residence if you are a joint sponsor, substitute sponsor or relative of an employment-based immigrant (petitioners who already sent proof with the petition do not need to send it again)
  • Your Federal income tax return or IRS transcript for the most recent tax year; with a photocopy of the return, include every W-2, 1099 and schedule you filed
  • Names, dates of birth and any A-Numbers of the principal immigrant and each family member you are sponsoring
  • The people who count in your household: spouse, dependent children, other tax dependents, and anyone you sponsored before and still must support
  • A Form I-864A from each household member whose income or assets you will count (an intending immigrant whose income you use needs one only if their spouse or children immigrate with them), and evidence of any assets you list in Part 7

How to fill out Form I-864

  1. Part 1. Basis For Filing Affidavit of Support

    Select only one box. Item 1.a is for the petitioner. Item 1.b is for a relative who filed an alien worker petition (Form I-140), and Item 1.c is for a relative who owns at least 5 percent of the business that filed it; both ask how you are related, and 1.c also asks for the business name. Item 1.d is for the only joint sponsor, Item 1.e for the first or second of two joint sponsors, and Item 1.f for a substitute sponsor, who states their relationship to the intending immigrant.

  2. Part 2. Information About You (Sponsor)

    Give your full legal name and mailing address (Items 1-2), and your physical address if it is different (Items 3-4). Item 5 is your country of domicile; if you live outside the United States but claim U.S. domicile, attach an explanation and evidence. Items 6-11 ask for your date and country of birth, Social Security number, immigration status, A-Number and USCIS Online Account Number. Item 12, for petitioner sponsors only, asks whether you are on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Coast Guard.

  3. Parts 3 and 4. The immigrants you are sponsoring

    In Part 3, Items 1-7, give the principal immigrant's name, mailing address, country of citizenship, date of birth, A-Number, USCIS Online Account Number and daytime phone number. In Part 4, Item 1 asks whether you are sponsoring the principal immigrant. Select Item 2 for family members immigrating at the same time or within six months of the principal immigrant, or Item 3 for family members immigrating more than six months later, and list up to four of them in Items 4-7. Use Part 11 for more.

  4. Part 5. Sponsor's Household Size

    Item 1 is the number of immigrants you are sponsoring on this affidavit. Item 2 is you, already filled in as 1. Items 3-7 count your spouse, dependent children, other dependents, people you sponsored before and still must support, and relatives at your home who combine their income with yours on Form I-864A. Add them in Item 8. Do not count anyone twice; enter 0 for a person already counted in Item 1.

  5. Part 6. Sponsor's Employment and Income

    Items 1-6 ask whether you are employed (with up to two employers), self-employed, retired or unemployed. Item 7 is your current individual annual income. Items 8-11 list any household members whose income you are using, and Item 12 is the total household income, which is compared to the Federal Poverty Guidelines on Form I-864P. Items 13-14 state whether those people completed Form I-864A. Item 15 asks if you filed Federal returns for the three most recent tax years, Items 16.a-16.c give the tax year and total income, and Item 17 is for a sponsor who was not required to file.

  6. Part 7. Use of Assets to Supplement Income

    Complete this part only if you need assets because your household income does not meet the income requirement for your household size. Items 1-4 are your own cash, real estate and other assets, Item 5 is the total assets of household members from their Forms I-864A, Items 6-9 are the principal immigrant's assets, and Item 10 is the total. Only assets that can be turned into cash within one year without considerable hardship or financial loss count, and you must attach evidence of ownership and value.

  7. Parts 8 to 11. Contract, signatures and extra space

    Read the sponsor's contract in Part 8 before you sign. In Item 1, select A if you read and understand English or B if an interpreter read the form to you, and name the language. Select Item 2 if a preparer helped, give your phone numbers and email in Items 3-5, and sign and date in Item 6. An interpreter completes Part 9 and a preparer completes Part 10. Use Part 11 for answers that do not fit, giving the page, part and item number, with your name and A-Number at the top and your signature and date on each extra sheet.

After you fill it out

Give the signed form and supporting documents to the immigrant you are sponsoring, who files them with their Form I-485 or Form OF-230. If the National Visa Center sent you this form, follow the instructions it gave you. When Form I-485 is filed online, the I-864 and its documents can be uploaded with it as evidence; for a paper filing, check the address on the USCIS lockbox filing locations chart. Check any fee on the USCIS Fee Schedule, or on the State Department's visa fees page for cases filed with the Department of State.

Signing: Print the form and sign Part 8, Item 6 by hand in black ink; USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name and rejects an unsigned form. A photocopy, fax or scan of the original hand-signed form is valid for filing.

Watch out for

  • Since Oct. 1, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864. All 12 pages must be from the same edition, with the edition date and page numbers visible at the bottom of each page.
  • Signing creates a legally binding contract. If the person you sponsor receives means-tested public benefits, the agency that paid them can ask you to repay the cost and can sue you if you do not. Divorce does not end the obligation.
  • USCIS lockboxes require the sponsor's family name, address, Social Security number and signature. A form without them may be rejected.
  • This edition authorizes USCIS and the State Department to get your credit reports. If you have a credit or security freeze, respond promptly to any request to release it, or the review of your affidavit may be delayed.

Questions about Form I-864

How much income does a sponsor need?

Generally at least 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size, or 100 percent if you are the petitioner on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. Coast Guard and are sponsoring your spouse or child. The current figures are on Form I-864P, which USCIS updates every year.

What is a joint sponsor?

A U.S. citizen, U.S. national or permanent resident who is at least 18, domiciled in the United States and willing to be jointly liable with the petitioner for the immigrant's support. A joint sponsor does not have to be related to anyone in the case and must meet the income requirement for everyone they sponsor without combining income with the petitioner or a second joint sponsor. There can be no more than two, and the petitioner must still submit their own signed Form I-864.

When does the sponsor's obligation end?

It ends when the sponsored person becomes a U.S. citizen, has or can be credited with 40 quarters of work under the Social Security Act, loses permanent resident status and leaves the United States, gets a new adjustment of status in removal proceedings based on a new affidavit, or dies. It also ends if the sponsor dies, although the estate may owe support that was already due. Divorce does not end it.

Do I need a separate Form I-864 for each family member?

Each intending immigrant needs a Form I-864. For a spouse or children on the same petition who immigrate with the principal immigrant or within six months, a photocopy of the original affidavit is enough, without copies of the supporting documents. Relatives on different petitions, such as two parents, each need their own original affidavit.

What if I move after signing?

The contract in Part 8 says you must file Form I-865, Sponsor's Change of Address, within 30 days of any change of address while your obligation lasts, and a fine can apply if you do not. Do not file Form I-865 together with Form I-864. A permanent resident sponsor must also report the move under the general USCIS change of address rule, within 10 days.

Official information

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

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