Poverty Guidelines for 2012 for Affidavit of Support of Immigrants

There are many legal requirements for a foreigner who wants to become a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States.  One of which is proof that the intending immigrant will not become a financial burden of the United States.   In all family-based petitions, the petitioner must promise under oath that the beneficiary immigrant will not become a financial burden of the U.S. by completing a Form I-864, Affidavit of Support.  The only exception is if the beneficiary has already completed 40 quarters of work in the U.S.  The petitioner (also the financial sponsor) must demonstrate in Form I-864 an income of at least 125 percent of the current poverty level for the his household size, including the immigrants and their dependents. 

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If the petitioner cannot meet the I-864 requirements, another person may act as a joint sponsor and complete his or her own Affidavit of Support.  Both petitioner and the beneficiary may also use their assets such as real estate, stocks, bonds, cash, etc., to meet the I-864 requirements. 

Every year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes the poverty guidelines for the public. The 2012 guidelines have just been published, and they are listed below.

(For more recent updates, visit 2014 and 2015 guidelines. )

Size of Household	48 Contiguous States, D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam & CNMI	Alaska	Hawaii
125% of Poverty Line
2	18,912	23,650	21,762
3	23,862	29,837	27,450
4	28,812	36,025	33,137
5	33,762	42,212	38,825
6	38,712	48,400	44,512
7	43,662	54,587	50,200
8	48,612	60,775	55,887
	Add $4,950 for each additional person	Add $6,187 for each additional person	Add $5,687 for each additional person