2025 Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support (I-864)

 

To sponsor a family member for U.S. immigration, one must provide proof of financial support and execute a document called Affidavit of Support (Form I-864). This document is an agreement between the sponsor and the U.S. government certifying that the sponsor agrees to provide financial support for the immigrant beneficiaries and also that the sponsor has sufficient resources to do so.

So, how much money is required to sponsor somebody for U.S. immigration? Every year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) publishes the poverty guidelines for mainland America and also Alaska and Hawaii. For U.S. immigration purposes, the sponsor's household income must generally be at or above 125% of the U.S. poverty line for their particular household size. The latest poverty guideline for 2025 has been published just now in mid-January. Let's take a closer look to see how it works. 

For example, as shown by the 2025 guidelines below, for a household size of 3, the sponsor's annual income must be at least US$33,313 in most states and U.S. territories except Alaska and Hawaii, which have higher income requirements. The household size includes the total number of immigrants being sponsored and also the sponsor and his/her dependents.

Size of Household	48 Contiguous States,D.C., U.S. Virgin Islands,Guam & CNMI	Alaska	Hawaii
125% of Poverty Line (U.S. dollars)
2	26,438	33,038	30,400
3	33,313	41,638	38,313
4	40,188	50,238	46,225
5	47,063	58,838	54,138
6	53,938	67,438	62,050
7	60,813	76,038	69,463
8	67,688	84,638	77,875
	Add $6,875 for each additional person	Add $8,600 for each additional person	Add $7,913 for each additional person

Normally, the petitioner must act as the sponsor in the I-864 form.  If the petitioner's income level is insufficient, a joint sponsor may provide additional financial support.  Both the petitioner and beneficiary may also use their assets such as real estate, stocks, bonds, cash, etc., to meet the I-864 requirements. 

The financial sponsor must be either a U.S. citizen or legal resident. Further, the sponsor must be domiciled in the United States. It means that the sponsor must regard the United States as his or her permanent home.  

Meeting these criteria is essential for a successful immigration process. If you have any questions regarding the financial support requirements for the green card process, it's advisable to contact an experienced immigration lawyer.

(Immigration laws and policies change regularly.  If you have any questions regarding this article, please visit www.1visa1.com to schedule a legal consultation.)