What is an affidavit of support?
U.S. citizens and permanent residents (sponsors) who apply for family members to get permanent residence in the U.S. must provide an affidavit of support along with the application for permanent residence. The affidavit of support is an enforceable contract in which the person who signs the affidavit promises to be financially responsible for the immigrant until s/he becomes a U.S. citizen, or until s/he can be credited with 40 quarter years of work (usually this is ten years). The sponsor who signs this contract must show that s/he has income and/or assets that place her or him at or above 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for her/his household size. The form used for the affidavit of support is I-864. The federal poverty guidelines are posted on form I-864P, available at http://www.uscis.gov/ (click on “Immigration Forms”).
US citizens and permanent residents (sponsors) who apply for family members to get permanent residence in the US must provide an affidavit of support along with the application for permanent residence. The affidavit of support is an enforceable contract in which the person who signs the affidavit promises to be financially responsible for the immigrant until s/he becomes a US citizen her or himself, or until s/he can be credited with 40 quarter years of work (usually this is ten years). The sponsor who signs this contract must show that s/he has income and/or assets that place her or him at or above 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for her/his household size. The form used for the affidavit of support is I-864.
• Who is eligible to be a sponsor ? • Are medical examinations required for the immigrant visa? • Are there limitations to the number of immigrant visas ? • Once a visa is applied for, is it guaranteed that it will be issued ? Q: How many categories of family based immigration are there? A: The Immigration and Nationality Act allows for the immigration of foreigners to the United States based on relationship to a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. Family-based immigration falls under two basic categories: unlimited and limited. Return to index . . . Q: What is “unlimited family-based immigration”? A: For immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (“IR”): The spouse, widow(er) and unmarried children under 21 of a U.S. citizen, and the parent of a U.S. citizen who is 21 or older are eligible for immigration. For returning residents (“SB”): Immigrants who lived in the United States previously as lawful permanent residents and are returning to live in the U.S. after a temporary visit of m
