What Is The Income Requirement For A Green Card Sponsor?

The income required of a green card sponsor is calculated by year. $22,887 a year is the most common amount of money that a person needs to be a green card sponsor. This amount of money is for someone who is not an active duty member of the military. This amount also is accurate if the sponsor is only sponsoring one person.

If you are filing an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) you may need to provide some documents. The following are some examples of documents that may need to be submitted by sponsors:

• Copy of your individual federal income tax returns for the last 3 tax years.
• W-2s for the most recent tax year. Or, If you don’t have W-2s, you must provide a statement, or evidence explaining why you didn’t file.
• Any other evidence of reported income for the last 3 tax years.
• Pay stubs from the most recent six months.
• A letter from your employer if you believe any of these items will help you qualify.

According to USCIS, if you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit an English translation. To guarantee that your I-864 is processed quickly it helps to use a certified translator.

You can order a certified translation of these documents from our online store:

Order Your Certified Translation

In this guide we answer many questions about the income requirements for a green card sponsor:

• What Is The Minimum Income Required Of A Green Card Sponsor?
• Minimum Annual Income For Non-Military Sponsors in 2022.
• Minimum Annual Income For Military Sponsors in 2022.
• How Do I Count The People In My Household?
• What Qualifies As A Source Of Income?
• Can I Count The Yearly Income And Assets Of Relatives In My Household?
• Can I Count The Yearly Income Of People Who Are Not In My Household?
• Can I Count Yearly Income Of The Person I Am Sponsoring?
• What If My Income Is From A Foreign Country?
• Can I Include My Assets If My Income Is Not Enough?
• Can I Count My Relative’s Foreign Assets?
• What Is Five Times The Difference Between the Sponsor’s Income and The Minimum Income Requirement?
• Where Can I Get a Certified Translation?

What Is The Minimum Income Required Of A Green Card Sponsor?

If someone is planning to immigrate to the U.S. and apply for a green card, they need to have a financial sponsor. The sponsor agrees to financially support the person applying for the green card by signing an Affidavit of Support.

The minimum amount of money a sponsor needs to make depends on three things:

• The state the sponsor lives in.If the sponsor lives within the 48 continental United States, the Federal Poverty Guideline is different from Hawaii and Alaska. USCIS outlines the financial requirements depending on which state the sponsor lives in.
• How many dependents live with the sponsor.For each dependent living with the sponsor, the sponsor needs to have a higher income. USCIS outlines the financial requirements depending on how many people live with the sponsor.
• If the sponsor is active duty military. If the sponsor is active duty military, their income only needs to be 100% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guideline. If they are not active duty military, the sponsor’s income needs to be 125% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guideline.

Minimum Annual Income For Non-Military Sponsors in 2022

• In the 48 continental states, D.C., and U.S. territories add $5,900 for each additional person.
• In Alaska add $7,375 for each additional person.
• In Hawaii add $6,787 for each additional person.

Minimum Annual Income For Military Sponsors in 2022.

• In the 48 continental states, D.C., and U.S. territories add $4,720 for each additional person.
• In Alaska add $5,900 for each additional person.
• In Hawaii add $5,430 for each additional person.

How Do I Count The People In My Household?

The number of people in your household includes the following:

• The Sponsor.
• The Sponsor’s spouse.
• The green card applicant (this could be any relative of the sponsor).
• Unmarried children under the age of 21.
• Any person the sponsor claims as a dependent on their tax return.
• Any other person coming to the U.S. with the green card applicant (this could be their children, or relatives).
• Any other person the sponsor financially supports with an Affidavit of Support.

What Qualifies As A Source Of Income?

Usually, a sponsor’s yearly income is the same amount of money they reported to the IRS in their most recent federal income tax return. This can include wages, salaries, commissions, fees, tips, fringe benefits, stock options, retirement benefits, alimony, child support, dividends, and any other legal income.

Can I Count The Yearly Income And Assets Of Relatives In My Household?

Yes. If the sponsor cannot meet the minimum yearly income mentioned above, they can include the income and assets of relatives in their household under these conditions:

• The relative must be related to the sponsor by birth, marriage or adoption.
• The sponsor must have listed the relative as a dependent on their most recent federal tax return, or
• The relative must have lived with the sponsor for the last six months.
• The relative must consent to their income being counted. To prove that they agree to having their income or assets counted, they must fill out Form I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member.

Can I Count The Yearly Income Of People Who Are Not In My Household?

If the sponsor and their household cannot meet the income requirements, they can use a joint sponsor. The joint sponsor’s income must be at least 125% of the U.S. Federal Poverty Guideline on their own. They cannot combine their income with the sponsor.

The joint sponsor needs to be a U.S. citizen or green card holder. The joint sponsor does not need to be related to the person immigrating. The joint sponsor does not need to live with the sponsor but they must live in the U.S. or a U.S. territory. The joint sponsor will have to file a separate Affidavit of Support than the original sponsor.

Can I Count Yearly Income Of The Person I Am Sponsoring?

The income and assets of the person applying for a green card can be counted under 3 conditions. First, they must be the sponsor’s relative. Second, the immigrant’s source of income must remain the same after they obtain their green card. Third, the immigrant must live with the sponsor.

What If My Income Is From A Foreign Country?

Sponsors who live outside the U.S. and are employed outside of the U.S. can only count their income under a few circumstances.

• The sponsor must prove they will continue to have this source of income after they arrive in the U.S. or,
• The sponsor must prove their new source of income meets the minimum income requirements.

Can I Include My Assets If My Income Is Not Enough?

If the sponsor cannot meet the income requirements by using their own income and the income of the members of their household, they can count their assets. These other assets are things like money in savings accounts, stocks, bonds and property.

To calculate the worth of assets, the sponsor must first subtract their household income from the minimum income requirement. This will give them the difference of income which is needed to reach the minimum income requirement. Second, the sponsor must prove that the worth of the assets is five times the difference between their income, and the income requirement.

There is one exception worth noting:

• If the green card applicant is a spouse or child (18 years or older) of a U.S. citizen, the worth of their assets only needs to be three times the difference between their income, and the income requirement.

Can I Count My Relative’s Foreign Assets?

If the person who is applying for a green card has assets in another country you can include that value. Some examples of assets might be real estate or other personal property. The value of these assets can be included under these conditions:

• It must be possible to convert those assets into cash within a 12 month period.
• The person applying for the green card needs to prove that they can actually remove the assets from the country where they’re located. This is because some countries limit the removal of assets.
• As with the sponsor’s assets, the applicant’s assets must be worth at least five times the difference between the sponsor’s income and the minimum income requirement.

What Is Five Times The Difference Between the Sponsor’s Income and The Minimum Income Requirement?

As explained in the charts above, the minimum income requirement depends on the sponsor’s situation. Generally though, the minimum income required is 125% of the poverty guideline for the household size.

Here’s an example: Imagine the income requirement is $25,000 and the sponsor’s annual income is only $15,000, the difference is $10,000. The sponsor can include the value of their assets if they are worth $50,000. This is because the difference is $10,000, and when that is multiplied by 5, it equals $50,000.

Where Can I Get a Certified Translation?

The documents and forms needed during the immigration process vary. You might need to submit a certified translation of some documents that are not in English. Some of the documents you might need include:

• Criminal records
• Birth certificates
• Marriage certificates
• Divorce decrees
• Academic transcripts

You can order a certified translation of these documents from our online store:

Order Your Certified Translation

Author: Aaron Randolph | LinkedIn