Form I-864 - Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA

What Form I-864 is

Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, is a contract between a sponsor and the U.S. government. By signing it, the sponsor agrees to support an intending immigrant with their income and assets if necessary, so the immigrant does not need to rely on public benefits. USCIS requires it for most family-based green card cases and for some employment-based cases where a close relative filed the underlying petition or holds at least a 5 percent stake in the sponsoring business.

Who typically needs it

The petitioner who filed Form I-130, I-129F, I-600 or I-800 for a relative or fiance usually completes Form I-864 as the main sponsor. A joint sponsor, someone else who meets the income requirement on their own, can file it when the petitioner's income falls short. A substitute sponsor files it when the original I-130 petitioner died after approval but before the immigrant received a green card. Immigrants with 40 qualifying U.S. work quarters, certain self-petitioning widow(er)s, and VAWA applicants adjusting under Form I-360 are among the categories exempt.

What you need before you start

• Your Social Security number and, if you have one, your USCIS Alien Registration Number (A-Number)
• A copy or IRS transcript of your federal tax return for the most recent tax year, with every W-2 and 1099 attached, or a typed explanation if you were not required to file
• Proof of your U.S. citizenship, national status or lawful permanent resident status, unless already submitted with the underlying petition
• The principal immigrant's full name, date of birth, country of citizenship and A-Number, if any
• Evidence of assets, such as bank statements or a home appraisal, only if your income alone does not reach 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size
• A completed Form I-864A for any household member whose income you plan to add to your own

How to fill out Form I-864 online with PDF Editify

Open the Form I-864 template page and click "Fill Template Now." The form opens in the editor with every field ready to type into, so you can work through the parts in order and keep your progress until you are ready to sign and download.

Part 1. Basis for Filing

Select the single box that describes why you are filing: petitioner, relative of an I-140 petitioner, business owner with a qualifying ownership interest, joint sponsor, or substitute sponsor. Joint sponsors also mark whether they are the only one or one of two.

Part 2. Information About You (Sponsor)

Enter your name, mailing and physical addresses, country of domicile, date and country of birth, Social Security number and immigration status. If your mailing address is outside the United States but you claim U.S. domicile, attach a typed explanation as the instructions describe.

Parts 3 and 4. The Immigrants You Are Sponsoring

Part 3 asks for the principal immigrant's identifying information. Part 4 is where you list any accompanying spouse or children and state whether you are sponsoring the principal immigrant, only family members immigrating later, or both.

Part 5. Household Size

Add up everyone you are financially responsible for: yourself, your spouse, dependents from your latest tax return, the people you are sponsoring on this affidavit, and anyone you are still obligated to support from an earlier Form I-864. Each item notes when to enter 0 so you do not count someone twice.

Part 6. Employment and Income

Report your employer and individual annual income, then, if needed, the income of household members who will sign Form I-864A. Enter your total income from your most recent federal tax return in Item 16.a, and the two prior years in 16.b and 16.c only if you rely on them.

Part 7. Use of Assets

Complete this part only if your household income does not reach the poverty guideline for your household size. List bank balances, real estate net value and other assets convertible to cash within a year, for yourself, a qualifying household member, or the intending immigrant.

Parts 8 to 11

Part 8 holds the sponsor's contract and signature. Part 9 is for an interpreter, Part 10 for a preparer who is not the sponsor, and Part 11 gives extra space for anything that did not fit elsewhere.

Signing, and where and how to submit

USCIS requires a handwritten signature; a stamped or typed name is not accepted, though a photocopy, fax or scan with an original ink signature is valid. In the editor, draw, type or upload your signature on the line in Part 8, then download the completed PDF. File it with the National Visa Center for consular processing, upload it with Form I-485 for adjustment of status, or mail it to the USCIS address shown for your case type. Check uscis.gov/i-864 for the current filing location before you send it, since lockbox addresses change. See how signing works on PDF Editify if you want to draw, type or upload a signature instead.

Deadlines and fees

Form I-864 itself carries no separate USCIS filing fee. It is filed with Form I-485, which has its own fee, or submitted to the National Visa Center, where Department of State fees apply instead. There is no fixed deadline, the affidavit is submitted whenever the underlying visa or adjustment application is filed, and the attached tax return should be for the most recently ended tax year. See Form G-1055 at uscis.gov for the current USCIS fee schedule, or travel.state.gov for consular fees. Checked October 2026.

Common mistakes

• Leaving Item 16.a blank instead of writing "zero" or "N/A" when there was no income or no requirement to file
• Submitting a photocopied tax return without the W-2s and 1099s attached
• Assuming a joint sponsor's affidavit replaces the petitioner's; the petitioning sponsor must still file their own complete Form I-864
• Using a typed or stamped signature instead of a handwritten, drawn or uploaded one
• Forgetting to attach Form I-864A for any household member whose income is counted toward the total