What is an affidavit of Support I-864? In the last year, the I-864 has become more important as this administration has declared that they will deny anyone who may become a public charge. For this reason, it is more important than ever that if you have to file an I-864, you should have an immigration attorney look at it before filing because it may result in the denial of your application.

The affidavit of support is essentially a promise someone makes to take care of an immigrant until they become a citizen. The person filing out the I-864 therefore must show that they are a tax-paying person who has sufficient income to take care of themselves, their dependents, and the immigrant. To show this, you will need the last three years of taxes and proof that you are currently employed. You will also have to declare every person that is your dependent with regard to taxes. For each dependent you have an immigrant you are sponsoring, you will need to make a large enough income to support them. There exist a detailed page on USCIS’s website which states what this income should be for the number of people you support.

Beyond income, you can also disclose the assets you own and the immigrant’s own income. This will help edge your income to the minimum if you need it. Also, if your income does not cover yourself and the Immigrant, you can also ask household or family members to joint your affidavit of support. For this, they will need to file their own I-864a. What this does is combines your income with the joint sponsor to reach the statutory minimum amount. The joint sponsor will also have to promise to support the immigrant until they achieve citizenship and will also need to prove they are a tax-paying citizen who makes income.