A green card sponsor is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident who agrees to financially support an immigrant while they are applying for and after they receive their green card.
What are the income requirements for green card sponsors?
Green card sponsors must meet a certain income requirement to show that they can afford to support the immigrant they are sponsoring. The income requirement is based on the number of people in the sponsor’s household and where they live.
How is household size calculated?
Household size includes the sponsor, their spouse or relative (the green card applicant), any unmarried children under the age of 21, anyone else the sponsor claims as a dependent on their tax return, anyone who will be applying for a green card and arriving in the United States with the green card applicant’s spouse, and anyone else the sponsor is sponsoring on a separate Affidavit of Support.
What are the income requirements for each family size?
The income requirements for each family size are as follows:
| Family Size | Contiguous United States | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $22,887 | $28,612 | $26,325 |
| 2 | $24,650 | $30,775 | $28,250 |
| 3 | $27,750 | $34,150 | $31,375 |
| 4 | $30,850 | $37,525 | $34,500 |
| 5 | $34,000 | $40,900 | $37,625 |
| 6 | $37,150 | $44,275 | $40,750 |
| 7 | $40,300 | $47,650 | $43,875 |
| 8 | $43,450 | $51,025 | $47,000 |
For each additional person in a household with more than eight people, add an extra $5,900 for the lower 48 states, $7,375 for Alaska, and $6,787 for Hawaii.
What are the income requirements for military sponsors?
Military sponsors have slightly different income requirements. They only need to make 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size.
How to meet the income requirements
There are a few ways to meet the income requirements for green card sponsors. The sponsor can use their own income, their spouse’s income, or the income of a joint sponsor. Joint sponsors must also meet the income requirements.
If the sponsor’s income is not enough to meet the requirements, they can use assets to supplement their income. For example, the sponsor could use savings, investments, or property equity.