Affidavit of Support (I-864)

Official PDF downloads

• Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, USCIS (PDF)
• Instructions for Form I-864, USCIS (PDF)
• Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member, USCIS (PDF)
• Instructions for Form I-864A, USCIS (PDF)
• Form I-864EZ, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, USCIS (PDF)
• Instructions for Form I-864EZ, USCIS (PDF)

Also searched as

affidavit of support, sponsor form

What this is

Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support used to show qualifying financial sponsorship in categories that require it.

Case-specific: Whether this document matters depends on category, facts, or relationship to the case.

Who usually needs it

Sponsors and applicants in family-based or closely related sponsorship cases often need it, but it is not a universal green card document.

When it usually appears

Usually during NVC document review or USCIS filing prep in categories that trigger Affidavit of Support rules.

What changes by process, path, or post

Whether Form I-864 applies, who signs it, and what financial evidence goes with it all depend on the case category and sponsor structure.

Common format or evidence traps

• Assuming every green card process uses the I-864 framework.
• Mixing sponsor, joint-sponsor, and household-member roles.
• Treating the form as complete without the financial packet that supports it.

Related pages

• Affidavit of Support guideSee when Form I-864 rules apply.
• Consular processing guideSee the immigrant-visa route abroad.
• Adjustment of status guideSee the USCIS route inside the United States.

Related glossary terms

Form I-864 · Sponsor · Joint sponsor

Examples from current exact-support flows

Coverage posture: Current public exact-support flows include multiple direct examples for this document, but exact requirements still depend on the route, process stage, and official instructions.

• Usually needed

  Prepare the Affidavit of Support (I-864) for each financial sponsor. The NVC reviews the sponsor packet before the interview; verify with the official post instructions whether you need to carry the originals to the interview. (Sources: DOS Step 10, DOS NVC overview, DOS Affidavit of Support guidance)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: family-based · scope.processing_context: consular-processing

• Usually needed

  Include Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) from the petitioning sponsor. This establishes that the applicant will not become a public charge. The sponsor must meet the 125 percent federal poverty guideline threshold. (Sources: USCIS I-864 instructions, INA sec. 213A, USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 4 Part E)

  Shown when: scope.green_card_path: family-based · scope.processing_context: adjustment-of-status

• Usually needed

  Most family-based adjustment cases require a Form I-864 from the petitioning sponsor unless a category-specific exemption applies.

  Shown when: green_card_path: family-based · processing_context: adjustment-of-status