# I-864 Affidavit of Support: income requirements > The Affidavit of Support income structure: 125% of the poverty guidelines (100% military), how household size scales it, and the two shortfall options. Canonical: https://www.popimmigration.com/guides/i-864-income-requirements Publisher: Pop Immigration (https://www.popimmigration.com) Last reviewed: 2026-07-20 The I-864's income requirement is a structure, not a single number: a percentage of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, scaled by household size, with defined fallbacks when income is short. The dollar figures change every year — so this page explains the structure and points at the official table, which is the only place the current numbers should ever come from. Every claim is cited; general process description, not advice about any individual case. ## The structure: a percentage, not a number The sponsor must generally show income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size — 100% for certain active-duty military sponsors. The guidelines update annually, and USCIS publishes the current affidavit-of-support table on Form I-864P. Any page (including this one) that printed the dollar amounts would be wrong within a year; the I-864P table is the living source. ## Household size scales the threshold The threshold depends on a defined count: the sponsor, their dependents, the sponsored immigrant or immigrants, and certain others the instructions specify. Counting the household correctly comes before comparing any number — a threshold for the wrong household size is the wrong threshold. ## What income counts The showing is generally the sponsor's current income, documented alongside the most recent federal tax return or IRS transcript. What counts as income, and how to document each kind, is defined in the form's instructions — wages, self-employment, and other income each have their documentation. ## When income falls short: two paths The instructions describe two mechanisms: qualifying assets, valued under the instructions' rules, or a joint sponsor — someone who meets the threshold independently and files their own complete I-864. Which fits a given case depends on its facts; the mechanics of each live in the instructions and in the how-to guide in the related pages. ## Frequently asked questions ### What income does the I-864 require? Generally 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for the sponsor's household size — 100% for certain active-duty military sponsors. The current dollar table is USCIS's I-864P, updated annually. ### Where are the current dollar amounts? On Form I-864P at uscis.gov — the annually updated affidavit-of-support table. This page deliberately doesn't restate figures that change every year. ### What if the sponsor's income is below the threshold? Two defined paths: qualifying assets valued under the instructions' rules, or a joint sponsor who files their own complete I-864. ### Does household size change the requirement? Yes — the threshold scales with a defined household count per the instructions: sponsor, dependents, the sponsored immigrants, and certain others. ## Sources - USCIS — I-864P; I-864 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p - USCIS — I-864P: https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p - USCIS — I-864 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/i-864 - USCIS — I-864 (assets; joint sponsors): https://www.uscis.gov/i-864 - USCIS — I-864 instructions (household size): https://www.uscis.gov/i-864 --- Pop Immigration is an educational and organizational tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. HTML version: https://www.popimmigration.com/guides/i-864-income-requirements