Part of the immigration process to receive a green card requires that the petitioner, the United States citizen or lawful permanent resident, prove that he or she is financially able to provide support for their immigrant spouse or fiancé or the beneficiary. That is proved through a process called the Affidavit of Support. It’s a process where the petitioner has to provide three years of taxes, paycheck stubs, and proof of employment

This process typically causes couples to feel a little bit overwhelmed and stressed. It’s one of the more stressful parts of the process and so, this update in the world of immigration is really important to this Affidavit of Support requirement.

What immigration is looking at to see if the petitioner is eligible to be the sole sponsor and to be able to petition their spouse or fiance to receive the green card is something called a total income line on your tax returns.

There are all different kinds of tax returns but in general, most people file a 1040 Tax Return. On that document, there’s a total income line. That is the number that immigration uses to see if the petitioner is eligible to be the sole sponsor of the case so their spouse or fiancé can receive a green card.

The important update is how much that person needs to actually make. There’s something called an I-864 poverty guideline and previously last year, that requirement for a household size of two was around $21,000. This year, it’s gone up to $25,000.

See: I-864P, 2023 HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support

It’s a really important update that you need to be aware of because that can determine your eligibility and whether or not you’ll have to take additional steps.