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If you’re a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident and would like to petition for a family member to immigrate to the U.S., you’ll need to file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. To complete this form, the family-supported immigrant — or, in some cases, the employment-based immigrant — is typically required to prove that they have the financial means to live in the U.S.
In some cases, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident petitioning for the family member doesn’t meet the income requirement set by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). In these circumstances, you may need to file Form I-864A, Contract between Sponsor and Household Member.
What is Form I-864A?
Form I-864A, Contract between Sponsor and Household Member, is an attachment to Form I-864 that serves as an agreement between the sponsor of an immigrant to the U.S. and a member who lives in the same household who is willing to provide financial support for the immigrant.
The form is used when the primary sponsor does not have sufficient income and/or assets to prove that the household is capable of living at or above 125% of the U.S. poverty line. By completing Form I-864A, the member of the household or dependent allows his or her income to be used by the immigrant’s primary sponsor to meet the financial requirement.
It’s a joint and several liability, which means both the primary and secondary sponsor are responsible for the total amount that is due to the government should the intending immigrant ever require need-based financial support. Form I-864A must be submitted with a completed Form I-864.
Who qualifies as an I-864A sponsor?
The following individuals may become an I-864A sponsor if they are 18 years of age or older:
Spouse, parent, child, or sibling of the primary sponsor (the person who is serving as the petitioner on Form I-864) and resides in the same household of the initial sponsor.
Individuals whom the initial sponsor has legally claimed as a dependent on his or her most recent federal income tax return. This individual does not have to reside at the same residence as the initial sponsor.
Intending immigrants, if the initial sponsor will rely on his or her income to establish that the initial sponsor has the ability to financially support the intending immigrant’s husband, wife, or children.
Is there a fee for filing Form I-864A?
USCIS does not charge a fee for filing Form I-864A, as well as for Form I-864.
How to obtain Form I-864A
A PDF format of the form may be downloaded from the USCIS website, provided that you an updated version of Adobe Reader.
If you don’t have internet access, you may call 1-800-375-5283 to request a copy to be mailed to your address.
How to fill out Form I-864A
You can find instructions on how to complete Form I-864A on the USCIS website. Alternatively, you may also use the details below.
Part 1 – Provide information about the household member
Item 1. Your full name.
Item 2. Your current mailing address, including the “in care of” name, street number, street name, apartment number, city or town, state and zip code, or province and postal code, and country.
Item 3. If this address is the same as your physical address, select the box that indicates “yes”; if not, then select the box that indicates “no”.
Item 4. If you selected “no” in item 3, input your physical address in this item.
Item 5. Your birth date in mm/dd/yyyy format. For example, 01/01/1970.
Item 6. Your place of birth.
Item 7. Your Social Security number, if you have one.
Item 8. If you have a USCIS online account number, enter it here. If you have previously submitted an immigration form through the USCIS website, you would have typically been issued an online account number. This number can be located by logging into your USCIS account and accessing the profile page, where your online account number will be displayed.
Part 2 – Household member’s relationship to the sponsor
Item 1.
Select the item that best describes your relationship with the sponsor, such as whether you’re married to him or her, are a dependent, or someone residing within the same household.
Note that if you select “other dependent,” the sponsor should ideally list you as a dependent on his or her most recent federal income tax return. If you select that you are a relative of the sponsor yet not his or her spouse, you may also be required to provide proof of your relationship with the sponsor and that you reside at the same principal address.
Part 3 – Supply information about the household member’s employment and income
Items 1-6.
In this section, you should provide information about your employment status such as your current job title, the name of your employer, and whether or not you are self-employed, retired, or unemployed.
Part 4 – Include household member’s Federal income tax information and assets
Items 1-3.
Provide information about your total adjusted gross income from your three most recent federal income tax returns with the corresponding tax years noted. You may also provide the total value of any assets, such as bank account balances, cash value of any real estate you own, cash value of stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit and any other assets.
Part 5 – Provide sponsor’s promise, statement, contact information, declaration, certification, and signature
Here, the government will request that the sponsor provide information such as the number of intending immigrants he or she is sponsoring, their names, birth dates, Alien Registration umbers, Social Security numbers and USCIS online account numbers, contact information, his or her signature and the date.
Part 6 – Provide household member’s promise, statement, contact information, declaration, certification, and signature
This section should include information such as the household member’s name, the names of the intending immigrants that were listed in Part 5 of the form, contact information, signature (or signature of a parent or legal guardian, if applicable), and details on whether or not an interpreter assisted with the form.
Additional information
If an interpreter read and translated the form, he or she is requested to complete Part 7.
If a preparer completed the form, he or she must complete Part 8.
If additional space is required to provide more information, section 9 can be used.
Answers may be typed or printed legibly in black ink.
Signatures are typically required to be provided in black ink; printed or stamped signatures will not be accepted.
Where to file Form I-864A
Form I-864A is typically submitted with the completed Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. More information on where both forms should be submitted to can be found on the USCIS website’s page for Form I-864.
The takeaway
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