Affidavit of Support Calculator

Introduction

Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support, is the financial sponsorship form used in many family-based immigration cases. By signing it, a sponsor promises that the intending immigrant will have financial support and is less likely to depend on certain public benefits. That promise is serious, which is why USCIS and the Department of State compare the sponsor’s income to the Federal Poverty Guidelines in effect on the filing date. This calculator gives you a practical estimate of the income level that usually needs to be shown and, if income is short, the asset value that may help close the gap.

This page is designed for planning, not for filing. It does not submit any form, it does not replace the official Form I-864 instructions, and it is not legal advice. Real cases can involve joint sponsors, household members using Form I-864A, fluctuating self-employment income, consular processing timing, and questions about what counts as a qualifying asset. Even so, a careful estimate is useful because it helps you see the basic threshold before you gather tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, or property records.

The calculator uses a 2026 poverty-guideline table with separate values for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Hawaii. It also applies the special 100% rule for certain active-duty military sponsors who are sponsoring a spouse or unmarried child. For most other sponsors, the comparison point is 125% of the poverty guideline. If your current income does not reach that number, the calculator then estimates the assets needed by multiplying the income shortfall by the relationship-based asset factor you choose.

How to Use This Calculator

The form is short, but each field matters. Start by entering your household size. For Affidavit of Support purposes, that usually means you, the intending immigrant, any dependents you list on your tax return, and anyone you previously sponsored if that obligation has not ended. People often underestimate this number, so it is worth slowing down and checking it carefully before you calculate.

1. Choose your guideline region. Most filers will use the table for the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, and covered territories. Sponsors in Alaska and Hawaii use higher poverty-guideline figures.
2. Enter your current annual income in U.S. dollars. The calculator treats this as the income you expect to rely on for the Affidavit of Support analysis. In practice, officers often compare your current income to tax returns and other proof of ongoing earnings.
3. Select whether you are active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child. If the answer is yes, the income threshold uses 100% of the guideline instead of 125%.
4. Pick the asset multiplier category. Most sponsors use the 5× rule. A U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse or child often uses 3×, and certain orphan adoption cases can use 1×.
5. If you want to test whether savings, investments, or equity might help, enter household assets. Leave that field blank if you only want to see the income test first.

After you press Calculate Requirement, the result box tells you the minimum income estimate, the multiplier that was used, and whether your current income appears to qualify on its own. If it does not, the tool compares your entered assets to the estimated amount needed to cover the shortfall. A result that looks close should be treated as a prompt to verify the official I-864P table and gather strong documentation, not as a final answer.

Formula

The calculator follows the same basic logic most sponsors use when they review the Affidavit of Support instructions. First, it finds the poverty-guideline amount for your household size and region. Next, it applies the correct percentage rule. Finally, if income is below the required amount, it calculates the shortfall and multiplies that shortfall by the asset factor you selected.

In plain language, that means most sponsors must show 125% of the poverty guideline, while certain active-duty military sponsors can qualify at 100%. If income is already high enough, assets are not needed for this simplified estimate. If income is low, assets must usually be much larger than the income gap because the shortfall is multiplied by 5, 3, or 1 depending on the case type. That is why a small income gap can sometimes require a surprisingly large amount of documented assets.

Those rows are only examples. The actual result depends on the region you choose, the household size you enter, the filing-date table in effect, and whether the military exception applies. The calculator handles larger household sizes as well by adding the official extra-person amount for the selected region.

Worked Example

Suppose a sponsor lives in Texas, has a household size of 4, is not using the active-duty military exception, and reports current annual income of $36,000. For a household of 4 in the contiguous United States, the 2026 poverty-guideline amount is $33,000. At 125%, the required income becomes $41,250. That means the sponsor has an income shortfall of $5,250.

If the case uses the standard 5× asset rule, the estimated assets needed to cover that shortfall would be $26,250. A sponsor with $10,000 in qualifying liquid assets would still appear short. A sponsor with $30,000 in qualifying assets would appear to cover the shortfall in this simplified model. The same numbers can change quickly if the relationship category changes. Under a 3× rule, the same $5,250 shortfall would suggest $15,750 in assets instead of $26,250. That difference is exactly why the asset category field is part of the calculator and should not be ignored.

Assumptions and Limitations

This calculator intentionally simplifies a legal process that can become technical. It does not decide whether a specific type of income is acceptable, whether a foreign asset is sufficiently available, whether a property valuation is persuasive, or whether a household member’s income can be counted without additional paperwork. It also does not determine whether a joint sponsor is needed or whether a prior Affidavit of Support obligation has legally ended. Those points can change the real-world answer even when the arithmetic looks simple.

The filing date matters too. The Department of State and USCIS use the poverty-guideline table that is in effect on the date the Affidavit of Support is filed or reviewed under the applicable rule. Because government tables and instructions can change, a result that is close to the threshold should be double-checked against the official Form I-864P materials. The tool uses 2026 guideline data for planning, but a later filing may require different figures.

Finally, a qualifying result on this page does not guarantee approval. Officers still look at documentation quality, consistency with tax returns, current employment, and whether the stated assets can really be turned into cash within one year without significant hardship. Think of the calculator as a fast screening step that helps you organize your financial picture before you prepare the real evidence packet.

Official Sources and Filing-Date Rule

AgentCalc last reviewed this page on May 10, 2026 against public government sources. The most useful references are the State Department I-864 FAQs, the 2026 HHS poverty-guideline notice, and USCIS Form I-864P. If your case is unusual, the official Form I-864 instructions and individualized legal advice are more important than any estimate on a calculator page.

Practical Documentation Tips

If your income clearly exceeds the requirement, your task is mainly to prove that income well. Sponsors often use tax returns, W-2s, recent pay stubs, and an employment letter. If income changes from year to year, it is smart to prepare a short explanation and include enough current evidence to show the higher figure is real and continuing rather than temporary.

If assets are doing the heavy lifting, documentation becomes even more important. Savings and brokerage accounts are usually easier to explain than assets that require appraisals or complex ownership records. If you plan to rely on property equity, foreign holdings, or another non-obvious asset, be ready to show ownership, value, and the ability to convert that asset to cash within one year. In close cases, many families decide that using a joint sponsor is cleaner than building a complicated asset argument.

Quick FAQ

How are household assets counted?

Only assets that can generally be converted to cash within one year and without significant hardship are counted in this kind of estimate. Savings, investments, and some property equity may help, but they must be documented and may be discounted if they are difficult to access. The calculator assumes the asset amount you enter is already the qualifying, usable value.

Can a joint sponsor help me qualify?

Yes. In many real cases, a qualified joint sponsor can file a separate Affidavit of Support and meet the income requirement independently. This calculator does not model the joint sponsor route directly; instead, it helps you estimate whether the primary sponsor appears strong enough without that extra step.

Does self-employment income count?

It can, but self-employment income usually requires stronger proof because officers may want to see that the earnings are stable, ongoing, and supported by tax records. If income swings sharply from year to year, a simple calculator result becomes less reliable and documentation becomes more important.

How often do the income guidelines change?

The Federal Poverty Guidelines are typically updated once each year. USCIS may adopt the new figures according to its own publication timing, and the relevant date for your case matters. That is why this page repeatedly emphasizes the filing-date rule instead of assuming one table will always control every case.