How to Sponsor an Immigrant | Friend or Family

Whether it’s a friend or a family member, sponsoring an immigrant can be a life-changing move. The process may be difficult, but the ultimate reward—having your loved ones close by to enrich your life—makes every step worth it!

Family-based green cards can be difficult to obtain, especially without the specialized assistant of an immigration attorney. In this article, you will learn how to sponsor an immigrant friend and how to sponsor family members for U.S. immigration.

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What is a Sponsor?

In immigration terms, a sponsor is someone who agrees to financially support an immigrant while they are in the U.S. This sponsor can be a family member, friend, or company. As a sponsor, you must undertake certain responsibilities for your sponsored immigrant. A sponsor must be financially secure and be able to provide financial assistance to the immigrant when needed.

Depending on the type of visa or green card application, sponsors are usually required to submit an “Affidavit of Support,” which serves as proof of their financial stability and commitment to support the immigrant. This document often requires a detailed financial background check, tax records, and employment verification.

Additionally, sponsors are responsible for ensuring that the immigrant follows all U.S. laws and regulations. Failure to meet these responsibilities could lead to legal repercussions for the sponsor, including financial penalties. Hence, while being a sponsor is a noble act of support for someone looking to start a new life in the U.S., it is also a serious obligation that should not be taken lightly.

Sponsorship vs Petitioning

While both petitioning and sponsorship involve a U.S. citizen, green card holder, or employer helping an immigrant, they serve different legal roles. Petitioning means submitting a visa petition—such as Form I-130 (family-based) or Form I-140 (employment-based)—to establish the immigrant’s eligibility for a green card. Sponsorship, typically through Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support), is a separate step that involves agreeing to financially support the immigrant to ensure they will not become a public charge.

Find out how to get a green card without sponsorship.

What are the Requirements to Sponsor an Immigrant

To sponsor someone for a green card, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident: The sponsor must be either a U.S. citizen or a green card holder. Visa holders are generally not eligible to sponsor an immigrant for a green card.
• Be at least 18 years old: A U.S. citizen has to be at least 18 years of age to sponsor a spouse, but over the age of 21 to sponsor a parent or a sibling (Form I-130 for family-based green cards or equivalent forms for other types of visas).
• Live in the U.S.: The sponsor should be living in the United States or its territories. Proof of domicile may include documents such as utility bills, a lease agreement, or a mortgage contract showing your U.S. residence.
• Financial stability: Sponsors must demonstrate the ability to financially support the immigrant. This often involves submitting an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), and may require showing proof of income, assets, employment, or a combination thereof. The income of the sponsor should generally be at least 125% above the federal poverty guidelines for their household size.
• File the correct forms: The sponsor must properly fill out and submit the appropriate forms for the specific type of visa they are sponsoring. For family-based visas, this usually means filing Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative). For employment-based visas, the process can be different and may involve multiple forms, including labor certification.
• Pay applicable fees: The sponsor is often responsible for application or petition fees, which can vary depending on the type of visa.
• Accept long-term responsibilities: Sponsoring an immigrant is a long-term commitment that could last until the immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen or has worked in the U.S. for a certain number of years. This means that the sponsor could be financially responsible for the immigrant during this period.

It is important to note that you cannot sponsor an immigrant if you are a U.S. visa holder.

How many times can I sponsor an immigrant?

While there is not actual limit on how many immigrants you can sponsor, you do need to file separate petitions for each one and meet the necessary requirements.

Situations Where You Can Sponsor an Immigrant

There are plenty of scenarios where you can sponsor an immigrant:

• Family-based immigration applications;
• Fiance or spouse visa applications;
• Employment-based application (the process differs depending on various factors); and
• Sponsors for other types of immigration scenarios.

Each situation is unique, and individual evidence may vary slightly depending on the case. In most cases, you will need to file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support. Schedule a consultation with an immigration lawyer to better understand what information the USCIS is looking for.

How to Sponsor an Immigrant

1. Determine Eligibility to Sponsor 

In order to sponsor an immigrant, you must be:

• U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder)
• At least 18 years old
• Living in the U.S.

2. File the Petition 

• Family members: Form I-130
• Employees: Form I-140

3. Submit an Affidavit of Support

• File Form I-864 with financial documents

4. Wait for USCIS/NVC Processing 

• If abroad: Form DS-260
• If in the U.S.: Form I-485

5. Attend the Interview and Biometrics

6. Await an Approval or Response from USCIS

How to Sponsor an Immigrant Friend

While you can’t directly sponsor a friend for a U.S. green card, you can act as a co-sponsor in their immigration process. If your friend has a family member in the U.S. who is either an American citizen or a green card holder, that person can serve as the primary sponsor.

You can then support your friend’s application by filling out Form I-864 as a co-sponsor. It’s important to note that taking on the role of a sponsor comes with ongoing responsibilities to the U.S. government.

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How much does sponsoring an immigrant cost?

Sponsoring an immigrant for a green card application costs $120.  Sponsors may choose to cover the overall immigration process costs, which can range from $1,000 to $2,000 or more:

Income Requirement to Sponsor

Sponsors need to earn at least 125% of the federal poverty level to qualify. Depending on the household size, that comes out to about $25,000 a year. Military personnel need to meet 100% of the poverty level.

Which Immigrants Do Not Need Sponsoring

An affidavit of support is necessary to become a sponsored immigrant to the U.S. However, some types of immigrants do not require sponsorship at all, such as:

• If you are an immigrant who has earned or can credit 40 qualifying quarters of work in the U.S.;
• If you are an immigrant who has an approved Form I-360 as a self-petitioning widow or widower. The form is also known as the Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant.
• If you are an immigrant who has an approved I-360 as a battered spouse or a child; or
• Orphans adopted abroad by U.S. citizens.

Your Legal Liability as a Sponsor

Sponsoring an immigrant comes with special obligations since Form 864 is a legally enforceable contract.

Be aware that:

• The government can sue the sponsor to collect any funds as reimbursement for any public benefits given to the immigrant.
• The immigrant can sue the sponsor to collect funds to allow their income to equate to 125% above the poverty level.

Sponsorship obligations end when:

• The immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen;
• They earn 40 Social Security work quarters;
• They die or leave the U.S.

In many cases, even bankruptcy won’t allow sponsors to escape the financial responsibility of an immigrant.

In marriage-based cases, the sponsor will remain legally liable for their immigrant partner even after a divorce. This can cause problems when the spouse willingly refuses to seek work. In such cases, sponsors can create a separate contract with their spouses to clarify the issue of intentionally avoiding employment.

Under the U.S. immigration law, sponsors that are not conforming to their obligations can face considerable fines. Very often, sponsors would move to a different address without notifying the USCIS and think that they have escaped their obligations.

Penalties for Failing to Meet Obligations

Failure to update your address with USCIS can subject you to fines between $300 and $2,000. Additionally, if the sponsor has knowledge that their sponsoring immigrant has collected public funds, the fine can reach $5,000.

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What is Joint Sponsorship?

In some situations, there may be multiple people sponsoring one immigrant. One of these situations is usually when the primary sponsor does not meet the financial requirements. To meet the requirement, you can seek an additional sponsor. There are two additional requirements for the co-sponsor:

• They cannot live at the same address as the primary sponsor; and
• They are willing to accept the same liability for the immigrant as the primary sponsor.

To become a co-sponsor, you will have to submit a separate Form I-864 as well as meet the standard sponsorship requirements. Each sponsor must pass the requirement individually (the incomes of both sponsors cannot combine to meet the financial requirement).

Interested in learning about the U.S. Golden Visa? Take a look at our comprehensive guide on the topic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a U.S. citizen sponsor a parent?

Yes, a U.S. citizen can sponsor a parent if the citizen is at least 21 years old and meets the other requirements. Take a look at this comprehensive Parent Green Card Guide.

How do I sponsor an immigrant for work?

There are a number of employment-based visa categories depending on the company industry and employee qualifications. H-1B, O-1, and L-1 visas are very popular options, in addition to others. This employment-based guide and processing timeline breaks down the options!

What are the sponsor income requirements?

The income requirement is 125% of the Federal Poverty Level for your household size. Active-duty military sponsoring a spouse or child, has to meet 100% of the FPL.