Here's a question that I get a lot: Are there income requirements to be eligible for a visa or a green card? Yes, there are. Let's talk about what exactly those requirements are.
The affidavit of support
If you are applying for an immigrant visa based on a family member's sponsorship of you, or a green card based on family sponsorship, one of the documents that we need to submit is an affidavit of support. The US citizen petitioner, or possibly the permanent resident petitioner, needs to complete that affidavit of support and demonstrate that they are financially capable of taking care of the person that they sponsor.
So when we bring a person into the US with an immigrant visa or when we approve their adjustment of status application, the question is this: if they cannot support themselves financially, can you do it? That's what immigration wants to know. And the affidavit of support is where they are going to get the information to make their determination.
The required financial documents
To do that, they are looking for the following financial documents: your US tax returns for the most recent year, or a US tax transcript that you can order online from the IRS. In addition, we like to show a recent employment verification letter and also three recent pay stubs.
How much money do you need?
The next question people generally ask is, how much money do I need to earn in order to be a financial sponsor. The answer can be found on a form called I864p. You can find this form on the immigration website. And it tells you how much money you need to make for the number of people in your household.
For example, let's say you're in a two-person household. The form will give you the corresponding number, which I think is around $23,000 or $24,000 per year at this time. So go take a look at the I864p. That will give you an idea of the income you need to have for the size of your household.
I hope this information has been helpful to you, and if you have any more questions, please contact us.