The sponsor must demonstrate that he or she has an income that is 125% of the U.S. poverty line, the ‘minimum income requirement’.
How can I quickly know what 125% of the poverty line represent?
This number is approximately $10,000 + (sponsor’s household size multiplied by $5,000).
For instance, for a household of 3, it would be $25,000 ($10,000 + (3 * $5,000)).
Are the minimum income requirements the same for all sponsors?
Most of the time yes, however they change in a few rare scenarios:
- The minimum income requirement is approximately 15% higher when the sponsor lives in Hawaii, and 25% higher when the sponsor lives in Alaska.
- The minimum income requirement is 20% lower when the sponsor is on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces and files for his or her spouse or, his or her offspring (son or daughter) aged 20 years old or younger.
Where can I find the exact numbers?
The exact numbers are available as a PDF on the USCIS web site.