What do I do if my spouse does not make enough money to sponsor me for a green card?
Get a Joint Sponsor! You may be able to ask a family member or friend to help. That person must be a US citizen or green card holder and must live in the US. This person will be “joint sponsor.” The sponsor will need to complete Form I-864 and provide required documents to show his/her current income.
USCIS requires the income from your spouse plus income from the sponsor to exceed 125% of the poverty line for your household size. In our cases, we always make sure that the sponsor’s income alone (for his/her household size) supports you. Cases become more complicated when you ask USCIS to add up the petitioner and sponsor’s incomes.
To determine the required household income for the Joint Sponsor, add the sponsor, his/her spouse, any dependents, anyone the sponsor-spouse has previously sponsored for a green card, and you. IIn 2022, for a family of five, your Joint Sponsor must earn $40,587. You can find the income requirements at https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p.
If you need to talk to an experienced immigration attorney. We’ve helped hundreds of couples traverse the complicated immigration and citizenship process. We would love to help you as well. Call 617-272-7980 or email hello@cambridgeimmigrationlaw.com to get in touch.