This page is general information, not legal advice. Signing an I-864 creates a legally enforceable contract with the US government. If your finances are close to the line, or you are thinking of a joint sponsor, talk to a licensed US immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative first.
Quick summary: To sponsor a relative from Guatemala, you must show income of at least 125% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines for your household size. In the 48 states that is $27,050 for 2 people and $41,250 for 4 (USCIS Form I-864P, effective March 1, 2026). Short of that, you can add a household member’s income (I-864A), use assets (generally 5 times the shortfall), or bring in up to two joint sponsors. The obligation lasts until the relative naturalizes or earns 40 quarters of work, and divorce does not end it. The forms are free. Checked September 23, 2026.
If you are a Guatemalan in the US petitioning for a parent, spouse, son, daughter or sibling, the I-864 is the financial part of the case. This page gives the 2026 numbers and the rules that trip up sponsors.
Who has to file one
The I-864 instructions say it is required for, among others, “Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouses, unmarried children under 21 years of age, and parents of U.S. citizens 21 years of age and older).” It is also required for all family-preference immigrants, which covers the relatives a green-card holder can petition for and the adult children and siblings of citizens.
The instructions describe it plainly: “This affidavit is a contract between a sponsor and the U.S. Government.”
One exception is worth knowing: the affidavit is not required for “Any intending immigrant who has earned or can receive credit for 40 qualifying quarters (credits) of work in the United States.” The instructions note that work by a spouse during the marriage, and by parents while the immigrant was under 18, can also be credited. The Social Security Administration can confirm credits.
The 2026 income table (I-864P, effective March 1, 2026)
“You must show on this affidavit that you have enough income and/or assets to maintain the intending immigrants and the rest of your household at 125 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines”. The 100% line applies only to sponsors on active duty in the US armed forces who are petitioning for a spouse or child.
48 contiguous states, DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands:
| Household size | 125% (most sponsors) | 100% (active-duty military sponsoring spouse/child) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $27,050 | $21,640 |
| 3 | $34,150 | $27,320 |
| 4 | $41,250 | $33,000 |
| 5 | $48,350 | $38,680 |
| 6 | $55,450 | $44,360 |
| 7 | $62,550 | $50,040 |
| 8 | $69,650 | $55,720 |
| Each additional person | + $7,100 | + $5,680 |
Alaska (125%): 2: $33,813 · 3: $42,688 · 4: $51,563 · 5: $60,438 · 6: $69,313 · 7: $78,188 · 8: $87,063 · each additional: + $8,875.
Hawaii (125%): 2: $31,113 · 3: $39,275 · 4: $47,438 · 5: $55,600 · 6: $63,763 · 7: $71,925 · 8: $80,088 · each additional: + $8,163.
The 100% column matches the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines published by HHS itself. A caution: the USCIS I-864P page currently shows an extra, unlabeled table above the 48-state heading, with lower numbers (for example $24,650 at 125% for 2 people). Those figures match none of the labeled 2026 tables. Use the labeled table for your state.
Counting your household
Count your household carefully. It includes you, your spouse, your unmarried children under 21, the relative or relatives you are sponsoring, and any other dependents on your tax return. The instructions say: “You must include each and every person whom you have claimed as a dependent on your most recent Federal income tax return, even if that person is not related to you.” People you sponsored before on a still-active I-864 also count.
Example: a married sponsor with two children, sponsoring one parent, is a household of 5. In the 48 states that needs $48,350.
If your income falls short: three routes
1. A household member’s income (Form I-864A)
Relatives who live with you can add their income by signing Form I-864A, the contract between sponsor and household member. Each must be over 18.
2. Assets
The instructions set the ratio: “the total value of your assets must equal at least five times the difference between your total household income and the current Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size”. For a US citizen sponsoring a spouse or a child aged 18 or older, the ratio drops: “the total value of your assets must only be equal to at least three times the difference”.
Only liquid-enough assets count: “Only assets that can be converted into cash within one year and without considerable hardship or financial loss to the owner may be included.” The instructions also let available assets of the sponsored immigrant count toward the total.
Example: you are sponsoring a parent, your household is 3, and your income is $30,150. The 48-state line is $34,150, so the gap is $4,000. At five times, you would need $20,000 in qualifying assets.
3. A joint sponsor
“A joint sponsor can be any U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or U.S. national who is at least 18 years of age, domiciled in the United States, or its territories or possessions, and willing to be held jointly liable with the petitioner for the support of the intending immigrant.”
The rules that matter:
- “A joint sponsor does not have to be related to the petitioning sponsor or the intending immigrant.”
- “There may be no more than two joint sponsors.”
- “A joint sponsor must be able to meet the income requirements for all the persons he or she is sponsoring without combining resources with the petitioning sponsor or a second joint sponsor.”
- “The petitioning sponsor must sign and complete Form I-864, even if a joint sponsor also submits an I-864 to meet the income requirement.”
A joint sponsor takes on the same legal liability you do. Make sure they understand that before they sign.
Domicile: you must live in the US
“A sponsor is required to be at least 18 years of age and domiciled in the United States, or its territories or possessions”. If you have already moved back to Guatemala, the instructions let you show you are keeping or re-establishing US domicile, with evidence. If you are planning a move back before the case finishes, discuss the timing with an attorney.
Tax evidence
“You must provide either an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) transcript or a photocopy from your own records of your Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year, counting from the date of signing Form I-864.” The instructions allow up to three years if that helps your case. The Guatemala City post asks for the sponsor’s most recent IRS tax transcript at the interview, together with the I-864.
What you are promising, and for how long
- Repayment: “If the immigrant sponsored in this affidavit does receive one of the designated Federal, state or local means-tested public benefits, the agency providing the benefit may request that you repay the cost of those benefits.” And: “That agency can sue you if the cost of the benefits provided is not repaid.”
- Which benefits: USCIS lists federal means-tested benefits as “food stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).” Emergency Medicaid, school lunch and immunizations are among the programs it excludes.
- Duration: “Your obligation to support the immigrants you are sponsoring in this Affidavit of Support will continue until the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen, or can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work in the United States.”
- Other end points: “The obligation also ends if you or the sponsored immigrant dies or if the sponsored immigrant ceases to be a lawful permanent resident.”
- Not divorce: “Divorce does not end the sponsorship obligation.”
- Moving: “If you are a sponsor and are not a U.S. citizen, you must notify USCIS of your new address within 10 days of moving from your previous residence.” (Form I-865.)
Why the I-864 matters more in 2026
The State Department paused immigrant visa issuance for Guatemala and 74 other countries from January 21, 2026 on public-benefits grounds. A federal court vacated that pause in August 2026, and the government has appealed. Public charge is still assessed case by case. State told the court its officers now use “a public-charge worksheet that informs the officer’s assessment of public-charge inadmissibility under the totality of the circumstances”. State also runs a pilot in which consular officers can require some applicants to post a public charge bond: “Pursuant to 8 CFR 213.1(b), a consular officer sets the amount of the bond.”
The affidavit is the sponsor’s part of that review. For the interview itself, including the medical exam and the Guatemala police certificate, see the immigrant visa interview in Guatemala City. For the pause’s full history, see US immigrant visa pause and Guatemalans.
Fees
The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 09/09/26) lists Form I-864, Form I-864A and Form I-864EZ at $0. Other steps in the case have their own fees. See the interview guide for the immigrant visa fee and the USCIS Immigrant Fee.
Official sources (checked September 23, 2026)
- USCIS — Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA and its instructions (edition 08/24/26)
- USCIS — I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support (effective March 1, 2026)
- HHS ASPE — Poverty Guidelines (2026)
- USCIS — Fee Schedule, Form G-1055 (edition 09/09/26)
- US Department of State — U.S. Embassy Guatemala City immigrant visa instructions
More for Guatemalans in the United States: diaspora services hub · US tax obligations after returning · find your consulate
Frequently Asked Questions
How much income do I need to sponsor my parent from Guatemala in 2026?
At least 125% of the HHS poverty guideline for your household size. For a sponsor in the 48 contiguous states and DC, USCIS Form I-864P (effective March 1, 2026) lists $27,050 for a household of 2, $34,150 for 3 and $41,250 for 4, plus $7,100 for each additional person. Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures. Your household count includes you, the relative you sponsor, and certain others. General information, not legal advice.
What if I don't earn enough?
You have three routes under the I-864 instructions: count the income of certain relatives living with you (they sign Form I-864A), use assets, or add a joint sponsor. The petitioner must still sign an I-864 even when a joint sponsor is used.
Who can be a joint sponsor?
Any US citizen, permanent resident or US national who is at least 18, domiciled in the United States, and willing to be jointly liable with you. The joint sponsor does not have to be related to you or the immigrant, must meet the income requirement alone without combining with you, and there can be no more than two.
How long am I responsible after signing the I-864?
Until the sponsored relative becomes a US citizen or can be credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work in the US. It also ends if you or the immigrant dies or if the immigrant stops being a permanent resident. Divorce does not end it.
Does filing the I-864 cost anything?
No. The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 09/09/26) lists Forms I-864, I-864A and I-864EZ at $0. The family case itself has other fees, such as the immigrant visa fee and the USCIS Immigrant Fee.
What does the US Embassy in Guatemala City want from the sponsor at the interview?
The Guatemala City checklist asks family-based applicants to bring the I-864 for each financial sponsor with a copy of the sponsor’s most recent IRS tax transcript, plus proof of the petitioner’s US status and domicile and evidence of the relationship.
