Foreign nationals require financial sponsors while attempting to obtain their green cards. However, in some cases, the family member sponsoring the immigrant may not have sufficient income to serve in this role.
If this is your situation, you may need to fill out Form I-864A Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member to move forward with your case. For help filling out your application and assistance with any questions or concerns, you can reach out to New Frontier Immigration Law and hire a knowledgeable immigration attorney.
What Is Form I-864A?
Form I-864A is a contract between sponsors and household members. It only applies in certain situations involving a lawful permanent resident or green card application.
To be specific, this is filled out in cases where the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident petitioning for a family member’s immigration does not have the income needed to serve as a sole financial sponsor. When this happens, other family members who live in the same petitioner’s home can combine their incomes in order to meet or exceed the minimum 125% poverty guidelines limit.
If the immigrant is already living and working legally in the United States, they themselves can be that household member. In this case, the household member would not be expected to sign Form I-864A unless there are children involved in the immigration application.
Where do I Get Form I-864A?
If you are interested in obtaining a copy of Form I-864A to fill out, you can download it for free via the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for free by downloading. Then, you can reach out to your attorney for help filling out your Form I-864A accurately and in detail.
Who Can Submit a Form I-864A?
The person signing Form I-864A does not need to be a lawful permanent resident or U.S. citizen in order to sign. However, the person preparing or submitting Form I-864A will need to provide evidence that proves their income. This might include:
- Employment letters
- Copies of W-2s
- Copies of tax returns
This is also true for the immigrants’ primary sponsor. Household members will need to provide proof that they are family members of the petitioner to qualify, which can be done via marriage certificate or the family member’s birth certificate.
What Happens When You Sign Form I-864A?
When signing Form I-864A, the immigrant’s primary sponsor and the sponsor’s household members agree that the main sponsor will still fill out Form I-864 and take primary financial responsibility for the immigrant. The household members will then provide financial support to the immigrant on an as-needed basis.
It is important to recognize that household members could find themselves primarily responsible for supporting the immigrant financially, depending on the details of your case.
If you have concerns regarding your responsibilities when you sign Form I-864A, you can get the clarity you need by contacting an immigration attorney at New Frontier Immigration Law for help.
How to Fill Out Form I-864A
Filling out Form I-864A can be overwhelming. However, with help from an immigration attorney at our firm, you can ensure your forms are filled out accurately.
Part One: General Information
In Part One, household members will need to provide their:
- Name
- Contact information
- Relationship to the immigrant petitioner
You can ignore question eight if you do not have a USCIS online account number due to no former interactions with USCIS. Note that if you do not have a valid Social Security number, any income you have may not be considered lawful. Therefore, you may not be an eligible household member or sponsor.
Parts Two Through Four: Financial Information
The primary sponsor fills out Part Two. Part Three will be filled out and signed by the household members, who must provide their:
- Employment status
- Annual income
- Necessary supporting financial documentation
Part Four will go over how household members reported income on their tax returns. You may also have the opportunity to list any assets if you need to bring your overall financial support level up.
Additional Sections
Part Five is for the immigrant’s primary sponsor to fill out and sign. You may not need to fill out Part Six of the form if you are an immigrant yourself, unless you are agreeing to support immigrating children.
Parts Seven and Eight are for language interpreters and attorneys who helped prepare Form I-864A. Part Nine of this form will give you an opportunity to provide additional information that did not fit in the previous areas.
How to Submit Form I-864A
Do not forget that household members and primary sponsors need to sign Form I-864A. This will be attached to the main Form I-864 when you are filing the green card application. The date of submission can vary depending on whether you are applying to adjust your status by submitting the forms to USCIS in one package or if you need to apply through an overseas U.S. consulate.
If you are required to apply through an overseas U.S. consulate, the National Visa Center (NVC) will need to send you instructions on how to move forward with your Form I-864 submission. If you have questions or concerns regarding how or where to submit your Form I-864 application, you can reach out to your immigration attorney for guidance and support.
Call Our Immigration Law Firm for Help With Form I-864A
Filling out Form I-864A may be overwhelming. With help from an experienced immigration attorney at New Frontier Immigration Law, you can ensure your application is completed accurately and includes all of the necessary documentation needed for approval.
If your application is denied, our attorneys will be by your side, ready to help you determine what your next step should be. Call for a strategic session regarding your case today.