Proof of funds & financial support

Visitors and other nonimmigrants: showing you can support yourself

For a B-1/B-2 visitor and most temporary visas there is no official minimum bank balance. Consular officers assess whether you can reasonably fund your trip and whether you have compelling ties that will bring you home. Under INA section 214(b), officers presume you intend to immigrate until you show otherwise, so financial evidence works alongside evidence of ties, not instead of it.

Money alone rarely wins a case; a stable job, family, studies, property or a business at home often matter more than the size of an account.

• Typical evidence: recent bank statements, pay slips, an employment or study letter, proof of assets, and a clear itinerary showing who pays for what.
• Ties to home: employment, family responsibilities, enrolment in study, property or a business — reasons you are expected to return.
• A 214(b) refusal usually means the officer was not satisfied you overcame the presumption of immigrant intent, commonly because ties were not shown convincingly.

Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support (nonimmigrants)

When a US-based person promises to support a temporary visitor or certain other nonimmigrant beneficiaries, they may file Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support. It shows the applicant has access to sufficient funds for the duration of the temporary stay. There is no fee to file it.

Form I-134 is used for temporary or discretionary benefits — it is not the immigrant Affidavit of Support and does not create the same long-term legal obligation as Form I-864.

Form I-864, Affidavit of Support (immigrants)

Most family-based and some employment-based immigrant applicants need a sponsor to file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA. This is a legally binding contract in which the sponsor promises to maintain the intending immigrant at or above a set income level and to repay certain means-tested public benefits if used.

The sponsor must generally show household income of at least 125% of the HHS Poverty Guidelines for their household size. Household size counts the sponsor, dependents, anyone living with them, and the immigrants being sponsored.

• Standard threshold: 125% of the annual HHS Poverty Guidelines for the household size.
• Military exception: active-duty US Armed Forces sponsoring a spouse or minor child generally need only 100%.
• If income falls short, a sponsor may use qualifying assets or add a joint sponsor who independently meets the requirement.

The poverty guidelines change every year

The income figures used for Form I-864 come from the HHS Poverty Guidelines and are updated annually, published by USCIS on Form I-864P. Because the numbers rise most years and vary by household size and by state (Alaska and Hawaii differ), do not rely on last year's figures.

Always confirm the current threshold on the official I-864P page for the year your case is being decided.

How financial proof fits with the rest of your application

Financial evidence is one part of a wider file. Nonimmigrant applicants complete the DS-160 and pay the visa application (MRV) fee — $185 for most non-petition categories such as B, F, M and J — while immigrant applicants file the DS-260. Fees change; verify current amounts on the official pages.

Strong, consistent documentation — funds that match your stated purpose and, for temporary visas, clear ties home — is more persuasive than a single large balance.