Let’s start with basics: an Affidavit of Support is a legally required document to be completed by the petitioning sponsor in most Family-Based Green Card cases.  A “petitioning sponsor” is a person who has filed an USCIS-approved immigrant petition.  If an Affidavit of Support is required for your application, then your petitioner must be able to prove that he or she is able to meet the minimum income requirement.  Specifically, your petitioner must make at least 125%* of the federal poverty guidelines (which you can access here for 2009: http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/09poverty.shtml).   If your petitioner’s income does not meet the income requirement, then there are a number of other alternatives to assist him or her with the requirement.  For example, your petitioner can meet the requirement by including income from relatives or dependents listed on his or her Federal Income Tax return or by finding a co-sponsor who will also need to submit an affidavit.  Your co-sponsor must be a US Citizen, national or Permanent Resident, at least 18 years old and be able to meet the income requirements on his or her own.  However, he or she does not have to be related to you, the intending immigrant.

*If you are an active member of the armed forces petitioning for a spouse or child, then you only need to show support at 100% of the poverty level.

Please contact our firm for more information about the Affidavit of Support or about the sponsor or co-sponsor’s responsibilities.

Ten things you should know about the Green Card:

1. Green card holders, also called Permanent Residents, have the legal right to live and work in the USA as long as they maintain their permanent status.
2. The cards for Permanent Residency got their popular name because of the cards used to be green.
3. It does not immunize you from deportation. Green Card holders must maintain their permanent residence status by meeting certain conditions or their green cards will be revoked.
4. It does not guarantee your citizenship.
5. They do expire, so make sure you know when your Green Card is up for renewal.
6. While there are multiple ways to qualify for a Green Card, it can still be hard to obtain.
7. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues the Green Card. You can learn more about the organization by going to their website at www.uscis.gov.
8. Permanent residents may choose to surrender their Green Cards and abandon their Legal Permanent Resident status.
9. While you can travel outside of the United States with your Green Card, you must limit the length of your stay.
10. You will not automatically lose your Permanent Resident status if your Green Card is stolen or if you physically lose it. You will have to apply for a replacement.

Please contact me or leave a comment with your questions about the Green Card.