Affidavit of Support
[I-134, Affidavit of Support]
IMPORTANT: Information on this site may be outdated. For up-to-date instructions and filing fees check always with the USCIS site:
http://www.uscis.gov/forms
Purpose of Form :
To file a promise with USCIS to support an alien entering the United States and that the alien will not become a public charge. A separate affidavit must be filed by the sponsor for each person.
Number of Pages :
4
Edition Date :
12/04/06. Versions 7/14/06 and 6/17/06 are also acceptable.
Where to File :
If the sponsor is in the United States, the affidavit may be sworn to or affirmed before an immigration officer (see any USCIS District or sub-office) or before a notary public or other official authorized to administer oaths for general purposes. If the sponsor is outside the United States, the affidavit must be sworn to or affirmed before a U.S. consular or immigration officer.
Filing Fee :
$0.00
Special Instructions :
(NA)
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
OMB No. 1615-0014; Exp. 04-30-07
I-134, Affidavit of Support
Instructions
I. Execution of Affidavit.
A separate affidavit must be submitted for each person. As the sponsor, you must sign the affidavit in your full, true and correct name and affirm or make it under oath.
- If you are in the United States, the affidavit may be sworn to or affirmed before an officer of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) without the payment of fee, or before a notary public or other officers authorized to administer oaths for general purposes, in which case the official seal or certificate of authority to administer oaths must be affixed.
- If you are outside the United States, the affidavit must be sworn to or notice affirmed before a U.S. consular or immigration officer.
How you submit the form depends on whether the alien you are sponsoring is in or outside the United States and what type of application is being submitted. See the instructions provided with the corresponding application for detailed information on how to submit this affidavit of support form.
II. Supporting Evidence.
As the sponsor, you must show you have sufficient income and/or financial resources to assure that the alien you are sponsoring will not become a public charge while in the United States.
Evidence should consist of copies of any or all of the following documentation listed below that are applicable to your situation.
Failure to provide evidence of sufficient income and/or financial resources may result in the denial of the alien’s application for a visa or his or her removal from the United States.
The sponsor must submit in duplicate evidence of income and resources, as appropriate:
A. Statement from an officer of the bank or other financial institutions where you have deposits, identifying the following details regarding your account:
1. Date account opened;
2. Total amount deposited for the past year;
3. Present balance.
B. Statement of your employer on business stationery,
revealing:
1. Date and nature of employment;
2. Salary paid;
3. Whether the position is temporary or permanent.
C. If self-employed:
1. Copy of last income tax return filed; or
2. Report of commercial rating concern.
D. List containing serial numbers and denominations of
bonds and name of record owner(s).
III. Sponsor and Alien Liability.
Effective October 1, 1980, amendments to section 1614(f) of the Social Security Act and Part A of Title XVI of the Social Security Act establish certain requirements for determining the eligibility of aliens who apply for the first time for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
Effective October 1, 1981, amendments to section 415 of the Social Security Act established similar requirements for determining the eligibility of aliens who apply for the first time for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), currently administered under Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Effective December 22, 1981, amendents to the Food Stamp Act of 1977 affect the eligibility of alien participation in the Food Stamp Program.
These amendments require that the income and resources of any person who, as the sponsor of an alien’s entry into the United States, executes an affidavit of support or similar agreement on behalf of the alien, and the income and resources of the sponsor’s spouse (if living with the sponsor) shall be deemed to be the income and resources of the alien under formulas for determining eligibility for SSI, TANF and Food Stamp benefits during the three years following the alien’s entry into the United States.
Documentation on Income and Resources.
An alien applying for SSI must make available to the Social Security Administration documentation concerning his / her income and resources and those of the sponsor, including information that was provided in support of the corresponding application.
An alien applying for TANF or Food Stamps must make similar information available to the State public assistance agency.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Agriculture are authorized to obtain copies of any such documentation submitted to USCIS or the U.S. Department of State and to release such documentation to a State public assistance agency.
Joint and Several Liability Issues.
Sections 1621(e) of the Social Security Act and subsection 5(i) of the Food Stamp Act also provide that an alien and his or her sponsor shall be jointly and severally liable to repay any SSI, TANF or Food Stamp benefits that are incorrectly paid because of mis-information provided by a sponsor or because of a sponsor’s failure to provide information, except where the sponsor was without fault or where good cause existed.
Incorrect payments that are not repaid will be withheld from any subsequent payments for which the alien or sponsor are otherwise eligible under the Social Security Act or Food Stamp Act.
These provisions do not apply to SSI, TANF or Food Stamp eligibility of aliens admitted as refugees, granted asylum or Cuban/ Haitian entrants as defined in section 501(e) of P.L. 96-422, and to dependent children of the sponsor or sponsor’s spouse.
IV. Information and USCIS Forms.
For information on immigration laws, regulations and procedures or to order USCIS forms, call our National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283 or visit our website at www.uscis.gov.
V. Use InfoPass for Appointments.
As an alternative to waiting in line for assistance at your local USCIS office, you can now schedule an appointment through our internet-based system, InfoPass. To access the system, visit our website at www.uscis.gov. Use the InfoPass appointment scheduler and follow the screen prompts to set up your appointment. InfoPass generates an electronic appointment notice that appears on the screen. Print the notice and take it with you to your appointment. The notice gives the time and date of your appointment, along with the address of the USCIS office.
VI. Privacy Act Notice.
We ask for the information on this form and associated evidence to determine if you have established eligibility for the immigration benefit you are seeking. We may provide this information to other government agencies. Failure to provide this information and any requested evidence may delay a final decision or result in denial of your request.
Authority for the collection of the information requested on this form is contained in 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4),1183(a),1184 (a) and 1258.
The information will be used principally by USCIS, or by any consular officer to whom it may be furnished, to support an alien’s application for benefits under the Immigration and Nationality Act and specifically the assertion that he or she has adequate means of financial support and will not become a public charge. Submission of the information is voluntary.
However, failure to provide the information may result in the denial of the alien’s application.
The information may also as a matter of routine use be disclosed to other federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Agriculture, Department of State, Department of Defense and any component thereof ( if the deponent has served or is serving in the armed forces of the United States), Central Intelligence Agency, and individuals and organizations during the course of any investigation to elicit further information required to carry out USCIS functions.
VII. Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.
You are not required to respond to this form unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
We try to create forms and instructions that are accurate, can be easily understood and impose the least possible burden on you to provide us with information. Often this is difficult because some immigration laws are very complex.
The estimated average time to complete and file this notice is 15 minutes.
If you have comments regarding the accuracy of this estimate, or suggestions for making this form simpler, you may write to: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Regulatory Management Division, 111 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., 3rd Floor, Suite 3008, Washington, DC 20529. Do not mail your completed affidavit of support to this address.