The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revised federal poverty guidelines governing Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support. The new guidelines, effective March 1, 2026, set a minimum income requirement of $27,050 a year for sponsors in the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other US territories. This threshold applies to a household of two, typically the sponsor and the relative being brought over.
The income threshold increases with household size: $34,150 for three people, $41,250 for four, $48,350 for five, $55,450 for six, $62,550 for seven, and $69,650 for eight. For each additional household member beyond eight, an extra $7,100 is required. Sponsors in Hawaii face higher requirements, needing $31,113 for a household of two, rising to $80,088 for a household of eight, with $8,163 added for each additional person.
The new rules apply to all affidavits of support, both pending and newly submitted, from March 1, 2026, onwards. This means applicants currently in the pipeline are also subject to the new figures, rather than being grandfathered in under the old thresholds. Family-based sponsorship remains a common route for Ghanaians in the diaspora to bring relatives to the US.
A higher income bar may delay reunification plans for spouses, children, or parents waiting in Ghana. This follows a pattern of tightening immigration requirements across Western destinations that Ghanaian families rely on. Previously, Chale News reported on the UK's new age limits for child student visas and Ghana being excluded from the UK's English test exemption list for NHS visas.
Sponsors who cannot meet the income threshold on their own are not automatically shut out. US immigration law allows a joint sponsor to step in, permits combining income from other household members by filing Form I-864A, or lets sponsors offset a shortfall using qualifying personal assets.
USCIS reminded sponsors of their ongoing financial responsibility once a relative arrives. If the sponsored immigrant later draws on federal or state means-tested public benefits, the sponsor can be required to repay those costs. Non-cash support, including emergency medical care, school meal programs, and disaster relief, is excluded from that repayment obligation.
The new thresholds are already in force and apply nationwide to both pending and new applications. No further changes or review dates were indicated, and sponsors are directed to the official USCIS Form I-864P page for the full breakdown of figures by state and household size.
Key points
- The US has increased the minimum income required for Ghanaians sponsoring family members for Green Cards to $27,050 a year.
- The new guidelines apply to all affidavits of support, both pending and newly submitted, from March 1, 2026, onwards.
- Sponsors who cannot meet the income threshold on their own may use a joint sponsor, combine income from other household members, or offset a shortfall using qualifying personal assets.
