{
  "slug": "citizenship-income-requirement",
  "title": "Immigration Sponsor Income Requirement Calculator (125% FPL)",
  "heading": "Sponsor Income Requirement Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/citizenship-income-requirement",
  "summary": "Check if your household income meets the 125% federal poverty guideline for sponsoring an immigrant.",
  "description": "To sponsor a relative for a green card, you must file Form I-864 and prove household income at or above 125% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size (100% if you're active-duty military sponsoring your own spouse or child). Household size includes you, your dependents, anyone you're already sponsoring under a prior I-864 still in effect, and the immigrant(s) you're currently sponsoring. This calculator takes your household size and current income and tells you the exact threshold and whether you clear it, and by how much or how little you're short. If you fall short, options include adding a joint sponsor whose income independently meets the threshold, counting significant liquid assets (generally valued at 3x-5x the shortfall depending on relationship), or having the immigrant's own qualifying income counted if they're already living with you and working legally.",
  "formula": "Threshold = 125% (or 100% for military) × HHS poverty guideline for household size; shortfall = threshold − income.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=citizenship-income-requirement",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "householdSize",
      "label": "Total household size (incl. sponsored immigrant)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": null,
      "min": 2,
      "max": 15
    },
    {
      "id": "income",
      "label": "Sponsor's household income (last tax year)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 42000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "military",
      "label": "Active duty sponsoring own spouse/child",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "no",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "no",
          "label": "No — 125% threshold applies"
        },
        {
          "value": "yes",
          "label": "Yes — 100% threshold applies"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "threshold",
      "label": "Required income threshold",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "meets",
      "label": "Meets requirement?",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "shortfall",
      "label": "Shortfall (if any)",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "surplus",
      "label": "Surplus above threshold",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "povertyLine",
      "label": "100% poverty guideline for household size",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Total household size (incl. sponsored immigrant): 3",
      "Sponsor's household income (last tax year): 42000 $",
      "Active duty sponsoring own spouse/child: No — 125% threshold applies"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Required income threshold: $36,288",
      "Meets requirement?: Yes — meets requirement",
      "Shortfall (if any): $0",
      "Surplus above threshold: $5,713",
      "100% poverty guideline for household size: $29,030"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter total household size (incl. sponsored immigrant).",
      "Enter sponsor's household income (last tax year) ($).",
      "Enter active duty sponsoring own spouse/child.",
      "Read your required income threshold on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "householdSize": 2,
        "income": 25000,
        "military": "no"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "householdSize": 3,
        "income": 42000,
        "military": "no"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "householdSize": 5,
        "income": 67000,
        "military": "no"
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "What counts as household size?",
      "a": "Yourself, your spouse, dependent children, anyone else you claim as a tax dependent, any immigrants you're currently sponsoring under a still-active I-864, and the person(s) you're sponsoring now. It's easy to undercount and get a false pass, so list every dependent honestly."
    },
    {
      "q": "What if I'm short — what are my options?",
      "a": "Add a joint sponsor who independently meets 125% for their own household plus your sponsored immigrant, count significant assets (cash, stocks, or net equity in property, discounted to a usable value), or include the sponsored immigrant's current lawful income if they already live with you and have work authorization."
    },
    {
      "q": "Which poverty guideline do I use?",
      "a": "The guideline published annually by HHS for the contiguous 48 states, unless you live in Alaska or Hawaii, which have separate higher guidelines. USCIS updates the I-864P poverty guidelines chart each year, usually in the spring, so use the version current at the time of filing."
    },
    {
      "q": "Does self-employment income count differently?",
      "a": "Yes, USCIS uses your adjusted gross income from your most recent federal tax return, not gross receipts. If your AGI is low due to business deductions, that's the number that counts against you even if your actual cash flow is higher."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/green-card-sponsorship-cost",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/naturalization-fee-total",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/child-support-guideline-range"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Immigration Sponsor Income Requirement Calculator (125% FPL) (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/citizenship-income-requirement)"
}