How to fill out Form I-864A (support contract), line by line
Form I-864A is the contract a qualifying household member uses to make income or assets available to a sponsor completing Form I-864. Start by confirming the household-member route in Part 2, then gather the current-income, tax, and asset records that apply. This guide explains the contract’s parts; for other government form instructions, return to the forms hub.
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When Form I–864A is used and who completes it
Use Form I-864A only when a sponsor is combining a qualifying household member's income and/or assets with the sponsor's resources for Form I-864. It is an attachment to Form I-864, not a separate affidavit or standalone filing. USCIS says to use a separate contract for every household member whose resources the sponsor uses.
The contract's two signers and filing connection
The sponsor completes Part 5. The household member completes Parts 1 through 4 and Part 6. Both parties make separate declarations and must sign and date the contract. In practical terms, the household member agrees to make the listed resources available, while the sponsor agrees to file the accompanying affidavit of support. Their signed contract makes the household member jointly responsible with the sponsor under its terms.
A household member must be at least 18 and fit an eligible category, such as the sponsor's spouse, a qualifying co-resident relative, or a person lawfully claimed as a dependent on the sponsor's most recent Federal return.
If more than one person contributes resources, each contributing person needs a separate Form I-864A.
An intending immigrant has special rules: using that person's income requires this contract only when the immigrant has accompanying dependents; using only that person's assets does not require Form I-864A.
Choose the Part 2 relationship route before filling the form
Part 2 is the route-selection point for Form I-864A. Select Item 1, 2, or 3 based on the household member's actual relationship to the sponsor and whether that person is the intending immigrant. The choice is more than a label: it changes the proof needed for residence, relationship, and continuing lawful income.
Part 2 relationship routes and evidence focus
Part 2 choice | Who it describes | Proof focus |
|---|---|---|
Item 1 | The intending immigrant is the sponsor’s spouse | Show income will continue from a lawful source after immigration; co-residence is not required. |
Item 2 | The intending immigrant is a member of the sponsor's household | Show the same principal residence and income continuing from a lawful source after immigration. |
Item 3 | The household member is not the intending immigrant | Choose the relationship below Item 3. A non-spouse relative needs relationship and same-residence proof; an other dependent must appear on the sponsor's most recent Federal return. |
If the household member is the intending immigrant
Items 1 and 2 both concern an intending immigrant whose continuing lawful income is being used. The difference is the relationship: a spouse uses Item 1 and does not have to live with the sponsor; another intending immigrant household member uses Item 2 and must show the same principal residence. If the sponsor is using the intending immigrant's income, Form I-864A is needed only when that immigrant has accompanying dependents. If the sponsor is using only the intending immigrant's assets, the immigrant does not complete Form I-864A, even with accompanying dependents; the instructions direct the asset entry to Form I-864 Part 7 instead.
A different rule for other dependents
For the “Other Dependent” choice under Item 3, the person must be listed as a dependent on the sponsor's most recent Federal income tax return. Unlike other non-spouse relatives, that dependent does not need to prove the same principal residence.
Parts 1 and 3: household-member details, work, and current income
Part 1 identifies the household member. Part 3 records the person's current work status and the current annual income being offered under this contract. Keep that current-income entry separate from the historical tax information you will report and support in Part 4.
Use the right identifier and address
Enter the household member's full name, mailing address, date of birth in mm/dd/yyyy format, country of birth, and Social Security number if one exists. Items 2 and 3 ask where the person receives mail. Complete Item 4 only after answering “No” to the question about whether the mailing and physical addresses are the same. If there is no A-Number, enter “N/A.”
Do not confuse the A-Number and OAN
An A-Number identifies immigration records and begins with “A.” A USCIS Online Account Number is different: it exists only when there was a prior filing with a receipt number beginning with IOE. Do not put an A-Number in the Online Account Number field.
Report current income, not prohibited income
In Part 3, select every employment-status box that applies and provide employer details where requested. Item 7 is the household member's current individual earned or retirement annual income that is being used for this contract. It is not automatically the number from an older tax return. Do not include income from illegal activities, even if taxes were paid on it, and do not include means-tested public benefits to meet the requirement.
If it would help demonstrate that current income will continue, the household member may include supporting evidence such as a recent employer letter with salary information, six months of pay stubs, or records supporting other continuing income. USCIS does not require that extra current-year evidence unless a government official specifically instructs the filer to provide it.
Part 4: tax records and assets
Part 4 serves two different purposes. It records Federal tax information for the household member, then—only when the sponsor is relying on them—lists qualifying assets. Assemble the tax record first, because it is required even when assets are not being used.
What to attach with tax information
Provide either an IRS transcript or a photocopy of the household member’s Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year. In Item 2, enter that tax year and total income. For Forms 1040 and 1040A, use Total Income; for Form 1040EZ, use Adjusted Gross Income. If the amount is zero, enter “zero”; use “N/A” when it is non-applicable. Returns for the prior two years may also be submitted if they help show an ability to maintain income.
Match the tax record to its additional attachments
Record or situation | What to provide |
|---|---|
IRS transcript | A plain transcript is generally acceptable. W-2s and 1099s are generally not needed, except where USCIS specifies the joint-return exception. |
Photocopy of a Federal return | Include every related Form W-2 and Form 1099. |
Self-employed household member | Include every Form 1040 schedule filed with the Federal return. |
Return required but not filed / no return required | File late returns and attach the transcript or copy; if no return was required, attach a typed or printed explanation and, where applicable, exemption evidence. |
When assets belong in Items 3-6
Do not complete Items 3 through 5 when the sponsor uses only the household member’s income. When assets are used, include only assets that can be converted to cash within one year without considerable hardship or financial loss to the owner. Provide a description, proof of ownership, and support for the claimed net cash value. For a home, net value is the appraised value minus every loan secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other lien.
Enter cash, savings, and checking balances in Item 3.
Enter the net cash value of real-estate holdings in Item 4.
Enter the cash value of stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, and other eligible assets not already listed in Items 3 or 4 in Item 5.
Add Items 3, 4, and 5 and enter that total in Item 6.
An automobile cannot be counted unless the owner has more than one automobile and at least one is not included as an asset. An intending immigrant with no accompanying dependents does not list assets on this contract; the official instructions direct that person to Form I-864 Part 7 instead.
Parts 5 and 6: match the sponsored people and complete both signatures
Parts 5 and 6 complete the two-party contract. Part 5 connects it to the people named on the sponsor’s Form I-864. Part 6 is where the household member makes the corresponding promise to make resources available and accepts the contract's joint responsibility.
Use Form I-864 to populate Part 5
Read the sponsor's completed Form I-864 alongside Part 5. When that sponsor is sponsoring the principal intending immigrant—shown by “Yes” at Form I-864 Part 4, Item 1—list the principal intending immigrant first, followed by the spouse and children listed on that Form I-864. The alternative instruction applies only in the stated two-joint-sponsor situation: when the sponsor is not sponsoring the principal intending immigrant, list the spouse and children shown on that sponsor's Form I-864.
How Form I-864A connects to Form I-864
Sponsor's Form I-864
match listed people → 2
I-864A Part 5 people
defines supported people → 3
Signed I-864A contract
Statements and signatures are completion requirements
In Part 5, the sponsor selects either the English-reading statement or the interpreter statement, identifies preparer help when applicable, gives contact information, and signs and dates. In Part 6, the household member makes the same statement choices, supplies contact information, types or prints their name in the signature section, and signs and dates. A legal guardian may act for a mentally incompetent person only with proof of appointment and an order specifically permitting the income and assets to be made available.
Check both signatures before filing
A stamped or typewritten name is not an acceptable signature. If the household member does not provide the printed name, signature, and date in Part 6, the intending immigrant cannot receive a visa or adjustment based on the income and/or assets listed in the contract. USCIS may reject an unsigned or invalidly signed contract.
Parts 7-9, evidence, and filing checklist
Finish the contract by completing only the third-party sections that apply, preserving clear references for any added information, and filing the completed Form I-864A with Form I-864 and its requested evidence. Keep a copy of the completed contract and supporting records for your files.
Use Parts 7-9 only when their trigger applies
Complete Part 7 when an interpreter read the instructions and questions to the sponsor or household member in a language in which that person is fluent. The interpreter provides contact information and signs and dates the certification.
Complete Part 8 when someone other than the sponsor or household member prepared the contract. If the same person was both interpreter and preparer, that person completes both Parts 7 and 8.
Use Part 9 or an attached sheet when an answer needs more space. Put the household member's name and A-Number, if any, at the top; identify the exact page, part, and item being continued; then sign and date every added sheet.
File the contract with its evidence
Submit Form I-864A with Form I-864, not on its own. Include the household member's required tax evidence and any route-specific, income, or asset documents that apply to the information entered. USCIS may reject or deny a contract that is incomplete or lacks required evidence. For the current filing destination, use USCIS's current Form I-864 filing information; this guide does not replace those location instructions.
Can a scan of an original handwritten signature be filed?
Yes. USCIS treats a photocopy, fax, or scan as valid for filing when it is a copy of the original request or document bearing a handwritten ink signature. This does not make a typed or stamped name a valid signature.
What if a credit or security freeze affects the review?
A credit or security freeze can prevent access to information needed to assess the sponsor's Form I-864 and the household member's Form I-864A. USCIS advises responding promptly to any request to release the freeze to avoid delays.
Sources and how this page was made
This guide explains the official sources listed below in plain language. Displayed amounts, limits, percentages, and timing rules come from that material.
Source revision reflected in this guide: Form: 08/24/26; Instructions: 08/24/26.
Official form: Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member — USCIS
Official form instructions: Form I-864A, Instructions for Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member — USCIS