Today’s topic is: 2025 Income Requirements for Marriage Based Immigration

This is Fred Wahl the VisaCoach.

Usually about a year after first submitting your application for a fiance or spouse visa, or as part of the initial application when applying for Adjustment of Status to obtain permanent residency, you must provide clear evidence of your income to convincingly demonstrate your future family and household will not need welfare or other public benefits.

It is critical to understand BEFORE you are at this stage, what the financial requirements are, so as to avoid surprises and denial.

And, in case your income does not meet the eligibility requirements, please watch towards the end of this video, as I will show how you can solve this problem.

I am Fred Wahl the VisaCoach.

I personally work with you preparing for you the forms and documents needed to bring your loved ones home to the USA. Unlike those common second rate services that abandon you once your application has been submitted, I remain with you providing support throughout this complicated immigration journey.

Now, lets talk about Income Requirements for Marriage based immigration to the USA in 2025.

In order to successfully petition for your spouse or fiancee to come to the USA, or obtain a Green Card after marriage in the USA, you the US sponsor must demonstrate to US Immigration that you have enough income coming in, to support your new spouse, and whole household.

The minimum financial requirement is that you must have income equal to and preferably more than 100% of the poverty income level where you live to be eligible to sponsor a Fiancee Visa, and over 125% of the poverty level to be eligible for Spousal Visa or Adjustment of Status.

And often, even when applying for a fiance visa the consular officer might apply the higher 125% range, at his or her discretion. So its best whenever possible to aim to exceed the higher standard.

Each year the Department of Health and Human Services publishes their Poverty Guidelines.

As of March 2025, for residents in the continental US the Financial Eligibility requirements are as follows.

Required Annual Income for Fiancee Visa: $21,150 if 2 persons in family or household, $26,650 if 3 persons in family or household, $32,150 if 4 persons in family or household. For each additional person add $5,500.

Required Annual Income for Spousal Visa or Green Card: $26,437 if 2 persons in family or household, $33,312 if 3 persons in family or household, $40,187 if 4 persons in family or household. For each additional person add $6,875.

The Financial eligibility thresholds are lower for active military, and higher for residents of Alaska or Hawaii.

Proving your Income.

Normally you provide your most recent Federal Tax Return, 3 to 6 pay stubs showing year to date earnings, plus a letter from your employer confirming your job, and what your expected annual pay is.

If your income might be low, but you have money in the bank, your cash assets can be used as an alternative for annual income.

Cash assets are assets which can be easily converted or sold to cash. For example: stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, cash in the bank.

You may have a lot of other assets such as your car, boat, coin collection, business or investment property but because these can not be easily turned to cash immigration will not accept them as alternatives to annual income.

The one exception to an asset that is hard to convert, but can be counted is your home. If the market value of your home is higher than your mortgage you may use the equity just like a cash asset.

$5 cash assets is the equivalent of $1 annual income.

For example, a retired Fiancee Visa sponsor living in California, with no income, and no dependents would need to have 5 times $21,150 or $105,750 in cash assets to qualify for the Fiancee Visa.

Alternatively a combination of income and assets can work.

For example, if the sponsors income is $10,000 per year, then his annual income is short by $11,150 so he should have 5 times that amount or $55,750 cash or convertible assets to qualify.

This is calculated by subtracting $10,000 from the annual requirement of $21,150. And then the difference of $11,150 times five equals $55,750 of cash assets needed.

What if you don’t have enough income or assets?

In that case you could ask a relative or friend to act as a co or joint-sponsor.

Just like buying a car, your joint-sponsor could co-sign your loan.

When a joint-sponsor is used the size of the household increases. The combined household for the financial calculations would include the household size of the sponsor combined with the household size of the co-sponsor.

For example, a college student petitioning for his fiancee asks his father to joint-sponsor.

Both the college student and the father would each complete an affidavit of support. The student’s household is just 2 persons, himself and his fiancee. The father’s household would be father, mother, and the two siblings still living at home.

Thus the combined household would be 6 persons, and the combined income of both sponsor and joint-sponsor would have to be $43,150 or more.

A joint-sponsor can be used for any Spousal Visa or Adjustment of Status petition, and can be used for most Fiancee Visa petitions. However, not all consulates allow the use of a joint-sponsor for a Fiancee Visa.

For example: Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Nigeria do not.

If you are applying for a Fiancee visa and need a joint-sponsor, before filing the petition, best is to contact the consulate directly and confirm whether the consulate’s policies permit the use of a financial joint-sponsor or not. If they won’t allow a co-sponsor then switch plans, marry then apply for a spouse visa, and your co-sponsor can be used when needed.

This was Fred Wahl, The VisaCoach.

I am here to personally help you on this journey.