K-1 Visa Income Requirements Guide for Sponsors

The K-1 visa is designed for couples who are engaged (one partner is a U.S. citizen while the other is not) and plan to marry within 90 days of the foreign partner’s arrival in the U.S. Navigating the income requirements alone can be daunting, but with VisaNation, the steps are fast and simple! Read on to learn all about the minimum financial requirements, how to demonstrate “stable income,” and what to do if your income doesn’t meet the threshold.

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Understanding K-1 Visa Income Requirements for Sponsors

The minimum fiancé(e) income requirement is $21,640 in 2026 for a household size of 2 (you and your fiancé) living in the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. You or a willing U.S. citizen or permanent resident sponsor must meet the household income requirements to prove that the foreign fiancée will not become a public charge during their temporary stay.

Why? The government wants to ensure that the foreign immigrant will not become a financial burden to the country. In other words, the foreign fiancée will not need to rely on the government for support through government-funded services like long-term institutional care (funded by Medicaid) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) – typically referred to as “welfare.”

The household income requirements for the I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, are determined through the HHS poverty guidelines, which are issued annually. These guidelines help visa sponsors determine the minimum income required to qualify. This is calculated by using the number of members of your household, which includes:

• yourself
• your K-1 fiancé
• dependent children and your K-1 fiancés children (if applicable).
• any immigrant(s) you’ve sponsored in the past

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If your income does not meet the threshold, you can have a willing U.S. citizen sponsor, typically a close friend, colleague, or family member, serve as the sponsor.

According to the 2026 K-1 visa income requirements outlined by ASPE, as a sponsor, your household’s stable income must meet HHS poverty guidelines:

Contiguous 48 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands:

If you are based in Alaska or Hawaii, where the cost of living is higher, the required amount for a household of 2 members is slightly higher:

Alaska

Hawaii

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What Are The Accepted Sources of Income for K-1 Visa Income Requirements?

It is crucial to understand the acceptable forms of income to sponsor a K-1 beneficiary’s application to the U.S. In most cases, the sponsor must use the yearly income reported on the federal income tax return of the most recent year. However, we advise meeting the income requirement for at least a few years. You can find your Adjusted Gross Income on your IRS Form 1040.

• As per the income requirement, your total stable annual wage can include the salary that you were paid by an employer, retirement benefits, child support payments, alimony, dividends, and/or interest earned in a private or public company.
• You can use other sources of income or assets; however, some types may require additional documentation or evidence. These can include
  • Equity of your home
  • The value of secondary vehicles – your primary does not count.
  • Personal savings or checking account balances, supported by a bank statement
  • Bonds.

If you are intending to include “non-traditional” sources of income, we advise it would consulting an experienced immigration attorney.

Learn more about marriage and fiancé(e) visas.

Stable Income

You have probably noticed that the word “stable” is referenced quite frequently when talking about income requirements for K-1 visa sponsorship. This is for a good reason. In the above section, you saw that most of the examples of income presented are recurring in nature. Recurring income is considered stable because it has a predicted frequency of payments. It is not a one-off payment. However, if you are planning on using income that cannot be considered stable, then it would be best to talk to a lawyer.

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How to Demonstrate Stable Income for K-1 Visa Sponsorship

Income requirements for a K-1 visa are usually submitted twice by the petitioning U.S. citizen fiancé(e). The first time will be during the consular process to bring the beneficiary fiancé(e) from his or her foreign country into the United States. The second time will be during the green card adjustment of status process.

I-134 Declaration of Financial Support

The I-134 Declaration of Financial Support is the first income form that must be submitted as part of the initial process to bring a beneficiary fiancé(e) from a foreign country into the United States. The I-134 is used by every nonimmigrant sponsor for a K-1 visa.

Before the embassy or consulate in your fiancé(e)’s home country will issue a K-1 visa, the petitioner must demonstrate that the beneficiary will not become a public charge after arriving in the United States. The petitioners’ financial ability is measured by the HHS poverty guideline.

You must be able to show that your income meets the poverty guidelines for that particular year. If your K-1 visa application is approved, your fiancé(e) will be issued a nonimmigrant visa to come into the United States.

What if I Can’t Meet the K-1 Minimum Income Requirements?

If you can’t meet the income requirements, there are two options available to you. These include using the cash value of your assets and having a joint sponsor.

Using Your Assets

The net value of your assets can help meet the income requirement. This can include home equity, bonds, secondary vehicles, personal savings, and checking account balances.

Having a Co-Sponsor

Having a joint sponsor is another way of meeting the K-1 visa income requirements. A joint sponsor must meet the 100% income requirement. Notably, the joint sponsor doesn’t need to be a family member. They must file their own separate Form I-134 as a Joint Sponsor.

Important:

While the use of a joint sponsor for a K-1 visa is widely accepted, it is essential to be aware that some U.S. embassies and consulates may have their own specific policies and may not accept joint sponsors for K-1 visa applications.

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I-864, Affidavit of Support

Once your fiancé is already in the U.S., you will be expected to get married within 90 days of his or her arrival. After marriage, to continue living in the U.S. lawfully, he or she will need to file for adjustment of status. At this point, you will need to submit an affidavit of support.

However, this will require another form entirely: the I-864. This affidavit is to show that you have the financial ability to support your alien fiancé(e) after they become a lawful permanent resident. The threshold is a little higher than that of the I-134. For the I-864, you must show that your income is at least 125% of the HHS poverty guideline for that year.

Signing the affidavit of support means you are willing to accept legal responsibility for the financial well-being of your spouse until he or she becomes a citizen or is credited with 40 quarters of social security coverage. Until either of these two conditions is met by your spouse, you will be bound by this affidavit.

Not even divorce can end your sponsorship obligation, as you could be called upon to repay any debt incurred by him or her for any means-tested benefits. You will need to provide supporting evidence to demonstrate you meet this requirement.

You will be required to provide your U.S. federal income tax return and your proof of current employment.

The tax return must be for the most recent tax year. If you can’t provide a tax return for the required period, you will need to explain. Otherwise, your spouse’s application will not be processed by USCIS. 

Like the I-134, you can use assets. These assets must be worth at least three times the difference between your actual household income and the required amount.

Complete Your K-1 Visa Application

It’s vital to ensure that all the requirements are met to successfully sponsor your fiancée on a K-1 visa. Remember, your income needs to meet (or exceed) 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For a household of two, you need to make at least $21,640.

For those who do not meet the requirements, you can add a joint sponsor (this can be a friend or relative in the U.S. who has sufficient income). You will not be eligible for a K-1 if you are already married, you do not meet the income requirements, have certain criminal convictions, or cannot prove a genuine relationship.

Ensuring Success in Meeting K-1 Visa Income Requirements

The only way to ultimately ensure success in meeting the requirements is to seek the help of a qualified immigration attorney who has handled these types of cases in the past. They’ll be able to look out for red flags in your application, double-check that all the details are accurately reported, and be on your side if immigration officials need additional evidence before approving your case.