What percentage of the Federal Poverty Guidelines must a sponsor maintain to support an intending immigrant?

The correct percentage that a sponsor must maintain to support an intending immigrant is 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This requirement is designed to ensure that sponsors have sufficient financial means to provide support and prevent the immigrant from becoming a public charge.

When a sponsor signs an Affidavit of Support, they commit to financially support the immigrant at or above this threshold, thereby demonstrating their ability to support the immigrant while they establish themselves in the United States. This percentage is based on the household size and is updated annually in the Federal Poverty Guidelines, reflecting the necessary income level to maintain a basic standard of living.

Choosing a threshold lower than 125%, such as 100%, would not adequately ensure that the immigrant can avoid reliance on public benefits, while choosing a higher threshold, like 150% or 200%, may not reflect the baseline requirement set forth by the USCIS for sponsorship. Therefore, 125% is the standard benchmark to assess whether the sponsor has the capacity to support the intending immigrant effectively.