Form I-864 · Required Supporting Documents (Part 2, Item 9; Part 6, Items 15-19)
I-864 Document Checklist (Part 6, Items 15-19): What a Sponsor Must Submit in 2026
This page lists the documents that go in the envelope with Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support your U.S. citizen or green-card-holder spouse signs to show they can financially support you. The core requirement lives in Part 6, Items 15-19 (your Federal tax return) and Part 2, Item 9 (proof of status).
Most marriage-based sponsors
Most marriage-based sponsors send three things: the signed I-864, their most recent Federal tax return, and, only if they photocopy that return instead of ordering an IRS transcript (a free summary of the return from the IRS), the wage and income forms that came with it.
Those forms are your W-2 (the wage statement your employer mails you in January) and any 1099 (which reports other income like contract work). Proof of U.S. citizenship is usually already on file from the I-130. Keep reading to confirm your case.
Summary
For most marriage-based green card sponsors, an employed U.S. citizen filing for a spouse, three items are required with Form I-864: a signed I-864, an IRS transcript or a photocopy of your most recent Federal income tax return, and, if you submit a photocopy, a copy of each W-2 and 1099 for that return. Proof of your citizenship is usually not required again if you already filed it with the I-130. Pay stubs, an employer letter, and assets are optional unless USCIS asks for them.
| Always required | A signed Form I-864, plus an IRS transcript or photocopy of your Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year |
| Required only with a photocopy | If you submit a photocopy of the return (not an IRS transcript), include a copy of every W-2 and 1099 that relates to that return |
| Proof of status | Proof of U.S. citizenship or green card (lawful permanent resident) status, unless you already filed it with your I-130 petition |
| Optional (unless USCIS asks) | Recent pay stubs, an employer letter, and prior-year tax returns; helpful but not mandatory per the instructions |
| Only if you use them | Form I-864A and that person's documents for a household member's income; asset records only if you rely on assets to qualify |
| Why it matters | USCIS uses the tax return to verify the income figures on the form and issues a Request for Evidence (RFE) when a required document is missing |
Scope of this page
This page covers the standard case: a W-2 employee sponsoring a spouse, who filed a Federal income tax return for the most recent year and is qualifying on their own income. If you are self-employed and report income on Schedule C, if a joint sponsor with a complex income or domicile situation is involved, if you did not file (or were not required to file) a Federal tax return for the most recent year, or if your case involves an I-864W or a public-charge exemption, the document list changes and you should consult an immigration attorney before assembling your packet.
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What the USCIS instructions require
The one financial document the instructions call mandatory is your Federal income tax return for the most recent year. This is the block on the form where those figures go.
Verbatim from Form I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 6, Items 15-19 (page 11)
“You must provide either an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) transcript or a photocopy from your own records of your Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year, counting from the date of signing Form I-864. If you believe additional returns may help you to establish your ability to maintain sufficient income, you may submit transcripts or photocopies of your Federal individual income tax returns for the three most recent years.”
In plain terms: one year of tax records is required (the most recent one), and adding the two years before it is optional, done only if the extra years strengthen your income picture. You choose the format, an IRS transcript (a free summary the IRS generates) or a photocopy of the return from your own records. That choice changes what else you attach, which is the rule below.
The rule that trips people up: transcript or photocopy decides your attachments
Whether you attach your W-2s and 1099s depends entirely on which tax document you send. The instructions are explicit about this.
Verbatim from Form I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 6, Items 15-19 (page 11)
“If you provide a photocopy of your Federal individual income tax returns, you must include a copy of each and every Form W-2 and Form 1099 that relates to your returns. Do not include copies of these forms if you provide an IRS transcript of your Federal individual income tax returns rather than a photocopy unless you filed a joint income tax return with your spouse and are qualifying using only your income.”
- IRS transcript: do not attach W-2s or 1099s. The transcript already contains that data.
- Photocopy of the return: attach a copy of every W-2 and 1099 that relates to it, plus every schedule you filed.
- Exception: filed jointly with your spouse and qualifying on your own income alone? Include your W-2s even with a transcript, so USCIS can see your share.
What USCIS does with these documents
USCIS uses the tax return to verify the income you typed on the form and to confirm you filed as required. The proof-of-status document confirms a sponsor is eligible to sign an I-864 at all.
If a required document is missing
USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE), a written notice asking you to send the missing item, which delays the case by weeks or months. A missing tax return, a missing schedule, or missing W-2s on a photocopied return are the most common RFE triggers on the I-864.
If the optional evidence is strong
Pay stubs and an employer letter are not required, but they help when your current income is higher than last year's return, for example after a raise or a job change. They show USCIS the income is real and ongoing.
The I-864 document checklist
Each row cites the exact instruction section it comes from, so you can confirm it against the source. The first two rows apply to every sponsor; the rest depend on your situation.
| Document | Who needs it | Instruction source |
|---|---|---|
| Signed Form I-864 | Every sponsor. USCIS rejects an unsigned or invalidly signed affidavit. | Instructions, General Instructions, Signature (page 5) |
| Most recent Federal income tax return (IRS transcript or photocopy) | Every sponsor. This is the one financial document the instructions call mandatory. | Instructions, Part 6, Items 15-19 (page 11) |
| Copy of each W-2 and 1099 for that return | Required only if you submit a photocopy of the return instead of an IRS transcript (see the rule below). | Instructions, Part 6, Items 15-19 (page 11) |
| Proof of U.S. citizenship, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident status | Joint sponsors and substitute sponsors. A petitioning spouse who already filed this with the I-130 does not submit it again. | Instructions, Part 2, Item 9 (page 8) |
| Employer letter and recent pay stubs | Optional. Helpful when current income is higher than last year's return, but not required unless USCIS asks. | Instructions, Part 6, Item 7 (page 10) |
| Form I-864A plus that person's tax return | Only if you count a household member's income to meet the requirement. | Instructions, Part 5, Item 7 (page 10) |
| Asset records (account statements, appraisal, deed) | Only if you use assets to make up a shortfall between your income and the threshold. | Instructions, Part 7 (page 12) |
Do you include proof of citizenship? Usually not, if you filed the I-130
In a marriage case, the U.S. citizen or green-card-holder spouse is both the petitioner (the person who filed Form I-130 to open the case) and the sponsor (the person who signs the I-864). Because they already proved their status with the I-130, they generally do not prove it again here.
Verbatim from Form I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 2, Item 9 (page 8)
“You must provide proof that you are a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident for joint and substitute sponsors and for relatives of employment-based immigrants who file Form I-864. Petitioning relatives who have already filed proof of their citizenship or immigration status with Form I-129F, Form I-130, Form I-600, or Form I-600A do not need to submit proof of their status with this affidavit.”
Petitioning spouse (the standard case)
Proof of status was filed with the I-130. You do not attach it again to the I-864.
Joint or substitute sponsor
Did not file an I-130, so they must include proof of their own U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or green card (lawful permanent resident) status, for example a passport bio page or a copy of the green card.
When the checklist above does not apply to you
Four situations change which documents you need in ways this page does not resolve: (1) you are self-employed and report income on Schedule C; (2) a joint sponsor with a complex income or domicile situation is helping you qualify; (3) you did not file, or were not required to file, a Federal tax return for the most recent year; or (4) your case involves an I-864W or a public-charge exemption (for example, the 40-qualifying-quarters exception). In any of these, the required evidence is fact-specific. Have an immigration attorney review your situation before you assemble the packet.
Common mistakes assembling the I-864 packet
These errors appear on RFEs and cause avoidable delays. Each has a specific fix.
- 01
Sending W-2s and 1099s along with an IRS transcript
The instructions say the opposite. If you order an IRS tax transcript, you do not attach W-2s or 1099s, because the transcript already contains that data. You attach W-2s and 1099s only when you submit a photocopy of the return. The one exception: you filed jointly with your spouse and are qualifying on your own income alone, in which case include your W-2s even with a transcript, so USCIS can see your share.
- 02
Submitting a state tax return or a foreign tax return
The I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24, Part 6) state: 'Do not submit copies of your state income tax returns.' Foreign tax returns are also excluded unless you were not required to file a U.S. Federal return and are relying on the foreign return to show income not taxed in the United States. USCIS wants your Federal individual income tax return.
- 03
Submitting only the most recent year's return but forgetting a schedule
You must include every Form 1040 schedule you filed with that return. Missing schedules are a common Request for Evidence (RFE) trigger. If you filed a photocopy, the return is not complete without the schedules that were part of it.
- 04
Re-submitting citizenship proof you already filed, or omitting it when you should include it
A petitioning spouse who filed proof of U.S. citizenship with the I-130 does not need to file it again with the I-864, per Part 2, Item 9. A joint sponsor or substitute sponsor, on the other hand, must include proof of their own status. Check which role applies to you before adding or dropping this document.
- 05
Getting the tax return notarized or IRS-certified
Neither is required. The instructions state a plain transcript or photocopy is acceptable and that you do not need the IRS to certify it unless a Government official specifically asks. Form I-864 itself does not need to be notarized.
Marriage-based filers: what the packet usually looks like
For the standard case, a U.S. citizen sponsoring their spouse, employed with W-2 wages, who filed a tax return for the most recent year and qualifies on their own income, the packet is short.
Standard case: employed U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse
Form I-864 has more moving parts than the packet
Our software tells you which tax document to submit for your situation, flags when W-2s are needed, checks your income against the poverty guidelines (the minimum income USCIS requires, which depends on your household size), and builds the complete packet for you to review and sign.
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Form and pathway context
Frequently asked questions
What documents do I have to submit with Form I-864?
Two things are mandatory for every sponsor: a signed Form I-864 and either an IRS transcript or a photocopy of your Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year, per the I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24, Part 6, Items 15-19). If you send a photocopy rather than a transcript, you must also include a copy of every W-2 and 1099 that relates to that return. A joint sponsor or substitute sponsor also submits proof of their U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status. Pay stubs, an employer letter, and prior-year returns are optional unless USCIS requests them.
Do I submit an IRS tax transcript or a photocopy of my tax return for the I-864?
Either is acceptable. The I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24, Part 6) let you provide an IRS transcript or a photocopy from your own records. The practical difference is the attachments: with a transcript you do not add W-2s or 1099s; with a photocopy you must include a copy of each W-2 and 1099 that relates to the return. A transcript is often the cleaner option because it bundles the wage data. You can request one free at the IRS 'Get Transcript' service or with IRS Form 4506-T.
Do I need to include my W-2 with the I-864?
It depends on what tax document you submit. If you attach a photocopy of your tax return, yes, include a copy of every W-2 and 1099 that relates to it. If you attach an IRS transcript instead, do not include the W-2s, because the transcript already reflects them. The one exception in the instructions: if you filed a joint return with your spouse and are qualifying on your own income alone, include your W-2s even with a transcript so USCIS can identify your income.
Does the U.S. citizen sponsor need to submit proof of citizenship with the I-864?
Often no. Per the I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24, Part 2, Item 9), a petitioning relative who already filed proof of citizenship or immigration status with Form I-130 does not need to submit it again with the affidavit. In a standard marriage case the U.S. citizen spouse filed the I-130, so the citizenship evidence is already on file. Joint sponsors and substitute sponsors, who did not file an I-130, must include proof of their own U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or lawful permanent resident status.
Does Form I-864 need to be notarized?
No. The I-864 does not need to be notarized. It does need your original handwritten signature (a photocopied, faxed, or scanned copy of that signature is acceptable for filing). USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature, and it will reject an affidavit that is not signed, per the General Instructions on page 5.
How many years of tax returns do I submit with the I-864?
One year is mandatory: your Federal individual income tax return for the most recent tax year. You may add the two prior years (three total) if you believe they help show your ability to maintain sufficient income, but that is optional. Do not confuse this with the tax figures you type on the form itself in Items 16.a through 16.c, where you can list up to three years of totals.
Key takeaways
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Two documents are mandatory for every sponsor: a signed I-864 and your most recent Federal tax return (IRS transcript or photocopy).
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W-2 and 1099 copies are required only when you submit a photocopy of the return, not when you submit an IRS transcript.
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A petitioning spouse usually does not re-submit citizenship proof, it was already filed with the I-130. Joint and substitute sponsors must include proof of their own status.
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Pay stubs, an employer letter, and prior-year returns are optional unless USCIS specifically asks for them.
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Do not submit state or foreign tax returns, and do not get the return notarized or IRS-certified.
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Self-employed sponsors, joint-sponsor complexities, a missing or not-required tax return, and I-864W exemption cases need an attorney before you assemble the packet.
This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-864, edition 10/17/24. Last verified August 2026.
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Continue reading
- 01Form I-864 Affidavit of Support: Complete 2026 Guide
- 02I-864 Federal Tax Return Information (Part 6, Items 15-19): What to Enter in 2026
- 03I-864 Current Annual Income (Part 6, Item 7): What to Enter in 2026
- 04I-864 Part 5, Item 1: Total Number of Persons in Household (2026)
- 05Who Is Exempt From Filing Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support)?
- 06I-864 Affidavit of Support Income Calculator (2026)
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