What if the I-864 sponsor lives outside the United States?

A sponsor must be domiciled in the United States, so living abroad raises the domicile requirement at Part 2, Item 5, and is not the standard case. Do not simply enter a foreign physical address and file. Consult an immigration attorney and review how the domicile rules work before completing Items 4 and 5.

Edition 10/17/24Verified August 2026Not a law firm · Not legal advice

Form I-864 · Part 2, Items 2-4

I-864 Mailing Address vs. Physical Address (Part 2, Items 2-4): How to Answer (2026)

Q: Whose address goes in Part 2 of the I-864, the sponsor's or the immigrant's?

Part 2 is 'Information About You (Sponsor),' so it asks for the sponsor's own address. In a marriage-based case the sponsor is the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse who signs the affidavit. The intending immigrant's address goes in Part 3.

On the I-864, your mailing address and your physical address are two different fields. For most sponsors living in the U.S. they are the same, and the form has a checkbox for exactly that.

Quick answer

Live at one U.S. address? Enter it at Item 2, check 'Yes' at Item 3, and leave Item 4 blank. Get mail somewhere other than your home (a PO Box, a relative's address)? Enter the mailing address at Item 2, check 'No' at Item 3, and put the home you live in at Item 4.

Summary

For most marriage-based filers, the sponsor (the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse who fills out the I-864) lives at one U.S. address, so the mailing address and physical address are the same: check 'Yes' at Part 2, Item 3, and leave Item 4 blank. Item 2 is your mailing address, meaning where you want USCIS to send letters. Item 4 is your physical address, meaning where you actually live. You only fill in Item 4 when the two are different, for example when you get mail at a PO Box or through a relative but live somewhere else.

Who answers this	You, the sponsor: the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder) spouse who signs the I-864 (the Affidavit of Support, your sworn promise to financially support the immigrant). Part 2 is about you, not about the immigrant spouse.
Item 2 (mailing address)	Where you want to receive written correspondence about this affidavit. Can be a PO Box or an in-care-of address if that is where your mail goes.
Item 3 (the checkbox)	'Is your current mailing address the same as your physical address?' Check 'Yes' if they match; check 'No' if they differ.
Item 4 (physical address)	Where you actually live. Fill it in only if you answered 'No' at Item 3. A PO Box is not a physical address.
Standard answer	Live at one U.S. address: enter it at Item 2, check 'Yes' at Item 3, leave Item 4 blank.
Attorney-lane trigger	Your physical address (Item 4) is outside the United States. A foreign residence raises the domicile requirement (domicile is the country where you keep your permanent home and intend to keep living) and needs an attorney's review before you file.

When to consult an attorney

This page covers the standard case: a sponsor living at a U.S. address, whether the mailing and physical address are the same or differ within the United States (a PO Box, an in-care-of address). Consult an immigration attorney if your physical address is outside the United States. A foreign residence raises the domicile requirement at Part 2, Item 5, because a sponsor must be domiciled in the U.S., and that situation is not resolved on this page.

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What the USCIS instructions say

Verbatim from Form I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 2, Item Numbers 2 and 4, page 7. The screenshot shows Items 2, 3, and 4 exactly as they appear on the current form.

Form I-864, Part 2 (Information About You (Sponsor)) : Items 2 through 4, the mailing address, the same-as-physical-address question, and the physical address, as they appear on edition 10/17/24 — Form I-864, Part 2, Items 2-4. Edition 10/17/24. Source: USCIS.

Verbatim -- Sponsor's Mailing Address (I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 2, Item 2)
“Sponsor's Mailing Address. Provide the address where you would like to receive written correspondence regarding this affidavit.”

Verbatim -- Sponsor's Physical Address (I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24, Part 2, Item 4)
“Sponsor's Physical Address. Provide your physical address if it is different from your mailing address.”

The instructions add no separate guidance for Item 3. The question and its follow-up note live on the form itself (Form I-864, page 2). Item 3 asks: “Is your current mailing address the same as your physical address? Yes / No” and a note directly below it adds: “If you answered “No” to Item Number 3., provide your physical address in Item Number 4.” In practice, Item 3 is just a routing question: ‘Yes’ means you live where your mail goes and Item 4 stays blank; ‘No’ means the two differ and Item 4 must be completed.

How to fill Items 2, 3, and 4

Work top to bottom. The checkbox at Item 3 decides whether you touch Item 4 at all.

1
Enter your mailing address at Item 2
Put the address where you want USCIS to send letters about this affidavit. The instructions call this the address where you would like to receive written correspondence, so it does not have to be where you live. A PO Box works here, and if your mail arrives through another person you can add their name in the 'In Care Of Name' line at the top of the block.
Example: You live in a rental but collect mail at a PO Box: enter the PO Box (and any In Care Of name) at Item 2.
2
Answer the checkbox at Item 3
Item 3 asks whether your mailing address is the same as your physical address. Check 'Yes' if the address at Item 2 is the same place you live. Check 'No' if the two are different. The instructions give no extra guidance for Item 3; the form itself tells you that a 'No' answer means you must fill in Item 4.
3
Fill Item 4 only if you checked 'No'
Item 4 asks for your physical address, meaning where you actually live. Complete it only when it is different from Item 2. Because it is a physical residence, a PO Box does not belong here. If you checked 'Yes' at Item 3, leave Item 4 blank.
Example: Mail goes to a PO Box (Item 2) but you live at 214 Oak Street: check 'No' at Item 3, enter 214 Oak Street at Item 4.

What if your situation is different?

Find your case below. Most are still the standard fill. The last one is not, and it stops here.

You get mail at a PO Box. A PO Box is fine for the mailing address at Item 2 because Item 2 is only where correspondence is delivered. Check 'No' at Item 3 and enter the home you actually live in at Item 4.
Your mail goes through a relative or friend. Enter that address at Item 2 and add the person's name in the 'In Care Of Name (if any)' line at the top of the mailing-address block. Check 'No' at Item 3 and put your own residence at Item 4.
You recently moved. Use your current addresses, not the old ones. Item 2 is where you now receive mail and Item 4 is where you now live. If both are the same new U.S. address, check 'Yes' at Item 3 and leave Item 4 blank.
You split time between two U.S. homes. Enter the address where you get your mail and where you primarily live at Item 2. If you routinely receive mail at one U.S. home but live mostly at another, list the mailing home at Item 2, check 'No', and list the home you live in at Item 4.
Your physical address is outside the United States. Stop here. A foreign physical residence does not fit the standard case: it raises the domicile requirement at Item 5, because a sponsor must be domiciled in the United States. See the attorney note directly below before you complete Items 4 and 5.

If your physical address is outside the United States, stop here

A sponsor must be domiciled in the United States. When your physical residence (Item 4) is abroad, USCIS looks at whether you still meet the domicile requirement at Item 5, and the answer depends on your specific facts (a temporary posting, maintained U.S. ties, plans to return). We do not resolve that here. Have an immigration attorney review your situation before you complete Items 4 and 5, and read our Country of Domicile guide to understand what USCIS is checking.

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For how the domicile rules work, see I-864 Country of Domicile (Part 2, Item 5).

Common mistakes on Items 2-4

These errors show up in requests for evidence and are simple to avoid.

01
Filling in Item 4 when the addresses are the same
If you live where your mail goes, check 'Yes' at Item 3 and leave Item 4 blank. Repeating the same address in Item 4, or writing something in it after checking 'Yes', creates a contradiction the reviewer has to resolve.
02
Putting a PO Box in the physical address (Item 4)
Item 4 asks for your physical address, meaning where you actually live. A PO Box or a mailbox-service address does not qualify as a physical address. The PO Box belongs at Item 2, the mailing address.
03
Checking 'No' but leaving Item 4 empty
The form directs that a 'No' answer at Item 3 requires you to provide your physical address in Item 4. Checking 'No' and then leaving Item 4 blank is an incomplete answer and a common cause of a request for more information.
04
Confusing the sponsor's address with the immigrant's address
Part 2 is titled 'Information About You (Sponsor)' and asks for the sponsor's own mailing and physical address. The intending immigrant's address goes in Part 3, not here. In a marriage case the sponsor is the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse.
05
Entering a foreign home as if it were a routine physical address
If your physical address is abroad, do not simply fill Item 4 and move on. A sponsor must be domiciled in the United States, and a foreign residence triggers the domicile analysis at Item 5. This is the situation that needs an attorney's review before filing.

Marriage-based filers: usually one U.S. address, one checkbox

In the typical marriage-based case, the sponsor is the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (green card holder) spouse, and they live at a single U.S. address. That makes Part 2 short: enter your address at Item 2, check ‘Yes’ at Item 3, and leave Item 4 blank.

Part 2 is about you, the sponsor, not about your immigrant spouse. Your spouse’s address belongs in Part 3, and the immigrant spouse does not fill out Part 2 at all. The only common reasons a marriage-based sponsor answers ‘No’ at Item 3 are a PO Box, mail received through a relative, or a recent move where the two addresses have not yet lined up, all still inside the United States.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the mailing address and the physical address on the I-864?

Per the I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24, Part 2), the mailing address at Item 2 is 'the address where you would like to receive written correspondence regarding this affidavit,' and the physical address at Item 4 is 'your physical address if it is different from your mailing address.' In plain terms: Item 2 is where your mail goes, Item 4 is where you actually live.

My mailing and home address are the same. What do I do with Item 3 and Item 4?

Enter the address once at Item 2, check 'Yes' at Item 3, and leave Item 4 blank. The physical-address block is only for when the two addresses differ.

Can I use a PO Box on the I-864?

You can use a PO Box for the mailing address at Item 2, because Item 2 is only where you receive correspondence. You cannot use a PO Box for the physical address at Item 4, which asks where you actually live. If you use a PO Box for mail, check 'No' at Item 3 and enter your home address at Item 4.

Whose address goes in Part 2, the sponsor's or the immigrant's?

Part 2 is 'Information About You (Sponsor),' so it is the sponsor's own address. In a marriage-based case the sponsor is the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse who signs the affidavit. The intending immigrant's address goes in Part 3.

What if I live outside the United States?

A sponsor must be domiciled in the United States, so living abroad raises the domicile requirement at Part 2, Item 5, and is not the standard case. Do not just fill in a foreign physical address and file. Consult an immigration attorney, and see our Country of Domicile guide for how the domicile rules work.

Key takeaways

✓
Part 2 asks for the sponsor's own address. In a marriage case the sponsor is the U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse who signs the I-864.
✓
Item 2 is your mailing address (where correspondence goes). Item 4 is your physical address (where you actually live).
✓
If both are the same U.S. address, enter it at Item 2, check 'Yes' at Item 3, and leave Item 4 blank.
✓
A PO Box or in-care-of address is allowed at Item 2 but never at Item 4. If your mail goes somewhere other than your home, check 'No' and complete Item 4.
✓
A physical address outside the United States raises the domicile requirement and warrants an immigration attorney's review before filing.

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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