Form I-864 · Part 4 (Items 1-7) into Part 5, Item 1
I-864 Number of Immigrants You Are Sponsoring (Part 4 / Part 5, Item 1): How to Count in 2026
On Form I-864 you record the people you are sponsoring in Part 4, Items 1-7, and you enter the total of that group in Part 5, Item 1. It counts the principal immigrant (the relative the petition was filed for) plus any of their family members you are sponsoring who arrive within six months.
Most marriage-based filers
You are sponsoring 1 immigrant: your spouse.
If you are sponsoring your spouse (the principal immigrant) and no children are immigrating with them, the number is 1. This is not the same as your household size, which is a larger number. Keep reading to verify your situation and handle any accompanying children.
Summary
For most marriage-based green card cases, the number of immigrants you are sponsoring on this I-864 is 1: your spouse, the principal immigrant (the relative the I-130 petition was filed for). You add more only if your spouse's children are immigrating at the same time or within six months and you are sponsoring them too. This is a different, usually smaller, number than your Part 5 household size: the household size also counts you, any of your own children, and other dependents to set your income threshold. The count of sponsored immigrants is recorded in Part 5, Item 1 and is built from who you list in Part 4.
| What this number is | The count of people immigrating on this single I-864: the principal immigrant (the relative the I-130 was filed for) plus any of their family members you are sponsoring who arrive within six months |
| Marriage default | 1. You are sponsoring your spouse only, with no children immigrating at the same time |
| Where it is recorded | You list the people in Part 4 (Items 1-7); the count itself goes in Part 5, Item 1 |
| Not the same as household size | Household size (Part 5 total) is a larger number that also counts you, your own children, and other dependents to set your income threshold |
| When it goes above 1 | Your spouse's children immigrate with them or within six months and you are sponsoring them too; each one adds 1 |
Scope of this page
This page covers a petitioning sponsor sponsoring a spouse, with or without that spouse's children immigrating at the same time, where each person's relationship and immigration timing are clear. If you are acting as a second joint sponsor who is sponsoring only some family members, if a child's relationship to the principal immigrant (stepchild, adopted child) is contested, or if the timing of who immigrates within six months is uncertain, consult an immigration attorney before completing Part 4 and Part 5.
What the form and instructions say
On the form, Part 3 holds the principal immigrant's details and Part 4 is where you indicate who you are sponsoring. The numeric total is entered in Part 5, Item 1. The quotes below are verbatim from Form I-864 and its instructions, edition 10/17/24.
Verbatim from Form I-864 and Form I-864 Instructions, edition 10/17/24
Part 4, Item 1Are you sponsoring the principal immigrant?
“Indicate whether you are sponsoring the principal immigrant listed in Part 3. of Form I-864. Select “No” if you are sponsoring only intending immigrants listed in Part 4., Item Numbers 4. - 7. and (if applicable) in Part 11. Additional Information, and not the principal immigrant listed in Part 3. This only applies if you are sponsoring family members in Part 4. and Part 11. Additional Information, as the second joint sponsor.”
Part 4, Item 2Family members immigrating within six months
“The immigrant you are sponsoring (the principal immigrant) may bring a spouse and/or children to the United States. If the spouse and/or children will travel with the principal immigrant, or within six months of the principal immigrant’s entry into the United States and you are sponsoring them, list the names and other requested information in the spaces provided in Item Numbers 4. - 7. If any dependents are not immigrating, will immigrate more than six months after the principal immigrant arrives in the United States, or you are not sponsoring them, then do not list their names here. A separate Form I-864 is required for them when they apply for their immigrant visas.”
Part 5, Item 1Total number of immigrants you are sponsoring
“Enter the total number of immigrants you are sponsoring on this affidavit which includes the principal immigrant listed in Part 3., any immigrants listed in Part 4., Item Numbers 4. - 7. and, any additional sponsored immigrants you listed in Part 11. Additional Information. Do not count the principal immigrant if you are only sponsoring family members entering more than six months after the principal immigrant.”
The form also instructs, next to Part 4, Item 2: “Do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition.”
In plain terms: you, the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (a green card holder, abbreviated LPR) sponsor, are sponsoring the principal immigrant named in Part 3 (your spouse, the person your I-130 petition was filed for) plus any of that spouse's children you are sponsoring who immigrate within six months. The principal immigrant is the immigrant spouse, not you; you do not appear in this sponsored count at all.
What USCIS does with this number
This number tells USCIS exactly which immigrants your affidavit of support is promising to financially support. Each person you list becomes someone you are legally obligated to support until that obligation ends. USCIS also folds this count into your Part 5 household size, which is the figure that sets your income requirement.
Sponsored count vs. household size: two different numbers
| Immigrants you are sponsoring | Household size (Part 5 total) | |
|---|---|---|
| Counts | Principal immigrant + accompanying family you sponsor | You, your spouse, your children, other dependents, prior obligations |
| Spouse-only marriage case | 1 | 2 (you + spouse) |
| Used to set income threshold? | No (it feeds into household size) | Yes (looks up the Federal Poverty Guidelines) |
For the full breakdown of the larger household-size figure, see I-864 Household Size (Part 5, Item 1): Who Counts in 2026.
Mixing up the two numbers triggers Requests for Evidence
Entering your household size where the sponsored count belongs, or the reverse, sets the wrong income threshold. USCIS catches the mismatch and issues a Request for Evidence (a letter asking you to correct or add something, abbreviated RFE), which stalls the case.
How to count the immigrants you are sponsoring: step by step
- 01
Confirm the principal immigrant (Part 3)
The principal immigrant is the relative the green card petition (Form I-130) was filed for. In a marriage case that is your spouse. Their name, address, and A-Number go in Part 3. Part 3 collects who they are, not a count.
Example: Marriage case: your spouse is the principal immigrant listed in Part 3. - 02
Answer Part 4, Item 1: are you sponsoring that principal immigrant?
Select “Yes” if you are sponsoring the spouse named in Part 3. You select “No” only in the narrow case where you are a second joint sponsor sponsoring family members in Part 4 but not the principal immigrant. For a petitioning spouse this is almost always “Yes.”
Example: Petitioning spouse sponsoring their own spouse: Yes. - 03
List any accompanying family members (Part 4, Items 4-7)
A derivative is a family member (here, your spouse's child) who qualifies through the principal immigrant. List a derivative in Items 4-7 only if they are immigrating with your spouse or within six months and you are sponsoring them. The instructions say a child arriving more than six months later needs a separate I-864.
Example: Spouse has no children immigrating now: leave Items 4-7 blank. - 04
Add up the count for Part 5, Item 1
Add the principal immigrant (if you are sponsoring them) plus each accompanying family member you listed in Part 4. Enter that total in Part 5, Item 1. Per the instructions, do not count the principal immigrant if you are sponsoring only family members entering more than six months later.
Example: Sponsoring spouse only: 1. Spouse plus two accompanying stepchildren: 3.
Common mistakes on this field
These errors appear repeatedly on I-864 filings. Each has a specific cause and a specific fix.
- 01
Confusing this count with household size
The number of immigrants you are sponsoring is usually smaller than your Part 5 household size. Sponsoring a spouse only is 1 sponsored immigrant, but the household size is at least 2 (you plus your spouse) and can be higher. Entering the household-size number here, or this number as your household size, sets the wrong income threshold and is a frequent source of Requests for Evidence (a USCIS letter asking you to fix or add something, abbreviated RFE).
- 02
Listing children who are not immigrating within six months
Per Part 4, Item 2 of the instructions, a child arriving more than six months after the principal immigrant does not belong on this I-864. They need their own separate I-864 when they apply. Listing a later-arriving child here overstates the count and can confuse the file.
- 03
Listing relatives on a separate visa petition
The form says do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition. Each principal immigrant on their own I-130 is sponsored on their own I-864. Only the principal immigrant from this petition and that person's accompanying derivatives belong here.
- 04
Forgetting accompanying stepchildren
If your spouse's children are immigrating with them or within six months and you are sponsoring them, each one is a sponsored immigrant and must be listed in Part 4 and added to the Part 5, Item 1 count. Leaving them out understates the number and the income you must show.
Find your situation
Each scenario below shows how the sponsored count comes together for a marriage-based case.
Sponsoring your spouse only
1U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident sponsoring their immigrant spouse; no children immigrating now
Principal immigrant (your spouse) = 1. Nothing in Part 4, Items 4-7.
Spouse plus one accompanying child
2Sponsoring your immigrant spouse plus your spouse's child who is immigrating at the same time and whom you are sponsoring
Principal immigrant (spouse) = 1, plus one accompanying child listed in Part 4 = 1. Total = 2.
Spouse plus two accompanying children
3Sponsoring your immigrant spouse plus two of your spouse's children, all immigrating within six months and all sponsored by you
Principal immigrant (spouse) = 1, plus two accompanying children in Part 4 = 2. Total = 3.
Spouse now, stepchild later
1Sponsoring your immigrant spouse now; your spouse's child will immigrate more than six months later
Principal immigrant (spouse) = 1. The later-arriving child is not listed here; a separate I-864 is filed for that child when they apply.
When to consult an attorney before filling in Part 4
If a child's relationship to your spouse is a stepchild or adopted-child relationship that is contested or unusual, if you are a second joint sponsor sponsoring only some family members, or if it is genuinely unclear who will immigrate within six months, the answer depends on facts that should not be resolved from a general explanation. An immigration attorney needs to review your specific situation before you complete Part 4 and Part 5.
Marriage-based filers: how many immigrants you are usually sponsoring
Most sponsors filing a marriage-based green card petition are sponsoring exactly one immigrant: the spouse. Here is the standard breakdown and what moves it higher.
Standard case: sponsoring 1 immigrant
Petitioning spouse sponsoring their immigrant spouse, with no children immigrating at the same time.
Your household size for the same case is at least 2 (you + your spouse). The two numbers are not interchangeable.
What raises the count
- Your spouse has a child immigrating with them. A child who travels with your spouse, or within six months, and whom you are sponsoring is listed in Part 4, Items 4-7 and adds 1 to the Part 5, Item 1 count.
- Your spouse has more than one accompanying child. Each accompanying child you are sponsoring adds 1. Spouse plus two children immigrating together is a count of 3.
- A child will immigrate more than six months later. That child is not counted on this I-864. Per Part 4, Item 2 of the instructions, a separate I-864 is required for them when they apply.
Form I-864 has dozens of fields like this one
Our software walks through every field in plain English, separates who you are sponsoring from your household size automatically, and builds the complete packet for you to review and sign.
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Frequently asked questions
How many immigrants am I sponsoring on the I-864 if I am only sponsoring my spouse?
One. The principal immigrant (the relative the I-130 petition was filed for, here your spouse) is the only person you are sponsoring, so the total you enter in Part 5, Item 1 is 1 and Part 4, Items 4-7 stay blank. This is different from your household size, which also counts you and any other dependents.
Is the number of immigrants I am sponsoring the same as my household size?
No. The number of immigrants you are sponsoring counts only the people immigrating on this I-864: the principal immigrant plus accompanying family members you are sponsoring. Household size (the Part 5 total) is larger because it also counts you, your own unmarried children under 21, other tax dependents, and certain prior sponsorship obligations. USCIS uses household size, not the sponsored count, to set your 125% income threshold.
Do my spouse's children count as immigrants I am sponsoring?
Only if they are immigrating with your spouse or within six months and you are sponsoring them. Per Part 4, Item 2 of the I-864 Instructions (edition 10/17/24), list a derivative (a family member who qualifies through the principal immigrant) in Items 4-7 when they accompany the principal immigrant within six months. A child arriving more than six months later is not listed here; a separate I-864 is required for that child when they apply.
Where on the form do I enter the number of immigrants I am sponsoring?
You list the people in Part 4: Item 1 confirms you are sponsoring the principal immigrant named in Part 3, and Items 4-7 name any accompanying family members. The numeric total goes in Part 5, Item 1, which the instructions describe as the total number of immigrants you are sponsoring on this affidavit. Part 3 itself holds only the principal immigrant's biographical details, not a count.
What if I am a joint sponsor and not sponsoring the principal immigrant?
In the narrow second joint sponsor case, you may sponsor only certain family members listed in Part 4, Items 4-7 and not the principal immigrant. The instructions direct you to select No in Part 4, Item 1 and, per Part 5, not to count the principal immigrant. This is an uncommon arrangement; if you are unsure whether it applies to you, an immigration attorney can review your specific facts.
Do I include relatives who have their own separate visa petition?
No. Form I-864 states: do not include any relative listed on a separate visa petition. Each principal immigrant with their own I-130 is sponsored on their own I-864. Only the principal immigrant from this petition and that person's accompanying derivatives belong on this affidavit.
Key takeaways
- ✓
The number of immigrants you are sponsoring on this I-864 counts only the people immigrating on this affidavit: the principal immigrant plus accompanying family members you are sponsoring.
- ✓
For a marriage case sponsoring a spouse with no children immigrating now, the count is 1.
- ✓
You list these people in Part 4 (Items 1-7); the numeric total is entered in Part 5, Item 1.
- ✓
This is not your household size. Household size is a larger number that also counts you and your other dependents and sets your income threshold.
- ✓
A child immigrating more than six months after your spouse is not listed here; a separate I-864 is required for that child.
- ✓
Do not include any relative who is on a separate visa petition.
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 May 2026.
Continue reading
- 01Form I-864 Affidavit of Support: Complete 2026 Guide
- 02I-864 Part 5, Item 1: Total Number of Persons in Household (2026)
- 03I-864 vs. I-864EZ vs. I-864A: Which Affidavit of Support Form Do You Need (2026)
- 04I-864 Joint Sponsor: When You Need One and What They Must Do (2026)
- 05Marriage Green Card by Country: Country-Specific Guides (2026)
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