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Sponsoring an immigrant to the US? What Indians need to know about new Affidavit of Support form
Affidavit of Support is a contract in which a sponsor agrees to use their financial resources to support the intending immigrant if necessary.
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Indians navigating the US Green Card process will need to pay attention to a new USCIS form requirement taking effect next month. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services has published a new edition of the Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, and will accept only that version from October 1, 2026.
The change is particularly relevant for Indians pursuing family-based immigration to the US, as well as US citizens and lawful permanent residents sponsoring eligible relatives from India.
The Affidavit of Support is a key part of many immigrant visa and Green Card applications and creates a legally enforceable financial obligation for the person who signs it.
What Indian Green Card applicants and sponsors need to know
USCIS published the new Aug. 24, 2026 edition of Form I-864 on Aug. 31. The agency is allowing a 30-day grace period during which it will continue accepting the previous Oct. 17, 2024 edition.
But from October 1, 2026, USCIS said it will accept only the new edition. Any 2024-edition Form I-864 postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date will not be processed.
For an Indian family applying for a Green Card through a qualifying family-based category, this means the sponsor should ensure that the correct version of the Affidavit of Support is submitted when required.
The form is a contract under which the sponsor agrees to use their financial resources to support the intending immigrant. The sponsor is generally the person who filed the immigrant petition.
Signing the form creates a long-term financial obligation
USCIS is also reminding sponsors that Form I-864 is not simply paperwork required to complete a Green Card application.
The agency describes the Affidavit of Support as a legally enforceable contract. A sponsor's obligation generally continues until the sponsored immigrant dies, becomes a US citizen, is credited with 40 qualifying quarters of work, usually about 10 years, ceases to be a lawful permanent resident and leaves the US, or receives certain other changes in immigration status specified by law.
That is relevant for Indian families in the US who may be sponsoring parents, spouses or other eligible relatives through the family-based immigration system. The person signing the form takes on the obligations of a sponsor once the intending immigrant becomes a lawful permanent resident.
New privacy provision could matter to sponsors
The new Aug. 24, 2026 edition also contains a privacy release allowing USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies.
USCIS has specifically warned that sponsors who have a credit or security freeze on their consumer or credit-report file could face delays if the agency cannot obtain information needed to assess the sufficiency of the Affidavit of Support.
The agency advises sponsors to respond promptly to any request to release a credit or security freeze.
For Indians in the US sponsoring relatives from India, the practical takeaway is to check the edition date of Form I-864 before submitting the application and to be aware that signing the form creates an obligation that can potentially last for years.
