Yes, but the amount depends on the relationship
When income does not reach 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, the regulation allows you to make up the difference with assets. What almost no page explains correctly is that there is not one multiplier — it changes based on who the immigrant is in relation to you.
The three multipliers
The regulation (8 CFR 213a.2) sets three cases, applied to the shortfall, not to total income:
- 3× the shortfall — if the immigrant is the spouse of a U.S. citizen, or the child of a citizen who has turned 18.
- 1× the shortfall — an orphan who will be adopted in the United States and acquires citizenship through that adoption.
- 5× the shortfall — all other cases, including the spouse and children of a lawful permanent resident.
The most common confusion
Many people believe the 3× applies to permanent residents. It is the reverse: the regulation reserves the lower multiplier for sponsors who are citizens. A permanent resident sponsoring a spouse falls under the 5× rule.
The difference is large. On a $3,000 shortfall, a citizen needs $9,000 in assets; a permanent resident needs $15,000 for the same gap.
Net value, not gross
The regulation refers to the combined cash value of assets less any offsetting liabilities. A $300,000 house carrying a $250,000 mortgage contributes $50,000, not $300,000. That is why this calculator asks for net value.
Which assets qualify
Savings and checking accounts, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, real estate and other property. The immigrant's own assets may also count, as may those of anyone who signs an I-864 attachment.
An overlooked requirement: assets must be convertible to cash within one year without causing hardship or significant financial loss to the owner or their family. Property you cannot sell in that window does not help here.
The alternative
If you do not have enough assets, the other path is a joint sponsor: someone who takes on the full obligation and meets the requirement with their own household. You can combine both.