How to fill Form i-134 Affidavit of Support for US Visa (B1, B2, F1 more)
Sample Form i134 Affidavit of Support (Financial responsibility) for sponsoring parents, relatives or friend for US visa like B1/B2 or Green card.
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USCIS form I-134 Affidavit for support is required to file for officially sponsoring anyone for a US visa or immigration.
This article will discuss:
I-134 vs I-864 Affidavit of Support
We recommend filling out and using this form for your B1/B2 visa interview. You may want to use this form if you are sponsoring your family or a friend to show that you will pay for their expenses in the US.
Note that when you fill this form, you are liable for all the costs involved with the person’s stay in the USA in case they default or try to use government benefits.
- I-134 – Use for Non-immigrant visa applications.
- I-864 – Use for immigrant visa applications.
There is another affidavit of support form by the name of I-864. The form i864 is primarily used for family-based immigrants and some employment-based immigrants while filing I-130 and/or I-485. This is done to prove the financial support and to vouch that they are not likely to rely on the U.S. government for financial support.
Supporting Documents
Although not required, we do strongly recommend including these financial documents as evidence with Form I-134:
- Bank Verification Letter: A signed statement from an officer of the bank or other financial institution that states when you opened an account, the total amount deposited for the past year, and the present balance of such account.
- Employment Verification Letter: A signed statement from your employer on business letterhead that states the date and nature of your employment, the salary paid, and whether the position is temporary or permanent.
- W2, Pay stubs: A copy of your last income federal tax return filed, or a report of commercial rating concern (if self-employed).
How to Fill Form I-134
Use a BLACK ink pen only, when writing with a pen.
You, as a sponsor, have to sign the form in the Sponsor’s Signature section. If there is no sponsor signature, USCIS will reject the form and return it to you.
There are no filing fees for form I-134. It is currently $0. You do not need to pay any money with this form to USCIS.
If you are sponsoring more than one person (like your mother and father), you must submit a separate Form I-134 for each one of them.
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No notarization is needed. Signing Form I-134 is under penalty of perjury under U.S. law. For this reason, it is not necessary to sign Form I-134 before a notary or to have your signature notarized after you sign it.
Chances of B2 Visitor Visa with i134 form
There is no official documentation that requires you to submit the form i134 for a B2 visitor visa interview.
But, it is generally better to fill it and provide your financial details especially if you are currently in the US and trying to sponsor your parents for a US tourist visa.
Example:
Many people working in the USA on an H1B visa would like to apply B1/B2 visitor visa for their parents. They can include this form i134 as proof of financial support for their parents to improve the chances of their visa approval.
The whole idea of providing this affidavit of support is to help visa officers decide on a person’s intention to visit the US. They should be able to understand that since you will be supporting them financially for day-to-day needs along with boarding and lodging, the B1/B2 applicant will not become a public charge in the US.
Can a Non-US person Fill Form I-134?
A non-US resident can also fill out form I-134 to provide support as a sponsor for any of the US visa applications.
If you are sending visa applications to USCIS like applying for B1, B2, and F1 extensions among others, then send this form along with the application or upload it on the USCIS website.
If you are sending it as support for visa application at a US embassy (outside the US), then print it or send this PDF file for the person to print outside the USA.
Problems
Note that if the person you are sponsoring becomes a public charge, the US government agency that provides financial help may be able to sue you to recover the cost of the assistance.
Also, your income and assets may be combined with the income and assets of the person you are
sponsoring in determining whether that person is eligible for Food Stamps.
FAQ
There is no need to notarize the I-134 Affidavit-of-Support form.
If you do want to notarize or there is a specific need to do it, you can get it done from your town library, your bank, or a notary in your own employer’s office for FREE.
USPS also provides notary services charging $5 per page.
It is not mandatory to file Form I-134 with a visitor visa application but is highly recommended to improve the chances of visa approval.
The visa officer will be able to see that the visa applicant has financial support for their stay in the US.
Many people apply for US B2 vis for a family celebration like a marriage. The people living in the US can fill this Form I-134 to bear their relative’s expenses in the US while they are attending the celebrations.
The F1 visa application requires you to prove financial support for your education and stay in the US.
We strongly recommend filling and submitting Form I-134 with your F1 visa application at the US embassy. This will improve the chances if the sponsor is based in the USA.
Form I-134 can also be filled by someone living and working outside the United States. Hence, if you want, you can ask your parents to fill out this financial support form.
Your uncle can fill the Form I-134 for your college education in the USA and help you get F1 visa approval.
A spouse can fill and sign Form I-134 for his spouse’s F2 visa application.
A family friend can fill out the financial support form if they are ready to sponsor the education or expenses for the person applying for the US visa.
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