Affidavit of Support Samples
Posted by Frank Gogol in Immigrants | Updated on July 13, 2023
If you are applying for the conditions of your permanent residency to be removed, you will need to do everything you can to prove your marriage is legitimate. This includes providing an Affidavit of Support with your Form I-751. The more Affidavits of Support you can provide, the better chance of your success!
But providing just any piece of paper won’t do. You want to make sure the Affidavit of Support your friends and family provide is what the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) needs to approve your lawful permanent residency.
To help you out, we provide Affidavit of Support samples below, which will help your friends and family create the Affidavit of Support you need!
Affidavit of Support Samples
Now you know the importance of an Affidavit of Support. Your next step is to make sure your friends and family give you the best possible Affidavit of Support they can.
Below we provide guidance of what should be in an Affidavit of Support and give you an Affidavit of Support sample.
The most important part of the Affidavit of Support is that the person should give an account of their experience with you, your spouse, and your marriage. They should also include reasons they believe the marriage was entered into in good faith.
Let’s take a look in more detail.
Affidavit of Support Format
An Affidavit of Support must contain the following:
- The person providing the Affidavit of Support’s full name, address, date, and place of birth
- They should explain what their relationship with you and your spouse is (for example, friend or pastor)
- They must explain how they came to know you
- Details of when and for how long he/she has known you
- Information on the frequency that the person sees you and your spouse (for example, at least once a month)
- Date and signature.
Your friends and family don’t have to have the Affidavit of Support notarized. But it could be a good idea to include a statement swearing to the letter’s validity. For example, the person providing the Affidavit of Support can include a sentence along the lines of “I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.”
Affidavit of Support Sample
[The name and address of the person providing Affidavit of Support]
Jane Doe
546 Beach Road, Sometown, CA 389890
[Date] May 2, 2019
[USCIS mailing address]
USCIS
P.O. BOX 67688
Anytown, AZ 68535
Subject: Affidavit Letter of Support for Peter & Mary Smith
Dear USCIS Officer,
I am writing to confirm that I have known Mary Smith since March 2009 when we were roommates in college. Peter and Mary met in the summer of 2015 and have been in love ever since. Despite moving out of state for a while, we have remained close friends and have visited each other at least twice a year.
In the spring of 2018, Peter and Mary got married and moved back to Mary’s home where we were able to spend more time together again. In the years since we have remained close friends, and our families often spend weekends and holidays together. In July 2019, our families also went on our first ski trip together in Europe.
Peter and Mary Smith appear to be in love and happier than ever. They have also recently announced that they are expecting their first child, who will be born in October. I expect their marriage will remain a lifetime commitment.
Thank you for the opportunity to share this information with you.
Please contact me at (254) 666-3434 if you require any additional information.
I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the foregoing is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
(Date of Birth: 8/20/1993) (Birthplace: Atlanta, GA, USA)
What is an Affidavit of Support?
If you are a conditional permanent resident, you will have to have the conditions of your permanent residency removed before you will be regarded as a full lawful permanent resident. If you don’t have these conditions removed, you will lose your green card.
You would be a conditional permanent resident if you obtained your green card through marriage. Conditional permanent residency is only valid for the first two years after your marriage.
Removal of Conditions from Your Green Card
To have the conditions to your permanent residency removed before your conditional green card expires, you have to file a Form I-751, Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence. Together with filing this form, you will have to show your marriage was “bona fide” (in good faith). Basically, you have to show your marriage wasn’t fraudulent, and you didn’t only get married to get a green card.
One way to show your marriage is legit is to have friends and family who are close to you provide an Affidavit of Support. This Affidavit of Support will be filed with your Form I-751. It is basically a letter in which the person attests to the fact that your marriage is legitimate and was entered into in “good faith.”
Who Needs an Affidavit of Support?
You will need to provide an Affidavit of Support with your Form I-751 if you are a conditional permanent resident, and you want the conditions of your permanent residency to be removed.
The Affidavit of Support should be provided by people who know you well and who can affirm they have first-hand knowledge of your marriage and personal life. The first choice will be to have a family member provide the Affidavit of Support. Since they’ve probably known you for the longest time, their testimony will be strong support that your marriage is legitimate.
But it isn’t only family members who can provide Affidavits of Support. Anyone who has known you and your spouse since you got married can provide this. This can include friends as well as religious leaders. As long as they are a close confidant of you and your spouse.
Read More
- How Do I Speak to a Live Person at USCIS?
- How Many Citizenships Can You Have?
- How Do I Know Which USCIS Service Center?
- How Do I Know If USCIS Received My Application?
- What “Country of Residence” and How to Know Yours When on a Visa
- How to Check Dropbox Eligibility with the App
Final Thoughts
With the help of this Affidavit of Support sample, getting the required information in your Affidavit of Support should be easy. If you get your Affidavit of Support right, you’re on the fast track to having your conditions of permanent residency removed. Don’t let such a small step keep you back or make you feel uncertain. Get those Affidavits of Support ticked off your list and be one step closer to your permanent green card.
Writing an Affidavit of Support for Immigration: Common FAQs
When it comes to writing an Affidavit of Support for immigration, users often have several questions. Here are the top five:
1. What is an Affidavit of Support?
An Affidavit of Support is a document an individual signs to accept financial responsibility for another person, usually a relative, who is coming to the United States to live permanently.
2. Who needs to provide an Affidavit of Support?
Usually, U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are sponsoring a foreign family member for a green card must provide an Affidavit of Support. The sponsor must meet certain income requirements to be able to provide support.
3. What information is needed in an Affidavit of Support?
An Affidavit of Support should include the sponsor’s personal details (name, address, date of birth, place of birth), their relationship to the immigrant, information about their employment and income, and their promise to support the immigrant.
4. Can I withdraw an Affidavit of Support after submitting it?
No, once you submit an Affidavit of Support, you are legally obligated to provide support. If the person you are sponsoring receives any “means-tested public benefits,” you are responsible for repaying the cost.
5. How long is the Affidavit of Support valid?
The Affidavit of Support is often valid until the person being sponsored becomes a U.S. citizen, has worked in the U.S. for 40 quarters, leaves the U.S. permanently, or passes away.
