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The US Visa financial requirements must be met when it comes to the poverty line. If you are applying for a US visa in Thailand then you need to ensure that you meet the financial requirements of the K1 visa from Thailand and also the K-3 visa requirements. In order to qualify for the US visa, you need to exceed the poverty guidelines and need to meet at least 125% of the poverty guidelines for the visa. The table below is the 2024 guidelines that are being used by the USCIS for visa applications. Note also that if you are in the active US Armed Forces you only need to make the poverty line as listed below. This is the same for the CR1 visa as well as the IR visa from Thailand. They are all that is on offer when you are looking for an American visa in Thailand.
The US Visa financial requirements have been listed in the table below. The USCIS will normally look at 3 tax returns to assess the financial abilities of the sponsor being you who is sponsoring his Thai wife or Thai fiancée to the US. If you do not meet the requirements they will also look at stocks, bonds, and any real estate which you might own for equity in the property and use this to help assess your financial abilities.
The following figures are the 2024 HHS poverty guidelines which are scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on April 1, 2024. (Additional information will be posted after the guidelines are published.)
For the 48 Contiguous States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands:
| Sponsor’s Household Size | 100% of HHS Poverty Guidelines* | 125% of HHS Poverty Guidelines* |
|---|---|---|
| For sponsors on active duty in the U.S. armed forces who are petitioning for their spouse or child | For all other sponsors | |
| 2 | $20,440 | $25,550 |
| 3 | $25,820 | $32,275 |
| 4 | $31,200 | $39,000 |
| 5 | $36,580 | $45,725 |
| 6 | $41,960 | $52,450 |
| 7 | $47,340 | $59,175 |
| 8 | $52,720 | $65,900 |
| Add $5,380 for each additional person | Add $6,725 for each additional person |
Can a US Citizen Sponsor a Non-Relative?
In general, a US citizen cannot directly sponsor a non-relative for a visa. However, you can have a friend act as a co-sponsor as part of the affidavit of support. If you, as the primary sponsor, do not meet the financial requirements for the US visa from Thailand, your brother or friend could assist as a co-sponsor for the visa.
Why Would a US Visa Be Denied?
A US visa can be denied for various reasons, such as incomplete documents. The authorities will specify the grounds for denial, allowing you to appeal the decision if you can correct the issue. If the denial is due to financial reasons, you can inquire about using a co-sponsor for the visa application.
How Much Income Do You Need to Sponsor My Thai Wife?
The financial requirements for a US visa vary based on the State you live in. Typically, you need to have an income 125% over the poverty line to sponsor your Thai wife. Active military personnel are considered to be at the poverty line level. If your income falls short, you can also use the equity in your property as part of your income to meet the requirements.
You will need to show financial support. In order to do this you must fill out the Form I-134 for K-1 and K-2 visas, and Form I-864 for K-3 and CR-1 visas. If there is a co-sponsor then they have to complete it as well. You will note that these forms ask for details about income. These will include your assets (like property) as well as your expenses. The aim is to show that your income is at least 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines based on how many people are in their household. This also goes for the CR1 visa income requirements as well as the US visa financial requirements.
We can look at the example for this year of 2024. This household of yours has two people. The minimum income for this household will be about $25,550. So how to calculate this. Note that the K1 visa financial requirements, K3 visa financial requirements as well as the CR1 visa financial requirements as well as the K3 visa financial requirements are all the same and can be calculated below. Lastly see also the difference between CR1 and IR1 explained on this website.
As the visa sponsor you can show income from different sources as well:
• Your regular employment (W-2 income)
• Freelance work
• Investments
• Rent from properties
Example: If you earn $40,000 from your employment. Additionally $10,000 from your freelance work. Lastly maybe an addition of $5,000 from renting your property. Your total income would be $55,000, so this is enough.
Likewise in addition to your income. You can also use your assets. These assets can also be savings as well as stocks, or cars. The immigration services look at assets that are more liquid and easily accessed.
Example: If you have $15,000 in savings and $10,000 in investments. Lets say you also have a house worth $200,000. Lastly you also have a car worth $10,000. So how do we calculate the assets?
Liquid assets: $15,000 + $10,000 + $10,000 = $35,000
Real estate is usually counted at about 70-80% of its value: $200,000 x 0.7 = $140,000
Total estimated assets: $35,000 + $140,000 = $175,000
Lets say that you income and assets are not enough. You can also get a family member to help you. This becomes a co-sponsor. They will also need to complete the forms as explained above. This is the following forms – Form I-134 for K-1 and K-2 visas, and Form I-864 for K-3 and CR-1 visas.
Example: Lets say your sister Mary has an income of $30,000. Likewise she also has assets worth $80,000, her help can make it easier for you to meet the financial requirements.
Note that the table shows that the number of people in the household affects your income. These includes you as the sponsor as well as the visa applicant and anyone else who lives in the household and others you support financially.
Example: Say you have one child, your household size is then three. This changes the income requirement to about $32,275 for 2024.
What Documents to Provide
When applying for the visa, you will need to provide the following:
• Tax returns for the last three years
• Pay stubs or proof of income
• Bank statements to show savings
• Property documents to prove ownership and income
What If Income Isn’t Enough?
If your income is below the required amount, they can:
• Find a co-sponsor for extra help
• Look for more work or freelance opportunities
• Show they have savings to cover the gap
• List valuable assets to demonstrate financial stability
If you are looking at obtaining a Thai fiancée visa then speak to us on this issue. The fiancee visa will also require the K2 visa for any children as well as the K3 visa and its K-4 visa. Lastly also see the articles that we wrote on the CR1 visa processing time as well as the IR 1 visa. Lastly also see the article that we wrote on the US visa options under the US Visa comprehensive guide.
