The Trump administration is planning to require Americans who sponsor their foreign spouses and other relatives for green cards to provide their bank account information.
In a notice scheduled to be published on the Federal Register on April 10th, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) plans to add a section in Form I-864, Form I-864A, and Form I-864EZ (Affidavit of Support) requiring the sponsor to provide details of their bank account.
Additionally, USCIS intends to require that the Affidavit of Support forms be notarized, wants sponsors to provide information about Affidavits they have previously submitted, and “optionally submission of a credit report.”
USCIS says the proposed changes are meant “to better inform sponsors and household members of their support obligations and better ensure the support obligations, as agreed to by completing and signing the Form I-864, Form I-864EZ, or Form I-864A, will be met.”
USCIS further says the proposed changes are in accordance with the presidential memo released by President Donald Trump in May, 2019 requiring immigrants living in or intending to live in the US to be self-sufficient. According to the presidential memo, immigrants who use public benefits to which they are not entitled to reimburse the government.
In the proposed change document, USCIS says that by submitting an Affidavit of Support, the sponsor creates a contract between the sponsor and the U.S. government that among other things holds the sponsor “liable for any reimbursement obligation incurred as a result of the sponsored immigrant receiving any means-tested public benefits.”
The proposed change will be published in the Federal Register for 30 days in orders for members of the public to make comments before it becomes effective.
