Starting January 1, 2017, the National Visa Center (NVC) will accept photocopies and scanned versions of signed Forms I-864 and associated documents. Please note that the form must still be signed; typed names and electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Interview and Final Fee Once you've sent your supporting documents, it generally takes 1-2 months before your visa interview is scheduled. You'll receive a notice from either the NVC or your local U.S. consulate informing you of your interview time and date.

5) NVC Review: Once the documents are submitted, it can take up to 60 days for the NVC to review the documents. If documents submitted are not clear or scanned improperly, they are rejected, and the sponsor/immigrant will receive an email notification to log in and replace such documents with properly scanned versions.

How Long Does it Take to Process the Affidavit of Support? The processing time of the Affidavit of Support takes at least 6 weeks. After the NVC receives the documents from USCIS, they process them. The NVC will look at the sponsor's Affidavit of Support and supporting documents.

For U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals, a copy of your birth certificate, passport, or certificate of naturalization or citizenship. For lawful permanent residents, a copy of both sides of your Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card.

After the Form I-864 has been submitted and accepted, it does not expire. However, if the supporting documents are more than 12 months old, the consular officer will ask for new supporting documents, such as the most recent federal income tax returns (1040) and a current employment letter.

So, for instance, while last year a U.S. petitioner supporting a family of four would have had to show an income of $32,187, this year the amount required is a bit higher, at $32,750. For a household of two (for example, a U.S. citizen sponsoring a spouse or one parent), the amount has gone from $21,137 to $21,550.

The most common minimum annual income required to sponsor a spouse for a marriage-based green card is $21,550. This assumes that the sponsoring spouse the U.S. citizen or current green card holder is not in active military duty and that the couple has no children.

Once the NVC receives your correct and complete affidavit of support form(s), they will be sent to the appropriate U.S. embassy or consulate, along with the immigrant visa petition. When you send the affidavit of support form to the NVC, make sure to send a copy to your alien relative to carry it to the interview.