Will USCIS reject my I-864?

A legally enforceable contract in which a sponsor promises to support an intending immigrant at 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (100% if the petitioning sponsor is on active duty and is sponsoring a spouse or child). Required for most family-based immigrant visa and adjustment cases. USCIS returns rejected packages unprocessed — and I-864 has no USCIS fee of its own, so a rejection costs you the delay on everything it was filed with. Answer 12 quick yes/no questions about your completed I-864 and see where your rejection risk is.

All 12 checks in the Form I-864 rejection quiz

Every question maps to a documented USCIS filing problem for Form I-864 — pulled from the form's own instructions and USCIS guidance: the current 08/24/26 edition requirement, each signature block, blank-field rules, date format and consistency, the exact filing fee, and the specific problems those instructions name for I-864. Here is the full list; open any one to see what USCIS does about it.

1. Did you confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of every page of your I-864 is 08/24/26 — the current edition on uscis.gov?

   Form edition risk

   The current edition of Form I-864 is 08/24/26. The date is printed at the bottom of every page and every page you file must come from that same edition; USCIS rejects filings made on a superseded edition.

2. Has the sponsor signed and dated Part 8 by hand — not typed, not stamped?

   Signature risk

   Part 8 — Sponsor: Sign and date in ink. A stamped or typewritten name is not acceptable. Under the 07/10/2026 signature rule an invalid signature can be DENIED (filing fee kept, no opportunity to cure), not merely rejected: a typed name, a cursive or script font, and digital/e-signature software output (e.g., DocuSign) are all invalid on a paper filing. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts. An electronic signature is valid only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. USCIS states directly that it will reject any unsigned Form I-864.

3. Is Part 1 (Items 1.a – 1.f) — Basis for filing — fully completed?

   Blank / incomplete fields risk

   Form I-864, Part 1, Items 1.a – 1.f: Basis for filing — select the one box that describes you (petitioner, joint sponsor, substitute sponsor, relative of an employment-based immigrant, and so on); an unselected basis leaves the affidavit with no legal footing.

4. Do the dates on your form match your supporting documents exactly — especially part 8, item 6 and part 6, items 16.a. – 16.c.?

   Date & consistency risk

   The date fields that most often cause problems on I-864: Part 8, Item 6 — date of signature — A stale affidavit is a standard RFE trigger; the signature date is what ages it, and it must not post-date the package it travels with. Part 6, Items 16.a. – 16.c. — tax years — The tax year entered must match the return actually attached. A year with no matching return, or a return for a year not listed, is the most common I-864 evidence mismatch. Part 2, Item 6 — sponsor’s date of birth — Must match the sponsor’s passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate exactly.

5. Have you confirmed your exact I-864 filing fee ($0 for the general category) against the current USCIS G-1055 schedule for YOUR filing category?

   Filing fee risk

   I-864 costs $0 — No USCIS filing fee. Form I-864 is submitted with the sponsored immigrant’s Form I-485, or sent to the Department of State (National Visa Center) in a consular case — and DOS charges its own Affidavit of Support review fee, which is not on the USCIS schedule. Taken from USCIS Form G-1055, fee-schedule edition 10/07/26. Paying a fee that is not owed, or attaching this to a package whose own fee is wrong, still gets the package returned.

6. Have you ruled out this known I-864 filing problem: “The most recent Federal income tax return (photocopy or IRS transcript) not attached, and no evidence attached showing the sponsor was not required to file”?

   Missing evidence risk

   Named in the Form I-864 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

7. Have you ruled out this known I-864 filing problem: “Household size in Part 5 does not add up, or contradicts the immigrants listed in Parts 3 and 4”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-864 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

8. Have you ruled out this known I-864 filing problem: “Income below 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (100% for a petitioning sponsor on active duty sponsoring a spouse or child) with no joint sponsor, no I-864A and no qualifying assets”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-864 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

9. If you used an interpreter, did they complete, sign, and date Part 9? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

   Signature risk

   Part 9 — Interpreter (if one was used): The interpreter completes their own contact information and certification, then signs and dates. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

10. If someone else prepared your form, did they complete, sign, and date Part 10? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

    Signature risk

    Part 10 — Preparer (if other than the sponsor): Anyone who prepared the affidavit for the sponsor completes Part 10 and signs and dates it. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

11. Have you answered every question on the form, writing "N/A" or "None" instead of leaving any required field blank?

    Blank / incomplete fields risk

    Leaving a required field blank instead of writing "N/A" or "None" is one of the most common reasons USCIS returns a package unprocessed.

12. Is every date on your I-864 written in mm/dd/yyyy format?

    Date & consistency risk

    USCIS expects dates on Form I-864 in mm/dd/yyyy format. A day-first date (common outside the U.S.) reads as a different date to an intake officer.

Your answers stay in your browser. The result names the risk areas flagged by your answers — to see the specific problems on your actual form, upload it to FormGuard: the issue count is free, and $39 unlocks the full line-by-line report on your completed I-864. (A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.)

Form I-864 rejection — frequently asked questions

Will USCIS reject my I-864 for a missing signature?

Yes — and it can be worse than a rejection. An unsigned I-864, or one signed with a typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output such as DocuSign, is not validly signed; only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts on a paper filing, and an electronic signature counts only when captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. Under the DHS signature rule effective 07/10/2026, an invalid signature on a paper filing can be denied outright: USCIS keeps the filing fee and there is no opportunity to cure. I-864 has 5 signature blocks to verify before you file.

Will USCIS reject my I-864 if I use an old edition?

Yes. USCIS accepts only the current edition of I-864 — dated 08/24/26, printed at the bottom of every page — and rejects superseded editions. Download a fresh copy from uscis.gov right before you file.

Does USCIS refund the filing fee if my I-864 is rejected?

Generally no. USCIS returns the package unprocessed and keeps no place in line, and because I-864 is filed alongside other forms, they come back with it — you fix the error and refile the whole package, losing weeks or months. That is why checking before you file matters.

How accurate is this I-864 rejection quiz?

The quiz flags which RISK AREAS need attention based on your own answers about the most common USCIS filing problems for I-864 — it cannot see your actual form. For a line-by-line review of your completed I-864 against these requirements, upload it to FormGuard: it reads the form itself and shows you the issue count free, and $39 unlocks the full report. A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.

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