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Welcome to BrieflyGo! If you are planning to bring your fiancé(e) to the United States on a K-1 visa, or if you are sponsoring someone through a federal parole program, you will definitely need to know about Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support).
In this post, we will explain how this form works, the difference between the classic version and the online I-134A, and what the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires from sponsors in 2026.
What is Form I-134 and Why Do You Need It?
Form I-134 is an official US government document. An American sponsor uses it to prove they have enough money to support a foreign visitor. The main goal is to show the government that the visitor will not need public help or welfare (this is known as the public charge rule).
Today, the US immigration system uses two versions of this form:
Classic Form I-134: Used mostly for nonimmigrant visas. The most common example is the K-1 fiancé(e) visa. The sponsor brings this paper form to the consulate interview.
Form I-134A: An online request created for large humanitarian parole programs (like the CHNV program for citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela).
The Main Sponsor Requirement
No matter which version you use, the sponsor (a US citizen or lawful permanent resident) must have an income that is at least 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size. If their income is too low, the government may look at their assets, like savings, property, or stocks.
2026 Status: Changes in Immigration Policy ⚠️
While the classic K-1 visa process is working normally, the rules for Form I-134A have changed a lot.
Since early 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has paused new Form I-134A applications for most humanitarian parole programs. This happened because of a massive system audit and a shift in US immigration rules. As of 2026, Form I-134A is still "on hold" for new requests, but the classic Form I-134 is still being processed normally.
System Load and Statistics
The US immigration system has seen a record number of financial declarations over the last few years. Here is a look at the current situation in numbers:
Plaintext
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📊 CONSOLE STATS: Form I-134 / I-134A (USA 2022-2026)
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[Category] [2026 Status] [System Load]
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K-1 (Fiancés) Active ██████████░░░░░ (Stable)
B1/B2 (Tourism) Active ██████░░░░░░░░░ (Moderate)
Parole (CHNV, etc.) Paused (2025) [X] OFFICIAL PAUSE / HOLD
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*Income Requirement (FPG 2026): ~$15,060 for 1 person (Mainland US)
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*Source: USCIS Processing Times and HHS Poverty Guidelines data.
What Do Government and Experts Say?
Checking a sponsor's finances is one of the strictest steps in US immigration control.
"We must ensure that individuals arriving in the United States temporarily or with the intent to stay have adequate financial support and will not rely on public resources. Form I-134 is a critical tool for assessing the public charge risk."
— USCIS Policy Manual
"The pause on Form I-134A for large parole programs in 2025 showed the limits of our system's capacity. Now, the agency is focusing on checking current sponsors and fighting fraud, while traditional family visas continue through standard procedures."
— American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Experts, 2026
Proof Links
To check the latest rules, income limits, and form status, we highly recommend using only official US government websites:
Official Form I-134 Page on USCIS — The current version of the paper document, instructions, and filing fees.
Official Form I-134A Page on USCIS — Information and updates on the status of online sponsorship requests.
HHS Poverty Guidelines — Official numbers from the US Department of Health and Human Services, used to calculate the exact income a sponsor needs.
Stay tuned to BrieflyGo! We will keep tracking any changes in USCIS procedures and will let you know as soon as there are new rules for financial sponsorship in the USA.