Anyone involved in work related to business, law, and finance must know how to write an affidavit. It is an official document commonly used in legal proceedings such as division of the estate, financial support claim, divorce, etc.
It is also referred to as an affidavit of fact or truth because the affiant swears to state the facts and is usually signed in the presence of an official such as a notary public.
Out of many important types, one is an affidavit of support. It is a legal document that shows the sponsor’s willingness to financially support his or her relative and assure to take full financial responsibility.
Generally, it is submitted to visa offices or universities for assuring that the sponsor is financially stable to support the applicant.
If you are also up to writing an affidavit of support for your relative or friend but don’t know how to proceed, keep reading to learn everything
When to use this type of affidavit
As mentioned above, it is generally required by visa offices and universities to get the assurance that the sponsor will support the applicant and has the financial capacity to do so. Examples of where it is used are:
- If a person is filing a petition for a family-based green card, he has to submit an affidavit of support (Form I-134) to the US Government
- If an international student is taking admission, he has to submit an affidavit of support (Form I-20) or one issued by the university
What must be included in the affidavit of support?
The following things must be present:
- The name and address of the sponsor
- Personal and household income of the sponsor
- Name and address of the subject seeking the financial support
- Relation between the sponsor and the subject
- Declaration of the purpose, amount, and duration of the sponsorship
- Signature under oath by the sponsor
Along with the affidavit of support, attaching financial evidence such as bank statements and income sources duly attested by the notary public can strengthen your claim.
Also, note that it is a voluntary written statement. If you have given any wrong information, you can hold responsible for perjury and later punishment by law.
The process of making an affidavit of support
- Take a clean blank paper and write “affidavit of support” at the top center of the page. It should be written or typed in easy language. Don’t add any embellishment or personal opinions in writing
- Put the day and date of writing
- Write affiant introduction such as full name, residential address, and date of birth, occupation, and relation to the applicant
- Write the fact that you are willing to take responsibility for the applicant
- Include any additional facts related to the affidavit. If you are referencing any documents, label the documents in a numbered sequence
- End with a clear oath-taking statement to assure that you will take the financial responsibility of the applicant. It is equivalent to swearing under oath in court, so you must report only facts
- Attach attested copies of financial evidence
- Add your signature with the date and get it notarized. Some state laws might permit you to have remote notarization, but most states don’t allow this, and your physical presence is compulsory to get your affidavit notarized.
You can also download an affidavit of support template from various online sources and get your work done in no time. You just have to fill the spaced portions of the form with the relevant information and signature and get it notarized.
However, if you want to write your own affidavit of support, you can easily do this following the above-given instructions.