82 FR 13650 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently Approved Collection: Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the Act, Form I-864; Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member, Form I-864A; EZ Affidavit of Support Under Section 213 of the Act, I-864EZ; Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption, I-864W

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 48 (March 14, 2017)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual information collection instruments.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 14, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13650-13651]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05020]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

[OMB Control Number 1615-0075]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection: Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the 
Act, Form I-864; Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member, Form I-
864A; EZ Affidavit of Support Under Section 213 of the Act, I-864EZ; 
Intending Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption, I-864W

AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of 
Homeland Security.

ACTION: 60-day notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Citizenship 
and Immigration (USCIS) invites the general public and other Federal 
agencies to comment upon this proposed revision of a currently approved 
collection of information. In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act (PRA) of 1995, the information collection notice is published in 
the Federal Register to obtain comments regarding the nature of the 
information collection, the categories of respondents, the estimated 
burden (i.e. the time, effort, and resources used by the respondents to 
respond), the estimated cost to the respondent, and the actual 
information collection instruments.

DATES: Comments are encouraged and will be accepted for 60 days until 
May 15, 2017.

ADDRESSES: All submissions received must include the OMB Control Number 
1615-0075 in the body of the letter, the agency name and Docket ID 
USCIS-2007-0029. To avoid duplicate submissions, please use only one of 
the following methods to submit comments:
    (1) Online. Submit comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal Web 
site at http://www.regulations.gov under e-Docket ID number USCIS-2007-
0029;
    (2) Mail. Submit written comments to DHS, USCIS, Office of Policy 
and Strategy, Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, 20 Massachusetts 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2140.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USCIS, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
Regulatory Coordination Division, Samantha Deshommes, Chief, 20 
Massachusetts Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20529-2140, telephone number 
202-272-8377 (This is not a toll-free number. Comments are not accepted 
via telephone message). Please note contact information provided here 
is solely for questions regarding this notice. It is not for individual 
case status inquiries. Applicants seeking information about the status 
of their individual cases can check Case Status Online, available at 
the USCIS Web site at http://www.uscis.gov, or call the USCIS National 
Customer Service Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Comments

    You may access the information collection instrument with 
instructions, or additional information by visiting the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal site at: http://www.regulations.gov and enter USCIS-
2007-0029 in the search box. Regardless of the method used for 
submitting comments or material, all submissions will be posted, 
without change, to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include any personal information you 
provide. Therefore, submitting this information makes it public. You 
may wish to consider limiting the amount of personal information that 
you provide in any voluntary submission you make to DHS. DHS may 
withhold information provided in comments from public viewing that it 
determines may impact the privacy of an individual or is offensive. For 
additional information, please read the Privacy Act notice that is 
available via the link in the footer of http://www.regulations.gov.
    Written comments and suggestions from the public and affected 
agencies should address one or more of the following four points:
    (1) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of 
the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the 
methodology and assumptions used;
    (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to 
be collected; and
    (4) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated, 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses.

Overview of This Information Collection

    (1) Type of Information Collection: Revision of a Currently 
Approved Collection.
    (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Affidavit of Support Under 
Section 213A of the Act; Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member; 
EZ Affidavit of Support under Section 213 of the Act; Intending 
Immigrant's Affidavit of Support Exemption.
    (3) Agency form number, if any, and the applicable component of the 
DHS sponsoring the collection: Form I-864; I864A; I-864EZ; I-864W; 
USCIS.
    (4) Affected public who will be asked or required to respond, as 
well as a brief abstract: Primary: Individuals or households; The data 
collected on Form I-864 will be used by the USCIS to determine whether 
the sponsor has the ability to support the sponsored alien under 
section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This form serves 
the purpose of standardizing the evaluations of the sponsor's ability 
to support the sponsored alien and ensures that basic information 
required to assess eligibility is provided by petitioners.
    The Form I-864A is a contract between the sponsor and the sponsor's 
household members. It is only required if the sponsor used income of 
his or her household members to reach the

[[Page 13651]]

required 125 percent of the Federal poverty guideline. The contract 
holds these household members jointly and severally liable for the 
support of the sponsored immigrant. The information collection required 
on Form I-864A is necessary for public benefit agencies to enforce the 
Affidavit of Support in the event the sponsor used income of his or her 
household members to reach the required income level and the public 
benefit agencies are requesting reimbursement from the sponsor.
    The Form I-864EZ will be used by the USCIS in exactly the same way 
as Form I-864, however, the USCIS will collect less information from 
the sponsors as less information will be needed from those who qualify 
in order to make a thorough adjudication.
    The Form I-864W is a form that will be used by the USCIS to 
determine whether the intending immigrant meets the criteria for 
exemption of section 213A requirements. This form collects the 
immigrant's basic information, such as name and address, the reason for 
the exemption, and accompanying documentation in support of the 
immigrant's claim that they are not subject to section 213A.
    (5) An estimate of the total number of respondents and the amount 
of time estimated for an average respondent to respond: The estimated 
total number of respondents for the information collection I-864 is 
446,313 and the estimated hour burden per response is 6 hours; the 
estimated total number of respondents for the information collection I-
864A is 42,892 and the estimated hour burden per response is 1.75 
hours; the estimated total number of respondents for the information 
collection I-864EZ is 114,860 and the estimated hour burden per 
response is 2.5 hours; the estimated total number of respondents for 
the information collection I-864W is 98,119 hours and the estimated 
hour burden per response is 1 hour.
    (6) An estimate of the total public burden (in hours) associated 
with the collection: The total estimated annual hour burden associated 
with this collection is 3,138,208 hours.
    (7) An estimate of the total public burden (in cost) associated 
with the collection: The estimated total annual cost burden associated 
with this collection of information is $161,526,540.

    Dated: March 9, 2017.
Samantha Deshommes,
Chief, Regulatory Coordination Division, Office of Policy and Strategy, 
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland 
Security.
[FR Doc. 2017-05020 Filed 3-13-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9111-97-P