I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

If a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the U.S. wants an eligible family member to join them in the United States, that citizen or LPR can file a Form I-130 for each eligible relative. There are 2 pages to Form I-130, divided into sections ‘A’ through ‘F,’ with many of the sections consisting of multiple blanks. As with every USCIS form, it is important that you fill out the I-130 completely and truthfully or risk delay or denial of your petition.

The only I-130 edition date currently being accepted by the USCIS is 12/23/16. All other editions will be rejected. The edition date can be found at the bottom right-hand corner of each page of the form and its instructions.

Filling Out the Form

Before you start, gather all the documents you will need, including, but not limited to, your PRC, passport, Social Security cards, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, etc. Organize your materials in your work space and make sure that you will have time to read and understand the questions without being interrupted.

If you’re filling out the form by hand, be sure to write neatly in black ink. Avoid scratching through wrong answers or making additional marks. If your form becomes illegible, you will need to start over with a clean form. On the form, you will be referred to as “the petitioner” and your family member will be referred to as “the beneficiary.”

Now that you’re ready, let’s walk through the form step by step, so you don’t miss anything:

- Leave the very top portion of the form blank (the USCIS office will fill that part out) and skip to Section A.

In Section A, you will choose a family member to petition for (parent, spouse, child, or brother or sister), and how you are related to them, by checking the appropriate boxes.
Section B and C ask for information about you and your family member. The questions are in column form for the remainder of the first page. The left-hand side refers to you and the right-hand side refers to your family member.

Notice that you will write your family name in all CAPITAL LETTERS for blank 1 of Sections B and C. You also need to write out full middle names-don’t use initials. The rest of the blanks request information such as addresses, dates and places of birth, marital status, employment information, and whether immigration proceedings have ever been initiated for your relative.

Section C continues onto the second page of the form with questions 17 through 22. The information being requested here is still referring to your family member (the beneficiary). Although there are 2 blanks provided for question 22, you will only write an answer in one blank- depending on whether your family member is living in the U.S. or abroad. You can write N/A in the other blank.
Section D asks you to list other family members for whom you might also be submitting petitions, and if you have previously filed a petition for this family member, or any other alien.
Section E asked you to certify that you have answered the questions truthfully by signing, dating and writing your phone number in the spaces provided.

Section F is to be filled out by the person who filled out the form (if other than you). They must print and sign their name, and provide their address and phone number.

Making Your Payment

The filing fee for Form I-130 is $535. Checks should be drawn on a U.S. account and made out to the Department of Homeland Security. Don’t use initials such as DHS or USDHS.

Supporting Documents

Certain documents must accompany your completed I-130 as evidence of the answers you have provided. Those documents are:

Proof of your citizenship- this will vary among petitioners depending on how they became a U.S. citizen. It could be a copy of your passport, birth certificate (if you were born in the U.S.), certificate of naturalization, Form FS-20, or certificate of citizenship. Everyone must submit this evidence. Additional evidence depends on who the beneficiary is.

If you are petitioning for a parent, you must also provide proof of your parent-child relationship:

A copy of your birth certificate with your parents’ names listed. If you are petitioning for your father, you must also submit a copy of your parents’ marriage certificate. An adoption certificate will suffice for an adoptive parent. Submit copies of your birth certificate and the marriage certificate with your biological parent, to petition for a step-parent.

If you are petitioning for your child, you must also provide proof of your parent-child relationship:

A copy of the child’s birth certificate. If you are the father, you must also submit a copy of your marriage certificate to the child’s mother. If you’re the father to a child born out of wedlock, you will need to submit proof of a legitimate relation with the child. A copy of previous divorce decrees and a current marriage certificate will be needed in the case of a step-child.

If you are petitioning for your spouse, you must also provide:

Copy of marriage certificate;
Any documents that further verify the marriage, such as children’s birth certificate, or show joint ownership, such as joint bank accounts, leases;
Passport-style color photo of you and your spouse;
Form G-325A for you and your spouse.

If you are petitioning for a brother or sister, you must also provide:

Copies of your and your sibling’s birth certificates showing your common parents. If you have different mothers, but the same father, the appropriate divorce decrees and marriage certificates will be necessary. Step-siblings will need their parents’ marriage certificate to show the relevant marriage happened before their 18th birthdays. Adoption certificates will be sufficient for adopted siblings.

If any of these documents are in a foreign language, they must be fully translated into English.

Where to Send Your Form

Once you have completed your form and put it into a large envelope with your payment and supporting documents, you will be ready to send it off for processing.

Depending on where you live, you will send your completed I-130 packet to one of the following places. Check here to find out which location.

For US Postal Service deliveries, send to:
USCIS, ATTN: I-130, PO Box 21700, Phoenix, AZ 85036, or

For Express mail and commercial courier deliveries, send to:
USCIS, ATTN: I-130, 1820 E Skyharbor Circle S, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85034

For US Postal Service deliveries, send to:
USCIS, PO Box 804625, Chicago, IL 60680, or

For Express mail and commercial courier deliveries, send to:
USCIS, ATTN: I-130, 131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor, Chicago, IL, 60603-5517

If you live inside the United States and are filing Form I-485 concurrently, you will send both forms and the fee in the same envelope to one of the following Lockboxes:

For US Postal Service delivery, send to:
USCIS, PO Box 805887, Chicago, IL 60680-4120, or

For Express mail and commercial courier deliveries, send to:
USCIS, ATTN: FBAS, 131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-5517

If you live outside the United States, where USCIS has an international office, you can file at the USCIS Lockbox address.

Getting Help

To avoid making mistakes, or if you have any difficulties preparing Form I-130, you can always get assistance or apply online with USImmigrationForms.com