The whole I-130 checklist, on one page
I-130 runs differently depending on which of 3 routes you are on, so each one is listed separately below. The checklist above remembers where you are and what you have ticked; this is the same material in one piece, to read or print without ticking anything.
Routes covered: Spouse · Child or parent · Brother or sister
I130-01Step 1 Confirm you can file
Who may petition whom, and in what category.
Category decides the wait Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouse, parent, unmarried child under 21) have no queue. Every other category waits for a visa number in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
- Petitioner is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident BLOCKINGGreen card holders may petition a spouse and unmarried children only.
- The relationship is one the I-130 coversSpouse, parent, child, or sibling. Cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents cannot be petitioned.
- Category identified: immediate relative or preferenceThis decides whether there is a wait at all.
- Petitioner's proof of status readyPassport biodata page, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or green card front and back.
- Decide: consular processing abroad or adjustment inside the U.S.It changes what happens after approval, and it is asked on the form.
I130-02Step 2 Prove the relationship
The evidence that carries the petition.
Quality over volume
Spouse Petitioning a husband or wife
A spouse case is decided on whether the marriage is real. Strong joint records beat volume, and USCIS looks hardest at cases filed soon after the wedding.
- Marriage certificateGovernment-issued. Where registration was also required, a ceremony alone is not enough.
- Proof every earlier marriage legally endedDivorce decree, annulment or death certificate, for both spouses.
- Joint financial recordsJoint accounts, lease or mortgage, insurance beneficiaries, tax returns filed together.
- Proof of living togetherLease, utility bills, mail at the same address.
- Photographs and communication across the relationshipDated across time, not one event.
- Children's birth certificates naming both parents, if any
- Form I-130A completed by the spouse beneficiary BLOCKINGRequired for a spouse case. Signed by the beneficiary if they are in the U.S.
Child or parent Petitioning a son, daughter, mother or father
These turn on the paperwork proving the relationship. A parent case filed by a U.S. citizen requires the citizen to be at least 21.
- Beneficiary's birth certificate naming the petitioner BLOCKINGThe core document of the case.
- Petitioner is at least 21, for a parent petitionA U.S. citizen must be 21 or older to petition for a parent.
- Marriage certificate of the parents, where legitimacy mattersOr evidence of a bona fide parent-child relationship where the parents never married.
- Step-relationship: marriage certificate dated before the child turned 18 BLOCKINGA stepchild qualifies only if the marriage happened before the child's 18th birthday.
- Adoption: final adoption order before the child turned 16Plus two years of legal custody and joint residence.
- Name-change records where documents disagree
Brother or sister U.S. citizen petitioning a sibling
Only a U.S. citizen aged 21 or over may petition a sibling, and the wait in this category is measured in years. File early and keep addresses current.
- Petitioner is a U.S. citizen aged 21 or over BLOCKINGLawful permanent residents cannot petition siblings at all.
- Both birth certificates showing at least one shared parent BLOCKING
- Half-siblings: marriage and divorce records of the shared parentShow how the two families connect.
- Step-siblings: marriage certificate dated before both turned 18
- Expect a long wait and plan for itSibling categories are heavily backlogged. Report every address change and keep documents current.
I130-03Step 3 Build the package
Forms, translations and copies.
Copies, not originals Send legible photocopies. USCIS does not return originals, and originals are needed later at the interview.
- Form I-130 completed and signedUse the edition currently posted on uscis.gov. An outdated edition is rejected.
- Certified English translation for every non-English documentTranslator certifies the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate.
- Two passport-style photographs if the instructions ask for themCheck the current form instructions: requirements change by edition.
- Form G-1145 for text and email notificationOptional and free.
- Form G-28 if a representative is involvedAttorney or accredited representative only.
- Photocopy the entire package before sendingYou will need it for the interview and for any RFE.
I130-04Step 4 Fees and filing
Pay it right the first time.
Confirm the fee the week you file USCIS rejects a filing outright when the fee is wrong, and there is no partial credit.
- I-130 filing fee BLOCKINGWidely published at $675 by paper and $625 filed online. Confirm on the USCIS fee schedule (G-1055) before paying.
- One payment per petitionA separate I-130 and a separate fee are needed for each relative. Children are not included on a parent's petition in every category.
- File online or to the correct lockbox addressAddresses differ by category and by whether an I-485 is filed with it.
- Send with trackingKeep the delivery confirmation with your copy.
- Receipt notice (Form I-797C) arrivesCheck every name and date on it.
I130-05Step 5 After filing
Waiting well, and what approval actually means.
An approved I-130 is not a green card It establishes the relationship. The immigrant visa or adjustment application is a separate stage with its own forms and fees.
- Report every address change within 10 daysForm AR-11 online, and update the pending case number.
- Respond to any Request for Evidence by the deadline BLOCKINGEverything in one response, RFE notice on top.
- Track the priority date if this is a preference categoryThe Visa Bulletin moves monthly and can go backwards.
- Approval notice receivedThen either the case goes to the National Visa Center for consular processing, or an I-485 is filed inside the U.S.
- Consular processing: watch for the NVC welcome letterOur NVC checklist covers everything from there.
- Keep the petitioner's status documents currentIf the petitioner naturalizes, tell USCIS or NVC. It can upgrade the category and remove the wait.