Form I-130Petition for Alien Relative

You have 2 options for filing your Form I-130 petition with USCIS:

Online; or

By mail (paper).

The filing location for your Form I-130 depends on where you live and if the Form I-130 will be filing filed with your alien relative’s Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, at the same time (this is called “concurrent filing”).

Filing Your Form I-130 Online

The first step is to create an account or log in if you already have an account. To learn more, visit our How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. Visit the Forms Available to File Online webpage for details on when you or your representative can file Form I-130 online.

You can file Form I-130 online even if your alien relative is in the United States and will later file Form I-485 online from their own USCIS online account or by mail. After you submit your Form I-130 online, we will send you a receipt notice. Provide a copy of the receipt notice to your qualifying relative to include in their Form I-485 packet.

Please see our Form I-485  pages for current filing information and refer to the form instructions for specific instructions on completing each of these forms. We will only accept and adjudicate forms that have been properly filed.

Filing Your Form I-130 By Mail

If you reside in the United States, file at the Chicago, Dallas, Elgin, or Phoenix lockbox, depending on where you live and whether your relative is also concurrently filing Form I-485. For a complete list of addresses, visit our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-130 page.

If you reside outside of the United States, you may:

File at the USCIS Elgin Lockbox (see our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-130 page for the address);

File online using the USCIS website; or

Request to file at the U.S. embassy or consulate in certain limited circumstances, as described in USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 3, if you are a U.S. citizen and you are filing your Form I-130 for your immediate relative (your spouse, your unmarried child under the age of 21, or your parent (if you are 21 years of age or older)). For a list of U.S. embassies and consulates, go to the Department of State’s website.

Filing Tips for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

Part 1 – Relationship

Part 2 – Information About You

Your Full Name

Date of Birth

Mailing Address

Your Marital Information

Part 4 – Information About Beneficiary

Beneficiary Full Name

Date of Birth

Beneficiary’s Physical Address

Beneficiary’s Marital Information

Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

Don’t forget to sign your form! We will reject any unsigned form.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-130 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-130 (and Form I-130A, if required). The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

Did you provide the following?

Evidence of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, or U.S. national status:

A copy of your birth certificate, issued by a civil registrar, vital statistics office, or other civil authority showing you were born in the United States;

A copy of your naturalization or citizenship certificate issued by USCIS or the former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS);

A copy of Form FS-240, Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), issued by a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate;

A copy of your unexpired U.S. passport;

An original statement from a U.S. consular officer verifying you are a U.S. citizen with a valid passport; or

A copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or a Form I-551).

Evidence of family relationship with 1 of the following (see form instructions for more detailed guidance):

Spouse: A copy of your marriage certificate

Evidence you or your spouse terminated any prior marriages (if applicable)

Child: A copy of your child’s birth certificate(s).

Parent: A copy of your birth certificate.

Brother/Sister: A copy of the birth certificate for you and your sibling.

Evidence of the bona fides of the marriage, if petitioning for a spouse:

Documentation showing joint ownership of property;

A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence, meaning you both live at the same address together;

Documentation showing that you and your spouse have combined your financial resources;

Birth certificates of children born to you and your spouse together;

Affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties having personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship. Each affidavit must contain the full name and address of the pers