FAMILY SPONSORSHIP (FORM I-130 & FORM I-485) — APPLICATION PACK & GUIDANCE
A guided fill-in-the-blanks preparation pack for a family-based green card filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Important — read first. This is a preparation and organization pack only. It is not an official government form and it does not reproduce or replace Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) or Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). The official, current editions of Form I-130, Form I-485, Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support), Form I-693 (Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record), and their instructions and filing fees must be downloaded and completed from the official USCIS website at uscis.gov. Always use the latest edition of each form and confirm current fees on uscis.gov before you file, because form editions and fees change.
PART A — OVERVIEW AND GUIDANCE
What these two forms do. A family-based green card generally involves two separate steps, often filed together:
- Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) — filed by the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (the petitioner) to establish that a genuine, qualifying family relationship exists between the petitioner and the foreign national (the beneficiary). Approval of the I-130 alone does not grant any immigration status; it only establishes the relationship and a place in line.
- Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) — filed by the beneficiary who is already physically present in the United States to request adjustment of status to that of a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) without leaving the country.
Petitioner vs. beneficiary. The petitioner is the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident sponsoring the relative and signing the I-130. The beneficiary is the foreign-national relative who will receive the green card and who signs the I-485.
Immediate relatives vs. family preference categories. Which category applies determines whether a visa is immediately available (which in turn affects concurrent filing):
- Immediate relatives of a U.S. citizen — the spouse of a U.S. citizen, an unmarried child under 21 of a U.S. citizen, and the parent of a U.S. citizen who is at least 21 years old. These categories have no annual numerical cap, so a visa is considered immediately available.
- Family preference categories — these are numerically limited and subject to waiting times shown in the monthly Department of State Visa Bulletin. They include: F1 (unmarried adult sons/daughters of U.S. citizens), F2A (spouses and unmarried children under 21 of lawful permanent residents), F2B (unmarried adult sons/daughters of lawful permanent residents), F3 (married sons/daughters of U.S. citizens), and F4 (brothers and sisters of adult U.S. citizens).
Concurrent filing eligibility. The I-130 and I-485 may be filed together (“concurrently”) only when a visa number is immediately available to the beneficiary at the time of filing — which is generally the case for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, and for preference-category beneficiaries only when the Visa Bulletin shows their priority date is current. If a visa is not yet available, the petitioner files the I-130 alone, and the beneficiary files the I-485 later once the priority date is current. Confirm your category and the current Visa Bulletin before deciding to file concurrently.
The category the applicant intends to file under: ________. Concurrent filing intended (yes / no): ________.
PART B — DETAILS WORKSHEET
Use this worksheet to gather and organize the information you will transcribe onto the official USCIS forms. Keep it for your records; do not submit this worksheet to USCIS in place of the official forms.
Section B-1 — Petitioner (the sponsoring U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident)
| Full legal name (last, first, middle) | ________ |
| Other names used (maiden / former) | ________ |
| Date of birth | ________ |
| Country of birth | ________ |
| Immigration status (U.S. citizen / lawful permanent resident) | ________ |
| Basis of U.S. citizenship (birth / naturalization — certificate no.) | ________ |
| Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if any | ________ |
| USCIS Online Account Number, if any | ________ |
| U.S. Social Security Number | ________ |
| Mailing address (street, city, state, ZIP) | ________ |
| Physical address (if different) | ________ |
| Daytime telephone | ________ |
| Email address | ________ |
Section B-2 — Beneficiary (the foreign-national relative seeking the green card)
| Full legal name (last, first, middle) | ________ |
| Other names used | ________ |
| Date of birth | ________ |
| Country of birth | ________ |
| Country of citizenship / nationality | ________ |
| Current immigration status in the U.S. | ________ |
| Date of last lawful entry into the U.S. | ________ |
| Place of last entry (port of entry) | ________ |
| Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record number | ________ |
| Passport number, country of issue, and expiration | ________ |
| Alien Registration Number (A-Number), if any | ________ |
| USCIS Online Account Number, if any | ________ |
| U.S. Social Security Number, if any | ________ |
| Current U.S. address | ________ |
Section B-3 — Qualifying relationship
| Relationship of beneficiary to petitioner (spouse / parent / child / brother or sister) | ________ |
| If spouse: date and place of marriage | ________ |
| If applicable: date and place any prior marriage of each party ended | ________ |
| If parent/child: how the relationship arises (biological / step / adoptive) | ________ |
| Priority date (once assigned by USCIS) | ________ |
Section B-4 — Prior filings and immigration history
| Has the petitioner ever filed a petition for this or any other beneficiary? (yes/no — details) | ________ |
| Has any prior immigrant petition been filed for the beneficiary? (yes/no — details) | ________ |
| Has the beneficiary ever been in immigration or removal proceedings? (yes/no — details) | ________ |
| Receipt number(s) of any related pending or approved cases | ________ |
PART C — STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS AND DOCUMENT CHECKLIST
Step 1 — Confirm eligibility and category. Verify the petitioner's status, the qualifying relationship, and whether a visa is immediately available (see Part A). Decide whether you will file the I-130 alone or file the I-130 and I-485 concurrently. Date completed: ________.
Step 2 — Prepare and file Form I-130 with evidence of the relationship. Complete the current Form I-130 from uscis.gov and assemble supporting evidence, including as applicable: proof of the petitioner's U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residence (passport, naturalization certificate, or green card); the marriage certificate (for spouse cases); birth certificates showing the parent-child or sibling relationship; evidence of a bona fide marriage (joint bank statements, joint lease or mortgage, joint utility bills, insurance naming the spouse, photographs together, correspondence); and legal proof of the termination of any prior marriages. Date filed: ________.
Step 3 — Prepare and file Form I-485 (if adjusting status in the U.S.). Complete the current Form I-485 from uscis.gov and assemble its supporting documents, including: Form I-864 Affidavit of Support from the sponsor with required income/tax evidence; Form I-693 Report of Immigration Medical Examination completed by a USCIS-designated civil surgeon; two passport-style photographs of the beneficiary; a copy of the beneficiary's birth certificate; a copy of the passport biographic page and any visa; and proof of lawful entry and inspection (Form I-94 and passport admission stamp). Date filed: ________.
Step 4 — Pay the required filing fees. Confirm the current fee for each form on uscis.gov and include correct payment (or the fee-waiver request where eligible). Never send cash. Date fees paid: ________.
Step 5 — Receive receipt notices. USCIS mails a Form I-797 receipt notice for each accepted form. Record the receipt numbers here: I-130 receipt ________; I-485 receipt ________.
Step 6 — Attend the biometrics appointment. USCIS schedules the beneficiary at an Application Support Center for fingerprints, photo, and signature. Bring the appointment notice and photo ID. Appointment date: ________.
Step 7 — Attend the interview. Most family-based adjustment cases require an in-person interview. Both petitioner and beneficiary should attend (spouse cases) and bring originals of all documents submitted as copies. Interview date: ________.
Step 8 — Decision. USCIS issues a decision; if approved, the beneficiary becomes a lawful permanent resident and the green card is mailed. If more information is needed, USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE). Decision date: ________.
Document checklist — mark each item as included and note the date assembled.
| Item | Included? |
| Completed Form I-130 (current edition, signed) | ________ |
| Proof of petitioner's U.S. citizenship or LPR status | ________ |
| Marriage certificate and/or birth certificate(s) proving the relationship | ________ |
| Evidence of bona fide relationship (joint documents, photos, correspondence) | ________ |
| Proof of termination of any prior marriages | ________ |
| Completed Form I-485 (current edition, signed) | ________ |
| Form I-864 Affidavit of Support with income/tax evidence | ________ |
| Form I-693 medical examination (sealed by civil surgeon) | ________ |
| Two passport-style photographs of the beneficiary | ________ |
| Copy of beneficiary's birth certificate | ________ |
| Copy of beneficiary's passport biographic page | ________ |
| Proof of lawful entry and inspection (Form I-94 / admission stamp) | ________ |
| Correct filing fees or fee-waiver request | ________ |
| Date checklist assembled | ________ |
PART D — COVER LETTER TO USCIS
________
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
________
Re: Family-based petition and application for adjustment of status
Petitioner: ________
Beneficiary: ________
Qualifying relationship: ________
Beneficiary A-Number (if any): ________
Dear USCIS Officer:
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- Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, signed by the petitioner, with filing fee
- Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, with filing fee
- Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, with supporting income and tax documentation
- Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (sealed)
- Evidence of the petitioner's U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent resident status
- Evidence of the qualifying relationship (marriage and/or birth certificates)
- Evidence of a bona fide relationship and proof of lawful entry (Form I-94)
- Two passport-style photographs and copies of the beneficiary's birth certificate and passport
- Additional enclosures: ________
Please direct any questions or requests for additional evidence to the petitioner at the address and telephone number shown below. Thank you for your consideration of this filing.
Respectfully submitted,
________
Petitioner
________
Telephone: ________
Email: ________
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