Petition for Family-Based Green Card Online

If you are eligible to file Form I-130 you may do so on behalf of the following family members:

• Spouse.
• Unmarried children younger than 21.
• Unmarried children older than 21.

If you are a US citizen age 21 years or older, you can also file Form I-130 on behalf of:

• Your siblings.
• Your parents.

You may not file Form I-130 on behalf of a relative if any of the following applies to them:

• Adoptive children, if the child was adopted after age 16 or if the child has not lived with the parent for at least two (2) years;
• Stepchildren, if the marriage to occurred after the child’s 18th birthday;
• Stepparents, if the marriage that created the relationship occurred after your 18th birthday
• Grandchildren
• Biological parents in the event that you were legally adopted;

You may not file on behalf of your spouse if:

• If you gained permanent residence through an earlier marriage to an American citizen or permanent resident, in most cases
• If you married while they were in the exclusion, deportation, removal, or rescission process.

The application process of Form I-130 is both faster and easier for U.S. citizens.

There is no waiting period between the time you submit your application and your eligible family member getting a visa number. Therefore you may also simultaneously file Form I-485, Permanent Resident Application.

Permanent Residents cannot submit Form I-130 on behalf of their parents, and their married children. However, once naturalized, Green Card holders will have the same rights as U.S. citizens.

To correctly submit Form I-130, you have to answer every question truthfully and accurately, using black ink. Make sure you do not skip a question. If you do not have space, you need to answer a question, attach a continuation sheet with the item number your answer refers to written in the top right corner. You must also sign and date each continuation sheet.

If a question is not applicable to you, mark N/A. If the answer is none, write None.

Unless specifically requested by the USCIS, you can send photocopies of the required documentation instead of originals, as originals may not be returned to you.

You must also provide evidence of your US Citizenship or Permanent Residency.

Documents that can prove your US Citizenship:

• Birth certificate
• Naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship
• Form FS-240, Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States
• Valid US passport
• Original statement from US consular officer verifying your citizenship

Documents that can prove Permanent Residency:

• A copy of your permanent resident card (front and back)
• A copy of the biographic page of your passport (with your name, photo and expiration date clearly visible)
• A copy of your I-94 card

The filing fee for Form I-130 is $420.

You are required to pay the application fee with either money order, personal check, or cashier’s check from an American bank in U.S. dollars. Cash will not be accepted.

If the beneficiary is in the U.S. with temporary permission from the USCIS at the time that they receive a visa number, they then must file the Form I-485 Green Card application.

If the beneficiary is outside of the U.S. at the time that they receive a visa number, the NVC will send your petition along with their visa number to the recipients’ local U.S. Consulate or Embassy with detailed instructions on how to complete the Visa process.