I-130Petition for Alien Relative
- Source
- uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-130.pdf
- Size
- 729,861 bytes
- SHA-256
- Revision (page)
- Edition Date 04/01/24
- Revision (footer)
- Form I-130 Edition 04/01/24 ✓ match
- Fetched
- 2026-11-02 06:15 UTC
Form I-130 is the petition a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files to establish a qualifying family relationship with a relative who wants to immigrate: a spouse, children, sons and daughters, and for adult citizens, parents and siblings. Approval establishes the relationship; it does not by itself give the relative a green card. You file a separate I-130 for each relative, though the spouse and unmarried children of some beneficiaries can come along as derivatives. A spouse petition must include Form I-130A, completed (and signed if the spouse is in the United States), plus passport-style photos of both of you. The form is in nine parts: the relationship, you as petitioner, biographic information, the beneficiary, other information, your signature, interpreter, preparer and additional space.
How to file Form I-130
USCIS online account (guided)
USCIS lists Form I-130 among the forms you can fill out through a guided online workflow. USCIS notes a fee discount for certain forms filed online.
“There is a discount when you file certain forms online.”
Open on uscis.govUpload a completed PDF
USCIS also lists I-130 for PDF upload, including within an online I-485 package for representatives and certain self-petitioners. The uploaded PDF must carry a valid wet-ink signature.
“Attorneys and representatives must make sure the benefit requestor’s valid wet-ink signature appears on the PDF before submitting the form through PDF upload.”
Open on uscis.govMail a paper petition
Mail it to the address USCIS lists for your situation on its I-130 page, with the fee, evidence of your citizenship or permanent residence and the relationship, and for spouses Form I-130A and photos.
“Please see our website at www.uscis.gov/i-130 for the most current information about where to file this petition.”
Open on uscis.govWhy our filler is off for this form: USCIS says its forms are optimized for Adobe Acrobat Reader, and part of this PDF is read-only by design (copied headers, barcodes, signature boxes). We turn our fill on per form only after the output re-opens in Acrobat Reader with every value intact and a matching barcode. Until then, Adobe Reader on a computer is the free tool USCIS points to.
Print, sign in ink, scan, send
USCIS does not accept signatures made by software, so the dependable path is paper first, then a clean PDF under the online limit. Every step below runs in your browser.
- PrintThe official I-130 PDF from uscis.gov, every page from the same edition.
- Sign by handIn the signature box, in ink. USCIS: “USCIS does not accept signatures created by a typewriter, word processor, stamp, auto-pen, or similar device.”
- Scan to PDFPhone camera pages, deskewed and cleaned, in this tab.
- MergeForm and evidence in the order the instructions ask for.
- Under 12 MBCompressed to the USCIS online upload limit, with a preview first.
Sources: USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Part B, Ch. 2 (signatures) · uscis.gov/file-online/tips-for-filing-forms-online (12 MB) · checked 2026-10-05
Line help for Form I-130
Plain-language notes written from the official instructions, with the place each one comes from. Informational, not legal advice.
Who the beneficiary is to you (spouse, parent, brother or sister, child) and, for a child or parent, how the relationship arose. The instructions list which relatives citizens and permanent residents may petition for.
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), Who May File Form I-130Your A-Number if any, USCIS Online Account Number only if you have an IOE receipt, SSN, names, address and address history, marital history, parents, and your citizenship or permanent-resident details. Use mm/dd/yyyy for dates; give approximate dates with an explanation in Part 9 if needed.
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), How To Complete, items 4–5Ethnicity, race, height in feet and inches, weight in pounds, eye and hair color. The instructions say this may shorten your biometrics appointment.
“Do not enter your height in meters or centimeters.”
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), Part 3. Biographic InformationThe relative's names, A-Number if any, birth details, addresses, family, I-94 and passport details if they came to the U.S., and where they will apply for an immigrant visa or adjust status.
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), item 7; Part 4Whether you have filed petitions for this or other relatives before.
Form I-130 (04/01/24), Part 5Your statement on whether you read the form yourself, your phone and email, and your handwritten signature and date.
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), item 8Anyone who interpreted or prepared the petition completes and signs these parts.
“Anyone who helped you complete this petition MUST sign and date the petition.”
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), items 9–10Extra answers, each with your name, A-Number, page, part and item number, and your signature and date.
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), How To Complete, item 2I-130A goes with it.
If you are petitioning for your spouse, your spouse completes and signs Form I-130A; a spouse who is overseas still completes it but does not sign. Both of you include two identical passport-style color photos.
“Form I-130A must be submitted with Form I-130.”
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), Who May File, Note 1Hand-signed; a scan of it is valid.
The petitioner signs Part 6 by hand. USCIS accepts a photocopy, fax or scan of the original signed page.
“USCIS will not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of any signature on this petition.”
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), SignatureA separate I-130 for each.
Citizens and permanent residents file one petition per eligible relative. There is no visa category for married children of permanent residents.
“There is no visa category for married children of lawful permanent residents.”
Form I-130 Instructions (04/01/24), Who May FileRevision history
We check the USCIS form page and its edition statement every day, and USCIS’s sitemap for preview files of new editions. This list starts when our crawler first saw the form.
| Edition | Status | Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Edition 04/01/24 | Current | baseline |
Related forms
I-130A
USCIS lists the 04/01/24 edition on its form page.
I-485
USCIS lists the 09/18/26 edition on its form page.
I-864
USCIS lists the 08/24/26 edition on its form page.
I-765
USCIS is not accepting the 09/15/26 edition. The edition it lists today is 08/21/25.
G-1145
USCIS lists the 09/26/14 edition on its form page.
Sources
- USCIS Form I-130 page · checked 2026-10-05
- Form I-130/I-130A Instructions (Edition 04/01/24) · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS, Forms Available to File Online · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS page for Form I-130 · crawled 2026-11-02
Not affiliated with the IRS, USCIS or any government agency. US federal forms are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105); the line help is ours, written from the instructions. Informational only: not tax or legal advice. If you need help with an immigration case, USCIS explains how to find legitimate legal services: uscis.gov, Find Legal Services.