Form I-130 Checklist for Spouses: Starting the Immigration Process

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The requirements for petitioning a foreign citizen spouse for permanent residence (green card) are more exhaustive than any other relationship. When filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, the petitioner must also submit other supporting documents to evidence the relationship. We’ve developed an I-130 checklist for spouses to help you through this process.

Immigration officials, from the U.S. Department of State and also U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), have an additional layer of scrutiny for spousal relationships. After all, sham marriages are one of the most common ways to commit green card fraud. Immigration officials want to be sure that your spouse is obtaining a green card based on a genuine relationship.

This I-130 checklist assumes that you are filing the petition only. In most cases, foreign national spouse who are also physically present in the United States can "adjust status" to permanent resident. If you are filing Form I-130 as part of the adjustment of status process, you'll need to file additional forms and additional requirements may apply. If you are using CitizenPath’s services to prepare an adjustment of status application, our filing instructions will detail the necessary supporting documents for your situation.