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I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Purpose of Form :
For citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States to establish the relationship to certain alien relatives who wish to immigrate to the United States.
Note: A separate form must be filed for each eligible relative. USCIS processes Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, as a visa number becomes available. Filing and approval of an I-130 is only the first step in helping a relative immigrate to the United States. Eligible family members must wait until there is a visa number available before they can apply for an immigrant visa or adjustment of status to a lawful permanent resident.
Number of Pages :
Form 2; Instructions 7.
Edition Date :
01/08/12; (08/15/11; 11/23/10; 06/14/10; 05/27/08 and 01/31/08 editions also accepted)

Note on Expiration: USCIS continues to accept the 01/08/12 edition of Form I-130 available here despite the passing of the form's expiration date. An updated form will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Where to File :

FILING CHANGE NOTIFICATION: Effective Jan. 1, 2012, domestic petitioners will mail their stand-alone I-130 applications to either the Chicago Lockbox or the Phoenix Lockbox, depending on where they reside in the United States. For more information, visit our Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-130 web page. There will be no change in filing locations when submitting Form I-130 along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Individuals filing these forms together will continue to mail them to the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners filing from overseas addresses in countries without USCIS offices will also continue to file at the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office may send their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live. Individuals who submit their Form I-130 packages to the incorrect Lockbox location may experience a delay in processing.

E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or a text message that your Form I-130 has been accepted at a USCIS Lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the first page of your application.  Form G-1145 can be downloaded through the link above.

Filing Fee :
$420
Special Instructions :

Reminders for Petitioners Abroad Who are Filing the Form I-130:  Petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices file their Form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lockbox facility in Chicago.

Recognizing USCIS and overseas petitioners incur additional costs when forms are rejected and returned to the filer, it is our goal to reduce rejections to the extent possible.  USCIS offers the following reminders when filing Form I-130 with a USCIS lockbox facility:

  • Ensure the form is not missing information.  The relationship between the petitioner and the beneficiary must be indicated in Part A.  The petitioner’s name, complete address, marital status, and country of birth must be provided in Part B.  The beneficiary’s name, complete address, marital status, and country of birth must be provided in Part C. 
  • As the petitioner, sign the form in Part E.
  • Submit the correct filing fee of $420.  

This page can be found at http://www.uscis.gov/i-130



Last updated: 03/01/2012