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.

Form 2; Instructions 7.

12/23/16. Starting 02/21/17, USCIS will only accept the 12/23/16 edition. Until then, you can use previous editions. However, all filings postmarked 12/23/16 or later must include the new fees or we will reject them. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the Form and Instructions. 

File at the Chicago or Phoenix Lockbox, depending on where you live and whether you are also filing Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The addresses are listed here:  Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-130 web page.

If you reside outside of the United States where USCIS has an international office, you may file at the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility.   If you are a U.S. citizen filing on behalf of a spouse or unmarried child under the age of 21 or parent (if you, the U.S. citizen, are 21 years of age or older), you may also file at the USCIS international office in the country in which you reside. If you are a U.S. citizen and you reside outside of the United States where USCIS does not have an international office, you may file for an immediate relative at the U.S. Embassy or consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live only if exceptional circumstances (PDF, 61 KB) exist and the USCIS Field Office Director with jurisdiction over that location determines that the Embassy or consulate may accept and adjudicate the case. For a list of USCIS international offices and filing instructions please visit www.uscis.gov/international.

Filing Tips for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Complete all sections of the form. The form will be rejected if these fields are missing:

• Part A – Relationship
• Part B – Information About You
  • Complete Name
  • Complete Address
  • Place of Birth
  • Marital Status
• Part C – Information About Your Relative
  • Complete Name
  • Complete Address
  • Place of Birth
  • Marital Status

Sign the form in Part E, Signature of Petitioner. The fillable version of Form I-130 now includes a “Don’t forget to sign!” message and an arrow pointing to the signature box as a reminder for when you print the completed form for mailing. If there is no signature in Part E, USCIS will reject the form and return it for correction and re-filing.

$535, effective 12 a.m. Eastern U.S. time, December 23, 2016.

• Please read our Lockbox Filing Tips.
• To receive an email or text message when we accept your form, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the front of the petition.
• If you are filing for your spouse, your petition must be accompanied by a Biographical Form G-325A for you and one for your spouse (not form G-325).

To ensure your Form I-130 is accepted for processing:

• Fill out the form completely and accurately
• Sign the form
• Pay the correct filing fee of $535