Form I-130 is the petition a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files to establish a qualifying family relationship with a foreign-national relative so that relative can later apply for an immigrant visa or adjust status. Imverica prepares the I-130 package at the petitioner's direction — the petition itself, the I-130A Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary when the relationship is marriage, civil documents, and the evidence-of-relationship packet.
Who can be petitioned on I-130
U.S. citizen petitioners can file for spouse, unmarried child under 21 (immediate relative), unmarried son or daughter 21 or over (F1), married son or daughter of any age (F3), sibling (F4), and parent (immediate relative; petitioner must be 21 or older for parent petitions).
Lawful permanent resident petitioners can file for spouse (F2A), unmarried child under 21 (F2A), and unmarried son or daughter 21 or over (F2B). LPRs cannot petition married children or siblings.
The I-130 package
- I-130 — Petition for Alien Relative
- I-130A — Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary (required for marriage cases)
- G-1145 — e-Notification of Application Acceptance (optional but recommended)
- Petitioner evidence — U.S. passport biographic page or naturalization certificate or birth certificate; LPR card
- Relationship evidence — for marriage: marriage certificate, photos through the relationship, joint financial records, joint lease/mortgage, affidavits from third parties, birth certificates of joint children; for parent/child: birth certificate showing the relationship; for sibling: both birth certificates showing the same parent
- Prior marriage dissolutions — divorce decrees, annulment orders, or death certificates terminating any prior marriage for either party
- Translations — certified English translations of foreign-language civil documents under 8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3)
Concurrent filing vs. consular processing
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (spouse, unmarried child under 21, parent) whose beneficiary is already in the U.S. in lawful status can file I-485 concurrently with the I-130. F-category beneficiaries with priority-date wait will file I-485 only when the Visa Bulletin shows their date is current. Beneficiaries outside the U.S. process at the consulate via the National Visa Center after I-130 approval.
Statutory authority: INA §201 (immediate relatives, no annual cap); §203(a) (family-preference categories F1-F4); §204 (procedure for granting immigrant status); 8 C.F.R. §204.1-204.2 (procedure). Visa Bulletin published monthly by the Department of State.