1) What is the I-130 Petition?
The I-130 petition is a form that establishes the relationship to certain alien relatives who wish to immigrate to the United States. It is essentially the first step one who is a citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States should take to ‘sponsor’ an alien relative.
2) Who fills outs the I-130 Petition?
A U.S. Citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Eligible family members or alien relatives who are benefiting (beneficiary) from the petition (petitioner) should assist in providing all details to complete the petition. Speak with an immigration attorney who can help you do this.
3) What does the I-130 Petition do?
It is the only first step in helping a relative immigrate to the United States. Once it is filed and approved, eligible family members must wait until there is a visa number available before they can apply for an immigrant visa or adjust status.
4) Are there any filing fees for the I-130?
Yes. $420.
5) What happens when the I-130 is approved?
Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will notify the petitioner by sending an I-130 approval notice. After this approval notice is received, you must then apply for the green card process also known as adjustment of status. However, how you adjust status depends on where the I-130 petition is sent. There are two ways to adjust status: (1) While you are in the United States and (2) While you are outside of the United States (Consular Processing).

For more details on adjustment of status and consular processing, stay tuned for blog posts on these topics. Regarding immigration matters, we highly recommend you hire an immigration attorney who has years of experience and expertise to help you with your case. You contact us here or call us at [insert number].