Form I-130: Step-by-Step Guide

Form I-130 is a petition for family reunification in the USA. It is filed for an alien relative of a U.S. citizen or resident to move to the United States. This article will explain the basic rules for completing the form.

Form I-130 Eligibility
Form I-130 content
How to fill out Form I-130?
U.S. visa photo specifications
Links

Form I-130 Eligibility

The I-130 petition is filed by a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder for family reunification. An American citizen is entitled to submit it for the following categories of relatives:

Spouse;
A child of any age;
Brother, sister;
Parent.

In this case, the American applicant must be over 21 years old.

A Green Card holder can file a Form I-130 for:

Spouse;
Unmarried child under 21 years of age or older.

Form I-130 content

Conventionally, a Form for a family reunification consists of 3 parts, namely:

Part 1: about the relationship between the petitioner and the beneficiary;
Part 2:about the petitioner (name, date of birth, contact information, marital status);
Part 3: about the beneficiary, where it is necessary to indicate their full name, date of birth, address of residence, and marital status.

How to fill out Form I-130?

Here are some basic recommendations from USCIS:

If you are filing a Form I-130 petition in person, in printed form, fill it out in black ink and block letters only;
If you make a mistake, do not correct it. The USCIS will not accept corrected applications. It is better to fill out a new document;
Provide complete and accurate information on Form I-130 as it is carefully checked. Do not skip any points and answer all questions truthfully.

To start your application, you need to access your personal account on USCIS.

Enter the email and the password you used when you registered. You will receive a code in the mail to log in.
Proceed to "My Account" and select "File Forms Online." A list of forms you can fill out online will appear. Form I-130 is at the very bottom of the list.
The guideline will tell you who is eligible to file a Form I-130 petition. It will also list the documents you will need to provide.

Clicking "Next" will take you directly to filling out the form.

First, you will need to answer questions about the petitioner: provide contact information, gender, age, ethnicity, places of employment, and how exactly they obtained U.S. citizenship or a Green Card. There you also need to provide information about your parents.

Follow up with questions about the beneficiary: where they want to live in the U.S., where they currently reside (country, city, street, and home). The I-130 petition should also include details of the last trip to the U.S., the beneficiary's marital status, and other important personal information.

The next page indicates the city and state of the USCIS office where the petition is to be filed.

After uploading all the documents, the system will ask you to double-check everything. Sign the form with the petitioner's first and last name to complete.

The Form I-130 filing cost is US$535. You can pay the fee online by card.

U.S. visa photo specifications

The I-130 petition is only the first step in applying for a U.S. visa. Next, you will need to prepare the documents and go through the US visa interview at the Embassy. Along with the set of documents, the applicant will have to provide a photo that meets all the requirements, namely:

The required American visa photo size is 2x2 inches (51x51 mm);
For online submissions, the digital image size should be a minimum of 600x600 pixels and a maximum of 1200 x 1200 pixels;
The applicant's head, neck, and shoulders must be entirely in the frame;
The background must be uniformly light, preferably white;
The face must occupy 70% (25-35 mm) of the photo;
The distance between the bottom edge of the photo and the eye line in the image must be 28-35 mm;
When printing U.S. visa photos you can use both matte and glossy paper with a density of 120 grams;
Glasses of any kind are forbidden;
The picture must be only in color, without frames and corners.

Here is an example:

You will need to be diligent and thorough in completing the I-130 form, gathering all documentation, and preparing for a visa interview. Taking a photo for a U.S. visa is another responsible procedure. There are many parameters, especially when applying online.

To simplify applying for an American visa, use the Visafoto service, where you can get a high-quality, matching picture in just a couple of minutes!

Take an image with a smartphone or camera against any background, upload it here and instantly get a professional photo for your visa, passport or ID.

Upload photo & Continue

Source

Result

Visafoto processes photos for all types of documents, including U.S. visas. It takes only a few simple steps:

Take a picture against any background, following the dress code rules (discreet casual clothing, no excessive makeup or large jewelry);
Upload the picture to the program;
Download your finished U.S. visa photo in a couple of seconds.

The original picture: