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Guide · Preparing and filing

I-130 Spouse Petition: What Goes in the Package

Preparing an I-130 spouse petition means collecting forms, status records, and marriage evidence. Use this checklist to separate general and conditional items. Check the current USCIS instructions before filing; they control your submission.

For: Couples preparing an I-130 spouse petition. USCIS also addresses non-citizen U.S. national petitioners in its instructions.

Written from official U.S. government sources. Last reviewed September 2026. Sources and limits.

At a glance

  • Use I-130 and the spouse's I-130A, following each form's signature instructions.
  • Collect status, marriage, and relationship evidence. Check conditional requirements separately.
  • Translate foreign-language documents fully into English with the required translator certification.
  • Check the current fee, edition, and filing instructions before sending the package.

The baseline package

Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources

Read the current USCIS I-130 instructions. This checklist groups the main spouse-petition items; special situations may require more.

Initial evidence listed for an I-130 spouse petition

What the labels mean

General requirement
Listed in the agency’s general instructions. Check the source for the current form and instructions.

Items that apply only in specific situations

Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources

These requirements apply only when their stated condition is met. Check the instructions or ask an immigration attorney if you are unsure.

Conditional and document-format requirements

What the labels mean

Required if this applies
Required only in the situation described beside the item. Check the official source if you are unsure.

Optional Form G-1145 requests an email or text for acceptance of an eligible lockbox filing. Check whether the service applies to your filing.

Organize the package together

Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.

  • Name an owner for each record. This is an organization suggestion, not a USCIS rule.
  • Keep translations with their certifications. Check the I-130 instructions for certification details.
  • Save the filed package and receipt notice for later questions or requests.
  • Keep later consular work separate. Follow State's spouse-visa guidance, NVC instructions, and your embassy or consulate's requirements.

Figures that change

These numbers change without notice. We only show one when a person has verified it against the official source recently enough; otherwise we say so and send you to the source.

  • Current filing fee for Form I-130Needs review

    Not shown(no recorded figure)

    We do not have a current figure for this. Check the official source.

    USCIS — Filing fees

  • Current accepted edition date of Form I-130Needs review

    Not shown(no recorded figure)

    We do not have a current figure for this. Check the official source.

    USCIS — Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Common questions

Is the I-130 the green card application?
No. I-130 is the family petition. Adjustment of status or consular processing follows separately, depending on the case.
Do we file Form I-130A as well?
Yes. The beneficiary completes it; a beneficiary living overseas need not sign it. Follow the current I-130A instructions.
What counts as evidence that a marriage is bona fide?
USCIS lists examples, including shared property, residence, finances, children's records, and affidavits. Special situations have separate evidence rules. Check the I-130 instructions; this guide cannot assess your evidence.
Do documents in another language need to be translated?
Yes. USCIS requires a full English translation and certification of completeness and accuracy. The instructions list the translator's signature, printed name, date, and contact details.

Related guides

How Togetherward helps

Suggestion

Share document and translation tasks, keep filing copies together, and record what you sent. Togetherward organizes the work; it does not file the petition.

In Togetherward

Sign in to your case to continue where this leaves off.

Sign in to continue

General information, not legal advice or a filing review. USCIS may request more evidence. Follow current instructions and ask an immigration attorney about your circumstances.

Sources and limits

Last reviewed and verification status

Last reviewed
Last recorded source review: . We aim to re-read it every 120 days.
Review recorded.
Verification status of the sources behind this page
6 of 6 sources are recorded as checked. Nothing is awaiting verification.

Verified (6)

About this guide and its review

Guide scope

  • Preparing and filing
  • CR-1 / IR-1 (Form I-130)
Who this is for
Couples preparing an I-130 spouse petition. USCIS also addresses non-citizen U.S. national petitioners in its instructions.
Stage it covers
Before filing the petition.
What it helps you do
Organize initial evidence and check which conditions apply.
What this page cannot tell you
  • Whether your package or marriage evidence is sufficient, or whether you should file.
  • The current fee, form edition, or filing address.
  • Which special evidence rules apply to your circumstances.

How we put this page together

Togetherward analysis

Based on USCIS's I-130 instructions, I-130A, G-1145, and fee pages, plus State's spouse-visa process. The checklist separates filing requirements from organization suggestions and copies no current fee or edition.

What we did not include

  • Current fees, editions, and processing estimates.
  • Adjustment-of-status and later consular-stage checklists.
  • An assessment of your evidence or a complete list for every special situation.

Review record

Author
The Togetherward editorial team. The people who build Togetherward. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice.
Review
Reviewed by Togetherward Team
Scope of review
Read the full review scope

Review scope: The source review compared the I-130 spouse checklist with the directly retrieved current USCIS Form I-130 instructions, Form I-130A, and Form G-1145 on 2026-09-27; it also checked the Department of State spouse-visa process page. The USCIS G-1055 page and its linked 09/09/26 fee-schedule PDF were directly retrieved and checked for the Form I-130 filing entry. The review corrected the I-130 evidence source, translation details, optional-notification wording, and the later consular-stage boundary. The current fee amount and effective date remain dynamic and are not reproduced or accepted as a guide value; the fee page is linked for checking at filing. It does not assess legal accuracy for an individual's facts; speak with a qualified immigration attorney about your own filing.

Dates
Last reviewed · Published .
Review status: Review recorded.
How this guide was prepared
How we review guides.
What the labels in this guide mean
  • Official factStated by a U.S. government publisher on the source page we cite.
  • Togetherward analysisOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
  • SuggestionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and not a requirement.
Limitations
  • This is an explanation of a published government process, not legal advice, and not a prediction about your case.
  • Figures that move — processing ranges, Visa Bulletin dates, fees, form editions, interview availability — are described rather than reproduced here, so you read the current number at the source.
  • USCIS, the National Visa Center, the embassy, or the consular officer may ask for something this page does not mention.
  • This page lists what USCIS publishes for the petition package. It cannot tell you that your own package is complete or that your evidence is sufficient.
Commercial independence
Commercial independence: nobody pays to appear on this page. There are no sponsors, no advertising, no referral fees, no affiliate links, and no paid placement of any attorney, agency, or service. Togetherward makes money from couples who use the product, and a commercial relationship cannot change what this page says, when it was last reviewed, whether it is flagged as out of date, or whether it stays in search results.
Corrections
Report a correction using the form below, support@togetherward.app or use the support page.