The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Forms Needed to Petition Someone from Another Country

The U.S. allows an American to help a relative become a lawful permanent resident by obtaining what’s known as a “green card.” To help a family member receive a green card, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requires an American to petition the government on a relative’s behalf. Petitioning the government entails completing forms to initiate and finish the process that allows a relative to live in the U.S.

Petition for Alien Relative Form

The Petition for Alien Relative form, commonly called the Form I-130, begins the permanent residence process. The form verifies to that a relationship exists between a U.S. citizen and his relative. As a petitioner, the individual must complete the application which includes nine pages — seven pages of instructions and two forms. For instance, he must indicate who he’s sponsoring, information about him and the family member. Also, the form requires an indication of whether the individual has petitioned to sponsor any other relative. As of 2010, the filing fee of $420 is required.

Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status

The Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, or I-485 form, is another required form. The application consists of 17 pages — six pages to complete and 11 pages of instructions. The approved form allows the government agency to change a relative status to permanent resident. Questions on the form include intent of the permanent resident while living in the country and any disabilities. Although required, a person can file the I-485 along with the Petition for Alien Relative or after acceptance into the country. The filing fee for the application was $985 plus $85 for a biometric fee as of 2010.

Affidavit of Support

The Affidavit of Support application shows that an individual sponsoring a family member has enough money to do so without assistance from the government’s welfare system. The form has eight pages of forms to fill out and 11 pages of instructions. The USCIS requests information about income, job and assets to determine if the potential sponsor meets financial eligibility. Besides completing the form, also referred to as I-864, a person must provide supporting documents. Supporting documents include a proof of income and a photocopy of federal income tax returns. An individual doesn’t have to pay a filing fee.

Things to Remember

If an American doesn’t meet financial qualifications then someone else must make the sponsorship commitment for the relative. Each time an American sponsors a family member he must complete the requirement forms. For example, if an individual sponsor a parent and sibling for permanent residence, he must complete forms for each person.


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