I-130 Petition for Alien Relative
Establishes that a family relationship exists between a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and a relative who wants a green card. It does not by itself give status, a visa, or permission to be in the United States - it only fixes the relationship and a place in the visa queue. The green card comes later, either through adjustment of status or a consular interview.
- Fee
- $675 paper, $625 online
- Fee waiver
- Not available
- Who files
- A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident petitioning for a spouse, child, parent, or sibling.
- Where to file
- Online through a USCIS account, or by mail to the Chicago or Phoenix lockbox depending on where the petitioner lives; petitioners abroad may sometimes file at a USCIS international office or consulate.
- Processing time
- 12.9 months for immediate relatives, 45.5 months for adoption cases (FY 2026 national medians through June 30, 2026)
Usually filed with
Part of these processes
What changed in 2025 and 2026
- No fee waiver is available for the I-130. The waiting time after approval depends on the visa bulletin category, not on USCIS: immediate relatives of citizens have no wait, while F2B and F4 categories run years behind. Denials go to the BIA on Form EOIR-29.
Official page. https://www.uscis.gov/i-130. Download the form there, never from a third-party site; check the edition date and fee before filing.