Fill out the form out completely
The I-130 form is LONG. It is 20 pages. It requests a lot of specific information about both the Petitioner (the person with lawful status in the U.S.) and the beneficiary (the person who wants to immigrate to the U.S.). You need to fill all of the information in completely or else the form may get rejected by USCIS.
Fill the information out as accurately as possible.
It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the length of the form and all the details it requires, but it’s best to be accurate.
Make sure names are spelled correctly, and dates are accurate to the best of your recollection. Of particular importance is the date the beneficiary may have entered the United States. This date can have consequences to the case, so it’s important to try and be as accurate as possible.
Spell people’s names correctly!
The official correct spelling of a person’s name is the way it is spelled on their birth certificate.
When immigration is issuing the visa to an individual, they are going to use the name that is on their birth certificate unless their name has been legally changed via another official document, such as a marriage certificate.
If someone has used more than one name, be sure to include ALL names used on the form.
This includes false names provided at the border if you were apprehended while trying to enter without authorization. If you have such a situation, I highly recommend consulting with an attorney for help in your case.
Indicate whether it is a consular processing case or an adjustment of status case
The most important thing to do correctly on the I-130 is to properly indicate *WHERE* you will be applying for your visa.
If you are eligible to apply in the United States, then you can do what is called “adjustment of status” and you need to indicate the city and state where you will be interviewed. If you are not eligible to get your green card in the United States then you have to follow a process called “consular processing” (which is the subject of this YouTube channel) and you will need to indicate the city and country where you will attend your interview at the consulate.
The location where you will attend your interview is a critical piece of information to get right on the I-130 form.
If you are not eligible to get your green card in the U.S. and you have to consular process, you need to answer this question correctly. If you don’t answer it correctly, it will cause delays and further fees in your case. So make sure you get that piece of information correct!
Don’t forget the I-130 Supplement A
If this is a spousal petition, you need to file both form I-130 and form I-130 Supplement A.
The supplement A is an easy form to overlook and only applies when the application is between spouses. If you don’t include the Supplement A your application will get rejected, so don’t make that mistake!