Form I-130
I-130 Eligibility Check
Find out who you can sponsor for a family-based green card.
- Free
- 2 minutes
- No signup to see your result
The short answer
Who can you sponsor with Form I-130?
U.S. citizens can petition for a spouse, unmarried and married children, parents, and siblings. Green card holders can petition for a spouse and unmarried children only. You cannot use Form I-130 to sponsor a grandparent, cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or in-law.
What USCIS asks for
What USCIS asks for
- U.S. citizens can petition for spouses, children, parents and siblings
- Green card holders can petition for spouses and unmarried children
- You must be 21 or older to petition for parents or siblings
- The marriage must be legally valid for spouse petitions
The check
What this I-130 eligibility check covers
- Your eligibility as a petitioner (citizen vs green card holder)
- Whether your family relationship qualifies
- Age requirements for parent and sibling petitions
- Marriage validity for spouse petitions
- Stepchild and adoption eligibility rules
- Potential bars (marriage fraud, Adam Walsh Act)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
U.S. citizens can sponsor a spouse, children of any age or marital status, parents if the petitioner is 21 or older, and siblings if the petitioner is 21 or older. Green card holders can sponsor a spouse and unmarried children only.
Yes, but only for a spouse or an unmarried child. A green card holder cannot petition for a parent or a sibling.
No. The I-130 establishes the family relationship. Your relative still applies for the green card afterwards, either with Form I-485 inside the U.S. or through a consulate abroad. See I-130 vs I-485.
Only if you are a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older. Green card holders cannot petition for either.
It depends on the category. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, meaning spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents, do not wait for a visa number. Preference categories can wait years, depending on the country of birth.
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Where to go from here
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