Family Immigration (Immediate Relative and Family Preference immigrant visas)

Conditions you must meet

• Select exactly one processing route in Part 4 of Form I-130Adjustment of status inside the United States, or consular processing abroad — one or the other. USCIS states that leaving it blank or answering both is wrong, and that if it is left incomplete USCIS decides the route itself based on the beneficiary's address on the petition.
• An immigrant visa number must be available before the relative can proceedUSCIS states this does not apply to immediate relatives, for whom an immigrant visa is always available. The page does not define which relationships count as immediate relatives, so VisaAI does not gate this requirement on a relationship.
• An immigrant visa must be immediately available in your category before you file Form I-485USCIS points to its visa availability and priority dates pages and to the adjustment of status filing charts from the Visa Bulletin, and notes that exceptions exist per immigrant category in the Form I-485 instructions. Neither the charts nor the instructions are registered sources and neither was read.

Official forms

• Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative (I-130)Filed by the petitioner — the U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident or U.S. national relative — not by the person immigrating. USCIS states the edition date is 04/01/24 and that pages from a different edition may cause the form to be rejected.Official form
• Form I-130A, Supplemental Information for a Spouse Beneficiary (I-130A)USCIS publishes this form alongside Form I-130 and refers to it as required in some cases, but does not state on this page when it is required. Its title names a spouse beneficiary, which is why VisaAI shows it for spouse petitions; if you have not told VisaAI your relationship to the petitioner it will render as "may be required".
• Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (I-485)This is the adjustment-of-status route, for a relative who is already in the United States. A relative outside the United States goes through consular processing instead, which is documented on travel.state.gov pages VisaAI could not read (see not_extracted). VisaAI collects no fact that distinguishes the two routes, so no rule is attached. USCIS accepts the 01/20/25 edition only if postmarked or submitted before 2026-09-18, and only the 09/18/26 edition on or after that date — there is no grace period.Official form
• Form I-693, Report of Immigration Medical Examination and Vaccination Record (I-693)Completed and sealed by a civil surgeon. Filing by mail: submit it in the civil surgeon's original sealed envelope. Filing online: open the envelope, upload the completed form, and keep the original and the envelope until USCIS makes a final decision. USCIS states it may reject Form I-485 if a required Form I-693 (or partial I-693, such as the vaccination record) is not submitted with it. Applies to the adjustment-of-status route only.

Documents you must provide

• Evidence of the petitioner's U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence, or U.S. national statusAny one of the documents USCIS lists. It appears under the heading "checklist of required initial evidence", which USCIS itself labels informational: "the checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements." USCIS also states: "do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations."
• Evidence of the family relationship between petitioner and beneficiaryWhich document depends on the relationship being petitioned for. USCIS refers to the form instructions for more detailed guidance.
• Evidence that you or your spouse terminated any prior marriagesUSCIS lists this under the spouse branch of the relationship evidence and marks it "(if applicable)" without defining when it applies.
• Evidence of the bona fides of the marriageRequired only where the petition is for a spouse. USCIS names examples rather than a fixed list, and closes with "any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union".
• Proof of legal name changeUSCIS marks this "(if applicable)" and does not state when it applies. VisaAI does not collect a name-change fact, so no rule is attached and the item is shown to everyone with the condition stated here.
• 2 passport-style photographsUSCIS marks this "(if applicable)" on the I-130 initial-evidence checklist and does not state when it applies.
• Full English translation and translator's certification for any foreign-language document
• Adoption evidence, where the petition is for an adopted childApplies only where Form I-130 is filed for an adopted child. VisaAI does not collect a fact that distinguishes an adopted-child petition, so no rule is attached and the condition is stated here instead. USCIS defers to its Policy Manual and to Hague Adoption Convention guidance for the rest.

Steps in the process

• Sign Form I-130 before filingUSCIS also states it will reject the form outright if any of these fields are missing: Part 1 relationship; Part 2 your full name, date of birth, mailing address and marital information; Part 4 beneficiary full name, date of birth, physical address and marital information.
• Sign Form I-485 before filing

Government fees

• Form I-130 filing feeUSCIS does not state the amount on this page — it points to its fee schedule, which is not a registered source for this visa type and was not read. No amount and no currency are recorded here, deliberately.
• Form I-485 filing feeUSCIS does not state the amount on this page — it points to its fee schedule, which is not a registered source for this visa type and was not read. No amount and no currency are recorded here, deliberately.

VisaAI suggestions

Not required by the authority. These are VisaAI’s suggestions for presenting a clearer application.

• Submit all required initial evidence at the same time you fileUSCIS frames this as a time-saver rather than a rule: doing so may avoid a request for evidence and may avoid an interview. Recorded as VisaAI advice, not as a government requirement.