Form I-130A – How to Fill Out

Form I-130A must be filed if you are sponsoring your spouse a marriage-based green card. Learn how to fill out Form I-130A, the checklist of required documents and other important details in bwea.com guide.

If you are a United States citizen or a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) sponsoring an eligible relative for immigration, you must file Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) with USCIS. 

If the eligible relative is your spouse, you must also file the additional Form I-130A (Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary). 

What is Form I-130A?

A U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident who wishes to sponsor an eligible relative for immigration must file Form I-130 (Petitioner for Alien Relative). 

Form I-130 is used to establish your relationship with the eligible relative you seek to sponsor. 

If the person you seek to sponsor is your spouse, you must prove your marital relationship. 

Form I-130A establishes this relationship. 

Form I-130A is supplemental to Form I-130, and both forms must be filed at the same time.

Form I-130A – Who Needs to File It?

Form I-130A is to be completed by the sponsored immigrant. 

In other words, if you are sponsoring your spouse for immigration, your spouse should complete Form I-130. 

There is an exception if you live in the United States and your spouse lives abroad. 

Under these circumstances, you may complete Form I-130A on your spouse’s behalf and your spouse is not required to sign the application.

Form I-130A – Who Doesn’t Need to File It?

Other than an I-130 applicant’s beneficiary spouse, there is no other I-130 beneficiary who should complete Form I-130A.

Form I-130A Fees

Because Form I-130A is supplemental to and filed with Form I-130, there are no additional fees. 

You only need to pay the fees associated with Form I-130.

Form I-130 filing fee is $535. 

How To Complete Form I-130A

You can find and download Form I-130A on USCIS’s website here: Download Form I-130A.

When completing Form I-130A, type or write legibly with black ink. 

It’s important that you fully and accurately answer each question. 

Remember, providing false information on any government form may result in your immigration application being denied.  

SelfLawyer seeks to guide you through a few of more complicated parts and questions of Form I-130A.  

First, throughout Form I-130A, the immigrant applicant is referred to as “spouse beneficiary.” 

Therefore, if you are sponsoring your spouse for immigration, Form I-130A refers to your spouse as the “spouse beneficiary.”

If your spouse is sponsoring you for immigration through Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), you are the “spouse beneficiary.”

Second, if any question on Form I-130A does not apply to you, answer “not applicable,” “N/A,” or “none,” unless otherwise indicated.  

Part 1 – Information About You

Part 1 asks about your name, address, and other biographical information. 

Question 1 asks for your Alien Registration Number. 

Commonly referred to as an “A Number,” this is an eight- or nine-digit number assigned by USCIS.

If you have not received an Alien Registration Number, leave this question blank. 

Question 2 asks for your USCIS Online Account Number. 

You have this number only if you applied or filed any documents on the USCIS website.

If you do not have a USCIS Online Account Number, leave this question blank. 

Questions 4 through 9 asks you about the addresses you have lived at for the past five years. 

Start with your current address and work your way backward for five years. 

The information includes:

• Street name and number;
• Apartment number;
• City or town;
• State or province; 
• Zip or postal code;
• Country; and
• The dates you lived there. 

This can be complicated, especially if you have moved around a lot. 

It is important to provide USCIS with every address, both in the U.S. and abroad.

If you have lived at the same address for the past five years, you do not have to answer Question 6. 

Be sure to answer Questions 8 and 9, which asks about your last address outside the United States. 

Questions 10 through 23 asks about your parents, including:

• Family names (last names);
• Given names (first names);
• Middle names;
• Date of birth;
• Gender;
• Place of birth; and 
• Country of residence. 

If your parents have passed away, you can type or print “deceased” in the “Country of residence” field.

Part 2 – Information About Your Employment in the United States

There is no requirement of employment prior to completing Form I-130A. 

However, the USCIS wants to know what you have been doing – unemployed, self-employed, a student, or some other occupation – for the last five years. 

Start with your last (or current) employer and work your way backward for five years. 

The information asked for includes: 

• Names of employer or company;
• Address of the employer, including:
  • Street name and number;
  • Apartment number;
  • City or town;
  • State or province;
  • Zip or postal code; and
  • Country;
• Occupation; and
• Dates of employment. 

Part 3 – Information About Your Employment Outside the United States

Only complete this section if you have not already provided the information in Part 2 of the form. 

If necessary, you should provide: 

• Names of employer or company;
• Address of the employer, including:
  • Street name and number;
  • Apartment number;
  • City or town;
  • State or province;
  • Zip or postal code; and
  • Country;
• Occupation; and
• Dates of employment. 

Part 4 – Spouse Beneficiary’s Statement, Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

In Part 4, USCIS wants to know if you understand, read, and/or write English, or if someone else assisted you in completing this form. 

In addition, you must also provide a daytime phone number, a cell-phone number (if available), and an email address (if available).  

The spouse beneficiary must also sign and date Form I-130A (unless the spouse beneficiary lives abroad). 

It’s important to understand that by signing the form you are attesting (swearing) that all answers you gave are correct. 

Remember, if any answer is not answered fully and accurately, your immigration application (both I-130 and I-130A) will be delayed and may be denied. 

Part 5 – Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

If an interpreter helped you understand the questions, this person is required to complete the questions in Part 5. 

Included with this information are name, address, contact information, business or organization name, and any certification the interpreter holds. 

The interpreter is also required to sign and date the form. 

Part 6 – Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature of Person Preparing the Form if other than the Spouse Beneficiary

If someone other than you (the immigrant applicant) filled out Form I-130A, USCIS wants to know who this person is.

If you were assisted with completing your Form I-130A, this person is required to provide their name, address, contact information, a statement attesting to any accredited representation. 

The person who assisted you in preparing the form is also required to sign and date the form at this point. 

Part 7 – Additional Information

Use Part 7 if you need additional space in answering questions on this form. 

If you use this space, or if you need to attach additional paper to complete an answer, make sure you type or print your full name and Alien Registration Number on the top of every page to assure these pages remain in your file should they become separated.  

Form I-130A Checklist

In addition to the supporting documents that must be submitted with Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), USCIS requires you to file evidence of your spousal relationship with your I-130A application:

• Copy of your marriage certificate;
• Evidence that you or your spouse terminated any prior marriages (if applicable);
• Documentation showing joint ownership of the property;
• A lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence (meaning you and your spouse live at the same address);
• Documentation showing that you and your spouse have combined your financial resources;
• Birth certificates of children born to you and your spouse together;
• Affidavits are sworn to or affirmed by their parties having personal knowledge of the marital relationship – with each affidavit containing:
  • The full names and address of the person making the affidavit;
  • Date and place of birth of the person making the affidavit; and
  • Complete information and details explaining how the person acquired their knowledge of your marriage; and
• Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union. 

Form I-130A Processing Time

Because Form I-130A is a supplemental form and filed at the same time as Form I-130, the processing time is the same – about 7 to 13 months. 

Form I-130 Processing Time

You can track the status of your I-130 application through the Case Status Tracking Tool on the USCIS website.

Remember: USCIS approval of an I-130 and I-130A application is only the first step in the process.

If your spouse is already in the U S. under a valid visa, he or she must still file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) to apply for permanent residency status and obtain a green card.

If your spouse is currently living abroad, he or she must still file Form DS-260 (Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application) to obtain a visa to immigrate to the United States.

What Happens if You Do Not File Form I-130A?

If you do not file Form I-130A at the same time you file your I-130 application, you will not be able to establish an immediate family relationship with your spouse. 

As a result, your I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) will be denied by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.