Form I-130A - How To Fill Out - Complete Guide (2024)

Last updated: April 1, 2024.

By Asel Williams, Esq. · Columbia Law School · Licensed immigration attorney

Form I-130A must be filed if you are sponsoring your spouse for marriage-based green card.

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).

In Form I-130 applications, the U.S. citizen or permanent resident who is sponsoring a foreign relative is called “Petitioner“.

The family member being sponsored is called “Beneficiary“.

Form I-130A – Who Needs to File It?

Form I-130A is to be completed by the sponsored spouse (“beneficiary”).

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

There is an exception if your spouse lives abroad.

Under these circ*mstances, your spouse is not required to sign the Form I-130A and you can submit an unsigned Form I-130A to USCIS.

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

Other than an I-130 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 depends on your category:

How To Complete Form I-130A

Make sure to use the most recent edition of Form I-130A which can be found and downloaded on the USCIS website.

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.

This blog post will 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 U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse is sponsoring you for immigration through Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative), then 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 have created an online USCIS account.

If the beneficiary has previously filed certain applications or petitions on a paper form, they may have received a USCIS Online Account Access Notice issuing a USCIS Online Account Number.

The USCIS Online Account Number (if any) can be found at the top of the notices for the previously filed petition or application.

The USCIS Online Account Number is NOT the same as an A-Number.

If you don’t know or don’t have an USCIS online account number, leave this field 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.

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

The dates you resided at different addresses must be entered in the mm/dd/yyyy format.

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

In this part, USCIS wants to know your employment history abroad (and in the U.S., if you ever worked in the U.S.) – 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 applicationwill 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, you will need to provide the preparer’s information.

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

The preparer 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 (if any).

Form I-130A Checklist

Form I-130A does not require submission of any documents.

However, the following documents must be submitted with your I-130 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.

The processing times provided below are approximate.

To check the most recent USCIS case processing times, visit https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/, choose Form I-130 and your service center.

Service center can be found in the left lower corner of Form I-130 receipt notice.

Keep in mind that processing times provided on the USCIS website do not necessarily reflect the actual time it takes your application to be reviewed.

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 application is only the first step in the process.

After Form I-130 is approved, beneficiaries can move to the next step.

If your spouse is already in the US after entering the country on a valid visa, he or she can file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status) to apply for permanent residency status and obtain a green card.

Some spouses physically present in the US can concurrently file Forms I-130 and I-485 (without waiting for the Form I-130 to be approved).

Learn if the spouse can submit Form I-485 in the US before Form I-130 is approved:

How to Read the Visa Bulletin for Family-Based Immigrants

If your spouse is currently living abroad, he or she must 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, USCIS will issue an RFE (Request for Evidence) and you will need to submit Form I-130A by the deadline provided in the notice.

Your failure to timely file Form I-130A can significantly delay the process and even lead to denial of your Form I-130 petition.

In order to avoid any delays, prepare and submit Form I-130A at the same time as Form I-130 is filed with USCIS.

Related Links:

Form I-130A Instructions

Form I-130 Instructions

Form I-130 checklist

How to prove bona fide marriage