Petitioning for Family with Form I-130: Who Qualifies and the Costs
A practical guide for Arab families in the U.S. who want to bring relatives over: who qualifies, what it costs, and how long it really takes.
In short: A U.S. citizen can petition for a spouse, children, parents and siblings; a green card holder can petition only for a spouse and unmarried children. Every case starts with Form I-130, which costs $625 online or $675 on paper per relative as of September 2026. After approval, relatives abroad go through the National Visa Center and a consular interview. How long it takes depends on whether your relative is an "immediate relative" (no annual quota) or in a preference category (a line that can run for years).
Who can you petition for?
It depends on your status, not your relative's. Citizens have a much longer list than permanent residents, and some relatives can't be sponsored through this route at all.
You cannot file an I-130 for a grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, cousin or parent-in-law. Many Arab families assume "family" means the whole extended household, so it's worth knowing this before you plan anything.
| Relative | If you are a U.S. citizen | If you are a green card holder |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Immediate relative (no wait for a visa number) | F2A |
| Unmarried child under 21 | Immediate relative | F2A |
| Unmarried son or daughter 21+ | F1 | F2B |
| Married son or daughter | F3 | Not allowed |
| Brother or sister | F4 (you must be 21+) | Not allowed |
| Parent | Immediate relative (you must be 21+) | Not allowed |
A warning for green card holders: if you petition for an unmarried son or daughter and they marry before immigrating, the petition is denied or automatically revoked, because there is no category for married children of permanent residents. Naturalizing first changes that; see our N-400 citizenship guide.
Immediate relative vs. preference category: why it matters
Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of citizens who are at least 21. Their visas are unlimited, so their timeline depends only on processing.
The preference categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4) have annual caps. Each petition gets a "priority date," which is the date USCIS received your I-130, and the visa can't be issued until that date becomes current in the monthly Visa Bulletin.
In F1, F3 and F4 cases, the beneficiary's spouse and unmarried children under 21 come along as derivatives without a separate petition. If you file for your sister, her husband and minor kids are listed on the same I-130.
What does the whole process cost as of September 2026?
The I-130 fee is only the first bill. These are the government fees for a case processed through a U.S. embassy. All of them change over time, so check the USCIS fee schedule and the State Department fee page before you pay.
| Item | Paid to | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130 (per relative) | USCIS | $625 online / $675 paper |
| Immigrant visa application fee (per person) | State Department | $325 |
| Affidavit of Support review (when reviewed domestically) | State Department | $120 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (after visa issuance, before travel) | USCIS | $235 |
Example: a citizen bringing both parents files two separate petitions. Filing online, that's $1,250 for the two I-130s, $650 in visa fees, $470 in immigrant fees, plus the affidavit review. The medical exam with the embassy's panel physician is extra, and the doctor sets that price.
What evidence goes with the I-130?
You're proving two things: that you're a citizen or permanent resident, and that the relationship is real. Any document not in English needs a full English translation with the translator's signed certification of competence and accuracy.
- Your status: a copy of your U.S. passport or naturalization certificate, or both sides of your green card.
- The relationship: the relative's birth certificate showing you as parent, your marriage certificate, or birth certificates showing a shared parent for siblings.
- For a spouse: Form I-130A is required, plus evidence the marriage is genuine and proof that any prior marriage of either spouse ended.
- Name changes: a legal document that explains different names across your records.
Tip for Arab families: Cases often stall over transliteration, such as "Mohamed" on a passport and "Mohammed" on a marriage certificate. Use the passport spelling on the forms and list other spellings under "other names used." Before ordering birth or marriage records from Egypt, Jordan, Iraq or elsewhere, check the civil documents by country page to see which version the embassy accepts and who issues it.
One rule that matters for proxy marriages: if the two of you weren't both physically present at the ceremony, you can't petition based on that marriage unless it was later consummated. The I-130 instructions say this directly.
Affidavit of Support (I-864): is your income enough?
Most family-based immigrants need a financial sponsor who signs Form I-864, a legally enforceable contract with the U.S. government. The petitioner is the sponsor and must be domiciled in the United States.
The minimum is 125% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size, counting the immigrants you're sponsoring. These figures took effect March 1, 2026, for the 48 contiguous states and D.C.; Alaska and Hawaii have higher numbers on the I-864P page.
| Household size (including immigrants) | Minimum annual income (125%) |
|---|---|
| 2 | $27,050 |
| 3 | $34,150 |
| 4 | $41,250 |
| 5 | $48,350 |
If you fall short, a relative in your household can add income on Form I-864A, or a joint sponsor, who doesn't have to be related to the immigrant, can file a separate affidavit. You'll attach an IRS transcript or copy of your most recent federal tax return. If you've been working cash jobs without filing, fix that first; see our U.S. taxes guide.
Know what you're signing: divorce does not end the sponsor's obligation. It lasts until the immigrant becomes a citizen, is credited with 40 quarters of work (usually about 10 years), dies, or gives up permanent residence.
After approval: the National Visa Center and the interview
If your relative is abroad, USCIS sends the approved petition to the State Department's National Visa Center (NVC). If they're already in the U.S. after a lawful entry, they may be able to adjust status with Form I-485 instead.
- Pay fees in the State Department portal: the visa application fee and the affidavit review fee.
- Submit the I-864 and financial documents: tax returns and proof of income.
- Complete the DS-260: one online immigrant visa application per immigrant, including children.
- Upload civil documents: birth and marriage certificates and police certificates as required for the country.
- Wait for the interview: since November 1, 2025, NVC schedules immigrant visa interviews in the applicant's country of residence, or country of nationality on request, with rare exceptions.
- Medical exam, then interview: with the embassy's panel physician before the appointment.
The State Department is also running a pilot that lets consular officers require some applicants to apply for a public charge bond with USCIS. The officer sets the amount case by case, and only applicants who are told to do so need to act.
How long will it take? Reading the Visa Bulletin
Nobody can give you a fixed wait for preference categories; anyone promising a specific number of years is guessing. The official tool is the monthly Visa Bulletin.
Each month has two charts: Final Action Dates and Dates for Filing. Compare your priority date with the date listed for your category and your relative's country of birth; if yours is earlier, the line has reached you. USCIS announces which chart it accepts for adjustment filings each month, and for September 2026 it told family-based applicants to use Dates for Filing. Our Visa Bulletin guide walks through an example.
For immediate relatives, the wait is USCIS processing plus the embassy's interview queue. Track it with our USCIS processing times guide.
Travel ban and visa pauses: who is affected as of September 2026?
This is changing through proclamations and court rulings; check the State Department before you act. Presidential Proclamation 10998, in effect since January 1, 2026, fully suspends visa issuance, including immigrant visas, for nationals of 19 countries, among them Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Libya and Somalia, and for people traveling on Palestinian Authority documents. It partially suspends visas, including all immigrant visas, for nationals of 19 more countries, among them Mauritania.
For families, the key change is that the new proclamation removed the exception that used to protect spouse, child and parent visas. Remaining exceptions include dual nationals applying on a passport from a non-listed country and lawful permanent residents, and a national interest exception can be granted case by case. Nationals of listed countries can still apply and interview but may not be issued a visa.
Separately, the State Department paused immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries on January 21, 2026, including Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Kuwait. According to its page updated August 28, 2026, that pause has not been in effect since August 21, 2026, following a court order. Full details are in our 2026 travel ban guide.
Common mistakes
- One petition for several relatives: each principal beneficiary needs their own I-130 and fee, including each parent.
- Leaving Part 4 blank or checking both boxes: choose either adjustment in the U.S. or consular processing abroad.
- Mixing form editions: every page must come from the same edition, or the filing may be rejected.
- Translations without a translator certification: the translation alone isn't enough.
- Leaving out a prior marriage or divorce: inconsistencies with official records put the whole case in doubt.
- Paying someone who promises to "speed up" an I-130: there is no official paid fast track for family petitions.
What next
If you'd been married less than two years when your spouse became a permanent resident, their green card is conditional for two years, and you'll need to file jointly to remove the conditions on time; read our I-751 guide now. Once your relative arrives, the settling-in work begins: a Social Security number, health coverage and school enrollment, all covered in our first 90 days guide.
Frequently asked questions
Can a green card holder sponsor parents or siblings?
No. Permanent residents can petition only for a spouse and unmarried children. Parents, siblings and married children can be sponsored only by U.S. citizens.
How much is Form I-130 in 2026?
As of September 2026 it's $625 online or $675 on paper per relative, with visa and immigrant fees later in the process. Check the USCIS fee schedule before paying because fees change.
Can I file one I-130 for both of my parents?
No. Each principal beneficiary needs a separate I-130 and fee, even a married couple.
What income do I need to sponsor a relative on Form I-864?
At least 125% of the federal poverty guideline for your household size. Since March 1, 2026, that's $27,050 for a household of two in the 48 contiguous states; a joint sponsor can help if you fall short.
Does the travel ban affect visas for spouses and parents?
Yes for nationals of fully restricted countries such as Yemen, Sudan, Syria, Libya and Somalia, because the proclamation in effect since January 1, 2026 removed the immediate-relative exception. They can apply and interview but may not be issued a visa, and the situation is changing.
Is a proxy marriage accepted for an I-130?
If both spouses weren't physically present at the ceremony, you can't petition based on that marriage unless it was later consummated, according to the form instructions.
Official sources we reviewed
- USCIS: Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative ↗
- USCIS: Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) ↗
- U.S. Department of State: Fees for Visa Services ↗
- USCIS: HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support (I-864P) ↗
- U.S. Department of State: The Visa Bulletin ↗
- U.S. Department of State: Suspension of Visa Issuance (Proclamation 10998) ↗
- U.S. Department of State: Immigrant Visa Processing Updates (75-country pause) ↗
- USCIS: Green Card for Family Preference Immigrants ↗