Family Based Immigration Forms

People who seek to obtain immigration benefits will have to file certain immigration forms with the USCIS. There are a number of USCIS forms and each form is different and you will have to file the form that suits your need.

Permanent residents are the foreign nationals who are granted the privilege to live permanently in the United States. If you look forward to obtaining that status based on the fact that your family member is a U.S. citizen, your relative who is a U.S. citizen must file a few family-based immigration forms for you and establish that he has enough funds to support you financially, once you get into the United States. Hence, if you are a foreign national who seeks to immigrate based on sponsorship, you must know about the family-based immigration forms.

Generally, a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident who seeks to sponsor his/her family member will have to file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, for the particular family member who he/she wishes to sponsor. This form must be completed, signed, and filed by the sponsor for the beneficiary who is within the United States or abroad. The other common family-based immigration form is Form I-485 and this form must be filed by the family member of the sponsoring US citizen who is in the United States, to adjust his or her status to lawful status in America.

Moreover, the sponsor must provide additional information about the beneficiary, that would help the FBI to conduct background checks, and Form G-325A, Biographic Information, must be filed for that purpose. As the sponsors must support the beneficiaries financially, they must sign an affidavit and file Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, to prove that they would not allow the beneficiaries to become public charges. This is mandatory as the United States will not grant immigrant visas to foreign nationals who are likely to become public charges.

Likewise, family members of U.S. citizens who have applied for adjustment of status can work in the United States while Form I-485 is pending, and to work in the country, they must file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization while filing Form I-485 for adjustment of status and obtain work permits.

Beneficiaries who seek to obtain United States Green Cards through the adjustment of status process must undergo medical examinations and the approved doctors who conduct the medical examinations must complete Form I-693, Medical Examination of Aliens Seeking Adjustment of Status.

Following is a list of all the family-based immigration forms.

Form G-325A, Biographic Information

Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)

Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative

Form I-131, Application for Travel Document

Form I-134, Affidavit of Support

Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant

Form I-361, Affidavit of Financial Support and Intent to Petition for Legal Custody for Public Law 97-Form 359 Amerasian

Form I-363, Request to Enforce Affidavit of Financial Support and Intent to Petition for Legal Custody for P.L. 97-359 Amerasian

Form I-508, Waiver of Rights, Privileges, Exemptions, and Immunities (Under Section 247(b) of the INA)

Form I-566, Interagency Record of Request — A, G or NATO Dependent Employment Authorization or Change/Adjustment to/from A, G or NATO Status

Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative

Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition

Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record

Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization

Form I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative

Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country

Form I-817, Application for Family Unity Benefits

Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the Act

Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member

Form I-864EZ, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the Act

Form I-864P, Poverty Guidelines

Form I-864W, Intending Immigrant’s Affidavit of Support Exemption

Form I-865, Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address