Documents to sponsor your spouse for a green card: the complete list
Most delays and requests for evidence (RFEs) come from documents that are missing or unclear. This is the list usually requested when a U.S. citizen sponsors a spouse. Every document not in English goes with a full translation and a translator's certification.
For the petition (I-130 and I-130A)
Proof that you are a citizen: a copy of your valid U.S. passport (all pages with information), your U.S. birth certificate or your naturalization certificate.
Marriage certificate issued by the civil authority.
Proof that prior marriages ended, yours and your spouse's: divorce decrees, death certificates or annulments.
Passport-style photos (2x2 inches, recent) of you and your spouse.
If either of you changed your name, the legal document of the change.
Proof that the marriage is real
USCIS wants to see that you married to build a life together. Examples that work:
A lease or deed in both names.
Shared bank accounts, cards or insurance.
Tax returns filed as married.
Birth certificates of children in common.
Photos together at different times, with family and friends, with the date and who appears.
Tickets, messages and calls if you have lived in different countries.
Affidavits from people who know the relationship.
There is no need to send hundreds of photos. A clear, varied selection says more than a full album.
If your spouse adjusts status (I-485)
Your spouse's birth certificate.
Passport and the visa page.
I-94 entry record, downloadable at i94.cbp.dhs.gov.
I-693 medical exam in a sealed envelope, done by a civil surgeon.
Passport-style photos (2x2 inches) for the I-485 and, if they request a work permit, for the I-765.
If they had arrests, the court records.
For the affidavit of support (I-864)
Your federal tax return for the most recent year, or the IRS transcript, with W-2s or 1099s.
Proof of current employment: employer letters or recent pay stubs.
If you use a joint sponsor, the same documents for that person and proof that they are a citizen or permanent resident.
How to put the package together
Before sending anything, build a list with each document and the form it belongs to, and check that names and dates match across all of them: a last name spelled differently on the marriage certificate and on the passport is one of the most common causes of requests for evidence. If a document does not exist or cannot be obtained, that is explained in writing and replaced with secondary evidence, not silently left out.
Informational content only. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship; each case depends on its own facts.
Responsible for this content: Camila Giraldo Bolívar, attorney admitted in New York and Colombia. GB Partners, Calle 5 A # 39-93, oficina 702, Medellín, Colombia. Phone and WhatsApp +57 305 234 6543. www.gbpartnersllc.com
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