The First Step to a Family Green Card: The I-130 Petition
If you are a US citizen or lawful permanent resident and want to help a family member get a green card, the process starts with Form I-130, the Petition for Alien Relative. Here is what it does and what to expect.
Reviewed by Gracie Johnson, Certified Specialist in Immigration and Nationality Law, State Bar of California, California State Bar #276536
Last reviewed: July 2, 2026
Form I-130 establishes your qualifying relationship with your family member. It does not, by itself, grant any immigration status or work authorization. It is just the first step that establishes the relationship and opens a place in the visa queue.
US citizens can petition for: spouses (immediate relative, highest priority), unmarried children under 21 (immediate relative), parents (immediate relative, if petitioner is 21+), unmarried adult children (F1 category), married adult children (F3 category), and siblings (F4 category). Permanent residents can petition for spouses (F2A), children under 21 (F2A), and unmarried adult children (F2B).
Immediate relative petitions have no annual numerical cap, so once the I-130 is approved, the family member can proceed to the next step relatively quickly (typically 10 to 18 months total for the green card). Preference categories (F1, F2B, F3, F4) have annual caps and can involve waits of several years, sometimes decades.
Once the I-130 is approved, the next steps depend on whether your family member is inside the US or abroad. If they are inside the US and eligible, they may be able to file Form I-485 to adjust status. If they are abroad, they go through National Visa Center (NVC) processing and then a consular interview.
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Also available in Spanish: El Primer Paso para la Tarjeta Verde Familiar: La Petición I-130