The Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) is part of U.S. immigration law. Filing this application with the United States government shows proof of family validity when sponsoring a person or persons entering to live in New Jersey or anywhere else in the country.
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (CIS Ombudsman) provides tips for avoiding processing delays regarding family visa applications. Delays with these visas can hinder employment and adversely affect residency in the U.S., as well as other issues.
Some questions might have multiple choices, and it’s vital to choose only the correct and truthful option. Understanding how to fill out applications correctly can help eliminate these cumbersome problems and make for a smoother approval process.
Understanding I-130 Form instructions
The approval process for the I-130 Form is contingent on where you are when you apply. If you’re inside the U.S., when you file the I-130, the option is different than when you’re outside of the United States. The I-130 Form allows you to choose both, resulting in further delay and more significant expense.
Time and money are the consequences of choosing both options on the I-130 Form. If you select “adjustment of status,” your application would forward to the National Record Center (NRC) to await further processing.
The immigration law states that if you’re outside the United States and select both options, your I-130 Form will be held up while waiting to be rerouted to the NRC. You will then need to file additional forms and pay hundreds more dollars in fees.
What to do if you’ve already submitted your I-130 with both options selected
The CIS Ombudsman CIS Ombudsman has tools to help you get the application corrected and back on track. Reading the I-130 Form instructions carefully and truthfully answering each question will save stress and delays.