Marriage-Based Green Card Checklist
A marriage-based green card checklist falls into three groups: the federal forms that open your case, the personal and civil records that prove who you are, and the evidence that shows your marriage is real. Getting all three right is what keeps a marriage-based green card case moving without costly delays.
Which Federal Forms Open Your Green Card Case?
Your case opens with a stack of federal forms, and each one has a job to do, from establishing the relationship to clearing the medical and financial requirements. A complete marriage-based filing usually includes these core forms:
- Form I-130: Petition for Alien Relative
- Form I-130A: Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary
- Form I-485: Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
- Form I-864: Affidavit of Support
- Form I-693: Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Record
- Form I-765: Application for Employment Authorization
- Form I-131: Application for Travel Document
Form I-693 must be completed by a civil surgeon authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and submitted in its sealed envelope, since a broken seal voids the exam.
The Form I-864 affidavit also has to show the sponsor earns at least 125% of the federal poverty guideline, an income floor set under the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 USC 1183a).
What Personal and Civil Records Will You Need?
Beyond the forms, you will pull together the records that prove identity, status, and personal history for both spouses, and gaps here cause as many delays as the forms themselves do. Plan to gather the following before you file:
- Passport photos: two for the sponsor and six for the foreign spouse.
- Proof of sponsor status: a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or green card.
- Beneficiary birth certificate: the long-form version that lists both parents.
- Foreign passport: a copy of every page, including visas and stamps.
- Entry records: Form I-94 and the visa used to enter the country.
- Prior marriages: divorce decrees or death certificates ending any earlier marriage.
- Police clearances: needed if there is a criminal record or consular processing abroad.
How Do You Prove Your Marriage Is Genuine?
USCIS weighs how convincingly you share a life together, so both the amount and the variety of your proof matter more than any single standout document. Gather as many of these as you reasonably can before the interview:
- Financial commingling: Joint bank accounts, credit cards, and utility bills
- Shared housing: A joint lease, mortgage statement, or property deed
- Matching addresses: Driver’s licenses or state IDs listing the same home
- Joint protection: Shared auto, health, or life insurance and vehicle registrations
- A photo timeline: 10 to 20 captioned pictures spanning your relationship
- Third-party letters: Sworn statements from people who know you as a couple
How Our Immigration Attorneys Can Strengthen Your Case
Even one missing form or a misdated document can trigger a Request for Evidence and add months to your wait. Our Michigan immigration attorneys at Just Right Law put your full packet together, double-check every requirement, and prepare you for the interview.
Call us at (248) 519-2313 for a free consultation, or contact our team online to work through your checklist with help on your side.