What Documents Do We Need for a Marriage Green Card?

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Family Sponsorship Form (I-130)

To complete the family sponsorship form, or Form I-130 (officially called the “Petition for Alien Relative”), you must provide the following documents.

I-130 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents	Who Needs It?
Proof of U.S. citizenship	U.S. birth certificate Valid U.S. passport Naturalization Certificate Certificate of Citizenship Consular Report of Birth Abroad	Sponsoring spouse who is a U.S. citizen
Proof of green card holder (permanent resident) status	Green card Passport issued in another country and bearing stamp of temporary permanent residence in the United States	Sponsoring spouse who is a green card holder (permanent resident)
Proof of valid marriage	Marriage certificate Also provide as many of the following as possible: Joint lease Joint bank account statements Photos of the couple together	Both spouses
Proof of termination of prior marriage(s), if any	Divorce papers Death certificate of former spouse Certificate of annulment	Both spouses
Proof of official name change, if any	Marriage certificate (usually sufficient) Court order of name change Adoption papers	Both spouses

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Green Card Application Form (I-485)

To complete the green card application form, or Form I-485 (officially called the “Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status”), the spouse seeking a green card from within the United States must provide the following documents.

I-485 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents
Proof of nationality	Birth certificate issued in another country Passport issued in another country
Proof of lawful U.S. entry and status	Both of the following are required: U.S. visa I-94 travel record
Records of previous interactions with law enforcement, if any	Court, police, or prison records
Records of previous immigration violations, if any	Deportation document

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Online Green Card Application Form (DS-260)

To complete the online green card application, or Form DS-260 (officially called the “Immigrant Visa Electronic Application”), the spouse seeking a green card from abroad must provide the following documents.

DS-260 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents
Proof of nationality	Birth certificate issued in another country Passport issued in another country
Proof of valid marriage	Marriage certificate
Proof of termination of prior marriage(s), if any	Divorce papers Death certificate of former spouse Certificate of annulment
Records of military service, if applicable	DD-214 (if you served in the U.S. military) Other U.S. military service records Military service records from a country other than the United States
Records of previous interactions with law enforcement, if any, or lack thereof	Police clearance certificate
Records of previous immigration violations, if any	Deportation document

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Financial Support Form (I-864)

To complete the financial support form, or Form I-864 (officially called the “Affidavit of Support”), the sponsoring spouse (and any co-sponsors) must provide the following documents.

I-864 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents	Who Needs It?
Proof of ability to financially support the spouse seeking a green card	Copy of your most recent U.S. Federal income tax return In addition, these documents may strengthen your application: Copies of your U.S. Federal income tax returns from the past 3 years Pay stubs from the past 6 months Letter from your employer to show proof of employment	Sponsoring spouse and financial co-sponsor (if any)
Proof of asset value (if you’re counting your assets to meet the income requirements for a marriage-based green card)	If using bank/investment accounts: Ownership document of stocks, bonds, Certificates of Deposit (CDs), or other investment account Bank statements If using your home: Ownership document (such as title or deed) A recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser or a recent tax assessment A document showing the amount of every loan secured by a mortgage, trust deed, or other lien on the home If using your second vehicle: Ownership document (such as title or deed) for all vehicles, including the one you’re including as an asset A recent appraisal by a licensed appraiser or a statement from the dealer indicating the vehicle’s current value Sponsoring spouse, financial co-sponsor (if any), and spouse seeking a green card	Sponsoring spouse, financial co-sponsor (if any), and spouse seeking a green card

Not sure if you meet the income requirements for a marriage green card? With Boundless, you get an experienced, independent attorney to answer your questions and review your application materials, including the Affidavit of Support. Learn more today!

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Work Permit Application Form (I-765)

To complete the work permit application, or Form I-765 (officially called the “Application for Employment Authorization Document,” or EAD), the spouse seeking a green card from within the United States must provide the following documents.

I-765 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents	Who Needs It?
Proof of lawful U.S. entry and status	I-94 travel record Valid U.S. visa Passport issued in another country	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States
Proof of pending marriage-based green card application	Receipt notice (Form I-797C, or “Notice of Action”)	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States and married to a green card holder (Spouses of U.S. citizens typically file their work permit and green card applications at the same time.)
Proof of previous authorization to work in the United States	Prior work permit(s), if any	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States who has been issued a previous work permit
Proof of nationality	Birth certificate and photo ID Visa issued by the consulate of a country other than the United States Other national identity document with your photo and/or fingerprint	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States who has not been issued a previous work permit
Proof of identity	Two 2-inch-by-2-inch passport-style photos*	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States

*If you are submitting (or have already submitted) a set of two passport-style photos for your green card application and an additional set for your travel permit application, you do not need to submit a third set for your work permit application. You will need to provide only two total sets. If, however, you’re married to a green card holder or if you’re married to a U.S. citizen and file your work permit application after submitting your green card application (which would be unusual), then you will need to provide a new set with your work permit application.

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Travel Permit Application Form (I-131)

To complete the travel permit application, or Form I-131 (officially called the “Application for Travel Document”), the spouse seeking a green card from within the United States must provide the following documents.

I-131 Checklist

Document Type	Examples of Acceptable Documents	Who Needs It?
Proof of identity (must show your name, date of birth, and photo)	Green card Passport (photo page only) Current work permit, if available Valid government-issued driver’s license	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States and married to a green card holder (Spouses of U.S. citizens typically file their work permit and green card applications at the same time.)
Proof of present immigration status	Valid U.S. visa Any other document issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing your present status, if any, in the United States (such as Form I-797, or “Notice of Action”)	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States
Proof of pending marriage-based green card application	Receipt notice (Form I-797C, or “Notice of Action”)	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States and married to a green card holder (Spouses of U.S. citizens typically file their work permit and green card applications at the same time.)
Additional proof of identity	Two 2-inch-by-2-inch passport-style photos*	Spouse seeking a green card from within the United States

*If you are submitting (or have already submitted) a set of two passport-style photos for your green card application and an additional set for your travel permit application, you do not need to submit a third set for your work permit application. You will need to provide only two total sets. If, however, you’re married to a green card holder or if you’re married to a U.S. citizen and file your work permit application after submitting your green card application (which would be unusual), then you will need to provide a new set with your work permit application.

Boundless offers unlimited support from our team of immigration experts, so you can apply with confidence and focus on what’s important, your life in the U.S. Learn more.

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Special Considerations

Unavailable documents

If you have trouble locating certain documents, you may be able to obtain official copies. If you cannot access copies, you will need to provide notarized statements from yourself and one or two other people. Boundless has a guide on providing secondary evidence when primary evidence (the documents listed above) is not available.

Documents in a foreign language

If some of your documents are written in a language other than English, you will need to obtain certified English translations and attach these to your documents.

Here’s a checklist of hard-to-find marriage green card documents:

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