What Is Form I-130A, Supplemental Information for a Spouse?

What Is Form I-130A?

Form I-130A is officially named the Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) uses this form to compile information about you for your application for a marriage-based green card. You will have to share information such as your permanent residence and employment history and details about your parents. 

Who Needs To File Form I-130A?

If you seek a marriage-based green card through your spouse, you need to complete Form I-130A. There are no other family members who need to fill out this form. 

As a citizen or green card holder, if your spouse already lives in the United States and you live abroad, your spouse can complete and mail the form on your behalf. In that case, you won’t need to sign the application. Otherwise, if you live in the United States, you need to sign the form. 

How Do You Complete and File Form I-130A?

First, visit the USCIS website to download Form I-130A. Remember, immigration law requires you and your spouse to answer each question correctly. Keep in mind that if you are the petitioner for a green card throughout the application, the form will refer to you as the “spouse beneficiary.” 

Part 1: Information About You

For question 1, enter your alien registration number or “A-Number,” if you have one. This number is an eight or nine-digit number the USCIS assigns to anyone they have given immigration benefits to or put in removal proceedings. If you don’t have one, leave the question blank. 

For question 2, enter your USCIS online account number. You will have this number if you have ever applied for or filed forms on the USCIS website in the past. If you don’t have one, leave the question blank. 

For questions 4 through 9, enter your physical address history for the last five years. Start with your current address. 

For questions 10 through 23, you will have to share information about your parents, including their family name and date of birth. If their parents have passed away, you can enter “deceased” in the “country of residence” question. 

Part 2 and 3: Information About Your Employment Inside and Outside the United States 

You are not required to have an employment history to submit an adjustment of status to green card successfully. However, USCIS will want to know what you have been doing in the last five years. You should share if you were employed, unemployed, self-employed, a student, or otherwise. 

Part 4: Spouse Beneficiary’s Statement, Contact Information, Certification, and Signature

You will share if you answered the form yourself and provide contact information. If you live in the United States, you need to sign the document. Otherwise, your spouse can submit the form without you signing it. 

Part 5: Interpreter’s Contact Information, Certification, and Signature 

If an interpreter helped you to complete the USCIS form, you should share additional information about them, such as their full name and mailing address. The interpreter will have to sign the form. 

Part 6: Contact Information, Declaration, and Signature of Person Preparing the Form if other than the Spouse Beneficiary

If someone else acted as your form preparer and filled it for you, you will share their information, and they will have to sign it. 

What Supporting Documents Should You Submit With Form I-130A?

In addition to submitting Form I-130A, you will have to include other supporting documents for your green card application to prove your spousal relationship. 

These required documents are those required for your general Form I-130 application. They include: 

• A copy of your marriage certificate 

• Evidence that you and your spouse terminated previous marriages (if applicable) 

• Proof of joint property ownership 

• A lease showing your joint tenancy at a common residence (proof you live at the same address) 

• Proof of combined financial resources 

• Birth certificates of children of you and your spouse 

• Affidavits written by people who can personally confirm your marriage and include:

  • The full name and addresses of the writer

  • The date and place of birth of the writer

  • Details about how the writer knew of your marriage 

• Any other relevant documents to prove your current marriage

How Much Does It Cost To File Form I-130A?

There is no cost to file Form I-130A. However, you will have to pay for the associated Form I-130, which you will file together with Form I-130A and which has a filing fee of $535. You can pay via credit card or check.