For U.S. citizens aged 21 or older petitioning for a brother or sister
Green card for siblings: sponsor your brother or sister
A green card for siblings starts with Form I-130, and yes, a US citizen aged 21 or older can sponsor a sibling. We fill the petition from your answers, build the list of proof that you share a parent, and show you the report before you pay.
No account, no card. Money-back guarantee.
- Up to 23 pre-filing checks
- Document list from your answers
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $149All-inclusive price
- Up to 23Pre-filing checks
- AutomaticI-130A for spouses
- 100%Money-back guarantee
WHO CAN PETITION
Only a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older can petition for a brother or sister. A green card holder cannot. If you are one, you can petition once you naturalize.
Which sibling is yours
How you are related decides the proof
The petition is the same form. What changes is the evidence that you share a parent.
- 01
A brother or sister with the same parents
You send your birth certificate and your sibling’s, both showing at least one common parent. Your sibling’s spouse and unmarried children under 21 are listed on the same I-130.
THE CLEAREST CASECheck eligibility - 02
A half-brother or half-sister
One common parent is enough. If the shared parent is your father, you also send marriage certificates for each mother and proof that earlier marriages ended.
ONE COMMON PARENTCheck eligibility - 03
A stepsibling or adopted sibling
These add documents: the stepparent’s marriage certificate, or the adoption decree. The instructions set age limits on when the marriage or adoption happened, and our document list names the certificate or decree you need.
MORE PROOFCheck eligibility - 04
You are a green card holder
A green card holder cannot petition for a brother or sister. Naturalizing first makes you a U.S. citizen, and then the petition is open to you.
NOT YETSee the citizenship application
What you get
A sibling petition that proves the bond and lists the right family
You answer the questions. We produce the form, the checks and one document list.
- THE POINT OF IT
The proof of a shared parent, listed for you
Full siblings, half-siblings, stepsiblings and adopted siblings each need different documents. Your answers pick the list.
Your sibling’s family listed on one petition
A spouse and unmarried children under 21 are derivatives on the same I-130, so you do not file a separate petition for them.
Checks before USCIS sees it
We check your age, your citizenship and the sibling relationship, and flag common reasons a petition is returned.
The wait, explained
We point you to the live visa bulletin for your sibling’s country instead of quoting years that would be out of date.
How it works
Petition for your sibling in four steps
It takes more than one sitting. Your answers save as you go.
Check that you qualify
Confirm that you are a U.S. citizen aged 21 or older. It is free and needs no account.
Answer about you and your sibling
Your citizenship, your parents, how you are related, and your sibling’s spouse and children, if any.
Read your report
Every check on the petition: what passed, what needs attention and how to fix it. You have not paid yet.
Gather the documents and file
Both birth certificates come first. Then file the I-130 with USCIS. After approval, the case waits for your sibling’s priority date.
Pre-filing audit
See every check before you file
Every I-130 runs through up to 23 checks, including the two on Form I-130A when you are petitioning for a spouse. You see the full report before you pay.
Eligibility and petitioner
- Petitioner status, citizen or green card holder
- Petitioner age threshold
- Citizenship basis and proof
- Qualifying relationship category
- Spouse marital status consistency
- Beneficiary marital status consistency
- Green card holder petition limits
Relationship and marriage
- Prior marriages legally ended
- Evidence the marriage is real
- Marriage timing and conditional residence
- Stepchild marriage timing
- Beneficiary age and age-out risk
- Birth dates against the relationship
Beneficiary status
- Location against adjustment of status
- Removal or deportation proceedings
Names, history and the I-130A
- Petitioner name consistency
- Beneficiary name consistency
- Prior petition history
- Petitioner five-year address history
- Beneficiary five-year address history on I-130A
- Beneficiary five-year employment history on I-130A
Form integrity
- Required fields complete
- Field content validation
Compare your options
Three ways to file your I-130
What you get, what it costs, and where each option leaves you.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $149 | $1,500–$3,500 |
| The form itself | YesThe blank USCIS form, free to download | YesYour I-130, filled in from your answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Form I-130A for spouses | NoA second form you fill separately | YesGenerated from the same answers | YesFilled in for you |
| Error checking | NoNone. You find out from the rejection notice | YesUp to 23 checks, shown before you pay | YesA person reads it |
| Marriage evidence | NoGeneric checklists you find online | YesBuilt from your answers | YesTailored to you |
| What it costs you upfront | YesNothing | Yes$149, and only after you see the report | NoA retainer before anything starts |
| How long it takes you | NoDays of reading instructions | YesUsually one sitting | NoWeeks of back and forth |
Your complete I-130 packet
The petition, Form I-130A where it applies, the pre-filing report, your document list, and filing instructions.
$149One price for this application. The USCIS filing fee is separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Common questions
Green card for siblings questions, answered
What citizens ask before they petition for a brother or sister.
Yes. A U.S. citizen aged 21 or older can file Form I-130 for a brother or sister. Siblings fall in the fourth family preference category, called F4, which has a numbered visa line.
No. A green card holder can petition for a spouse and for unmarried children only. Once you become a U.S. citizen and are 21 or older, you can file for your brother or sister. See the citizenship application
We do not quote a number, because it changes. After the I-130 is approved, your sibling waits for the F4 priority date to become current in the Department of State Visa Bulletin. USCIS posts current times for the I-130 itself on its Check Case Processing Times page. See how the visa bulletin works
Each country has a yearly cap on family and employment visas. Where demand is higher, the line moves more slowly, so the Visa Bulletin lists separate F4 dates for countries such as Mexico, the Philippines, India and China, and one for everyone else. Look up the visa bulletin
Your birth certificate and your sibling’s birth certificate, showing at least one common parent. If you share a father but have different mothers, add the marriage certificates for each mother and proof that any earlier marriages ended. Stepsiblings and adopted siblings need more, so we build the list from your answers. See the I-130 documents checklist
Yes. His spouse and unmarried children under 21 are derivative beneficiaries. You list them on your sibling’s I-130 and do not file separate petitions for them. They can apply for an immigrant visa along with him.
A half-sibling qualifies if you share at least one parent. A stepsibling relationship depends on the stepparent’s marriage, which the instructions require to have happened before the child turned 18. An adopted sibling needs an adoption decree showing the adoption took place before age 16 (before 18 for the natural sibling of a child the same parents adopted under 16), plus proof of 2 years of legal custody and residence with the adoptive parents. Our document list names what to include.
Usually not for a long wait. Most sibling cases finish at a U.S. consulate after the case moves to the National Visa Center. A sibling who is in the United States can generally apply for a green card inside the country only once the priority date is current and a lawful basis allows it. Status questions belong with an immigration attorney. See the I-130 on its own
Immiva's fee for the I-130 package is $149, paid once, after you have seen the report. USCIS fees are separate and go to the government. Our cost calculator shows the current USCIS fee for each form. Use the green card cost calculator
I-130 guides
Read this before you file
Relationships, evidence, waiting times, and what happens after approval.
- I-130 Petition for Alien Relative: 2026 Complete GuideWho can file, who you can sponsor, evidence, fees, and timing. Written in plain English.Complete Guide
- I-130 for Spouse: Bona-Fide Marriage Evidence ExplainedWhat USCIS officers look for, ranked by evidence strength, and how to handle short-marriage scrutiny.Spouse
- I-130 Documents Checklist 2026Every supporting document USCIS expects, organized by relationship type and petitioner status.Evidence
- I-130 Processing Time 2026 by RelationshipRealistic timelines for each petition type, from immediate relatives to F4 siblings.Processing
- I-130 RFE Response: How to Reply Without Re-FilingWhat a Request for Evidence means, how to respond, and how to avoid one in the first place.RFE
- I-130 Approved? Here’s What Happens NextConsular processing, adjustment of status, and the path from approved petition to green card.Next Step
- I-130A Supplement: How to Complete the Spouse Beneficiary FormLine-by-line help for the I-130A that USCIS requires with every spousal petition.I-130A
- I-130 Priority Dates & the Visa Bulletin ExplainedHow priority dates work, how to read the visa bulletin, and when your category becomes current.Visa Bulletin
Related pages
Other routes to a family green card
Your family may fit a different petition.