Checklists: what to send and what to bring
I-130 Spouse Checklist: Evidence and Documents to SubmitWhat to send with Form I-130 for your spouse, plus Form I-485 if your spouse is in the U.S.: civil documents, photos, Form I-130A and proof of a real marriage.Open checklist K-1 Visa Checklist: I-129F Documents to Embassy InterviewEvery K-1 fiancé(e) visa document in one checklist: what to file with Form I-129F, what to bring to the embassy interview and how to prove your relationship.Open checklist Spouse Visa Checklist (CR-1/IR-1): NVC Documents and InterviewSpouse abroad after I-130 approval? What to send the National Visa Center, the civil documents to collect and what to bring to the embassy interview.Open checklist K-1 to Green Card: I-485 Checklist After the WeddingMarried on a K-1? What to send with Form I-485 for your green card: marriage certificate, K-1 visa, I-94, I-864, medical exam and proof your marriage is real.Open checklist I-864 Affidavit of Support Checklist: Documents for SponsorsWhat a sponsor sends with Form I-864: tax return, W-2s, proof of income and status, plus what a joint sponsor, household members and assets need.Open checklist I-751 Checklist: Documents to Remove Conditions on Your Green CardWhat to send with Form I-751 when you file together: green card copy, joint records since the wedding, sworn statements and photos, plus the interview list.Open checklist N-400 3-Year Rule Checklist: Married to a U.S. CitizenCitizenship after 3 years married to a U.S. citizen: who qualifies, the documents USCIS asks for with Form N-400 and what to bring to your interview.Open checklist Marriage Green Card Interview: What to Bring (Full List)The full list of what couples bring to a marriage green card interview: 128 documents, from IDs and civil records to joint bank, lease, insurance and Costco cards.Open checklist Bona Fide Marriage Evidence ChecklistA simple checklist of the proof USCIS lists for a real (“bona fide”) marriage on Form I-130, and how to organize what you have.Open checklist
DV Lottery 2027
DV Lottery 2027
DV overview Latest updates & answers
Choose a question. Get a quick answer.
01
DV Lottery 2027 Registration Date: Is It Open Today?No. DV-2027 registration is paused: an appeals court put the November 1 opening on hold. What happened, the $1 fee, passport scans and photo rules.Read in 1 minute
02DV-2027 fee: is it really $1?The official fee table lists $1 at entry and $330 per visa applicant if selected. What is confirmed and what payment details remain unknown.Read in 1 minute
03DV-2027 passport scan: what file do I need?The new rule requires a valid passport and a JPEG/JFIF scan of its biographic and signature page, up to 5 MB, with limited exemptions.Read in 1 minute
04DV photo: size, background and common mistakesA quick DV photo checklist: 600 × 600 pixels, JPEG, 240 KB or less, recent photo, plain background and no glasses.Read in 1 minute
05DV-2027: what should I prepare before entering?A one-minute checklist of passport, photos, family details, eligibility and confirmation-number precautions for your DV entry.Read in 1 minute
06DV-2027 or DV-2028: which lottery is this?The year names refer to visa years, not the year you submit an entry. Why the delayed DV-2027 entry period is causing confusion.Read in 1 minute
DV Lottery 2027 Checklist: What to Prepare NowDV-2027 on one page: key dates, what to prepare now, what to do if selected, and tools to fix your entry photo and passport scan.Open DV-2027 full guide: dates, documents and costsDV-2027 registration is paused by an appeals court. Passport and photo rules, entry checklist, interview documents, fees, flights and your green card.Open Resize your DV lottery photoMake a 600 × 600 JPEG of 240 kB or less, lined up with the official head and eye guides.Open Prepare your passport scan for DV LotteryYou need a JPEG/JFIF of the biographic and signature page, 5 MB or less.Open
Marriage green card (I-130 & I-485)
How to Organize I-130 Photo EvidenceA simple way to organize your marriage photos for Form I-130: pick good photos, put them in date order and add a short caption to each one.Read guide How Many Photos for a Marriage Green Card?USCIS sets no number. How to choose photos that show your life together over time, caption them and put them in one PDF.Read guide Bona Fide Marriage Evidence ChecklistA simple checklist of the proof USCIS lists for a real (“bona fide”) marriage on Form I-130, and how to organize what you have.Read guide I-130 Spouse Checklist: Evidence and Documents to SubmitWhat to send with Form I-130 for your spouse, plus Form I-485 if your spouse is in the U.S.: civil documents, photos, Form I-130A and proof of a real marriage.Read guide How to Write a Relationship Timeline for USCISA relationship timeline is optional. Here is a simple one-page format with examples, if you want to add one to your marriage or fiancé(e) case.Read guide Marriage Green Card Interview: What to Bring (Full List)The full list of what couples bring to a marriage green card interview: 128 documents, from IDs and civil records to joint bank, lease, insurance and Costco cards.Read guide Marriage Green Card RFE After the Interview: What Documents to SubmitGot a marriage RFE after your green card interview, or before it? Why it happens, what to send for each request, what to leave out and how to organize it.Read guide I-485 Denied? Your Options After a Green Card DenialYour I-485 was denied. Read the notice, check the deadline, and learn the difference between a motion to reopen, a motion to reconsider and refiling.Read guide What to Wear to a USCIS Green Card InterviewUSCIS has no dress code for green card interviews. What to wear, whether jeans are fine, and what matters more than your outfit.Read guide I-485 Approved: What Happens Before Your Green Card ArrivesYour I-485 is approved. When you become a permanent resident, how the card is produced and mailed, and what to do if it does not arrive.Read guide I-130 Approved but I-485 Pending: What It MeansYour I-130 is approved but the I-485 is still pending. Why that happens, what each form decides, and what to do while you wait.Read guide Can You Travel Outside the U.S. With a Pending I-485?Leaving the U.S. with a pending I-485 can abandon your application. When advance parole is needed and the H-1B and L-1 exception.Read guide Marriage Green Card Interview: How to Organize Updated EvidenceWhat changed since you filed, what to bring, and how to put new joint records and recent photos in a short, dated packet the officer can review quickly.Read guide I-864 Affidavit of Support Checklist: Documents for SponsorsWhat a sponsor sends with Form I-864: tax return, W-2s, proof of income and status, plus what a joint sponsor, household members and assets need.Read guide
Removing conditions (I-751)
I-751 Photo Evidence: What to IncludeHow photos can help your Form I-751 to remove conditions on your green card, and how to choose and caption them.Read guide I-751 Checklist: Documents to Remove Conditions on Your Green CardWhat to send with Form I-751 when you file together: green card copy, joint records since the wedding, sworn statements and photos, plus the interview list.Read guide Two-Year vs. Ten-Year Marriage Green Card ExplainedWhy some spouses get a two-year conditional green card and others a ten-year card, and when to file Form I-751 to remove conditions.Read guide
Fiancé(e) visa (K-1, I-129F)
K-1 Visa Photo Evidence for Form I-129FHow to organize photos from your visits for a K-1 fiancé(e) visa, and why the two-year meeting rule matters.Read guide Relationship Evidence When You Don’t Live TogetherLiving apart? Ideas for showing your relationship to USCIS: visit records, dated photos, messages and support, organized clearly.Read guide K-1 Visa Checklist: I-129F Documents to Embassy InterviewEvery K-1 fiancé(e) visa document in one checklist: what to file with Form I-129F, what to bring to the embassy interview and how to prove your relationship.Read guide K-1 to Green Card: I-485 Checklist After the WeddingMarried on a K-1? What to send with Form I-485 for your green card: marriage certificate, K-1 visa, I-94, I-864, medical exam and proof your marriage is real.Read guide
Citizenship through marriage (N-400)
Spouse abroad (NVC & embassy)
Relationship Evidence for NVC and the Embassy InterviewSpouse outside the U.S.? What happens after I-130 approval, what NVC asks for, and why you should still bring relationship proof to the interview.Read guide Spouse Visa Checklist (CR-1/IR-1): NVC Documents and InterviewSpouse abroad after I-130 approval? What to send the National Visa Center, the civil documents to collect and what to bring to the embassy interview.Read guide
Evidence, captions & translations
How to Caption USCIS Photos: ExamplesHow to write a short caption for each relationship photo: what was happening, the date, the place and who is in it. With examples.Read guide Can You Submit Chat Messages and Call Logs to USCIS?How to add WhatsApp, text or call history to your case: pick a few examples, show names and dates, and translate other languages.Read guide USCIS Certified Translation Requirements ExplainedWhat USCIS needs for documents in other languages: a full English translation with the translator’s signed statement. Simple explanation.Read guide
Online filing & file sizes
USCIS Online Upload File Size LimitUSCIS online filing allows files up to 12 MB each. What that means for your photos and documents, and how to stay under it.Read guide How to Upload Evidence to USCIS Online (Photos & PDFs)Simple steps for uploading photos and documents when you file with USCIS online: file types, the 12 MB limit, file names and where to upload.Read guide USCIS Evidence Index and Exhibit Labels: Examples and ChecklistWhat an evidence index is, how to number and label exhibits, sample indexes for marriage, NIW and EB-1A cases, labeling mistakes and the cover letter.Read guide How to Make a Photo PDF Under 12 MB for USCISWhy photo PDFs get too big for USCIS online upload, and simple ways to make them smaller without losing quality.Read guide USCIS Signature Rules: What Is Accepted Since July 10, 2026Since July 10, 2026, USCIS can deny a case with an invalid signature and keep the fee. What counts as a valid signature on paper and online filings.Read guide How to Organize 100+ Pages of USCIS Evidence Into a Clear PDFTurn a pile of evidence into a clear USCIS PDF: inventory, grouping, exhibit numbers, readable scans, file size limits, duplicates, privacy and a final check.Read guide
EB-2 NIW evidence packet (EB-2 national interest waiver)
EB-2 NIW or EB-1A Denied? Your Next StepsYour EB-2 NIW or EB-1A petition was denied. How to read the decision, appeal or motion deadlines, refiling, and what the denial does and does not affect.Read guide NIW Three Prongs in Plain Language (Dhanasar)What the three Dhanasar prongs of an EB-2 national interest waiver ask, the EB-2 base you must meet first, and how to organize evidence for each prong.Read guide How to Organize an EB-2 NIW Evidence PacketStep by step: group your NIW documents, label exhibits, build an index with exact pages, keep translations together and make one readable PDF.Read guide How to Organize an EB-2 NIW RFE ResponseTurn each NIW RFE concern into an evidence checklist. Label exhibits, add an index and prepare a readable packet for attorney review or submission.Read guide EB-2 NIW Without Publications or a PhD: Evidence You Can UsePublications and a PhD are not NIW requirements. What you still must show, and the project, adoption, patent and leadership evidence that can make the case.Read guide
EB-1A evidence packet (extraordinary ability)
EB-1A Evidence Checklist and Exhibit OrganizationSeparate EB-1A regulatory criteria from final merits. Use an exhibit checklist to organize your I-140 evidence, sources, translations and page references.Read guide How to Organize an EB-1A Evidence PacketSort EB-1A evidence by criterion, file each document once, keep context with every item, map exhibits to criteria and build one readable PDF.Read guide EB-1A RFE Evidence Map: How to Organize Your ResponseHow to answer an EB-1A RFE criterion by criterion: what the regulation lists, the final merits step, cross-referencing exhibits and leaving out filler.Read guide
RFE response (Request for Evidence)
What Is a Request for Evidence (RFE)? What to Do FirstWhat a USCIS Request for Evidence is, how it differs from a NOID, how much time you get, your three response options and the first steps to take.Read guide How to Organize an RFE ResponseStart from your notice: record each request, answer it in your own words, attach labeled exhibits, build an index with exact pages and send it all together.Read guide How to Organize USCIS RFE and NOID EvidenceRead the specific RFE or NOID, record its deadline and map each issue to evidence. Build a response index for attorney review without guessing legal deadlines.Read guide