Will USCIS reject my I-130?

Establishes a qualifying family relationship between a U.S. citizen or green card holder and a relative who wants to immigrate. USCIS returns rejected packages unprocessed — and the $675 paper filing fee is generally non-refundable. Answer 12 quick yes/no questions about your completed I-130 and see where your rejection risk is.

All 12 checks in the Form I-130 rejection quiz

Every question maps to a documented USCIS filing problem for Form I-130 — pulled from the form's own instructions and USCIS guidance: the current 04/01/24 edition requirement, each signature block, blank-field rules, date format and consistency, the exact filing fee, and the specific problems those instructions name for I-130. Here is the full list; open any one to see what USCIS does about it.

1. Did you confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of every page of your I-130 is 04/01/24 — the current edition on uscis.gov?

   Form edition risk

   The current edition of Form I-130 is 04/01/24. The date is printed at the bottom of every page and every page you file must come from that same edition; USCIS rejects filings made on a superseded edition.

2. Has the petitioner signed and dated Part 6 by hand — not typed, not stamped?

   Signature risk

   Part 6 — Petitioner: Statement, contact info, declaration, and signature. Stamped/typewritten names NOT accepted; unsigned or invalid = REJECTED (8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(A)). As of the 07/10/2026 signature rule, an invalid signature can be DENIED (filing fee kept, no chance to cure), not merely rejected. A typed name, a cursive or script font, or a digital/e-signature image (e.g., DocuSign) is invalid on a paper filing; only a handwritten ink signature, or a scan/photocopy/fax of one, counts. E-signatures are valid only when captured in a USCIS online account during online filing.

3. Is Part 2 (Items 1-2) — Petitioner A-Number — fully completed?

   Blank / incomplete fields risk

   Form I-130, Part 2, Items 1-2: Petitioner A-Number (LPRs; citizens may have none) and USCIS Online Account Number if any.

4. Do the dates on your form match your supporting documents exactly — especially marriage date and prior-marriages end dates and beneficiary date of birth?

   Date & consistency risk

   The date fields that most often cause problems on I-130: Marriage date and prior-marriages end dates — Must match certificates and the beneficiary’s I-130A/I-485. A prior marriage (of either spouse) whose end date falls AFTER the current marriage date is contradictory — both parties must have been legally free to marry when the current marriage began. Beneficiary date of birth — Must match passport/birth certificate exactly. Petitioner address history ranges (Part 2) — Consecutive addresses must run back-to-back through the required look-back period; a gap between one address's end date and the next one's start date (or an overlap) is a common RFE trigger — flag it HISTORY_GAP.

5. Have you confirmed your exact I-130 filing fee ($625 online / $675 paper for the general category) against the current USCIS G-1055 schedule for YOUR filing category?

   Filing fee risk

   I-130 costs $625 online / $675 paper — General filing. Taken from USCIS Form G-1055, fee-schedule edition 10/07/26. The wrong amount gets the package returned, and filing fees are generally non-refundable.

6. Have you ruled out this known I-130 filing problem: “Spouse petition filed without the required Form I-130A supplement”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-130 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

7. Have you ruled out this known I-130 filing problem: “Relationship in a barred category — e.g., an LPR petitioning for a married son/daughter or for a sibling (no such category exists for LPRs); a stepchild/stepparent whose qualifying marriage occurred after the child turned 18; or an adopted child where the adoption occurred after age 16”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-130 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

8. Have you ruled out this known I-130 filing problem: “Names, DOBs, or A-Numbers inconsistent between the petition, I-130A, and supporting documents”?

   Missing evidence risk

   Named in the Form I-130 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

9. If you used an interpreter, did they complete, sign, and date Part 7? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

   Signature risk

   Part 7 — Interpreter (if used): Interpreter completes, signs, and dates. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

10. If someone else prepared your form, did they complete, sign, and date Part 8? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

    Signature risk

    Part 8 — Preparer (if other than petitioner): Preparer signs; same person as interpreter completes both Part 7 and Part 8. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

11. Have you answered every question on the form, writing "N/A" or "None" instead of leaving any required field blank?

    Blank / incomplete fields risk

    Leaving a required field blank instead of writing "N/A" or "None" is one of the most common reasons USCIS returns a package unprocessed.

12. Is every date on your I-130 written in mm/dd/yyyy. If an exact date is unknown, an APPROXIMATE date in the same format is allowed — but you must explain it in Part 9 Additional Information. format?

    Date & consistency risk

    USCIS expects dates on Form I-130 in mm/dd/yyyy. If an exact date is unknown, an APPROXIMATE date in the same format is allowed — but you must explain it in Part 9 Additional Information. format. A day-first date (common outside the U.S.) reads as a different date to an intake officer.

Your answers stay in your browser. The result names the risk areas flagged by your answers — to see the specific problems on your actual form, upload it to FormGuard: the issue count is free, and $39 unlocks the full line-by-line report on your completed I-130. (A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.)

Form I-130 rejection — frequently asked questions

Will USCIS reject my I-130 for a missing signature?

Yes — and it can be worse than a rejection. An unsigned I-130, or one signed with a typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output such as DocuSign, is not validly signed; only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts on a paper filing, and an electronic signature counts only when captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. Under the DHS signature rule effective 07/10/2026, an invalid signature on a paper filing can be denied outright: USCIS keeps the filing fee and there is no opportunity to cure. I-130 has 5 signature blocks to verify before you file.

Will USCIS reject my I-130 if I use an old edition?

Yes. USCIS accepts only the current edition of I-130 — dated 04/01/24, printed at the bottom of every page — and rejects superseded editions. Download a fresh copy from uscis.gov right before you file.

Does USCIS refund the filing fee if my I-130 is rejected?

Generally no. USCIS returns the package unprocessed and keeps no place in line, and the $675 paper filing fee is generally non-refundable — you fix the error, pay again, and lose weeks or months. That is why checking before you file matters.

How accurate is this I-130 rejection quiz?

The quiz flags which RISK AREAS need attention based on your own answers about the most common USCIS filing problems for I-130 — it cannot see your actual form. For a line-by-line review of your completed I-130 against these requirements, upload it to FormGuard: it reads the form itself and shows you the issue count free, and $39 unlocks the full report. A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.

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