Family Petition in San Jose — Form I-130 Prepared With You
Sponsoring a spouse, parent, child or sibling for a green card. We prepare Form I-130 — and Form I-130A where a spouse is the beneficiary — in person at our San Jose office, and organize the evidence that goes with it. $1,000 preparation, plus the USCIS fee. English, Español, Tiếng Việt.
✓ Evidence organized, not just forms typed
✓ Walk in Mon–Fri, 9 AM–6 PM
✓ Free parking on site
The form is the easy part. The evidence decides your case.
Almost nobody’s petition is delayed because they filled a box in wrong. Petitions are delayed because the evidence was thin, and USCIS sent a Request for Evidence that cost months.
For a marriage case in particular, a marriage certificate proves you are legally married. It does not prove the marriage is real, which is the thing an officer is actually assessing. A strong package usually runs to fifteen or twenty documents across several categories — financial, housing, photographs from different periods, travel, and statements from people who know you both.
That assembly is what you are paying us for. Not the typing.
What to know before you start
1. Who you may petition depends on your own status
U.S. citizens may petition a spouse, parent, child or sibling. Green card holders may petition only a spouse or an unmarried child — not a parent, not a sibling. There is a second consequence that catches people out: a green card holder’s spouse falls into a preference category with annual limits and a visa-number wait, while a citizen’s spouse is an immediate relative with no such wait. If you are a permanent resident who is eligible to naturalize, doing that first can remove years from your spouse’s case.
2. Form I-130A is not optional for spouse cases
Leaving it out is one of the most common filing mistakes. It collects the foreign spouse’s five-year address and employment history, and the single biggest source of Requests for Evidence on it is unexplained gaps in that timeline. Every month has to be accounted for. Where a question does not apply, write “none” or “N/A” rather than leaving it blank — blank fields create doubt.
3. Four mistakes that get petitions rejected outright
An outdated form edition, a missing signature (in black ink, on paper filings), photocopies where a certified copy was required, and a thin evidence package. The first three get your petition returned unopened; the fourth invites an RFE. All four are avoidable, and all four are what we check before anything is sent.
4. Explain the awkward facts rather than hiding them
A previous petition filed for a different spouse, a large age difference, a short courtship, a language barrier between you — none of these decide a case on their own. What damages credibility is leaving them unexplained, because USCIS cross-checks your petition against prior filings, visa applications and travel history. Transparency, supported by consistent documents, is stronger than omission.
5. Names must match across every document
Spelling differences, transliterations from another alphabet, and pre-marriage names are all routine causes of RFEs. Each discrepancy needs an explanation and a supporting record — a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order. Foreign-language documents need a full certified English translation, which we do in-house.
What it costs
Our preparation rate and the government filing fee are separate. You hear both before you commit, and the USCIS fee is paid to the government rather than to us.
How long you should expect to wait
Nobody can promise you a date, and anyone who does is guessing. What we can tell you is roughly where cases sit. Standalone I-130 petitions have recently been averaging well over a year. Spouses of U.S. citizens, as immediate relatives, tend to move faster than spouses of green card holders, who also wait for a visa number under the monthly Visa Bulletin on top of processing time.
Siblings wait longest of any category, often by years, which is why filing early matters more there than anywhere else.
These figures move. We look up the current USCIS processing time for your specific category and service centre with you at the visit rather than quoting a number that may already be out of date.
Questions people actually ask
If something has gone wrong
USCIS sent a Request for Evidence and I do not understand it.
Bring the notice and a full copy of what was filed. RFEs on family petitions usually concern relationship evidence, an untranslated document, or gaps in the I-130A address history. It is not a denial, and the notice carries a firm response deadline — typically around three months. We can help assemble and submit what is being asked for, though we cannot advise on legal strategy.
My petition was rejected and returned unopened.
That is a rejection rather than a denial, and nothing has been decided on the merits. It usually means an outdated form edition, a missing signature, the wrong fee or payment method, or the wrong filing address. Bring the packet back and we will identify the cause before charging you.
We are married but have no joint bills, lease or bank accounts.
The most common weakness in a marriage petition, and best fixed before filing rather than after an RFE. Evidence is not limited to finances — joint insurance policies, beneficiary designations, shared subscriptions, photographs across different periods, travel records, messages and affidavits from people who know you all demonstrate a shared life. We go through what you actually have.
I filed a petition for a previous spouse. Will that ruin this one?
Not by itself, but hiding it will. USCIS already holds that record and cross-checks prior filings. The right approach is to disclose it, distinguish the earlier relationship clearly, and document the current marriage properly.
Our documents are in Vietnamese or Spanish.
Every foreign-language document needs a full certified English translation with the translator’s certification. We handle that in-house, so birth certificates, marriage certificates and household records are translated and filed with the petition in one visit.
My spouse is already in the United States. Does that change things?
It can determine whether the case proceeds through adjustment of status here or consular processing abroad, and sometimes the two filings can go together. Which applies depends on facts we are not permitted to advise on — particularly how your spouse entered the country. If there is any doubt, that is an attorney’s question.
Before you decide
Why pay $1,000 when the form is free to download?
Because the form is the smallest part. The work is deciding what proves the relationship, what needs translating, what needs a certified copy rather than a photocopy, and how it is presented. If your case is simple, your documents are in English and you are comfortable with USCIS instructions, filing yourself is reasonable and we will say so.
I am a green card holder. Should I naturalize first?
Often, yes, and it is worth asking before you file. A citizen’s spouse is an immediate relative with no visa-number wait; a permanent resident’s spouse sits in a preference category subject to annual limits. Naturalizing first can remove years from your spouse’s case. Bring your green card and we will look at your dates.
When should I use an attorney instead?
If your spouse entered without inspection, if there is criminal history or a prior removal order, if a previous petition was denied, or if there has ever been a marriage-fraud finding. Those are legal questions, not paperwork questions.
Are you attorneys?
No. Fingerscan Digital is not a law firm and cannot give legal advice about immigration or any other legal matter. We prepare the forms you direct us to prepare, in your own words, and cannot advise on eligibility.
Can you guarantee my petition will be approved?
No, and nobody honestly can — not an attorney either. USCIS decides. What we control is whether the petition is complete, consistent and supported by organized evidence, which is what avoids an avoidable RFE.
Practical details
What is Form I-130A and do we need it?
It is the Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary, required whenever the person being petitioned for is a spouse. It collects their five-year address and employment history. There is no separate fee, and we prepare it alongside the I-130 at no extra charge.
What should I bring to the first visit?
Proof of your own status — passport, naturalization certificate or both sides of your green card. Proof of the relationship — marriage certificate, birth certificates, adoption or custody records. Photo ID for both of you, passport-style photos if you have them, and whatever relationship evidence you already hold, even if it feels thin.
Does the person I am sponsoring need to come in with me?
Not always, though it helps for a spouse petition because the I-130A is theirs to complete and sign. If they are abroad, we work from copies and collect their signature by mail.
Can I file more than one petition at once?
Yes. Each relative needs a separate Form I-130 with its own filing fee and preparation rate. Families petitioning for several people often do them in one sitting, and we keep the evidence organized per petition so nothing gets crossed.
Getting to us
I am in East San Jose, Milpitas or Gilroy. How far is it?
434 Blossom Hill Road in South San Jose, roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Little Saigon, Tully Road and Milpitas, with free parking at the door. A petition is usually one longer visit rather than several short ones.
Do you help with family petitions in Spanish or Vietnamese?
Yes, in person, not through a phone interpreter. Quinnie is Vietnamese and handles Tiếng Việt directly. Our partner Rosa handles Spanish and can take a case through from start to finish.
Bring what you have and we will start today
434 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose, CA 95123. Walk in Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM. English, Español, Tiếng Việt.