Checklist
Immigration document checklist, by case type.
Typical documents to ask petitioners, beneficiaries, sponsors and applicants for, with "why we ask" lines, translations and copies, and the USCIS page for each group.
Last updated · Facts checked
General information, not legal advice
This guide lists typical documents to ask clients for. It doesn't say who is eligible for anything, and it isn't a list of what USCIS requires. Check each form's instructions and use your own judgment for every case.
An immigration document checklist gets a case's paperwork in before the forms are drafted, not after. This one covers what a practice usually asks clients for in family-based cases, employment-based cases and naturalization, with a "why we ask" line for each item and a link to the matching USCIS page.
Every list here is a set of typical examples to tailor to each case.
Who this checklist is for
It's for immigration attorneys, accredited representatives and the paralegals and case managers who gather documents for them. Your clients may be a petitioner, a beneficiary, a financial sponsor or an employer, often in different countries.
How to use the list
- Start from the form. Each USCIS form page has its own checklist of required initial evidence. Use this guide to turn it into plain-language requests a client can act on.
- Split it by person. The petitioner, the beneficiary and a sponsor each hold different documents. Send each person their own list.
- Remove what doesn't apply. Most items depend on the case. A short list gets answered faster.
- Keep the "why we ask" lines. Clients who know what a document is for send the right one.
- Set a due date ahead of your filing target. Leave time for replacements and translations.
Translations and copies
These apply to every section below, so explain them to clients once, at the start.
- Translations. Any document in a foreign language needs a full English translation. The translator certifies that it's complete and accurate and that they're competent to translate into English. This comes from 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), and each USCIS form checklist repeats it.
- Copies, not originals. The USCIS checklists say not to send originals unless the form instructions or regulations ask for them. USCIS can still ask to see an original at any time, so clients should keep theirs safe.
- Copies from the issuing office. For civil records, ask for the version issued by the civil authority, such as a birth certificate from the civil registrar or vital statistics office. For police and court records, ask for certified copies from the court or agency.
- Every page, clearly. Ask for whole documents, both sides of cards and every stamped passport page, scanned or photographed flat and in focus.
Family-based cases
The petitioner
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Proof of US citizenship or permanent residence, such as a US passport, naturalization certificate or green card (both sides) | To show the petitioner's status. |
| Marriage certificate (spouse cases) | To show the relationship. |
| Birth certificates showing the relationship (child, parent or sibling cases) | To show the relationship. |
| Divorce decrees, annulments or death certificates that ended any earlier marriage | To show earlier marriages ended. |
| Records of the marriage, such as a joint lease or deed, joint bank statements and children's birth certificates (spouse cases) | To show the marriage is genuine. |
| Proof of any legal name change | So every document can be matched to one person. |
USCIS reference: the checklist on the Form I-130 page, checked on 21 October 2026.
The beneficiary
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Passport photo page, plus every page with a visa or stamp | For identity and travel history. |
| Birth certificate | To confirm identity and family relationships. |
| Entry records, such as an I-94, visa or parole document (if in the US) | To show how and when they entered. |
| Approval or receipt notices (Form I-797) from earlier filings | To link the case to earlier ones. |
| Certified police and court records for any arrest or charge, anywhere | So the record is complete before filing. |
| Two passport-style photos | Some forms ask for them. |
USCIS reference: the Form I-485 checklist, for clients adjusting status in the US, checked on 21 October 2026.
The financial sponsor
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Most recent federal tax return, with every W-2 and 1099 | To show the sponsor's income. |
| Recent pay stubs or a letter from the employer (if helpful) | To show current income. |
| Schedules C, D, E or F (if self-employed) | To show business income. |
| Proof of US citizenship or residence (joint sponsors) | To show the sponsor's status. |
| Household members' tax returns, and asset records (only if used) | When other income or assets count. |
USCIS reference: the checklist on the Form I-864 page, checked on 21 October 2026.
Employment-based cases
The worker
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Passport, current visa and I-94 | For identity and current status. |
| Degree certificates and official academic records | To show education for the role. |
| Experience letters from past employers, with the writer's name, address and title and the duties performed | To show qualifying experience. |
| Approval notices and recent pay stubs | To show status has been kept. |
| Awards, published articles about the worker, memberships (some categories only) | Evidence for categories based on achievement. |
| Birth and marriage certificates for family members applying too | To show each relationship. |
The employer
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| A letter confirming the job offer | To show the job is real and still open. |
| Evidence of ability to pay the offered wage, in the form we ask for | Many categories need it. |
USCIS references: the Form I-140 checklist and the employment-based section of the Form I-485 checklist, both checked on 21 October 2026.
Naturalization
| Document | Why we ask |
|---|---|
| Green card, both sides | To show permanent residence. |
| Passports covering the period, with entry and exit stamps | To check trips outside the US. |
| Your dates of travel outside the US | The form asks about time spent outside the US. |
| Records of life in the US during any trip of 6 months to a year, such as rent, pay or bank statements | To show your residence continued. |
| Current marriage certificate and records ending earlier marriages | To confirm marital history. |
| Arrest, court and sentencing records for any incident, and proof of completing any sentence | So the record is complete. |
| An agreement with the tax office, if you owe taxes | To show it's being paid. |
| Proof of child support payments (if you pay support) | To show payments are up to date. |
| Spouse's proof of US citizenship (if applying as the spouse of a citizen) | To show the spouse's status. |
USCIS reference: the checklist on the Form N-400 page, checked on 21 October 2026.
Documents people forget
- Records ending earlier marriages. Both spouses' divorces, annulments or death certificates, not just the current marriage certificate.
- The translator's certification. A translation on its own isn't enough. The signed certification goes with it.
- Every stamped passport page. Clients send the photo page and miss the visas and stamps.
- The back of the card. Green cards and IDs need both sides.
- Older passports. Travel history often spans more than the current passport.
- Records for dismissed charges. Clients assume an arrest with no charges doesn't count.
Copy the checklist
Paste this into your own request or template, keep the section that fits the case, and remove what doesn't apply.
IMMIGRATION DOCUMENTS: [CLIENT NAME]
Case: [case name]
Please send by: [date]
Typical examples, tailored to your case.
FAMILY-BASED (PETITIONER)
- Proof of US citizenship or permanent residence
- Marriage or birth certificate showing the relationship
- Records ending any earlier marriage
- Records of your marriage, such as a joint lease (spouse cases)
- Proof of any legal name change
FAMILY-BASED (BENEFICIARY)
- Passport photo page and every page with a visa or stamp
- Birth certificate
- Entry records, such as an I-94 (if in the US)
- Earlier approval or receipt notices
- Certified police and court records (if any)
- Two passport-style photos
EMPLOYMENT-BASED (WORKER)
- Passport, current visa and I-94
- Degree certificates and official academic records
- Experience letters from past employers
- Approval notices and recent pay stubs
NATURALIZATION
- Green card, both sides
- Passports with entry and exit stamps
- Your dates of travel outside the US
- Marriage certificate and records ending earlier marriages
- Arrest, court and sentencing records (if any)
Anything not in English: include a full English translation,
signed by the translator as complete and accurate.
How to do this in GarnerDocs
GarnerDocs sends each person their list through a private link and chases what's missing until it's in.
- A template per case type. Save family-based, employment-based and naturalization lists, with each "why we ask" in the document's description.
- One request per person. Add the petitioner and the beneficiary as two clients and title both requests after the case, such as "Ortiz case: petitioner". GarnerDocs doesn't link the two.
- Uploads from anywhere. Clients upload from a phone in any country with no account, and can pass the link to a relative who holds the originals.
- Replacements with a note. Ask again for a translation without its certification or a scan with a cropped seal. Your note shows next to that document.
- A PIN for sensitive files. Protect a request with a 6-digit PIN you give your client by phone, never in the email.
- English-only pages. The upload page and emails are in English. Add a line in your client's language under a document's name where it helps. GarnerDocs doesn't prepare forms, file, translate or check documents.
Sources
- 8 CFR 103.2, Submission and adjudication of benefit requests, eCFR: translations, (b)(3), and originals, (b)(5). Checked on 21 October 2026.
- I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, USCIS. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-485, USCIS. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- I-864, Affidavit of Support, USCIS. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- Checklist of Required Initial Evidence for Form I-140, USCIS. Checked on 21 October 2026.
- N-400, Application for Naturalization, USCIS. Checked on 21 October 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. USCIS forms and checklists change, so check the current version before every filing.
Questions
Is this the list of documents USCIS requires?
No. It's a set of typical examples to tailor to each case. USCIS publishes a checklist of required initial evidence on each form's page, and the form instructions are what count. This guide isn't legal advice.
Do foreign-language documents need a translation?
Yes. USCIS asks for a full English translation of any document in a foreign language, with the translator's certification that it's complete and accurate and that they're competent to translate into English.
Should clients send original documents?
The USCIS checklists say not to send originals unless the form instructions or regulations ask for them. USCIS can ask to see an original at any time, so clients should keep theirs safe and send clear copies.
How do I collect documents from a petitioner and a beneficiary in different countries?
Send each person their own list with its own due date. In GarnerDocs, add them as two clients and title both requests after the case. Each uploads from their phone or computer with no account.