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Petition documents, collected before the deadline.

Passports, certificates, translations and evidence for each case. Send the petitioner and the beneficiary their own checklist through a private link, and let reminders chase the rest.

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How it works

One case, four steps.

The same way of working for family-based, employment-based and naturalization cases.

  1. 1

    Pick the case template

    One list for each type of case.

    Start the request from your template for this kind of case, then add, remove or rename documents for this client.

    Create a template
  2. 2

    Send a private link

    Each person gets their own link.

    Set a due date ahead of your filing target and send. Your client uploads from a phone or computer in any country, with no account.

    Create a request
  3. 3

    Let reminders follow up

    Only what's missing, until it's in.

    By default, reminders go out 3 and 7 days after you send the request and shortly before the due date, listing only what's outstanding.

    How automatic reminders work
  4. 4

    Review each file

    Approve it, or ask for a readable copy.

    Approve each document, or ask for a replacement when a scan is unreadable or a translation is missing. Approving the last document completes the request.

    Ask a client for a replacement file

Features

What gets a petition ready to file.

A template per case type

Build your family-based, employment-based, naturalization and renewal lists once, then start each request from the one that fits.

Create a template

A note on each document

Say which pages and which version you need. Your client sees the description under that document's name.

Add, remove or rename requested documents

Replacements for unreadable scans

A dark photo, a cropped seal, a translation without its certification: ask for a replacement with a note shown next to that item.

Ask a client for a replacement file

Due dates before your filing target

Set each request's due date ahead of the date you plan to file. It turns amber in its last three days and red once it's overdue.

Due dates and overdue requests

A link that works anywhere

A beneficiary abroad uploads from a phone through a private link. No account, no password and nothing to install.

How client links are protected

ZIP download for the case file

Download each request's files as one ZIP for your own system. GarnerDocs deletes them after the retention period you choose.

Download all files as a ZIP

A petition, start to finish

Before cases come in, build a template for each type of case you handle, such as family-based, employment-based, naturalization and renewals. Each request gets its own copy to tailor.

When the petitioner and the beneficiary are different people, add them as two clients, each with their own email address, and send each one a request for their own documents: the petitioner's status and finances, the beneficiary's passport and civil documents. Each gets their own link, checklist and reminders. GarnerDocs doesn't link the two clients, so title both requests after the case, such as "Ortiz case: petitioner" and "Ortiz case: beneficiary". When one person provides everything, one request is enough.

When you send the requests, set each due date ahead of your filing target. Reminders chase only what's still missing, and stop once it's in. Your client can forward the link to a relative who holds the originals, and upload from a phone in any country.

When something's wrong, such as an unreadable scan, a cropped seal or a translation without its certification, ask for a replacement with a note your client sees next to that document. The earlier version stays in the history.

When it's all in, approving the last document completes the request. Download the files as a ZIP and add them to the case in the system you already use. Files are deleted after the retention period you choose.

Example petition checklist

Ask only for what this case needs. The immigration document checklist covers each item in more detail.

Identity and civil documents

  • Passport, photo page and stamped pages
  • Birth certificate
  • Marriage certificate, and records that ended any earlier marriage
  • Certified translations of anything not in English

Immigration history

  • Prior visas, entry records and approval notices
  • Two passport-style photos

Finances and work

  • Tax transcripts
  • Employment letters and recent pay stubs
Typical examples to tailor to each case

This isn't a list of what USCIS requires, and it isn't complete for any case. For the official lists, start from USCIS's Filing Guidance page and the form's own checklist of required initial evidence, such as the ones for Form I-485 and Form I-140 (checked on 19 October 2026). This page isn't legal advice.

What GarnerDocs doesn't do

GarnerDocs gets each case's documents from your clients to you, complete and reviewed. It doesn't prepare forms or file with USCIS, and it doesn't connect to Docketwise, INSZoom or any other case management system. It doesn't assess eligibility, authenticate documents or translate them. The upload page and the emails are in English only, so add a line in your client's language under a document's name where it helps.

Read how files and client links are protected on the Security page.

Questions

Do the petitioner and the beneficiary need separate requests?

When they're different people, send each one their own. Add them as two clients, each with their own email address, and give each a request for their own documents. Each gets their own link, checklist and reminders.

Can a relative abroad upload for the beneficiary?

Yes. Anyone with the link can upload to that request, so your client can pass it to a relative who holds the originals. The link is private and works only for that request. If it reaches the wrong person, reset it and the old link stops working straight away.

What if a certified translation isn't ready yet?

Your client uploads the original now and the translation when it arrives, because each is its own item on the checklist. Reminders list what's still outstanding, so they keep asking for the translation. Your client can also send a note to say when it's expected.

Does GarnerDocs tell me what a petition requires?

No. Your templates are your own lists. GarnerDocs doesn't know USCIS rules, doesn't assess eligibility and doesn't check that a case is complete. It gets the documents you ask for from your client to you.

How large can a scan be?

Up to 25 MB per file, and your client can add several files to one document. The upload page shows the limit next to each document.

Related

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