Marriage-based green card filings

USCIS cover letter for I-130 and I-485: sample and template

Last updated 2026-10-01

A USCIS cover letter is an optional first page for a paper filing that identifies who is filing, which forms are enclosed, and an index of every supporting document. It does not replace anything the form instructions require. For a marriage-based package, it typically lists the I-130 and I-130A, the I-485 and related forms, fees, identity and civil documents, and evidence of a bona fide marriage.

What a good USCIS cover letter does

• Identifies the case in a few lines: names, dates of birth or A-numbers, and the forms enclosed.
• Indexes the package in the order documents appear, with numbered tabs.
• Stays short and neutral. No arguments, no life story.
• Matches the forms exactly: names spelled the same, same addresses, same dates.

The authority on what to include is each form’s own instructions and the checklist on its USCIS page. Rules change — for example, since December 2, 2024 many I-485 applicants must submit the medical exam (Form I-693) with the I-485 or risk rejection. Check every form page right before you file.

Sample cover letter: concurrent I-130 and I-485 (spouse of a U.S. citizen)

The forms and documents above are illustrations, not a checklist. Your package depends on your situation — whether you are in the U.S. or abroad, prior marriages, children, immigration history. Build your list from the I-130 and I-485 instructions.

Cover letter for a standalone I-130

If the spouse lives abroad and will go through consular processing, the I-130 is filed alone. The cover letter is shorter: the I-130 and I-130A, fee, proof of the petitioner’s citizenship or permanent residence, the marriage certificate, proof prior marriages ended, the passport-style photos of both spouses the I-130 instructions ask for, and the evidence of a bona fide marriage, including any third-party affidavits.

Mistakes a cover letter can help you catch

Writing the index is a good final check before mailing. USCIS rejects or delays filings for avoidable reasons, and most of them show up when you go through the package item by item:

• A form that is unsigned, or signed by the wrong person.
• The wrong fee, or a payment method USCIS no longer accepts.
• An outdated edition of a form — check the edition date on each form’s USCIS page.
• A missing required document, such as the medical exam that must now accompany many I-485 filings.
• Foreign-language documents without a full certified English translation.
• Names, dates or addresses that differ between forms.

Formatting checklist

• One page if possible, two at most.
• Use the same name spellings and dates as on the forms.
• Number every item, and put matching numbered tabs or separator sheets in the package.
• Put forms first, then fees, then documents, then evidence — in the order listed.
• Sign it, and keep a complete copy of the whole package.
• Filing online? Online filings upload evidence by category, and a cover letter is generally unnecessary.

Filing to remove conditions two years later? Use the I-751 cover letter guide.