Spousal I-130 and adjustment of status

I-130 affidavit sample for a marriage petition

Last updated 2026-10-01

For a spousal I-130, the USCIS instructions list affidavits from third parties with personal knowledge of the marriage as optional evidence of a bona fide marriage. Each should contain the writer’s full name and address, date and place of birth, and complete details explaining how they know about the marriage. At the I-130 stage, the best letters cover how the relationship began and grew.

What the I-130 instructions say

In the section for petitions filed for a spouse, the Form I-130 instructions say that in addition to the required documents you “should submit one or more” types of documentation that may prove a bona fide marriage. Item 5 on that list is affidavits sworn to or affirmed by third parties having personal knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship. Each affidavit must contain:

• the full name and address of the person making it;
• their date and place of birth; and
• complete information and details explaining how they acquired their knowledge of your marriage.

The other items on the same list — joint property, a joint lease, combined finances, children’s birth certificates — carry more weight. Use affidavits alongside them, not instead of them.

How I-130 letters differ from I-751 letters

• Timing. I-130 letters are often written early in the marriage, so they lean on the story of how the relationship formed: introductions, dating, meeting each other’s families, the engagement and wedding.
• Who writes. People who watched the relationship begin — the friend who introduced them, roommates, wedding guests — are natural I-130 writers.
• I-751 later. About two years after a conditional green card, the I-751 affidavit focuses on life since conditional residence was granted. Some writers write both; the second letter should describe the newer period, not repeat the first.

Sample I-130 affidavit from the friend who introduced the couple

Why it works

• It contains every listed element: full name and address, date and place of birth, and how the writer knows.
• It traces the relationship chronologically, from introduction to marriage to a shared home.
• It is checkable: the party date, the wedding date and church, the proposal location — all things the couple’s photos and interview answers can match.
• It labels what was told (“Laura told me they had gone on a first date”).

Who makes a good I-130 affidavit writer?

• The person who introduced you, or friends who knew you both while you were dating.
• Wedding guests and witnesses, especially anyone who signed your marriage certificate.
• Roommates, landlords or neighbors who have seen you living together.
• Relatives on both sides who have met the other spouse in person — one family letter is usually enough.
• Coworkers who have met both of you at work events or socially.

Pick writers whose letters will describe different parts of your story. If three friends all describe the same wedding, the officer learns about one day; if one describes how you met, one your wedding and one your shared home, the officer sees a relationship.

Filing tips

• List each affidavit by writer name in your cover letter’s evidence index. See the USCIS cover letter guide.
• If you file online, upload clear scans of the signed letters; if you file on paper, follow the form instructions on originals and copies.
• Make sure dates match your own I-130 answers and later interview answers.
• Keep copies. If you later file an I-751, you will need new letters covering the later period.