A US citizen son or daughter wants to bring a mother in Quetzaltenango or a father in Escuintla to live in the United States. One example is someone born in Guatemala who later naturalized. The first step is Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, filed with USCIS. This page covers the Guatemala-specific part of that petition: who qualifies, which RENAP certifications prove the relationship, the translation rule, fees and mailing addresses as of October 2026, and what the parent brings to the immigrant visa interview in Guatemala City.
Quick summary: You must be a US citizen aged 21 or older. Green card holders cannot petition for parents. File one I-130 per parent. USCIS says an immigrant visa is always available to a relative who qualifies as an immediate relative. Our Visa Bulletin guide explains how that differs from the preference queues. To prove the relationship, a Guatemala-born petitioner uses RENAP certifications:
- the birth certification
- for a father, also the parents’ marriage certification
- different evidence if you were born out of wedlock
Request them from RENAP, not from the municipality, and include the front and back. USCIS needs a certified English translation of them. The USCIS fee is $675 on paper or $625 online (G-1055, edition 10/07/26). In Part 4, choose consular processing if your parent will get the visa in Guatemala.
Who can petition for a parent
The I-130 instructions allow a US citizen to file for a mother or father only if the citizen is 21 years of age or older.
Lawful permanent residents cannot use this route. The instructions list only three relatives a green card holder may file for:
- a spouse
- an unmarried child under 21
- an unmarried son or daughter 21 or older
If you are a resident and want to petition for your parents, you would first need to become a US citizen.
Three more rules from USCIS:
- One petition per parent. A US citizen must file a separate Form I-130 for each eligible relative. Mother and father are two petitions and two fees.
- Visa availability. USCIS says that if your relative qualifies as an immediate relative, an immigrant visa is always available. That statement is about the visa-number queue. It says nothing about how long processing takes. How immediate relatives differ from the preference queues is explained in our Visa Bulletin guide for Guatemalan family petitions.
- The petition is not a status. USCIS states: “The filing or approval of this petition does not give your relative any immigration status or benefit.” Your parent gets the immigrant visa later, at the consular stage.
Parent relationships USCIS does not accept
The instructions bar an I-130 in these parent situations:
- Adoptive parent, in either of two cases:
- the adoption took place after the child turned 16
- the child was not in the parents’ legal custody and did not live with them for at least 2 years before the petition was filed
- Natural (birth) parent, if you gained permanent residence or US citizenship through adoption or as a special immigrant juvenile.
- Stepparent, if the marriage that created the relationship took place after you turned 18.
Evidence of the relationship, parent by parent
USCIS asks for copies with the petition. The right-hand column names the matching Guatemalan certification for a petitioner born in Guatemala. The State Department says birth, marriage and death certificates should be requested from RENAP.
| Petition for | What the I-130 instructions ask for | Guatemalan source |
|---|---|---|
| Mother | A copy of your birth certificate showing your name and your mother’s name | RENAP birth certification |
| Father | A copy of your birth certificate showing the names of both parents, plus a copy of your parents’ marriage certificate showing your father was married to your mother | RENAP birth and marriage certifications |
| Father, if either parent was married before | Copies of documents showing each prior marriage was legally terminated | RENAP divorce or death certification, as applicable |
| Father, if you were born out of wedlock | The instructions refer to Item D: evidence that your parents married while you were under 18, or that you were legitimated before 18. Otherwise, evidence of a bona fide parent-child relationship before you turned 21, such as living together, financial support or continuing parental interest | Depends on the case |
| Stepparent | The marriage certificate of your stepparent and your natural parent showing the marriage happened before you turned 18, proof any prior marriages ended (if applicable), and your birth certificate | RENAP marriage and birth certifications |
The Guatemala angle: RENAP certifications
If you were born in Guatemala, the birth certificate that proves who your parents are is a RENAP certification. The State Department’s Guatemala civil-documents page gives three rules for Guatemalan civil records:
- Ask RENAP, not the municipality. Birth certificates should be requested from RENAP (National Registry of Persons) and not from your city or town. The same applies to marriage and death certificates.
- Both sides. “Both the front and back pages of the document are required.”
- An annotated birth certificate does not replace a divorce certificate. The State Department notes that Guatemalan birth certificates usually carry notes about marriages or divorces. It also says the annotated certificate is not accepted instead of the divorce certificate. If a parent’s earlier marriage ended in divorce, get the divorce certification itself.
Getting the certificates from the US. RENAP says anyone can get access in either of two ways:
- create a user at eportal.renap.gob.gt
- download the RENAP SE app on any Android device
RENAP says the portal handles 19 services, including birth, death, marriage and divorce certifications. Guatemalan consulates abroad also issue birth certifications, according to RENAP.
Translation for USCIS. RENAP certifications are in Spanish. Federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires any foreign-language document submitted to USCIS to come with a full English translation. The translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate, and that he or she is competent to translate from that language into English.
Translation at the Embassy is different. The US Embassy in Guatemala City asks for a certified English translation only for documents that are not in English or Spanish. The same Spanish RENAP certificate needs a translation for USCIS but not for the consular interview.
Apostille. MINEX describes the apostille as an annotation that certifies the authenticity of the signature on a public document. Its purpose is to let the document take effect in another member country of the Convention. The USCIS form instructions reviewed for this page do not set a general apostille requirement for the I-130.
Proving you are a US citizen
USCIS accepts any one of these as evidence of the petitioner’s citizenship:
- A copy of your US birth certificate issued by a civil registrar, vital statistics office or other civil authority
- A copy of your naturalization or citizenship certificate (USCIS or the former INS)
- A copy of Form FS-240, Consular Report of Birth Abroad, from a US Embassy or Consulate
- A copy of your unexpired US passport
- An original statement from a US consular officer verifying you are a US citizen with a valid passport
Filing: online or paper, fees, addresses
USCIS offers two ways to file: online or by mail (paper). The form edition shown on the USCIS page is 04/01/24.
Part 4 matters for a parent in Guatemala. USCIS says to select only one option in Part 4, Question 61 or 62. That choice tells USCIS whether the beneficiary will seek adjustment of status inside the United States or consular processing abroad. Do not complete both, and do not leave the section blank. A parent who will receive the immigrant visa in Guatemala goes through consular processing.
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| I-130, paper filing | $675 | USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26 |
| I-130, online filing | $625 | USCIS Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26 |
| Separate biometrics fee | USCIS says its fee rule built biometric costs into the main benefit fee and dropped a separate biometric services fee in most cases | USCIS fee rule FAQ |
| Immigrant visa fee at the US Embassy, Guatemala City | $325 per applicant | Embassy instructions, last updated 10/3/2024 |
Check the fee on the day you file. On September 30, 2026, USCIS announced inflation adjustments to certain H.R.-1 immigration fees, effective October 16, 2026. USCIS says it will reject requests postmarked on or after that date that lack the proper fee. The sources for this page do not show whether the I-130 fee is one of those adjusted. The G-1055 page was last reviewed on 10/07/2026.
Paper filing addresses (I-130 filed alone). The address depends on where you live. USCIS warns that petitions not mailed to the right location may face processing delays.
| Where you live | Lockbox | USPS address |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix group, which includes California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Virginia, Arizona and Tennessee, among others | USCIS Phoenix Lockbox | USCIS, Attn: I-130, P.O. Box 21700, Phoenix, AZ 85036-1700 |
| Chicago group, which includes New York, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio and the District of Columbia, among others | USCIS Chicago Lockbox | USCIS, Attn: I-130, P.O. Box 804625, Chicago, IL 60680 |
| Outside the United States | USCIS Chicago Lockbox | USCIS, Attn: I-130, P.O. Box 804625, Chicago, IL 60680 |
FedEx, UPS and DHL use different street addresses. The full state list is on the USCIS I-130 addresses page.
USCIS changed the filing location on October 7, 2026. During a 30-day grace period, it accepts forms sent to any prior filing location if they are postmarked on or before November 9, 2026. After that, use only the current address.
After filing: biometrics
USCIS may ask the petitioner to appear for an interview or for biometrics (fingerprints, photograph and/or signature) at any time. If it does, it sends an appointment notice with the date, time and location. Do not skip it: “If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your petition.”
After approval: the Guatemala City stage
Once the petition is approved and consular processing was selected, the case moves to the immigrant visa process. The US Embassy in Guatemala City sets these requirements for the parent:
- Your birth certificate, again. If the applicant is the petitioner’s parent, the Embassy asks for the petitioner’s original or certified copy birth certificate, along with one photocopy. A Guatemala-born petitioner should order an extra RENAP certification for this.
- Medical exam. Every immigrant visa applicant, regardless of age, needs a medical examination before the visa is issued. Only a physician accredited by the US Embassy can perform it.
- Fee. $325 per applicant, nonrefundable.
- Travel deadline. The parent must enter the United States before the visa expires. The Embassy says that expiration date is usually six months from the date of the medical exam. The visa cannot be extended.
The interview day itself is covered in our immigrant visa interview guide for Guatemala City. Financial sponsorship is covered in the Affidavit of Support (I-864) guide for a Guatemalan relative.
Not covered on this page:
- processing times for the I-130 or the interview
- National Visa Center deadlines
- any current US policy change affecting immigrant visas
Check the official USCIS and State Department sites before you plan travel or sell property in Guatemala.
Sources
- USCIS, Form I-130 page, instructions and filing addresses (page last reviewed 10/07/2026)
- USCIS, Form G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/07/26) and fee rule FAQ
- 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3), eCFR
- US Department of State, Guatemala reciprocity and civil documents page; Guatemala City immigrant visa instructions (last updated 10/3/2024)
- RENAP, news releases on online certifications and services at consulates
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a green card holder file Form I-130 for a parent in Guatemala?
No. The USCIS I-130 instructions list three relatives a lawful permanent resident may petition for: a spouse, an unmarried child under 21, and an unmarried son or daughter 21 or older. Parents are not on that list. A parent can be petitioned for by a US citizen who is 21 years of age or older.
Do I need one I-130 for my mother and another for my father?
Yes. The I-130 instructions say a US citizen must file a separate Form I-130 for each eligible relative, so each parent needs a separate petition and a separate fee.
What does USCIS say about visa availability?
USCIS says that if your relative qualifies as an immediate relative, an immigrant visa is always available. That statement is about the visa-number queue, not about processing time. How immediate relatives differ from the preference queues is explained in our Visa Bulletin guide for Guatemalan family petitions.
Which Guatemalan documents prove I am my parent's child?
For a mother, USCIS asks for a copy of your birth certificate showing your name and your mother’s name. For a father, it asks for your birth certificate showing both parents’ names and your parents’ marriage certificate, plus proof that any earlier marriage of either parent was legally terminated. If you are petitioning for your father and you were born out of wedlock, the instructions point to additional evidence instead: proof that your parents married or that you were legitimated before 18, or otherwise proof of a bona fide parent-child relationship before you turned 21. If you were born in Guatemala, the State Department says to request birth and marriage certificates from RENAP, not from the municipality, and that both the front and back pages are required.
Do Spanish-language RENAP certificates need a translation?
For USCIS, yes. Federal regulation 8 CFR 103.2(b)(3) requires a full English translation of any foreign-language document, with the translator’s certification that it is complete and accurate and that the translator is competent to translate. At the US Embassy in Guatemala City, the translation requirement applies to documents not in English or Spanish, so Spanish RENAP certificates do not need one at that stage.
How much does the I-130 cost?
The USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26) lists the I-130 at $675 for paper filing and $625 for online filing. Later, the US Embassy in Guatemala City lists the immigrant visa fee at $325 per applicant. Check G-1055 on the day you file, because USCIS announced inflation adjustments to certain fees effective October 16, 2026.
Where do I mail the I-130 if I file on paper?
It depends on your state. For an I-130 filed alone, USCIS sends some states to the Phoenix Lockbox and others to the Chicago Lockbox; petitioners living outside the United States use Chicago. USCIS changed the filing location on October 7, 2026 and accepts forms sent to a prior location if they are postmarked on or before November 9, 2026.
