You married a Guatemalan, in Antigua, in Quetzaltenango or in the United States, and you want your husband or wife to live with you in the US as a permanent resident. The first filing is Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, sent to USCIS together with Form I-130A for your spouse. Whether you are a US citizen or a green card holder puts your spouse in a different category with a different timeline. This page covers that difference and the October 2026 Visa Bulletin. It also covers the Guatemalan marriage certificate from RENAP, the evidence of a real marriage, fees and filing addresses as of October 2026, and the two routes after approval: consular processing for a spouse abroad or adjustment of status in the US.
Quick summary: Both US citizens and green card holders can petition for a spouse. A US citizen’s spouse is an immediate relative, and USCIS says an immigrant visa is always available to one. A green card holder’s spouse is F2A. In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, F2A has a final action date of 22SEP26 and a dates-for-filing entry of C for Guatemala. File Form I-130A with the I-130. A spouse in Guatemala completes it but does not have to sign it. The core evidence:
- the RENAP marriage certificate, front and back
- proof that any earlier marriage ended
- photos
- documents showing a bona fide marriage
USCIS needs a certified English translation of Spanish documents. The I-130 fee is $675 on paper or $625 online (G-1055, edition 10/07/26). If you were married less than 2 years when the green card is granted, it is conditional.
This page explains the rules as the cited sources state them. It is not legal advice. Confirm your own case with an immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative before you file.
US citizen or green card holder: two different categories
USCIS states the basic rule on its spouse page: “you must be either a U.S. citizen or Green Card holder” to bring a spouse to live in the United States as a permanent resident. What changes is the category your spouse lands in.
| US citizen petitioner | Green card holder petitioner | |
|---|---|---|
| Category of the spouse | Immediate relative | Second preference, F2A |
| Visa number | USCIS: “an immigrant visa is always available” to an immediate relative | Subject to the Visa Bulletin. October 2026 F2A for Guatemala: final action 22SEP26, dates for filing C |
| Filing Form I-485 (spouse in the US) | I-485 instructions: with the I-130, while it is pending, or after approval | I-485 instructions: only after the I-130 is approved and a visa is immediately available. USCIS points October 2026 family filers to the Dates for Filing chart |
| Lawful-status condition to adjust | Not part of the green card holder rule below | Spouse must have continuously maintained lawful status, unless a petition or labor certification was pending before April 30, 2001 |
| K-3 nonimmigrant visa | USCIS spouse page: once the I-130 is filed, the spouse is eligible to apply for one | The USCIS sentence on K-3 is addressed to US citizens |
The I-130 instructions list your spouse among the relatives a US citizen may petition for. The USCIS green card holder page lists the second preference group as “Spouses of Green Card holders, unmarried children (under 21) of permanent residents”. The I-130 page reminds petitioners that “The filing or approval of this petition does not give your relative any immigration status or benefit”.
The F2A numbers in October 2026
The October 2026 Visa Bulletin from the State Department shows these F2A entries. Guatemala is not listed separately, so the All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed column applies to Guatemalan spouses.
| Visa Bulletin October 2026, F2A | All Chargeability (Guatemala) |
|---|---|
| A. Final action dates | 22SEP26 |
| B. Dates for filing | C (current) |
USCIS says that for all family-sponsored preference categories, adjustment applicants use the Dates for Filing chart of the October 2026 bulletin. The November 2026 bulletin was not captured for this page. For how priority dates and the two charts work, see our Visa Bulletin guide for Guatemalan family petitions.
Who cannot file for a spouse
The I-130 instructions include a list titled Who May Not File Form I-130? Three items on it concern spouses:
- Not both present at the ceremony. You cannot file if you and your spouse were not both physically present at the marriage ceremony, unless the marriage was consummated.
- Green card through an earlier marriage. You cannot file if you gained permanent residence through a prior marriage to a US citizen or permanent resident. The exceptions in the instructions include being a naturalized US citizen now, or having been a permanent resident for at least five years.
- Marriage during proceedings. You cannot file if you married while your spouse was the subject of an exclusion, deportation, removal or rescission proceeding, or while a decision in one was before a court on judicial review. The instructions add a bona fide marriage exemption under INA section 245(e)(3).
The Guatemalan documents: what is specific to Guatemalan couples
The I-130 instructions ask for a copy of your marriage certificate and, if either of you was married before, documents showing that each prior marriage was legally terminated. The State Department’s reciprocity schedule for Guatemala says how to get those papers when the marriage or divorce was registered in Guatemala.
| Document | Where it comes from | What the State Department page says |
|---|---|---|
| Certificado de Matrimonio (marriage certificate) | RENAP (Registro Nacional de las Personas) | “the annotated Birth Certificates are not accepted instead of the marriage certificate” |
| Divorce certificate (for an earlier marriage ended in Guatemala) | RENAP | “the annotated Birth Certificates are not accepted instead of the divorce Certificate” |
| Both certificates | RENAP certified copies | “Both the front and back pages of the document are required” |
The same State Department page lists the RENAP divorce certificate fee as Quetzal 15 (approximately $2.00). That page carries no date. The marriage-certificate fee line was damaged in our capture, so it is not given here. If an earlier marriage still has to be ended in Guatemala, see divorcing in Guatemala while living in the USA. If you have not married yet, see marrying a Guatemalan in Guatemala as a US citizen.
Translation. RENAP certificates are in Spanish. The I-130 instructions say that if you submit a document with information in a foreign language, you must also submit a full English translation, and “The translator must sign a certification that the English language translation is complete and accurate” and that he or she is competent to translate.
Photos. The instructions require “two identical color passport-style photographs of yourself and your spouse (if he or she is in the United States) taken within 30 days of filing this petition”. A spouse living in Guatemala is outside that parenthesis.
Form I-130A for the spouse
Form I-130A (edition 04/01/24) collects supplemental information about the spouse beneficiary, including a part titled Information About Your Employment Outside the United States. The I-130 instructions say: “If your spouse is overseas, Form I-130A must still be completed, but your spouse does not have to sign Form I-130A”. They add that Form I-130A must be submitted with Form I-130.
Evidence of a bona fide marriage
Beyond the required documents, the I-130 instructions say you should submit one or more types of documentation that may prove a bona fide marriage. The captured list includes:
- documentation showing joint ownership of property
- a lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence, meaning you both live at the same address together
- documentation showing you have combined your financial resources
- birth certificates of children born to you and your spouse together
- “Any other relevant documentation to establish that there is an ongoing marital union”
Fees
| Item | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-130, paper filing | $675 | USCIS G-1055, edition 10/07/26, page 9 |
| Form I-130, online filing | $625 | USCIS G-1055, edition 10/07/26, page 9 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee (spouse immigrating through consular processing) | $235 | USCIS G-1055, edition 10/07/26, page 2 |
| RENAP divorce certificate | Quetzal 15 (approximately $2.00) | State Department reciprocity page for Guatemala (undated) |
These are the amounts in G-1055 edition 10/07/26. Check the current G-1055 on the day you file or pay. The affidavit of support is a separate step; see the I-864 guide for a Guatemalan relative.
Step by step
- Confirm you can file. You must be a US citizen or green card holder, and none of the three spouse bars above can apply.
- Get the RENAP marriage certificate, front and back. Get divorce certificates for any earlier marriage ended in Guatemala, or other proof that each prior marriage ended.
- Order certified English translations of every Spanish document.
- Gather bona fide marriage evidence and the passport-style photos.
- Complete Form I-130 and Form I-130A. In Part 4, mark whether your spouse will seek adjustment of status inside the US or consular processing abroad (Questions 61 and 62). USCIS says: “Do not complete both questions, and do not leave this section blank”.
- File online or by mail and pay the I-130 fee. USCIS says you can file Form I-130 online even if your relative is in the US and will later file Form I-485 online or by mail.
- After approval, follow the route you chose: consular processing abroad or Form I-485 in the US (next section).
Where to file a paper I-130
USCIS changed the I-130 filing location on Oct. 7, 2026. The I-130 page says USCIS will “accept forms postmarked on or before Nov. 9, 2026, that are sent to any prior filing location”.
If you are only filing Form I-130 and you live outside the United States, the USCIS addresses page lists:
USCIS, P.O. Box 804625, Chicago, IL 60680
The same page says that a US-citizen petitioner living abroad may request to file at a US Embassy or Consulate “in certain limited circumstances”, referring to the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 3. If you live in the US, the address depends on your state; check the USCIS I-130 filing addresses page (listed under Sources) before you mail.
After approval: consular processing or adjustment in the US
Spouse in Guatemala (consular processing). USCIS says that when the Form I-130 is approved, “it will be sent for consular processing and the consulate or embassy will provide notification and processing information”. What the spouse brings to the interview is covered in our immigrant visa interview guide.
K-3 option for a citizen’s spouse. USCIS says that once a US citizen files Form I-130, the spouse is eligible to apply for a nonimmigrant K-3 visa. It also says you are not required to file Form I-129F and that your spouse may wait abroad for immigrant visa processing. Couples who are not yet married use a different route: the K-1 fiancé visa.
Spouse already in the US (adjustment of status).
- US citizen petitioner: the I-485 instructions say “If you are an immediate relative, you may file your Form I-485 together with your Form I-130, while Form I-130 is pending, or after your Form I-130 is approved”. The USCIS spouse page treats separately a spouse who is inside the United States (through lawful admission or parole).
- Green card holder petitioner: the I-485 instructions list spouses of permanent residents among the family preference categories. For those categories they say “you may file your Form I-485 only after your Form I-130 is approved and an immigrant visa is immediately available”. USCIS also says “the beneficiary must have continuously maintained lawful status in the United States in order to adjust status”, unless a petition or labor certification was pending before April 30, 2001.
- Not eligible to adjust: the I-130 page says a relative already in the US who is not eligible to file Form I-485 “may be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa with the U.S. Department of State at a U.S. embassy or consulate through consular processing”.
Conditional residence for recent marriages
USCIS says that if you have been married less than 2 years when your spouse is granted permanent resident status, “your spouse will receive permanent resident status on a conditional basis”. See also our guide on removing conditions on residence.
Related
- Petition a Guatemalan parent with Form I-130
- Marrying a Guatemalan in Guatemala as a US citizen
- K-1 fiancé visa for a Guatemalan partner
- Visa Bulletin for Guatemalan family petitions
- Affidavit of support (I-864) for a Guatemalan relative
- Immigrant visa interview guide
- Removing conditions on residence
- Divorcing in Guatemala while living in the USA
- Find your Guatemalan consulate
- All diaspora guides
Sources
- USCIS, Form I-130 page (Last Reviewed/Updated 10/07/2026): https://www.uscis.gov/i-130 (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Form I-130 Instructions 04/01/24: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-130instr.pdf (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Form I-130A, edition 04/01/24: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-130a.pdf (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Form G-1055 fee schedule, edition 10/07/26: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-1055.pdf (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Bringing spouses to live in the United States (Last Reviewed/Updated 02/02/2018): https://www.uscis.gov/family/bring-spouse-to-live-in-US (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Family of green card holders (Last Reviewed/Updated 07/14/2015): https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-green-card-holders-permanent-residents (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Form I-130 filing addresses: https://www.uscis.gov/i-130-addresses (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Form I-485 Instructions 09/18/26: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-485instr.pdf (fetched 2026-10-15)
- USCIS, Adjustment of status filing charts from the Visa Bulletin (Last Reviewed/Updated 10/01/2026): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/visa-availability-priority-dates/adjustment-of-status-filing-charts-from-the-visa-bulletin (fetched 2026-10-15)
- US Department of State, Visa Bulletin for October 2026: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2027/visa-bulletin-for-october-2026.html (fetched 2026-10-08)
- US Department of State, Guatemala reciprocity and civil documents: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Guatemala.html (fetched 2026-10-08)
- USCIS, Consular processing (Last Reviewed/Updated 07/20/2023): https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-processes-and-procedures/consular-processing (fetched 2026-10-15)
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a green card holder file Form I-130 for a spouse from Guatemala?
Yes. USCIS says that to bring a spouse to live in the United States as a permanent resident, the petitioner must be either a US citizen or a green card holder. The category differs: the spouse of a US citizen is an immediate relative, and USCIS says an immigrant visa is always available to an immediate relative. The spouse of a green card holder falls in the second preference category, F2A, which follows the Visa Bulletin.
Does my spouse in Guatemala have to fill out Form I-130A?
Yes. The I-130 instructions say that if your spouse is overseas, Form I-130A must still be completed, but your spouse does not have to sign it. Form I-130A must be submitted together with Form I-130.
How much does the spouse 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. The same edition lists a USCIS Immigrant Fee of $235 for a spouse who immigrates through consular processing. Check G-1055 on the day you file.
Which Guatemalan document proves our marriage?
The State Department says Guatemalan marriage certificates are requested from RENAP, the National Registry of Persons, and that both the front and back pages are required. An annotated birth certificate is not accepted instead of the marriage certificate. For USCIS, a Spanish-language certificate needs a full English translation with the translator’s signed certification.
How long is the F2A queue in October 2026?
In the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, the F2A final action date for All Chargeability Areas, the column that applies to Guatemala, is 22SEP26, and the dates-for-filing entry is C (current). USCIS says that for all family-sponsored preference categories in October 2026, adjustment filers use the Dates for Filing chart. Processing times for spouse petitions are not covered on this page.
Can my spouse get the green card inside the US instead of through consular processing?
It depends on the petitioner and on how the spouse is in the US. If the petitioner is a US citizen, the I-485 instructions say an immediate relative may file Form I-485 together with Form I-130, while the I-130 is pending, or after it is approved. The USCIS spouse page treats separately a spouse who is inside the United States through lawful admission or parole. If the petitioner is a green card holder, USCIS says the spouse must have continuously maintained lawful status to adjust, unless a petition or labor certification was pending before April 30, 2001. When the I-130 is approved for a spouse abroad, it is sent for consular processing.
Will my spouse receive a conditional green card?
USCIS says that if you have been married less than 2 years when your spouse is granted permanent resident status, your spouse receives that status on a conditional basis.
