Before you spend thousands on an immigration lawyer, read this.
A straightforward case sponsoring a spouse for a U.S. green card often runs $2,500–$5,000 in attorney fees, on top of government filing fees. Before you commit to that, see what USCIS and the U.S. Department of State actually require — and get an honest read on what you can reasonably do yourself.
Free on Gumroad — takes about 10 seconds. Educational information only, not legal advice.
The information isn't hidden. It's scattered.
If you've started looking into sponsoring your spouse, you've probably already found USCIS.gov and travel.state.gov. Nothing there is secret. What's hard to find is the order things happen in, which mistakes actually cause delays, and how to tell — before you file anything — whether your case is simple enough to handle yourself.
Already Public
- Every form and instruction
- Current filing fees
- The USCIS Policy Manual
- Processing-time estimates
Missing
- The end-to-end sequence
- What commonly goes wrong
- A self-check before you file
- An honest DIY-or-attorney read
"I'm not an immigration attorney. I'm the person who sat at my own kitchen table figuring out how to sponsor my wife — and later my mother-in-law — using the same rules anyone can read on USCIS.gov and travel.state.gov. Nobody hid anything from me. What I didn't have was something that pulled it into one sequence and told me, honestly, what commonly goes wrong. So I built that."
Start here — free
An 8-page guide covering ten patterns that commonly turn into delays, Requests for Evidence, or rejected filings in spouse-sponsorship cases — sourced from official USCIS and Department of State guidance, with a self-check question for each one.
- Why the wrong form edition can get your whole packet rejected — not just one form
- The two filing tracks, and why mixing them up causes real problems
- What "evidence of a bona fide marriage" actually means to USCIS
- The translation requirement people miss most often
- How to tell if your situation needs an attorney before you file anything
10 Family Immigration Mistakes That Can Cost You Time and Money
Free on Gumroad — enter your email to get the PDF.
For couples ready to go further
Everything in the free guide, expanded into a full walkthrough of both filing tracks — adjustment of status and consular processing — plus a master document checklist, a pre-submission self-check, and the complete "when to call an attorney instead" framework.
The Complete Guide: Before You Spend Thousands
One-time purchase, not a subscription. Early readers get a founding-edition price, and their questions directly shape what goes into the complete Family Immigration DIY Kit — checklists, trackers, and a Spanish edition — coming next.
Not live yet — this sends a direct email. A real signup form goes here once PetitionPrep picks an email/checkout tool.
What this is — and what it isn't
Educational, not legal advice
This is organizational and educational information, built from official USCIS and U.S. Department of State sources. It is not legal advice, it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and it can't tell you what your specific situation means — only you, and where appropriate a licensed immigration attorney, can do that.
Consider an Attorney First If Your Situation Involves
- Any criminal history, for either spouse, however minor it may seem
- A prior immigration violation — a removal order, unlawful presence, or a prior denial
- Any past concern involving fraud or misrepresentation on a prior application
- Prior or active removal (deportation) proceedings
- A situation that may require a waiver of inadmissibility
- Any unusual status history — asylum, TPS, parole, or entry without inspection
Questions worth asking before you buy anything
Why pay for this when USCIS.gov is free?
USCIS and the State Department publish the requirements — they don't organize them into one sequence, tell you what commonly goes wrong, or help you check your own work before you file. That's what this guide does.
Is this legal advice?
No. It's general educational information based on official government guidance. It doesn't look at your specific facts, and it isn't a substitute for a licensed immigration attorney if your situation is complex.
What if my situation is complicated?
The guide includes a clear framework for recognizing when a case involves something — like prior immigration violations or a prior denial — that calls for a licensed attorney instead. It's built to help you catch that early.
Is the full kit a subscription?
No — a one-time purchase. If USCIS or State Department rules change in ways that affect the guide, updates during the current edition are included at no extra charge.
Is there a Spanish version?
A Spanish edition is planned for the full Family Immigration DIY Kit. Email in from the Full Kit section above to be notified.