An immigration form, such as forms I-130 and I-140, asks for a lot of information from the applicant. Every single section is important to help immigration determine who the applicant is, what their purpose is for immigrating to the United States, and whether or not their application should be approved.


Even the names of your family members that are requested in immigration forms are important to list completely and correctly.


Why It’s Important to Add Family Members’ Names in Your USCIS Application

Immigration is very serious about assessing the information an applicant provides in their immigration forms. They do their due diligence in fact-checking every piece of information provided and do not look kindly at mistakes.


In fact, immigration won’t see errors or inconsistencies in immigration forms as mistakes. Instead, they assume that the applicant is trying to falsify or hide information from the agency. This can really damage an application and strain the applicant’s record with USCIS.


Hence, every bit of information should be correct, complete, and truthful. Only then can a USCIS application move forward and result favorably.


Whose Names Need to be Added?

When an immigration form asks for the names of family members, every single person relevant should be listed, such as the spouse, children, parents, etc.


However, there are some situations when it can be more complicated to determine whether or not to list a family member, such as if the children are minors, don’t live with the applicant, are deceased, or are not eligible for a green card or other immigration benefits.


Regardless, it’s still good practice to list everyone’s names. Immigration wants to know who these people are specifically, so it’s crucial to read the form questions carefully and make sure to respond with the complete information requested.


Consequences of Not Adding Family Members’ Names

Applicants need to be careful and responsible in filling up immigration forms. Otherwise, mistakes can bite them in the back in the future. It will become harder for them to coordinate with immigration in the long run, such as, for example if they need to sponsor a child that they didn’t list previously, immigration may not allow them to do so.


It’s hard to unring the bell of past mistakes. So the best plan is to be diligent in listing family members’ names and filling up immigration forms.