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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

About welcomeUSA

Is welcomeUSA a law firm?

No. welcomeUSA is self-help software. We are not a law firm, we do not give legal advice, and we are not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency. If your case needs legal advice, we can connect you with an independent licensed immigration attorney.

Is my information safe?

Your data is encrypted end to end, and we never share it with USCIS or anyone else — you decide when and how to file. You can delete your account and data at any time.

Can I use welcomeUSA in Spanish or Portuguese?

Yes. You can answer every question in Spanish or Portuguese, and the software translates your answers into English on the official USCIS forms, in the format the government requires. The forms themselves are filed in English, as USCIS requires.

Pricing

How much does a petition cost in total?

Two parts:

welcomeUSA
our flat technology fee — from $149 for work petitions, $199 for citizenship, and $249 for family, while qualifying humanitarian cases are free.
USCIS
charges its own filing fees, which you pay directly to the government.

During your free eligibility check we show you the exact government fees for your specific forms, so you know the full cost before you spend anything.

Your petition

How do I get started?

Start with the free eligibility check. Answer a few simple questions and it shows the petition that fits your case, the forms, the documents you will need, the government fees, and the typical timeline — free, before you create an account.

How does welcomeUSA help me avoid mistakes?

By catching the avoidable ones. The software fills the current official edition of every form, builds your document checklist from your answers, and checks every field, signature, and document before your packet is marked ready. No result is guaranteed — decisions on immigration petitions are made by the U.S. government — but your petition arrives complete and consistent.

What if I make a mistake on my application?

The software checks every field, signature, and document before your packet is marked complete, and flags anything missing or inconsistent. You can edit your answers as many times as you need until you file. This is a software completeness check, not a legal review.

How long does the process take?

You can start right now — the free eligibility check takes a few minutes. The rest moves at your pace: answer questions whenever you have time, your progress saves as you go, and nothing is final until you file. Government processing times vary by petition type and service center; your eligibility check includes the current typical timeline for your case.

Family petitions

Can I get a green card through marriage?

If you are married to a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, a marriage green card may be your path — inside or outside the U.S. The free check asks about your situation and shows the exact forms, documents, and government fees for your case.

Which relatives can I petition for?

Spouses, parents, children, and siblings each have their own petition paths, and which ones are open depends on whether the petitioner is a citizen or a permanent resident. Pick the relationship in the chooser, or let the free check identify the right petition from your answers.

My fiancé lives abroad — can I bring them to the U.S.?

The K-1 fiancé visa is the path for bringing your fiancé to marry in the U.S. Its page explains the requirements and documents, and the free check confirms whether it fits your situation.

What is the affidavit of support?

A supporting filing that travels alongside many family petitions. Its page explains what it is — and if your case needs one, the free check includes it in your exact list of forms and documents.

Do I file from inside the U.S. or from abroad?

Both paths exist — the family petitions run inside or outside the U.S. Your answers in the free check determine which one applies to your case, and which forms it needs.

Do I need a lawyer for a marriage green card?

Many people prepare their own petition. welcomeUSA is self-help software: it puts your answers on the official USCIS forms and checks the packet for completeness before you file. If your case needs legal advice, we can connect you with an independent licensed immigration attorney.

What do lawyers charge for a marriage green card?

Private immigration attorneys typically charge $3,000–$8,000 to prepare a family-based green card petition. Our flat technology fees are a fraction of that because software, not billable hours, does the repetitive work — family petitions start from $249.

Am I financially responsible if I marry an immigrant?

Family petitions usually travel with the affidavit of support, the filing that covers financial sponsorship. Its page explains what it is, and your free check shows whether your case needs one.

Work petitions

Can I get a work green card without an employer?

Yes — the EB-2 national interest waiver is an employment-based green card with no employer needed, one of the self-petition paths. The free check shows what a case like yours involves.

Does my employer have to file for me?

It depends on the petition. The self-petition paths need no employer. Petitions like the H-1B or L-1 are submitted by an employer, so they are not sold as self-help drafts here — each of those pages explains the path.

Can investors get a visa or green card?

There are two routes: the E-2 treaty investor visa (a visa, not a green card) and the EB-5 investor green card, which involves an $800,000 investment and needs an immigration lawyer. Each page explains the path.

What are permits and travel documents?

Shorter filings, often filed while a case is pending — work permits and travel documents have their own pages, and the free check shows whether your case includes one.

I’m a Canadian or Mexican professional — is there a path for me?

The TN category is for USMCA professionals from Canada and Mexico. It is filed by the employer, so it is not sold as a self-help draft — its page explains the path.

Do companies sponsor green cards?

Yes — several employment green cards are employer-filed, like EB-2 and EB-3 through an employer, which go through PERM labor certification first. Those pages explain the path; they are not sold as self-help drafts because the employer files.

Can my employer’s HR team file an H-1B for me?

The H-1B is an employer-filed work visa — the petition is submitted by the employer, not the worker, so it is not sold as a self-help draft here. Its page explains the path.

Humanitarian petitions

Are humanitarian petitions really free?

Yes. Qualifying humanitarian cases are built free — not a discount and not a trial. USCIS filing fees go to the government, never to us, and your check shows exactly what applies to your case.

Who qualifies for a humanitarian petition?

These paths cover VAWA, T and U visa, asylee green card, and special immigrant juvenile cases. Answer a few simple questions in the free check and it tells you whether your situation fits one of them.

Is it safe to put my information here?

Your data is encrypted end to end, and we never share it with USCIS or anyone else — you decide when and how to file. You can delete your account and data at any time.

What does the free check show for a protection case?

It shows what a case like yours usually needs. A protection case does not start from the check itself — you see the picture first, and nothing begins until you decide.

Do I need a lawyer for a humanitarian case?

welcomeUSA is self-help software, not a law firm, and no result is guaranteed. If your case needs legal advice, we can connect you with an independent licensed immigration attorney — and qualifying humanitarian petitions are still built free.

Citizenship

When can I apply for citizenship?

Naturalization (Form N-400) is for green card holders — generally after five years, or three if married to a U.S. citizen. The free N-400 early filing calculator shows your 90-day early window.

What is the civics test?

Part of the naturalization interview: an officer asks you civics questions out loud, and you answer. Our civics test guide explains which version you take. To study, the free practice tool works three ways.

Can welcomeUSA help me prepare the N-400?

Yes — the N-400 is a self-help petition here. You answer simple questions, the software puts your answers on the official form, and every field, signature, and document is checked before your packet is marked ready.

What is Form N-400?

The application for naturalization — the form that takes a green card holder to citizenship. The naturalization guide walks the whole path from green card to citizenship.

What does the free check show for citizenship?

The petition that fits, the forms, the documents you will need, the government fees, and the typical timeline — free, before you create an account.

Your case

See what your case needs. It costs nothing to find out.

Free eligibility check
Free eligibility check