Edition 04/01/24Verified May 2026Not a law firm · Not legal advice

Form I-130 · Part 2, Items 11-15 & 42-49

I-130 Petitioner's Address & Employment History (Part 2, Items 11-15, 42-49)

Q: Whose address and employment history does I-130 Part 2 ask for?

The petitioner's, meaning the U.S. citizen or green card holder filing for the spouse. The address history is Items 12-15 and the employment history is Items 42-49. The immigrant spouse's information goes in Part 4.

How to list your own five-year address and job history as the U.S. citizen or green card holder petitioning for your spouse.

Quick answer

List your physical addresses for the last five years (Items 12-15) and your employment for the last five years (Items 42-49), current first, with From and To dates that leave no gaps. This is about you, the petitioner (the U.S. citizen or green card holder filing for your spouse), not the immigrant spouse.

Summary

For most marriage-based filers, Form I-130 Part 2 asks the petitioner (the U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, meaning a green card holder, who files for the spouse) to list a physical address history for the last five years (Items 12.a-15.b) and an employment history for the last five years (Items 42-49). You list your current physical address and current employer first, then work backward, using From and To dates (mm/dd/yyyy) so the timeline has no gaps. Item 11 first asks whether your current mailing address is the same as your physical address. These are your details as the petitioner, not the beneficiary's (the beneficiary is the immigrant spouse you are sponsoring). The same petitioner later signs Form I-864, so the address and job you list here should match what you report there.

Whose history is this	The petitioner's. On a marriage petition that is you, the U.S. citizen or green card holder sponsoring your spouse. Not the beneficiary's.
Address history items	Item 11 (mailing same as physical?), then Physical Address 1 (Items 12.a-12.h with dates 13.a-13.b) and Physical Address 2 (Items 14.a-14.h with dates 15.a-15.b).
Employment history items	Employer 1 (Item 42 name, 43.a-43.h address, 44 occupation, 45.a-45.b dates) and Employer 2 (Item 46 name, 47.a-47.h address, 48 occupation, 49.a-49.b dates).
Time period	The last five years for both, whether inside or outside the United States. Current address and current employer go first.
If unemployed	Type or print "Unemployed" in Item 42, per the form's own instruction.
No gaps	From and To dates should connect with no unexplained gaps in the five-year window. Use additional sheets if you had more than two addresses or employers.

Who this page is for

This page covers the standard case: listing your own addresses and jobs for the last five years as the petitioner. Filling in dates and employers is factual and administrative. If your address history overlaps with time spent in immigration detention or removal proceedings, or if your employment history involves work done without authorization, those are separate legal issues, and people in that situation often consult a licensed immigration attorney before completing the form.

What the address and employment fields look like on the form

Both sit in Part 2 (Information About You, the petitioner). The Address History block holds Items 11 through 15; the Employment History block holds Items 42 through 49.

Form I-130, Part 2 (Information About You, address and employment history) : Items 11 through 15 and 42 through 49 as they appear on edition 04/01/24 — Form I-130, Part 2, Address History (Items 11-15) and Employment History (Items 42-49). Edition 04/01/24. Source: USCIS.

Verbatim · Address History heading (Form I-130, edition 04/01/24, page 2)
“Provide your physical addresses for the last five years, whether inside or outside the United States. Provide your current address first if it is different from your mailing address in Item Numbers 10.a. - 10.i.”
11. Is your current mailing address the same as your physical address? (Yes / No)
Physical Address 1 · 12.a. Street Number and Name 12.b. Apt./Ste./Flr. 12.c. City or Town 12.d. State 12.e. ZIP Code 12.f. Province 12.g. Postal Code 12.h. Country
13.a. Date From (mm/dd/yyyy) 13.b. Date To (mm/dd/yyyy)
Physical Address 2 · 14.a.-14.h. (same fields) 15.a. Date From 15.b. Date To

Verbatim · Employment History heading (Form I-130, edition 04/01/24, page 4)
“Provide your employment history for the last five years, whether inside or outside the United States. Provide your current employment first. If you are currently unemployed, type or print "Unemployed" in Item Number 42.”
Employer 1 · 42. Name of Employer/Company 43.a.-43.h. Employer address 44. Your Occupation 45.a. Date From (mm/dd/yyyy) 45.b. Date To (mm/dd/yyyy)
Employer 2 · 46. Name of Employer/Company 47.a.-47.h. Employer address 48. Your Occupation 49.a. Date From 49.b. Date To

The headings printed on the form itself carry the five-year rule for both sections. Always complete the current edition from uscis.gov/i-130; USCIS rejects outdated editions.

Physical address vs. mailing address (Item 11)

Item 11 is the gatekeeper for the address history. It asks whether your current mailing address is the same as your physical address, and your answer decides whether you fill in Items 12 onward.

Physical address	Where you actually live and sleep. This is what the address history (Items 12-15) records over the last five years.
Mailing address	Where you receive mail. It can be a P.O. box, a relative's home, or an attorney's office. It lives in Items 10.a-10.i.
Item 11	Answer "Yes" if your mailing and physical address are the same. Answer "No" and complete Physical Address 1 (Items 12.a-13.b) if they differ.
Common case	Most petitioners use one address for both. If you do, answer "Yes" to Item 11, and your current address still anchors the five-year history.

Filling the dates so the five years have no gaps

The same date logic applies to both the address history (Items 13.a-15.b) and the employment history (Items 45.a-49.b).

Start with today and work backward

List your current physical address and current employer first, then the prior one, going back at least five years. The current entry's "Date To" is usually "PRESENT" since you still live there or still work there.

Use the mm/dd/yyyy format the form asks for

Every From and To date uses mm/dd/yyyy. If you remember only the month and year, USCIS accepts a best estimate; use the first of the month when you cannot recall the exact day, and keep the order accurate.

Leave no gaps in the five-year window

Each "Date To" should line up with the next entry's "Date From" so the timeline is continuous. A gap suggests a missing address or job. If you were between jobs, that period is covered by the "Unemployed" entry, not left blank.

Use extra sheets if you need more rows

The form prints space for two physical addresses and two employers. If you moved more often or changed jobs more often inside five years, continue on Part 8 (Additional Information) or a separate sheet, repeating the same item numbers.

Marriage-based filers: this is your history, and it should match your I-864

On a marriage petition the petitioner is you, the U.S. citizen or green card holder, and the beneficiary is your immigrant spouse. Part 2 Items 11-15 and 42-49 are entirely about you: your physical addresses for the last five years and your own jobs over the same period. Your spouse's address and employment belong in Part 4, not here.

The reason consistency matters: you, the same petitioner, also file Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support), where you swear you can financially support your spouse. Your current physical address and your current employer on the I-130 should match the address and the employer behind the income you report on the I-864. If you list one employer here and a different current employer there, the officer reviewing both forms will see the mismatch.

Your address history can also overlap with the time you and your spouse lived together, which Part 4 of the I-130 asks about separately. A clean, gap-free address timeline supports the picture of a real, shared life.

Want your address and job history to line up across every form?

Our software asks for your addresses and employers once, then carries them consistently across your I-130 and I-864 so the dates and details match.

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What USCIS does with your address and employment history

USCIS uses the petitioner's address and employment history to confirm your identity, run background and security checks, and see where you have lived and worked over the recent past. On a marriage case it also helps the officer assess whether you and your spouse have a shared life, since your address history can line up with the period you lived together. A continuous, gap-free timeline that matches your other forms signals a clean, consistent record and reduces the chance of a Request for Evidence (an RFE, a USCIS notice asking for more information).

Common mistakes

These are the ones that show up most often on these fields.

1
Entering the beneficiary's address or job
Part 2 is about you, the petitioner. The immigrant spouse's address and employment go in Part 4 (Information About Beneficiary). Mixing them up is one of the most common Part 2 errors.
2
Listing the mailing address as the physical address
If you use a P.O. box or a relative's address for mail, that goes in Items 10.a-10.i, not in the physical address history. Answer Item 11 honestly and complete Items 12 onward with where you actually live.
3
Leaving date gaps
Skipping a short-term apartment or a brief job leaves a gap between a "Date To" and the next "Date From". USCIS reads gaps as missing information. Account for the full five years, including any "Unemployed" stretch.
4
An address or employer that contradicts your I-864
You, the same petitioner, file Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) later. If your current address or current employer differs between the two forms without explanation, the officer notices. Keep them consistent.

Related guides

Form and pathway context

Frequently asked questions

Whose address and employment history does I-130 Part 2 ask for?

The petitioner's, meaning you, the U.S. citizen or green card holder filing for your spouse. The address history is Items 12-15 and the employment history is Items 42-49. The immigrant spouse's information goes in Part 4, not here.

How far back does the I-130 address and employment history go?

Five years for both. The form says to provide your physical addresses and your employment for the last five years, whether inside or outside the United States, current first.

What is the difference between physical address and mailing address on the I-130?

Your physical address is where you actually live; your mailing address (Items 10.a-10.i) is where you get mail, which can be a P.O. box or another person's home. Item 11 asks whether they are the same. If not, you complete the physical address fields starting at Item 12.

What do I put if I was unemployed during the five years?

The form tells you to type or print "Unemployed" in Item 42 for current unemployment. For an earlier gap between jobs, account for that stretch as unemployment so the timeline has no unexplained gaps.

Do my I-130 address and employment have to match my I-864?

You are the same petitioner on both forms, so your current address and current employer should match. The I-864 is where you report income from that employment, and an officer comparing the two forms expects them to line up.

What if I had more than two addresses or employers in five years?

The form prints space for two of each. List additional ones on Part 8 (Additional Information) or a continuation sheet, repeating the same item numbers so each address and job has its own From and To dates.

Key takeaways

✓
Part 2's address history (Items 12-15) and employment history (Items 42-49) are about you, the petitioner, not the beneficiary spouse.
✓
Both cover the last five years, whether inside or outside the U.S., with the current address and current employer listed first.
✓
Item 11 asks whether your mailing address (Items 10.a-10.i) matches your physical address; complete the physical-address fields if it does not.
✓
Use mm/dd/yyyy From and To dates that connect with no gaps; type "Unemployed" in Item 42 if you have no current job.
✓
Keep your current address and current employer consistent with the I-864 the same petitioner files later.

This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-130, edition 04/01/24. Last verified May 2026.

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