Form I-130, family
U.S. citizens and green card holders use it to establish a qualifying relationship. Approval alone does not grant status or a green card.
Family petitions and many work routes involve a petitioner
The filer and the first form depend on the exact category, and some employment categories allow self-petitioning.
Family-based cases typically open with Form I-130 filed by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative, while employment cases often begin with Form I-140 from an employer, though some workers self-petition. Each form page on uscis.gov lists eligibility, evidence and the current fee. Read the instructions for your exact relationship or job category, because a sibling petition and a spouse petition move on very different clocks. Guessing the category wastes months; reading the instructions takes an afternoon.
Form I-140, employment
Employers use it to sponsor a worker for permanent residence. A few categories, such as certain national interest waivers, allow self-filing.
Form I-765, work permit
Some applicants with a pending case can request employment authorization while waiting. Eligibility depends on the underlying category, not on need.
Humanitarian and citizenship routes have their own doors
Protection and naturalization follow rules that do not mirror family or work cases.
Asylum, refugee processing, Temporary Protected Status and naturalization each carry separate eligibility tests and deadlines. Naturalization uses Form N-400 and generally requires years of permanent residence plus continuous presence, while asylum claims have their own filing windows. Because these categories shift with policy, read the current USCIS page for your category rather than relying on a relative's experience from years ago. If your history includes arrests, prior removals or unlawful presence, speak with an authorized representative before filing anything.