Editorial Standards & Methodology

PetitionKit exists to make family immigration paperwork easier to understand and organize. The people who read this site are trying to bring a spouse, parent, child, or sibling home, and mistakes carry real consequences, so we hold our content to a clear standard for sourcing, accuracy, and honesty. This page explains exactly how we work.

Last reviewed August 13, 2026. We review this policy at least twice a year.

Our commitment in one sentence

We organize and explain the government's publicly published immigration rules, forms, and fees accurately, point you to the official source behind each statement, and never invent a fee, a timeline, a statistic, a credential, a person, or a predicted outcome.

Where our information comes from

Family immigration is governed by federal agencies that publish their rules, forms, and procedures, so official government materials are our primary sources. When we describe a requirement, we work from the material that actually governs it:

The official USCIS forms and the instructions USCIS publishes with them, including Form I-130 and its companion forms.
The USCIS Policy Manual, the agency's public statement of how it applies immigration law.
USCIS's published fee schedule and processing time pages, which our calculators and estimators reference rather than invent.
The Department of State's monthly Visa Bulletin and its consular processing materials on travel.state.gov.

Where a claim depends on an outside source, we link to a primary reference, favoring official .gov pages so you can read the rule at its source and confirm it yourself.

How we handle facts that change constantly

Immigration is one of the fastest-moving areas we could have chosen to cover. Filing fees change, processing times shift from month to month and office to office, and the Visa Bulletin moves every month. So we treat time-sensitive specifics differently from stable rules: our guides explain how the system works, while for current fees, dates, and wait times we point you to the live official page instead of freezing a number that will go stale. Where we do cite a specific figure, it reflects the official source as of the date on the page, and we say so.

Who writes and reviews our content

Our articles are researched, written, and edited by the PetitionKit Editorial Team, a group of writers and researchers who focus on family-based immigration paperwork. Every article carries this team byline and a published or updated date.

We are deliberate about what we are not. We are not attorneys, we are not DOJ-accredited representatives, and no one here gives legal advice or publishes under invented expert names or fabricated credentials. When a situation calls for legal judgment, such as a prior denial, unlawful presence, a criminal record, or anything involving inadmissibility, we say so and point you to a licensed immigration attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative instead of pretending to be one.

How we keep content current

Each article shows when it was published and, when applicable, when it was last updated. We revisit content on a rolling basis and when we learn that a form edition, a fee, a policy, or a procedure has changed. Immigration rules still move faster than any publisher can track perfectly, so a date on this site tells you when we last reviewed a page, not that nothing has changed since. Always confirm current requirements at USCIS.gov or travel.state.gov before you file or pay anything.

Corrections and feedback

If you spot something that looks out of date or wrong, tell us and we will check it against the source and fix it promptly. Accurate content is more valuable to us than being right the first time, and reader corrections make this resource better for the next family.

Email corrections to team@petitionkit.com with the page URL and what you believe should change.

What we will never publish

Predictions or promises about approvals, denials, interview outcomes, or how long your case will take. Those decisions belong to USCIS and the Department of State.
Invented fees, made-up statistics, or citations to rules that do not say what we claim.
Legal advice, or any suggestion to answer a government question other than truthfully and completely.
Content that suggests we file with USCIS, communicate with any agency, or represent you in any proceeding.
Fabricated testimonials, success stories, reviews, or ratings.

Independence and how we pay for this

PetitionKit is an independent information publisher. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of USCIS, the Department of State, or any government agency, and we do not accept payment from anyone in exchange for coverage. Everything on this site today, including the calculators, the letter tools, the petition builder, and the guides, is free to use, and we do not currently sell a paid product. If we ever offer one, it will be optional, clearly labeled, and never required to use the free content, and no purchase will ever change what any agency requires or decides.

Read more about who we are on our About page, review our full disclaimer, or browse our 1000 published articles.

Disclaimer: PetitionKit is an independent self-help resource that helps you prepare your own US immigration paperwork. We are not a law firm or an attorney, we are not affiliated with USCIS or any government agency, and nothing here is legal advice. Immigration rules, fees, and processing times change often and depend on your specific situation; always confirm current requirements at USCIS.gov or with a licensed immigration attorney. We do not represent you before any agency and make no promises about the outcome or timing of any case.