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SimpleCitizen vs Visaido (2026): Marriage Green Card Comparison
7 min readBy the Visaido editorial team
The shorthand
SimpleCitizen built a clean guided-questionnaire experience for USCIS forms. Visaido adds automation on top — the cover letter is drafted automatically, evidence is auto-classified into the four bona fide buckets, and the entire workflow is available in Chinese and Spanish in addition to English.
Both platforms are software-only — neither bundles attorney services. SimpleCitizen offers an optional attorney review add-on; Visaido does not, by design (the position is that you should hire counsel a la carte from any licensed attorney if you actually need it).
Side-by-side
| Feature | SimpleCitizen | Visaido |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage green card (I-130 + I-485) | Yes | Yes |
| Family I-130 (parent / child / sibling) | Yes | Yes |
| EB-2 NIW self-petition | No | On roadmap (free Dhanasar check live) |
| Cover letter drafting | No | Yes |
| Bona fide evidence auto-classification | Checklist + upload | Yes — auto-classifies into 4 buckets |
| Form I-130 / I-485 / I-864 generation | Yes | Yes |
| Exhibit indexing | Manual | Auto-numbered, drops into cover letter |
| Bilingual UI | English only | English + 简体中文 + Spanish |
| Platform fee | $249 (typical) – $349 (with attorney review add-on) | $99 per petition |
| USCIS filing fees | $2,115+ (separate) | $2,115+ (separate) |
Where SimpleCitizen wins
- Longer track record — SimpleCitizen has been in market since 2015 and has more cumulative customer history.
- Attorney-review add-on — built into the workflow as an optional purchase.
- Established help-center documentation.
Where Visaido wins
- Automatic cover letter drafting — SimpleCitizen does not draft your cover letter; you write it yourself from a template.
- Auto-classified bona fide evidence — Visaido's evidence builder slots uploads into the four USCIS-recognised buckets and flags gaps.
- Lower price — $99 vs $249–$349.
- Bilingual workflows for non-English speakers.
- EB-2 NIW path on the roadmap (Dhanasar 3-prong check already live).
Pricing math
| Vendor | Platform fee | USCIS filing fee | Real all-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure DIY | $0 | $2,115 | $2,115 |
| Visaido | $99 | $2,115 | $2,214 |
| SimpleCitizen Basic | $249 | $2,115 | $2,364 |
| SimpleCitizen with attorney review | $349+ | $2,115 | $2,464+ |
Official sources
This guide is based on official U.S. government sources. Forms, fees, and processing details change — always confirm current requirements directly:
- USCIS — Form I-130, Petition for Alien RelativeOfficial I-130 form, instructions, edition date, and filing fee — the petition that establishes a qualifying family relationship.
- USCIS — Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust StatusOfficial I-485 form and instructions for adjusting to lawful permanent resident status from inside the United States.
- USCIS — Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)Official, authoritative USCIS fee schedule. Always cite this for current filing fees — fee amounts change and any number in body copy can go stale.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between SimpleCitizen and Visaido?
- SimpleCitizen is a guided-questionnaire platform — it walks you through filling out USCIS forms and generates an upload checklist. Visaido adds automation on top: it drafts the cover letter automatically, auto-classifies your uploaded evidence into the four bona fide marriage buckets, and works in English, Chinese, and Spanish. Visaido is $99 vs SimpleCitizen's $249–$349.
- Is SimpleCitizen a law firm?
- No. SimpleCitizen is a software platform. An attorney-review add-on connects you to independent immigration attorneys for an additional fee. Visaido takes a similar software-only position but does not bundle attorney services — you hire counsel separately if your case needs it.
- Which is better for a complicated case?
- Neither — both are software platforms. For cases with inadmissibility flags (prior fraud, removal, conviction grounds), prior I-130 denials, or sham-marriage allegations, hire an immigration attorney directly. Both SimpleCitizen and Visaido work best on straightforward cases.
- Does SimpleCitizen draft the I-130 cover letter for me?
- No, as of 2026 SimpleCitizen provides a cover-letter template and instructions but does not generate the final cover letter from your case data. Visaido auto-drafts the entire cover letter from your intake answers and auto-indexes the uploaded evidence into the letter.
- Can I use SimpleCitizen for an EB-2 NIW petition?
- No, as of 2026 SimpleCitizen focuses on family-based and citizenship filings. EB-2 NIW (employment-based self-petition under Matter of Dhanasar) is a different category. Visaido's NIW Self-Petition tier is on the immediate roadmap; the free Dhanasar 3-prong eligibility check is already live at visaido.com/niw/dhanasar.
Skip the $5,000 attorney fee.
Visaido generates your I-130 cover letter, organises bona fide evidence into the four USCIS buckets, and indexes exhibits — all for $99. Free eligibility check first; pay only when you're ready to file.
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