New Filing Location for Certain I-130 Petitioners Residing Abroad

On May 16, 2011, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new regulation stipulating that, effective August 15, 2011, I-130 petitioners residing in foreign countries without international USCIS offices must file their Forms I-130 Petition for Alien Relative with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility at:

For U.S. Postal Service:

USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Attn. CSC/I-130/OS
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For Express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn. CSC/I-130/OS
131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Under the current procedures and before August 15, 2011, I-130 petitioners residing abroad without international USCIS offices would be filing their I-130s with the USCIS or the U.S. Department of State at their local U.S. embassy or U.S. Consulate.  From August 15, 2011 onwards, I-130 petitioners residing abroad without international USCIS offices must file their Forms I-130 with the Chicago Lockbox facility at the address above.

As of August 15, 2011, I-130 petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office have the option of sending their Forms I-130 to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over their area of residence.

Since the new regulation becomes effective only on August 15, 2011, all I-130 petitioners should still follow the procedures currently in place until August 14, 2011.

By Aik Wan Kok Fillali, Attorney at Law, at Tiya PLC; Tel: 703-772-8224

www.tiyaimmigration.com ; http://tiyalaw.blogspot.com ; www.immigrationresource.net 

We represent employers, and individuals and their families in green card and work visa matters in U.S. immigration law. We also have a focus on self-petition green card cases such as extraordinary ability and national interest waiver.

All Rights Reserved.

This article is intended for informational purposes only, and should not be relied on as a legal advice or an attorney-client relationship.

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