Certain I-130 Petitioners Residing Abroad: New Filing Location
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.
Business and tourism between China and the United States have grown dramatically (especially in 2010) and they are expected to continue growing, over the years. As a result, the U.S. consulates across China have also seen a corresponding rise in visa applicants and wait times for visa appointments. In 2009, 66% of the visas issued by the U.S. consulates in China were for business and tourism to the United States.
In their efforts to meet the extraordinary growth in visa demands, the U.S. consulates in China are actively expanding their staffing and enhancing their technological systems, as well as working over the holidays. For example, over the next few weeks, through the “Super Saturday Visa Program”, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and four U.S. consulates in China, will be opening on Saturdays for the increased Chinese applicants seeking visas to travel to the United States.
IIt is extremely important for foreign nationals traveling to or for those already in the U.S. to adhere to and comply with the complex U.S. immigration law to avoid serious immigration complications. This applies to U.S. lawful permanent residents (LPR) as well. Some of the general matters to consider include, but are not limited to, not overstaying the period of authorized stay (such as the expiration date as endorsed on the I-94 departure/arrival record for non-LPR); not accepting employment in the U.S. without first seeking proper immigration authorization; not perpetrating, committing or attempting to commit visa or immigration fraud.
By Aik Wan Kok, Attorney at Law, at Tiya PLC; Tel: 202-506-9767
www.tiyaimmigration.com ; http://tiyalaw.blogspot.com ; www.immigrationresource.net
We represent companies, and individuals and their families in U.S. immigration law such as green card, work visa and waiver matters. We represent clients within the U.S. and abroad.
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.