August 15th Cut-off Date for DCF filing

[Sergi9 110]

USCIS Centralizes Filing of Form I-130

Improved Process for Petitioners Abroad will Increase Efficiency and Flexibility

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that effective Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. This will increase the efficiency of the relative petition filing process and give USCIS more flexibility in managing its workload. Previous regulations permitted these petitioners, who comprise about 5 percent of all I-130 petitioners, to file with USCIS or the U.S. Department of State at their local U.S. embassy or consulate.

Under the new regulation, published today in the Federal Register, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices may file a Petition for an Alien Relative based on the addresses provided in the revised form instructions, also available on www.uscis.gov:

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

Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office have the option of sending their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live.

To enable a smooth transition, petitioners should continue to file at their local U.S. embassy or consulate through Aug. 14, 2011. Beginning Aug. 15, petitioners residing abroad must file according to the new instructions.

Individuals with questions or concerns should contact the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.

[dubbers 0]

Is this the much-rumoured end of DCF, except in a few countries?

dubbers

[digital82 3]

I heard about it too... Im guessing no more DCF...

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

I thought most US embassies has USCIS offices?

[dubbers 0]

I thought most US embassies has USCIS offices?

Maybe - I know London does, but Dublin doesn't, does it?

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Maybe - I know London does, but Dublin doesn't, does it?

Yes, that seems correct: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=a374b363bf568110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextoid=1e09aba06bb09110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

[LBeachey 44]

I think the USCIS offices in all cases are technically separate from the embassy. For security reasons they are located within the embassy.

[dubbers 0]

I think the USCIS offices in all cases are technically separate from the embassy. For security reasons they are located within the embassy.

I think you may have missed the point of the thread. In embassies that don't have USCIS offices attached (ie, most of them), you used to be able to DCF the i-130 at the embassy, and the department of state would process it. that's what I'm doing in Dublin now. But as of later this year, you won't be able to do that.

I reread the press release, and it is hilarious:

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced that effective Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility.

Makes it sound like we're being given a brand new opportunity! Except we've always been able to do that. They're taking away the other (vastly quicker and superior) option.

dubbers

[payxibka 10,045]

I thought most US embassies has USCIS offices?

Far from it... Several hundred consulates around the world, but only a couple dozen or so USCIS foreign field offices

[ryanandjen04 1]

I'm just wondering, does anyone on here know if those of us who are waiting and trying to schedule our appointment though Montreal are able to transfer and do our interview in the states??? Or if this would slow down the process?? After 2 months of trying to schedule in Montreal I am ready to try anything!!!

[ryanandjen04 1]

I'm just wondering, does anyone on here know if those of us who are waiting and trying to schedule our appointment though Montreal are able to transfer and do our interview in the states??? Or if this would slow down the process?? After 2 months of trying to schedule in Montreal I am ready to try anything!!!

(Considering the new changes I mean)

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

No, the US doesn't do visa interviews. Whether you started our via the Chicago Lockbox or DCF, the visa interview will be in a US embassy abroad.

[Spain11 0]

Does anyone have any idea how much this will alter the processing time now?

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

For those who now have to file via the Chicago lockbox, the processing time will be the same as for petitioners filing from within the USA- ie 9-12 months. For those that can still file DCF, I doubt there is much of a processing time change.