Important information for I-130 filers living abroad

[Silverberry1331 25]

Hi Friends,

I received this email this morning from the Casablanca Consulate. I am not sure if anyone else received it but, wanted to share. Please pass it on. Thanks, G.

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Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas will no longer

be able to routinely file Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative,

with U.S. Embassies and Consulates except in locations where U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a public counter

presence within the Embassy or Consulate. Petitioners residing overseas

in countries where USCIS does not have a public counter presence will be

required, starting August 15, 2011, to file their Forms I-130 by mail

with the USCIS Chicago lockbox. U.S. Embassies and Consulates that do

not have a USCIS presence will only be able to accept and process Forms

I-130 in exceptional circumstances, as outlined below.

Forms I-130 that were properly filed at an Embassy or Consulate overseas

where USCIS does not have a presence before August 15, 2011, will not be

affected by this change.

Filing Instructions Beginning August 15, 2011:

Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas who wish to

file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, may do so as follows:

- If the petitioner resides in a country in which USCIS has a public

counter presence, the Form I-130 may be filed directly with the USCIS

field office (see instructions below) or through the USCIS Chicago

Lockbox at one of the below addresses.

- If the petitioner resides in a country where USCIS does not have a

public counter presence, the Form I-130 must be filed with the USCIS

Chicago Lockbox at one of the addresses below, unless the petitioner

requests and is granted an exception based on one of the criteria

described below:

USCIS Chicago Lockbox addresses for regular mail deliveries:

USCIS

P.O. Box 804625

Chicago, IL 60680-4107

USCIS Chicago Lockbox address for express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS

Attn: I-130

131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor

Chicago, IL 60603-5517

For additional information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS

Chicago lockbox, please see the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov or

contact USCIS by phone at 1-800-375-5283.

Filing at USCIS Overseas Field Offices:

From August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in a country 3 where USCIS

has a field office, with a public counter, may choose to file the Form

I-130 either through the Chicago lockbox or at the USCIS field office.

Petitioners should contact the USCIS field office with any questions

regarding the filing of petitions. For more information on where USCIS

has overseas field offices and contact information, please visit:

http://www.uscis.gov/international.

Exceptional Filing at U.S. Embassies or Consulates without a USCIS Field

Office:

Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners, who do not reside in a country

with a USCIS field office, but who

believe that their situation merits an exception, may request an

exception to allow the Consular Section at the Embassy or Consulate to

accept the filing. Each request for an exception will be evaluated

individually.

A petitioner seeking to file a Form I-130 at an Embassy or Consulate

where USCIS does not have a presence should contact the Consular Section

to request consideration of the request for exception and explain the

circumstances in detail. The Consular Section will then relay the

request for an exception to the USCIS field office with jurisdiction

over the Embassy or Consulate. The determination of whether the case

presents exceptional circumstances that warrant an exception to the

general filing process will be made by USCIS. USCIS will be publishing

guidance on the circumstances that may qualify as exceptional on their

website at:

http://www.uscis.gov/ilink/docView/AFM/HTML/AFM/0-0-0-1/0-0-0-3481/0-0-0

-6254.html.

Please contact the Consular Section at ivcasablanca@state.gov for

further information.

American Citizens Services

United States Consulate General

8, Blvd Moulay Youssef

Casablanca, Morocco 20000

http://morocco.usembassy.gov <http://morocco.usembassy.gov>