Where will your I-129F Petition for K-1 be Processed?

[Texasav8r 183]

Ever wonder where your petition will go? CSC? TSC? Well, this question is asked by many new members here, and there are many mistakes made while filling out timelines. I decided to throw together a map that will help answer this question. Now, as with everything, there are exceptions to every rule and nothing is perfect (especially when dealing with the government), but after the research I have conducted and after comparing my data with a list recently provided from a immigration attorney's website, I believe the data is very accurate.

The map has two colors and applies to the home state that the petitioner lives in when the petition is filed. A red state will be processed at the CSC and a blue state will be processed at the TSC.

*** - Please understand that each petition is mailed to Texas. This is NOT NOT NOT the TSC. Understand? The lock box in Texas (NOT the TSC) will then screen the application for errors and ensure the payment is there and then "accept" the petition. They will then route (NOT TRANSFER) the petition to the service center that applies to the state you are a resident in. You will then receive a NOA1 which will include a file number which begins with 3 letters and has several numbers after them:

WAC = CSC

SRC = TSC

The NOA1 will also include a Notice Date and that is the date you begin counting from.

NOTE - This only applies to I-129F petitions for K-1 Visas. This also applies to NORMAL petitions and not expedites as far as I know. There may be a different process for determining where those are processed but I do not have any data to accurately support that.

I hope this helps clear up the where's and why's and if your particular situation is different, please don't kill the messenger. Like I said above, there are exceptions to every rule and only the USCIS (maybe) knows why.

If the mods determine this is accurate enough to sticky..please do. Thanks all and good luck on your journeys

Edited May 31, 2014 by Texasav8r

[kehills 217]

You appear to have left out the Vermont Service Center - or did they stop processing K-1 VISAs?

[RW365 33]

You would think this would be obvious to folk, but amazingly enough, people either don't know, or don't care. Which itself is funny, because on an issue that they hyperventilate so much about, you'd think they would make the effort to figure out the basics.

Anyway, this is a good effort, and I support it being pinned for posterity!

[Zedayn 485]

You appear to have left out the Vermont Service Center - or did they stop processing K-1 VISAs?

Vermont no longer processes I-129F petitions. The only service centers that process I-129F petitions are Texas and California.

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Vermont is not currently processing I-129F petitions. All those that would have been sent to Vermont are now sent to Texas, since July 2013.

Last time this was posted about, some people responded that where their petitions ended up did not fit neatly into the chart > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/423921-which-service-center-handles-which-states-i-129f-petitions/

[RW365 33]

Ever wonder where your petition will go? CSC? TSC? Well, this question is asked by many new members here, and there are many mistakes made while filling out timelines. I decided to throw together a map that will help answer this question. Now, as with everything, there are exceptions to every rule and nothing is perfect (especially when dealing with the government), but after the research I have conducted and after comparing my data with a list recently provided from a immigration attorney's website, I believe the data is very accurate.

The map has two colors and applies to the home state that the petitioner lives in when the petition is filed. A red state will be processed at the CSC and a blue state will be processed at the TSC.

*** - Please understand that each petition is mailed to Texas. This is NOT NOT NOT the TSC. Understand? The lock box in Texas (NOT the TSC) will then screen the application for errors and ensure the payment is there and then "accept" the petition. They will then route (NOT TRANSFER) the petition to the service center that applies to the state you are a resident in. You will then receive a NOA1 which will include a file number which begins with 3 letters and has several numbers after them:

WAC = CSC

SRC = TSC

The NOA1 will also include a Notice Date and that is the date you begin counting from.

NOTE - This only applies to I-129F petitions for K-1 Visas. This also applies to NORMAL petitions and not expedites as far as I know. There may be a different process for determining where those are processed but I do not have any data to accurately support that.

I hope this helps clear up the where's and why's and if your particular situation is different, please don't kill the messenger. Like I said above, there are exceptions to every rule and only the USCIS (maybe) knows why.

If the mods determine this is accurate enough to sticky..please do. Thanks all and good luck on your journeys

And I'm glad you coloured east coast blue!

[Texasav8r 183]

Vermont is not currently processing I-129F petitions. All those that would have been sent to Vermont are now sent to Texas, since July 2013.

Last time this was posted about, some people responded that where their petitions ended up did not fit neatly into the chart > http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/423921-which-service-center-handles-which-states-i-129f-petitions/

Ooops, I missed that. Oh well, knowing how the natural tendency of humans is to be lazy, perhaps a nice color map will get more attention lol.

[Texasav8r 183]

And I'm glad you coloured east coast blue!

My logic was actually related to how hot (red) CSC was quickly processing petitions and how cold (blue) or painfully slow (like an iceberg moving through the water) TSC was. I like blue too though and that is where I fit in this map.

[pinayanne27 8]

Thank you so much for this info.

My fiance is from florida so we have no choice but to be patient with the timeline of tsc. I hope they will do something about the processing time of tsc as compared to csc.

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

I-129F petitions currently are processed by the California Service Center (CSC) and the Texas Service Center (TSC).

California Service Center processes I-129f petitions for petitioners residing in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Texas Service Center processes I-129f petitions for petitioners residing in: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

http://www.visaearth.com/k1_faq.html

[sweetswinks 400]

I-129F petitions currently are processed by the California Service Center (CSC) and the Texas Service Center (TSC).

California Service Center processes I-129f petitions for petitioners residing in: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Texas Service Center processes I-129f petitions for petitioners residing in: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

http://www.visaearth.com/k1_faq.html

Puerto Rico?!

[YouAndMeForever 1,022]

Puerto Rico?!

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico

Puerto Ricans are US citizens. They do not require a K-1 visa to enter the US. There is no US Embassy in Puerto Rico because it is a US territory.

EDIT > Ok, had a 'Durhh' moment. This is about filing. Those US citizens that live in Puerto Rico and are filing an I-129F for a foreign fiance(e) would be on this list. I think I need to stop reading and get to sleeping now.

Edited June 2, 2014 by KayDeeCee

[RW365 33]

My logic was actually related to how hot (red) CSC was quickly processing petitions and how cold (blue) or painfully slow (like an iceberg moving through the water) TSC was. I like blue too though and that is where I fit in this map.

I was thinking more along the lines of Democrat and Republican!

[Texasav8r 183]

Puerto Rico?!

Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands - TSC

Guam - CSC

Sorry, I forgot to include a note about that on the map.