USCIS filing locations vs Chicago lockbox

[rahill 28]

I am about to being a CR-1 Spouse visa. I plan to be outside the US when I file, but I have an address in the US (I'm maintaining a residence in the US). I'm returning briefly to the US before returning to my spouse's home country again and wondering if people think it makes more sense to file through what would be my local (according to my US address) filing location or use the Chicago lockbox for filing from overseas. I think I heard that if filing from overseas it takes longer. By the way, there is no DCF at the US embassy here in Ethiopia...so that's not an option for us. Any thoughts?

Edited August 2, 2016 by rahill

[NikLR 13,227]

Even if you filed within the USA you would send either to Chicago or Phoenix lockbox.

[rahill 28]

Even if you filed within the USA you would send either to Chicago or Phoenix lockbox.

Right. I guess a better way of stating my question is this: Since the Chicago lockbox is specifically for overseas filing in addition to being the assigned lockbox for a host of other domestic locales does anyone have any insight as to whether or not things could take longer going that through that lockbox. Does anyone have any insight/evidence as to whether or not I am actually better off sending it to the phoenix lockbox? Or is that a specious rumor that I heard...

[arken 4,197]

You don't get to select the lockboxes. You have to send the petition to the lockbox dedicated for your home State. Look for i130 filing address.

Edited August 2, 2016 by arken

[rahill 28]

You don't get to select the lockboxes. You have to send the petition to the lockbox dedicated for your home State. Look for i130 filing address.

Ok. So maybe I'm still not being clear. I know you don't select the lockbox based on your willy nilly preference and that its based on your home state. My filing address as per my US residence address is the Phoenix lockbox. However, I am currently outside the US so I could send it to the Chicago lockbox now or wait until when I'm coming into the US for a week on business to send it to the Phoenix lockbox (again, that IS the assigned lockbox for my state which is California). My question is if there is any advantage to waiting a couple weeks and sending it to the Phoenix lockbox instead of sending it to the one designated to overseas filers...which technically as of right now, I am. The rumor I heard and was trying to either confirm or dispel is that things going through the Chicago lockbox are notoriously slow. True or false? Anyone?

[NikLR 13,227]

If your home address is the Phoenix lockbox, send it there if you're only visiting outside the USA. All the lockbox does is take your money and forward the petition on appropriately so one is not slower than the other.

[JFH 12,190]

Petitions don't spend more than a few days at the lockbox location. It's just a huge mail room where truckloads of petitions are delivered each day. They open them, make a few initial checks (payment enclosed? Form signed? Correct version of form?) and then send it on its way to a service centre. There is no reason for any delay at either lock box location. They have to keep the petitions moving because every day more truckloads are arriving and also they don't actually do very much with the petition except those few checks and cash the check payment.

The speed of your approval will depend on the service centre it is sent to and that your documents are all in order. The service centre you have no control over. Making sure all your documents are complete you have every control over.

Edited August 2, 2016 by JFH