Kenya - Nairobi Field Office
Field Office Director
Sonia Gulati
Service Area
The Nairobi Field Office has jurisdiction over U.S. immigration matters in the following countries: Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Street Address
United States Embassy
United Nations Avenue
Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya
Mailing Address from the US
Field Office Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
c/o American Embassy
8900 Nairobi Place
Washington DC 20521-8900
Mailing Address from Outside the US
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
United States Embassy P.O. Box 606
Village Market
00621 Nairobi, Kenya
Express Mail address
Field Office Director
DHS/USCIS
U.S. Embassy
United Nations Avenue
Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya
Office Location
We are located at the U.S. Embassy across from the United Nations compound on United Nations Avenue in the Gigiri suburb of Nairobi. Please use the public entrance for visa applicants to access our staff.
Hours of Operation
The office is open to the public, Tuesday and Thursday from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, and Friday from 9.00AM to 11.00AM by appointment only. The office is closed on Kenyan and American holidays.
Phone, Fax Numbers & E-mail
Phone:
For general inquiries in Kiswahili or English, please call the following number: 254-20-363-6111.
If calling from the United States, please dial 011 first.
Fax:
Please send faxes to 254-20-363-6103.
Status inquiries regarding immigration benefits should be sent to us in writing to either of our mailing addresses.
E-mail:
Please send e-mails to uscis.public@dhs.gov for general inquiries
NBO.Adoptions@dhs.gov for inquiries regarding adoptions
Visiting the office in person
Appointments:
The immigration window in the Consular Section is open to the public by appointment only, on Tuesday and Thursday 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, and Friday 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The office is closed on Kenyan and American holidays.
Walk-ins:
Walk-ins are not permitted at this time. Appointments to file petitions or for any other immigration services may be made on Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM and Friday 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Emergency situations are handled on a case-by-case basis.
Public Transportation
From downtown Nairobi, travel by matatu, bus or taxi:
Go in a northwest direction on Uhuru Highway until the Museum Hill roundabout.
Turn right (traveling in a northerly direction) onto Museum Hill, which becomes Limuru Road.
Continue past the Belgium Embassy and the Canadian Embassy, until reaching the signs for the UNEP and United Nations Avenue.
At Kenol gas station, turn right onto United Nations Avenue.
Proceed approximately 300 meters, the American Embassy is located on the left.
Parking & Handicap Accessibility
Parking is available near the building, but not within the Embassy compound.
Accessibility for individuals with special needs is available.
Paying Fees
Fees for applications and petitions are listed in the Forms section of the USCIS website. The fees for all applications and petitions submitted to this office must be paid with either Kenyan Shillings or U.S. dollars only. Money orders and personal checks are not accepted.
Customer Feedback
We strive to provide quality service to our customers. If we have not lived up to this commitment, or if we have met or exceeded your expectations, please let us know. To comment on the services provided at this office, please write to the Field Office Director at the address given above, or to the:
Mailing Address from the United States:
District Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
United States Embassy
Unit 9500 Box 37
DPO AE 09624-0037
Mailing Address from Outside the United States and Express Mail:
District Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
VIa Sallustiana 49
00187 Roma, Italy
If you feel you were mistreated by a U.S. immigration employee, or wish to make a complaint of misconduct by a U.S. immigration employee, you may write to the District Director, or write directly to the:
Department of Homeland Security
USCIS
Attn: Chief, International Operations Division
20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20529-2100
Forms
Immigration forms are available under the Forms section of the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Visas
For in-depth information about visas, please check the Visa Services section of the U.S. Department of State website.
Form I-407
The abandonment of lawful permanent resident status is irrevocable. An individual who relinquishes lawful permanent resident status must qualify again for such status. Therefore, one should give careful thought to abandoning lawful permanent resident status.
If you wish to abandon your permanent residence and relinquish your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), please contact us by phone or in writing for further instructions.
Forms I-600 & I-600A
For prospective adoptive parents residing in our jurisdiction who wish to file a combined I-600/I-600A, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative and Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, the I-600 petition may be submitted to the Nairobi Field Office in person though an appointment during normal business hours. Prospective adoptive parents residing in our jurisdiction who have an approved I-600A may file the I-600 petition with the Embassy in their country of residence. Prospective adoptive parents who reside in Kenya and who already have an approved I-600A that meets the grandfathered definition may file the I-600 with the Nairobi Field Office.
Information on intercountry adoptions may be found at the Department of State website and in the Adoption section on the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Form I-130
U.S. citizens, who reside locally, may file Forms I-130 by coming to the office after making an appointment. Normal processing time is 30 to 60 days.
Form N-400
U.S. immigration offices overseas do not accept or adjudicate Naturalization applications from U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) that live overseas. See the Citizenship section of the USCIS website for Naturalization eligibility criteria and the proper filing procedures.
Form I-131 Parole
The Nairobi Field Office does not issue Humanitarian Parole. Individuals must apply for Humanitarian Parole by submitting their applications to:
For US Postal Service (USPS) Deliveries:
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
USCIS
PO Box 660865
Dallas, TX. 75266
For Express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: HP
2501 S. State Hwy 121, Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Instructions on how to file an application for Humanitarian Parole are located on Form I-131.
Form I-131 Re-entry
The Nairobi Field Office does not issue or extend Re-Entry Permits. However, the office will deliver new Re-Entry Permits that were applied for prior to an alien's departure from the United States. Please telephone the office for an appointment.
Instructions on how to obtain or replace a Re-Entry permit are found in the How Do I Get A Travel Document section on the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Form I-590
The Nairobi Field Office is unable to directly receive refugee resettlement applications; even though the agency makes decisions regarding refugee eligibility overseas once cases are referred to us. Refugee referrals are made to the United States Refugee Resettlement Program from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some direct applications for refugee family reunification may be filed in the United States if you have close relatives there. These special designated refugee categories change every year, and are effective only for designated nationalities. You may wish to have your relative in the United States contact a voluntary agency that works with immigration and refugee issues.
We are unable to check the status of any pending refugee resettlement application. This may be done by contacting:
Church World Service /Resettlement Support Center
US Refugee Admissions Program
Musa Gitau Road
Off Waiyaki Way
P.O. Box 14176 Westlands,
00800, Nairobi, Kenya
Telephone: 254-20-4440150, 254-20-4440153, or 254-20-4440154
Fax: 254-20-441922
Inquiries on previously rejected refugee applications should be addressed to the Church World Service /Resettlement Support Center (CWS/RSC) at the same address.
For general information and processing criteria please see the Department of State website and in the Refugee section on the USCIS Website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Forms I-601 and I-212
If you are outside of the United States and otherwise approved to immigrate to the United States, but a Department of State Consular Officer found you ineligible to enter because of one or more grounds of inadmissibility for which a waiver may be available, you may apply for a waiver by filing Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.
If you left the U.S. voluntarily after being issued an order of deportation or removal, were deported or removed, or reentered the United States unlawfully after having cumulatively accrued more than one year of unlawful presence, you may apply for readmission the U.S. by filing Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission Into the United States After Deportation or Removal.
Where to File
USCIS has changed where waiver applications are filed. This may provide you with faster and more efficient application processing and will enable you to track your case status online. You may also request an email or text message confirming receipt of your waiver by completing and attaching Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance to your application.
Please read the directions below carefully so we can process your application as quickly as possible.
If you have not yet submitted your application:
• Beginning June 4, 2012, you must mail your waiver application and supporting evidence directly to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
If you have an appointment to submit your application before July 4, 2012:
• You may keep your appointment.
OR
• You may cancel your appointment and mail your application to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
If you submitted your application before July 4, 2012, and:
• Our office received it between June 4 and July 3, 2012, we will process it.
• Our office received it on or after July 4, 2012, we will return it to you. Please mail your application directly to the USCIS Lockbox facility specified in the form instructions.
You may find the address for the appropriate USCIS Lockbox facility in the form instructions or see, Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, and I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal.
I-601 Expedited Adjudication Requests
Applicants for Waivers of Inadmissibility, Form I-601, may request that the USCIS office expedite adjudication of the Form I-601 waiver application when there are extraordinary circumstances that are time-sensitive, compelling, and necessitate the applicant’s presence in the United States sooner than would be possible if the application were processed under normal processing times. The strong desire to immigrate to the United States as soon as possible is not by itself “extraordinary.”
A request to expedite adjudication must be made in writing and delivered to the USCIS Field Office Director. The applicant must provide evidence of the extraordinary and compelling circumstance. If the request to expedite the adjudication of an I-601 waiver is approved, the USCIS office will notify the applicant within 15 days of receipt of the request. If no response is received with 15 days, the applicant must presume the request for the expeditious adjudication has been denied.
Please be aware that approval to expedite adjudication of an I-601 waiver application does not guarantee approval of the I-601 waiver application, but only that consideration and adjudication of the I-601 waiver application will be expeditiously handled. If the request for expedited processing is denied, the waiver will be adjudicated within normal processing times.
For current I-601 processing times for international offices, please select the "Processing Times" link on the right, under “More Information.”
Transportation Boarding Letters
DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may issue transportation letters to Lawful Permanent Residents whose documents have been lost, stolen, or expired. Please contact CBP directly at 254-20-3636525.
