Step 1: The Petition

An application for an immigrant visa starts with the filing of a petition. 

Since August 15, 2011 except in locations where U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a public counter presence within the Embassy or Consulate , petitioners residing overseas must file Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative, 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.

Note: USCIS does NOT have a public counter within Saudi Arabia; therefore U.S. citizens in Saudi Arabia must file the I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, 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.

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

Since 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/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=2b2a3e70369ff210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Please contact the Consular Section at RiyadhIV@State.gov for further information.

FEES

A filing fee of $420 – bank check or money order – must accompany Form I-130 using the following guidelines:

1. The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency; and

2. Make the check or money order payale to U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do NOT use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS”

USCIS PROCESSING TIMES INFORMATION

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is committed to offering the best possible service to its customer. For information on current processing times and other information concerning Immigrant Visa Petitions, please see the following link: https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do