Filing the I-130 with USCIS in the U.S.
The Immigrant Visa process begins with a filing of an appropriate immigrant visa petition.
The US citizen or permanent resident relative of intending immigrants, who plan to base their immigrant visa application on family relationship, must submit a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office nearest their place of residence. Once USCIS approves the I-130 petition, they will send the petitioner a notice of approval (Form I-797) and USCIS will also forward the approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC).
NVC will contact the agent or relative petitioner referred in the "Agent of Choice"(DS-3032) of the petition with further information about the immigrant visa process. You do NOT need to contact the National Visa Center. The National Visa Center will contact the intending immigrant with further information.
American citizens residing in Nicaragua should file Form I-130
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
National Visa Center
Once USCIS has approved a petition, the petition will be forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC). All petitions are administratively processed at the NVC. The NVC will forward all Immediate Relative petitions to the embassy specified on the petition. The NVC will store all preference petitions until the priority dates are close to being current. When a petition's priority date is current, the NVC will mail the applicant a packet of information instructing the applicant to assemble necessary documents, complete a biographical information form, and send the form to the specified embassy. At the same time, the NVC will forward the approved petition to the embassy specified on the petition. To contact the National Visa Center, call (603) 334-0700 or write to:
The National Visa Center
32 Rochester Ave.
Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909
If your case is approved and current for processing, you will receive notification from the National Visa Center. The NVC will assign a case number starting with MNG, about the documents required for visa application and about the interview scheduled at the U.S. Embassy in Managua. NVC will send it to Immigrant Visa Unit at the US Embassy in Managua.
Total processing time for the alien-spouse visas for petitions filed in the U.S. can take 6-12 months depending on individual circumstances.
The Consular Section
The Consular Section in Managua receives the approved petition from the NVC. Once the Embassy receives these completed forms, the applicant is considered "document qualified." If the petition is for an Immediate Relative or for a preference category with a current priority date, the Consular Section will schedule the applicant for an appointment approximately two months in the future and send the applicant notice of the appointment date, the medical exam requirements, and a few more forms to complete and bring to the visa appointment. Petitions with priority dates that are not yet current are stored until the priority dates become current, at which time the embassy schedules the appointment and sends notice to the applicant. To contact the Consular Section Immigrant Visa Unit: ManaguaConsularIV@state.gov
Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) contains the following warning:
The Department of Homeland Security investigates claimed relationships and verifies the validity of documents. The Department of Homeland Security seeks criminal prosecutions when family relationships are falsified to obtain visas. Penalties: You may, by law be imprisoned for not more than five years, or fined $250,000, or both, for entering into a marriage contract for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws and you may be fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned up to five years or both, for knowingly and willfully falsifying or concealing a material fact or using any false document in submitting this petition.