Step 1 - Petition
Petitions for all categories of immigrant visas may be filed by the petitioner with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, typically in the United States. Please see the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website for more information on Service Centers where you may file a petition.
Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas will no longer be able to routinely file Forms I-130, Petitions for Alien Relative, with U.S. Embassies and Consulates except in locations where U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has a public counter presence within the Embassy or Consulate. Petitioners residing overseas in countries where USCIS does not have a public counter presence will be required, starting August 15, 2011, to file their Forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox.
Forms I-130 that were properly filed at an Embassy or Consulate overseas where USCIS does not have a presence before August 15, 2011, will not be affected by this change.
Filing Instructions beginning August 15, 2011:
Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, or Jerusalem who wish to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, may do so by filing the I-130 with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox at one of the addresses 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:
Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners who believe that their situation merits an exception, may request an exception to allow the Consular Section at U.S. Consulate Jerusalem to accept the filing. Each request for an exception will be evaluated individually.
A petitioner seeking to file a Form I-130 at U.S. Consulate Jerusalem should contact the Consular Section by email 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 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 has published guidance on the circumstances that may qualify as exceptional at:
http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis
Fiancée petitions, employment based petitions, and petitions filed by U.S. permanent residents (greencard holders) must continue to be filed with USCIS in the United States.
If you do not meet the requirements for filing a petition at the United States Consulate in Jerusalem or plan to file an I-130 petition on or after August 15, you will need to file directly through either the USCIS Service Center in the United States that has jurisdiction over your area of residence or through the USCIS Chicago Lockbox Facility.
You will be notified by mail when your petition has been forwarded by the National Visa Center to the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem. The notification will include an appointment letter with the date and time of your appointment, and information on the final items to prepare for your immigrant visa interview.
If you have questions about filing a petition, applying for an immigrant visa, or other questions related to immigrating to the United States, you may contact the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem by email. Please review the frequently asked questions page before sending your email.
Go to Step 2 – Schedule your Interview