Mexico - USCIS Mexico City Field Office
ALERT: USCIS issued guidance (PDF, 315.53 KB), effective Feb 1, 2020, delegating authority to the Department of State (DOS) to accept and adjudicate a Form I-130 filed by a U.S. citizen petitioner for an immediate relative if the petitioner establishes exceptional circumstances or falls under blanket authorization criteria defined by USCIS. This guidance, which applies even in countries with a USCIS presence, can be found in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B Chapter 3.
As of Feb. 1, 2020, USCIS will no longer accept and adjudicate routine Form I-130 petitions at its remaining international field offices. Petitioners residing overseas who are unable to file with DOS must file Form I-130 by mail with the USCIS lockbox facility in Dallas or online using the USCIS website.
Geographic Jurisdiction
USCIS Mexico City has jurisdiction over U.S. immigration matters in Mexico.
Public Inquiries
All public inquiries should be directed to the USCIS Contact Center. If you need to talk to a representative for another reason, and are in the United States or a U.S. territory, you can call the USCIS Contact Center. Dial 800-375-5283 (for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability: TTY 800-767-1833) to access automated information through an interactive menu 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are outside the United States or a U.S. territory, you can call 1-212-620-3418.
You can get live help from a USCIS representative Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern except on federal holidays.
Appointments
You must make an online appointment to visit USCIS Mexico City.
Walk-Ins
USCIS Mexico City does not accept walk-ins.
Office Services
Click on the tabs below for additional information on each service. For a complete explanation of the fees, required forms and documentation associated with the forms that we may accept directly at this office, click on the form name within the tab. To see if there are any special instructions for filing at this office, please see the information under “Filing and Other Special Instructions” within each tab.
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
Use this form to establish your relationship to a relative who wishes to immigrate to the United States.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
File your petition by mail with the USCIS Lockbox facility in Dallas or online using the USCIS website. You can find additional filing information on the Form I-130 webpage.
If you are a U.S. citizen, the Department of State may accept a petition from you if you are filing for your immediate relative (spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21, or parent (if you are 21 years of age or older) at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in certain limited circumstances, as described in USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 3. Please contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live for further information.
Active-Duty Military: If you are an active-duty U.S. citizen service member stationed permanently at a military base overseas, you may file this petition directly with the Department of State at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate without needing to establish exceptional circumstances.
Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)
Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)
Purpose:
To allow lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who do not have a Green Card or reentry permit to apply for a travel document (carrier documentation) that permits a transportation carrier to allow them to board a flight or vessel to the United States without penalty.
Who May File or Receive Service:
You may apply for carrier documentation if you are an LPR and:
- You are returning from temporary international travel of less than one year and your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or Form I-551) has been lost, stolen, or destroyed.
- You are returning from temporary international travel of less than two years and your reentry permit (Form I-327) has been lost, stolen, or destroyed.
We will measure the length of your absence from the United States from the time you departed the U.S. to the time you pay the fee for filing Form I-131A.
If you are an LPR with an expired Green Card, you may not need to file a Form I-131A. You should check with your airline or vessel before filing a Form I-131A.
Although regulations generally require an LPR to travel with a valid Green Card, CBP policy permits a transportation carrier bound for the United States to board an LPR without carrier documentation if you:
- Are an LPR who has an expired Green Card that was issued with a 10-year expiration date, or
- Are an LPR with an expired Green Card with a two-year expiration date AND you also have a Form I-797, Notice of Action, for Form I-751 or Form I-829 to remove the conditions on your permanent resident status. The Notice of Action extends the validity of the Green Card for a specified length of time, generally 12 to 18 months.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
Beginning Nov. 1, 2019, if you are a lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has lost your LPR card and/or reentry permit and you need travel documentation to return to the U.S., you can file your Form I-131A with any U.S. embassy consular section. To make an appointment to file the Form I-131A for travel documentation at a U.S. embassy or consulate, please see the embassy website for the location where you wish to file.
Before requesting an appointment, you must pay the filing fee using the online payment system at my.uscis.gov/travel-document/.
Request an appointment via MexcitylostLPRcard@state.gov and indicate your full name, date of birth, A-Number, phone number, and payment receipt number as they appear on your LPR/Green Card or Reentry Permit.
Follow the process and special instructions at www.uscis.gov/i-131a before your appointment date (when scheduled).
Child Born Abroad to an LPR
If you are an LPR mother and your child is born abroad during your temporary absence from the United States, your child may enter the United States without a visa before he or she turns 2 years old if your child is accompanied by an LPR parent on their first return to the United States. CBP’s guidance indicates that an airline may board a child in this situation. If an airline refuses to board your child without carrier documentation, we can issue a transportation letter. You do not need to file Form I-131A or pay a fee for this service.
If your child does not come to the United States when you, the LPR parent, first return to the United States, consult the U.S. Consulate or this USCIS office about the availability of an immigrant visa for your child.
If your child was conceived via Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and the LPR mother is not the genetic or legal gestational mother of the child, the child may not be eligible for a transportation letter.
Outside the U.S. For More than One Year
If you have been outside of the United States for more than 1 year without a reentry permit (or more than 2 years with a reentry permit), you will need to either seek a returning resident visa (SB-1) with the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy nearest to you, or consult with the USCIS office that has jurisdiction over the country in which you are traveling about an alternative travel document.
For information about maintaining your residency after receiving your Green Card, see our After a Green Card is Granted page.
Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant
Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
In the international context, widow(er)s mostly use this form to apply for certain benefits that we grant to various special categories of individuals who are eligible for immigration.
Who May File or Receive Service:
The widow(er) of a deceased U.S. citizen.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
If you reside outside the United States, you may be able to file at the U.S. embassy or consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live. Please contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live for more information.
Please see the Form I-360 webpage for the most current filing instructions.
Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status
Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
To voluntarily abandon your lawful permanent resident (LPR) status/turn in your Green Card.
Who May File or Receive Service:
Any individual who wishes to abandon their permanent resident status and give up their Permanent Resident Card (Green Card).
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
You can submit this form by mail to:
For U.S. Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS Eastern Forms Center
Attn: I-407 Unit
PO Box 567
Williston, VT 05495
For FedEx, UPS, DHL or other express/registered deliveries:
USCIS Eastern Forms Center
Attn: I-407 Unit
124 Leroy Road
Williston, VT 05495
You will need to turn in your Permanent Resident Card, if available, along with any other travel documents issued by USCIS. Do not submit any non-USCIS issued documents such as a state-issued driver’s license or a Social Security card. For additional information on how to submit your form, please visit the Form I-407 webpage.
Forms I-407 received at the USCIS international offices after July 1, 2019, will be transferred directly to Eastern Form Center (EFC). If you have questions regarding Form I-407 please contact USCIS Contact Center.
Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility
Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
For those otherwise approved to immigrate to the United States, but who are ineligible to enter because one or more grounds of inadmissibility that may be waived applies to them.
Who May File or Receive Service:
Individuals who reside in Mexico and can show that:
- There are exceptional and compelling humanitarian circumstances that require immediate filing and adjudication; and
- Expedited domestic processing would be insufficient to address the urgency.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
Except as provided below, Forms I-601 must be filed with the USCIS Lockbox in the United States by mail. You may submit a written request for expedited processing along with your application when you file with the Lockbox if you believe there are extraordinary circumstances that require expedited processing. Further instructions on requesting expedited processing domestically can be found on the How to Make an Expedite Request webpage.
To file with USCIS Mexico City:
A request for an exception to Lockbox filing must be made in person.
We will grant an exception to Lockbox filing and permission to file Forms I-601 if:
- The applicant resides in a country where a USCIS office is located;
- There are exceptional and compelling humanitarian circumstances that require immediate filing and adjudication; and
- Expedited processing would not address the urgency of the circumstances.
Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal
Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
To obtain consent to reapply for admission to the United States after having been deported or removed, or because you unlawfully returned to the United States without admission after a previous removal or after previous unlawful presence.
Who May File or Receive Service:
Those who have been granted an exception to Lockbox filing and given permission to file an associated Form I-601 at an international office, as described in the tab on Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
File with the USCIS office in the United States indicated in the Form I-212 instructions.
If you need to file both Form I-212 and Form I-601, file them together at the Lockbox address specified in the Form I-601 instructions.
If USCIS Mexico City decides that exceptional and compelling humanitarian circumstances warrant filing your Form I-601 with USCIS Mexico City, you can also file Form I-212 with Form I-601.
If you file Form I-601 and Form I-212 together, be sure to bring the correct filing fee for each separate form.
Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition, Form and Fee Information
Purpose:
If you are a refugee or asylee, you file this to petition for your relative to join you in the United States.
Who May File or Receive Service:
Refugees or asylees file this application in the United States for their qualifying relatives living abroad.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
Please see the Form I-730 form page for filing instructions. If the beneficiary of a Form I-730 filed with a USCIS service center resides in Mexico, the petition will be transferred to our office before approval. We will contact you, the petitioning relative and any representative of record to initiate processing and gather additional information and documents, once we have received the Form I-730 from the appropriate USCIS service center.
Please Note: It is important to notify this office if the beneficiary’s contact information listed on Form I-730 has changed. You should inform us of any such changes by submitting your change by email to this office. Due to customs delays, it may take up to 2 months for a Form I-730 forwarded by a USCIS service center to reach this office. Contact this office for case status inquiries only when more than 2 months have passed since you received a Form I-730 Approval or Transfer Notice from the service center and you have not received any correspondence from USCIS during that 2-month period.
Collection of Reentry Permit
Collection of Re-entry Permit
Purpose:
To pick-up a reentry permit that was approved through the filing of a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, allowing lawful permanent residents to return to the United States after travel abroad in certain circumstances (PDF, 667.32 KB).
Who May File or Receive Service:
For those who have submitted an application for a reentry permit through the filing of a Form I-131, Application for Travel Document in the United States and have requested that the reentry permit be sent to the U.S. Consulate/USCIS in Mexico City.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
This office does not adjudicate reentry permits. If we are provided with contact information, USCIS Mexico City will contact the applicant when the Form I-131 has been approved by an office in the United States and the reentry permit is ready for collection. If you believe that the permit has been sent to USCIS Mexico City and you have not heard from us, you may send us an inquiry.
Instructions on how to obtain or replace a reentry permit are found at How Do I Get a Reentry Permit (PDF, 667.32 KB).
Fingerprint Collection
Fingerprint Collection
Purpose:
To support certain applications and petitions pending with a USCIS international office and, in some cases, domestic office.
Who May File or Receive Service:
If USCIS has requested biometrics (such as fingerprints or photographs) in association with the adjudication of the forms listed below, individuals residing in Mexico generally may request biometrics collection:
- Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative;
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Document (Refugee Travel Document (RTD)) — If the applicant has departed the United States without an RTD and has received permission from USCIS to file Form I-131 with this office. Otherwise, it is at the field office director’s discretion as explained in the section For All Other Forms Not Listed Above. Residency is not required;
- Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant;
- Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition;
- Form I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt from Convention Country—Residency is not always required;
- Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant Status**;
- Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status**;
- Form N-400, Application for Naturalization—For active duty military service members stationed abroad and their dependents, and for certain applicants who are eligible for naturalization under section 319(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
For All Other Forms Not Listed Above:
Biometrics collection is usually scheduled at an Application Support Center (ASC) based on the applicant’s address of record.
In rare circumstances, field office directors may use their discretion to collect biometrics that were initially scheduled to be taken in the United States. When deciding whether to collect biometrics at an international field office, field office directors will take into account resource constraints and consider appropriate supporting evidence the applicant provides, as well as the following factors:
- An appointment notice showing that biometrics collection was scheduled at a domestic USCIS office;
- Evidence of extenuating circumstances that would require the individual to depart the United States before having their biometrics collected as indicated in the appointment notice. For example, these circumstances might include, but are not limited to, the need to assist a critically ill family member, an unexpected immediate job transfer, or other urgent need; and
- Evidence that the applicant requested an expedited or rescheduled appointment at an ASC before leaving the United States and, if not, an explanation of the reasons for failing to request an expedited or rescheduled appointment.
For Those Residing Abroad:
- Evidence of the compelling circumstances or hardship that would prevent the applicant or petitioner from traveling back to the United States for an ASC appointment. Generally, the expense of traveling back to the United States would not, in itself, be considered a hardship. Because of the small number of staff in our international offices, you may experience a delay in appointment availability for biometrics collection.
Filing and Other Special Instructions:
You can contact USCIS Mexico City to determine whether you are eligible to have your biometrics captured at this office or for further information.
*Note: The available fingerprinting services noted above are only applicable if you live in a country with a USCIS office.
**Note: USCIS international offices do not handle visa processing for T or U visas. However, they do assist T visa applicants and U visa petitioners with biometric services relating to the underlying Form I-914 or Form I-918 processed by a USCIS domestic office. The U.S. Department of State’s Consular Section handles visa processing.
For information on other immigration benefits, please visit uscis.gov. For your convenience, we have provided links to information on some commonly asked about services:
- Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e): Used to petition to bring your fiancé(e) (K-1) and that person's children (K-2s) to the United States for marriage to you, or to bring your spouse and that person's children (K-3 and K-4 visas, respectively) to the United States to complete processing for permanent resident status. You can also read more about fiancé(e) visas on our website.
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Document: Used for a number of immigration benefits, including reentry permits, refugee travel documents or advance parole travel documents, including parole into the United States for humanitarian reasons.
- Form N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322 (Children’s Citizenship): Used for a child who regularly resides in a foreign country to apply for U.S. citizenship based on the U.S. citizenship of the child's parent(s).
- Obtaining a certified true copy of a naturalization certificate.
- Requesting copies of documents from your Alien file (A-File) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
- Our USCIS Contact Center has additional information available on its Web page (you must live in the United States or its territories to call for live assistance).
- The USCIS Contact Center’s Reference Guide is available from anywhere around the globe. The guide provides additional information on the services USCIS provides.
Visas
For in-depth information about visas, please check the Visa Services section of the Department of State’s website.