Filing Guidance

This page contains filing locations, checklists and other resources to help you understand our forms and filing requirements. To find a complete list of our forms, visit the All Forms page.

Each form has a webpage with important information about how to complete the form and where to file it. If you not file your form with the correct office or with the correct fee, you will experience processing delays.

Please do NOT mail your application or petition to the “HQPDI” address on any form—that address is for submitting comments on the form itself.

Direct Filing Addresses by Form Type

Some forms have a separate webpage that tell you where to file your form, including:

We strongly encourage you to read the instructions for the form you are submitting before you complete and submit the form.

In some circumstances, the form webpage will say that requirements for that form have changed, but the form’s instructions have not yet been revised. This warning will be shown in the Special Instructions section of the form landing page. Please make sure you follow those special instructions.

Many of our form pages have a checklist that will help ensure you submit all of the required documentation with your form. However, these checklists do not replace the official form instructions.

Photographic Requirements

You may have to submit photographs with your form. You can find the specifications for photographs in the form instructions.

Filing Tips:

You can read our Form Filing Tips webpage for general information on how to submit your form.

We provide free forms through this website in PDF format. To view, print, or complete our forms, you should use the latest version of Adobe Reader, which can be downloaded for free.

The file size for some of our forms is large. To more easily use them, we suggest you download them directly to your computer, instead of completing them through your web browser. You can do this by “right-clicking” on the link to save the form to your computers.

Warning: Many non-USCIS websites offer immigration forms. Some will sell you a downloadable form. These sites are not affiliated with USCIS and may not have the latest versions of forms. In some circumstances, using older forms may result in us denying or delaying your application or petition. The latest version of these forms is always available at uscis.gov/forms.

A filing fee is required for many immigration forms. You must include this fee must with your completed form. If your form requires a biometric services fees, be sure to include that with your filing fee when you submit your form. Make checks payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. To learn more, visit the Filing Fees page.

For help calculating your fees, use our Fee Calculator, which will always have the most up-to-date fee information and can determine the exact filing and biometric services fees for any form processed at a USCIS Lockbox facility.

Certain forms relating to visas, passports and travel are not available on this site. If you are looking for “DS” forms relating to visas and passports, check the Department of State website. If you are looking for information on Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website.

Before You File

After You File

Last Reviewed/Updated:

10/25/2019