I-130 Petition Change

[JimD]

U.S. EMBASSY

BOGOTA

WARDEN MESSAGE

June 15, 2011

[/t][/l][/t] Last Chance to File I-130 Immigrant Visa Petition at US Embassy The Department of Homeland Security’s agency for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that, starting August 1, 2011, U.S. citizens residing overseas who wish to bring a close relative to live in the U.S. permanently will be required to file Form I-130 “Petition for Alien Relative” by mail to a USCIS domestic lockbox.   U.S. citizens residing in Colombia may continue to file the I-130 “Petition for Alien Relative” at the Immigrant Visa (IV) unit of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota only until July 31, 2011.  Per the guidance received from the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, Consular officers will no longer be permitted to accept I-130 petitions at the Embassy after July 31, 2011.   After August 1, you must file the I-130 petition by mail to the USCIS lockbox facility in the United States.  Thousands of American petitioners in the U.S. file petitions in this manner every year.  The USCIS process is relatively straightforward, though the Embassy has no role in this process.  Check www.uscis.gov to check the current processing times.  Visit http://www.uscis.gov/i-130 to download the forms and instructions to file the I-130 petition on behalf of your alien relative.