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US to close immigration office in Manila on July 5
US CIS Manila Office-min

US to close immigration office in Manila on July 5

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Tuesday this week that it will permanently close its field office in Manila, in an effort to reduce its presence abroad and limit both legal and illegal immigration.

This move is expected to slow down the processing of family visa applications, foreign adoptions, and citizenship petitions. New applications or petitions will no longer be accepted in USCIS’ Manila office, the last day of accepting applications was on May 31.

USCIS scheduled the full closure of its Manila office on July 5, 2019. It also listed new filing instructions for individuals previously assisted by its field office in Manila.

Beginning June 3, the following filing instructions should be observed for all of USCIS’ services:

Service/FormFiling Instructions
Form I-130, Petition for Alien RelativeFile your petition by mail with the USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago. You can find additional filing information on the Form I-130 webpage.

USCIS may authorize the Department of State to accept a petition filed with a U.S. Embassy or consulate in some limited circumstances.

Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant (for widow(er) petitions only)If you are a widow(er) of a US citizen, please see the Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant page for the most current filing instructions.

You may file your Form I-360 at the US Embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over the area where you live.

Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation)If you are a lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has lost your LPR card and/or re-entry permit and you need travel documentation to return to the US, you can file your Form I-131A with any U.S. embassy consular section or USCIS international field office.
Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident StatusSubmit your Form I-407 to the nearest USCIS international field office.

In rare circumstances, a U.S. Embassy or Consulate may allow you to submit a Form I-407 in person if you need immediate proof that you have abandoned your lawful permanent resident status.

Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative PetitionYou must file your petition with the Nebraska or Texas Service Center, depending on where the petitioner lives in the United States.

For beneficiary interviews/processing, contact the U.S. embassy consular section in the country where the beneficiary resides.

Form N-400, Application for NaturalizationIf you are a member of the U.S. military stationed overseas, please see the Form N-400 webpage or call 800-375-5283 for the most current filing instructions. USCIS will forward the application to the appropriate international field office for processing. For qualified children of active-duty service members stationed abroad, the proper form to file is the N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate under Section 322.
Filipino World War II Veterans Parole (FWVP) ProgramYou must file your petition with the USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago. If your petition is accepted, it will be forwarded to a USCIS service center for adjudication. If the service center conditionally approves your application, it will forward it to the Department of State’s (DOS) National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will transfer your case to the USCIS office or U.S embassy or consulate abroad where your beneficiary relative will be interviewed.

 

USCIS has also permanently shut down its field offices in other countries due to demand for services. It recently closed its field office in Moscow last March, citing a significant decrease in workload as the reason for the closure.

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