06/05/2019 Tungol Law Headline News "USCIS to Close the Manila, Philippines Field Office"

From the USCIS official website at https://www.uscis.gov:

USCIS will permanently close its field office in Manila, Philippines, on July 5, 2019.  The last day the office will accept applications/petitions and be open to the public is May 31, 2019.  The office began redirecting Forms I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the USCIS Lockbox on May 14, 2019.The U.S. Embassy in Manila will assume responsibility for certain limited services previously provided by USCIS to individuals residing in the Philippines (see table below).

Beginning on June 3, 2019, individuals who were previously assisted by the USCIS Manila Field Office (which includes individuals residing in the Philippines, New Guinea, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Futuna, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Island, Overseas French territories of French Polynesia, and most island nations in the Pacific region that are not covered by the other field offices in the Asia/Pacific District) must follow these filing instructions:

Service/FormFiling InstructionsForm 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 web page. USCIS may authorize the Department of State to accept a petition filed with a U.S. Embassy or consulate in some limited circumstances (PDF, 61 KB).Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant (for Widow(er) petitions only) If you are a widow(er) of a U.S. 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 U.S. 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 U.S., 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 U.S. 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, Application for Naturalization, page 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.

Until May 31, 2019, the office hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to noon. The office is closed on Filipino and American holidays. You can contact the office through email, phone, or mail. The office will also accept walk-ins. We serve walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis.

General information about the U.S. Embassy Manila is available on the embassy website. You may also contact the embassy by calling 011 (632) 301-2000 or by mailing:

U.S. Embassy Manila
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Manila, Philippines 1000

For information on other immigration benefits, please visit uscis.gov. We suggest you Ask Emma for more details about what you want to accomplish. Many times, you can complete your task online.

Have a question about a pending application or petition? Send USCIS a secure message through your USCIS Online account.  Opening an account is easy.

You may also send us an online message if you need help.

For in-depth information about visas, please check the Visa Services section of the Department of State’s website.

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