The United States Citizenship & Immigration Services ("USCIS") has announced new direct filing procedures for additional immigration forms that were transitioned last year into the bi-specialization initiative.  Direct filing requires customers to file petitions and applications with the service center that will process the filings, based upon the place of temporary employment or place of residence.  The service center where a petition or application is filed will generate the receipt and complete the adjudication. This is a change from current procedures which require the filing of applications and petitions at one centralized location, and are subsequently distributed to another service center for issuance of a receipt notice and final case processing.  

July 30, 2007 is the effective date of this USCIS direct filing change, and is the same day the agency raises its filing fees.  The following forms are affected by the USCIS' direct filing change: I-140 (immigrant petition); I-485 (adjustment of status to permanent resident); I-765 (EAD); I-131 (advance parole/re-entry permit); I-907 (premium processing); I-360 (petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant), and I-129F (petition for alien fiance(e)).

Effective July 30, 2007

Petitioners will file all Forms I-140 (and concurrently filed request for premium processing on Form I-907), as well as employment-based forms I-485, I-131, and I-765 with the Nebraska Service Center ("NSC") or Texas Service Center ("TSC") depending upon place of employment or residence.

Form I-129F will be filed either with the Vermont Service Center ("VSC") or California Service Center ("CSC"), depending on where the petitioner resides, and regardless of whether it is filed for a K-1 fiance(e) or a K-3 spouse. 

How This Affects You

Effective July 30, 2007, petitioners and applicants are required to file with the Service Center having jurisdiction over the place of temporary employment or applicant residence.  For example, an I-140 with a work location in California must be filed with the NSC, and an I-140 designating a work location in New York must be filed with the TSC.  Direct filing is an effort by the USCIS to streamline its bi-specialization process, and reduce processing timeframes.

Please contact our office should you have questions regarding the USCIS' new policy.