Important Changes in Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129

USCIS made the following announcement recently regarding filing of Form I-129 (for nonimmigrant visa/status such as H-1B, O, R, L-1A, etc.):

On October 12, 2017, USCIS will change the direct filing addresses for certain petitioners of Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. The changes are as follows: 

Petitioners will now file Form I-129 according to the state where the company or organization’s primary office is located. Previously, petitioners filed Form I-129 based on the beneficiary’s temporary employment or training location.

Petitioners located in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas will now file Form I-129 at the California Service Center. 

Starting November 11, 2017, USCIS may reject Form I-129s that are filed at the wrong service center. 

USCIS To Change Filing Addresses for Form I-140 / Form I-907 Applications

Starting January 19, 2017, the Form I-140 and Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing, must be filed at the addresses listed below based on the worksite location:

Worksite Location:	For U.S. Postal Service (USPS)  First Class and Priority Mail Express deliveries	For overnight/courier deliveries (non-USPS)USPS
Maryland, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania	Premium Processing USCIS Texas Service Center P.O. Box 279030 Dallas, TX 75227-9030	Premium Processing USCIS Texas Service Center 4141 N Saint Augustine Dr. Dallas, TX 75227-4818
Tennessee	Premium Processing USCIS Nebraska Service Center P.O. Box 87103 Lincoln, NE 68501-7103	Premium Processing USCIS Nebraska Service Center 850 S. Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Nebraska Service Center to Accept Certain H-1B Petitions

USCIS made the following announcement today: 

On July 1, 2016, the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) will begin accepting Form I-129 for H-1B and H-1B1 (Chile/Singapore Free Trade) petitions if the petitioner requests a “Continuation of previously approved employment without change with the same employer” (Box b. on Part 2, Question 2, Page 2 of the current Form I-129) with a requested action in Question 4 to:

• Notify the office in Part 4 so the beneficiary can obtain a visa or be admitted. (Box a. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129);
• Extend the stay of the beneficiary because the beneficiary now holds this status. (Box c. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129); or
• Extend the status of a nonimmigrant classification based on a free trade agreement. (Box e. on Part 2, Question 4, Page 2 of the current Form I-129)

The NSC will also accept any:

Concurrently filed H-4 Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and

Concurrently filed Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, for certain H-4 nonimmigrants. 

If you are filing a standalone Form I-539 and/or Form I-765 for H-4 nonimmigrants, please refer to the Filing Addresses for Form I-539 page or the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-765 page for proper filing addresses.

The California Service Center (CSC) and the Vermont Service Center (VSC) may continue to accept these petitions during the transition period, which ends Aug. 31, 2016.

These petitions should be mailed to:

USPS Mail: Courier (FedEx, UPS, etc.) Mail: USCIS Nebraska Service Center PO Box 87129 Lincoln, NE 68501-7129 USCIS Nebraska Service Center 850 ‘S’ Street Lincoln, NE 68508

Petitioners should continue to file all other H-1B/H-1B1 petitions with the CSC and the VSC based on the instructions on the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129 page.

Additionally, petitioners who are statutorily exempt from the H-1B numerical limitation, or are filing a cap-exempt petition to employ the beneficiary at an institution of higher education, nonprofit entity related to or affiliated with an institution of higher education, a nonprofit research organization, and/or a governmental research organization should continue to file their H-1B cap-exempt petitions with the CSC

Form I-130 Filing Location Changes

"WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will change the filing locations for Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, domestic petitioners will mail their stand-alone I-130 applications to either the Chicago Lockbox or the Phoenix Lockbox, depending on where they reside in the United States. The new filing locations will be updated with the corresponding addresses on Jan. 1 on the Form I-130 Direct Filing Locations page. This effort will balance workloads between the two locations and provide more efficient and effective processing of Form I-130.

There will be no change in filing locations when submitting Form I-130 along with Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. Individuals filing these forms together will continue to mail them to the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners filing from overseas addresses in countries without USCIS offices will also continue to file at the Chicago Lockbox facility. Petitioners residing in a country with a USCIS office may send their I-130 forms to the Chicago Lockbox, or they may file their Forms I-130 at the international USCIS office having jurisdiction over the area where they live."

Source: USCIS Website

Filing of I-130 petitions in foreign countries centralized in Chicago

Starting Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners who live in foreign countries without USCIS offices must file their Form I-130, Petition for an Alien Relative, with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lockbox facility in Chicago. The addresses are listed below.  However, Petitioners living in a country with a USCIS office may choose to send their I-130 petition to the USCIS Chicago addresses, OR file  at the USCIS office in that country. The current processing time is approximately five months, as reported by the USCIS.

Please note: Filing addresses and procedures change constantly.  You should always check the current instructions in the form or USCIS.gov website.


For U.S. Postal Service:
USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

For express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn – 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

Changes in filing address for I-131 Reentry Permit Applications

As of March 19, 2010, the address for filing the I-131 Reentry Permit application has been changed as follows:

If you live in -

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Guam, or the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands


File your application at the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries:

USCIS
PO Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036

Express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034

If you live in -

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, or West Virginia

File the I-131 application at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox:

U.S. Postal Service (USPS) deliveries:

USCIS
PO Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266

Express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: AOS
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067


(Note: Filing addresses are subject to change by the government without prior notice.)