US to shut down immigration office in Manila
THE United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will permanently close its field office in Manila effective July 5, 2019.
The US Embassy in Manila, however, will assume responsibility for certain limited services previously provided by USCIS to individuals residing in the Philippines, the USCIS announced on its website.
Since May 14, 2019, the USCIS Manila office has been redirecting Forms I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the USCIS Lockbox facility in Chicago.
Filipino war veterans may file a petition for certain family members with the USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago.
Under the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole program, Filipino veterans and their spouses who are US citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPR) may request parole for certain family members.
If approved, these family members may be able to join the family in the US even before their immigrant visas become available.
Under the new filing procedure, a veteran’s petition once accepted will be forwarded to a USCIS service center for adjudication.
If approved, the petition will be forwarded to the Department of State’s (DOS) National Visa Center (NVC), which will transfer the case to the U.S. Embassy where the beneficiary relative will be interviewed.
New Petitions for Alien Relative may be filed by mail with the USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago.
A widow or widower of a U.S. citizen may file Form I-360 (Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant) at the US Embassy in Manila.
An LPR who has lost his or her LPR card and/ or re-entry permit may file Form I-131A with any US Embassy consular section or USCIS international field office.
Read complete filing instructions for certain forms here.
The USCIS Manila field office used to assist applicants or petitioners from the Philippines, New Guinea, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Futuna, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Island, and Overseas French territories of French Polynesia. (MVI/ SunStar Philippines)