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In November 2010, USCIS transferred approximately 36,000 Immediate Relative petitions from our California Service Center to our Texas Service Center. We anticipated that this redistribution of work would result in more timely adjudication of these petitions. Due to a number of unforeseen circumstances at our Texas Service Center, many of these cases have not been processed and are beyond our estimated processing times. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused you and we are making every effort to remedy this situation as soon as possible.

Release Date 

05/07/2024

Effective April 1, 2024, USCIS centralized the intake process of Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant, and related filings under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) for self-petitioning abused spouses, children, and parents at the Nebraska Service Center.

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.

WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that effective Aug. 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices will be able to file a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form I-130), with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox facility. This will increase the efficiency of the relative petition filing process and give USCIS more flexibility in managing its workload. Previous regulations permitted these petitioners, who comprise about 5 percent of all I-130 petitioners, to file with USCIS or the U.S.

Release Date 

06/12/2024

USCIS is issuing  guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that interprets that the confidentiality protections under 8 U.S.C. 1367 end at naturalization, which will allow naturalized U.S. citizens previously protected under 8 U.S.C. 1367 (specifically, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioners and those seeking or with approved T and U nonimmigrant status) the ability to fully access e-filing and other customer service tools.

Improved Process for Petitioners Abroad will Increase Efficiency and Flexibility

As stated by The New York Times, the House on Thursday gave final approval to a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, sending a bipartisan Senate measure to President Obama after a House plan endorsed by conservatives was defeated.

To read more on this news story click here

Yesterday, President Obama signed a bill that both strengthened and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  

For more on this news visit this link

Release Date 

05/05/2025

BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services provided valuable assistance to the investigation that led to the conviction of an Indian citizen for submitting a fraudulent immigration application.

Release Date 

08/01/2025

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual that will enhance the capability to screen and vet family-based immigrant visa petitions. This update explains requirements and adjudication of these petitions, including eligibility criteria, filing, interviews, and decisions.

This policy memorandum (PM) provides guidance to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers in adjudicating Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant, filed by a self-petitioning adopted child, when the adopted child has been battered or abused. Please click the attachment for more information on the memorandum

• USCIS memo on the adjudication of Form I-360 filed by a self-petitioning adopted child when the child has been abused by the adoptive parent, since the two-year legal custody and residency requirements for these individuals has been eliminated.