If you are a lawful permanent resident or US citizen, you can sponsor some family members to come and live in the US. Family-sponsored green cards can help you to bring your family to the US to live, which can help you keep your family close and can help you provide new opportunities for family members. The first step in applying for a green card for a family member is to file USCIS Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative). To do so, you will need to visit the USCIS website to get the latest version of Form I-130. It is important to visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) website to get the latest version of the form because the USCIS does occasionally make changes to the way that it processes forms and you need to have the latest information to file Form I-130 correctly.
For example, the USCIS has recently changed the filing location for Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative). The USCIS is doing this in order to redistribute the work among its locations more efficiently. The change will also help make processing of Form I-130 more efficient, according to the USCIS.
Starting Jan. 1, 2012, if you are filing a stand-alone Form I-130 application for an alien relative, and are a domestic petitioner, you will need to send the application to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox or the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Where you send your application will depend on where you live in the US. Detailed information about these changes is available on the USCIS website, on the Direct Filing Locations page of the Form I-130 instructions. If you have downloaded the Form I-130 form and instructions before the New Year, you will want to keep these changes in mind and will want to visit the USCIS website for the latest information. Sending your Form I-130 to the wrong location can delay your application.
It is important to note that the filing location change only affects stand-alone Form I-130 applications. If you are filing Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) along with Form I-130, you will send your forms to the Chicago Lockbox, just as the original instructions for Form I-130 indicate. If you are applying from outside the US, you will need to file the form at an international USCIS office or at the Chicago Lockbox, depending on where you are filing from.
