Filing Timely

The Vermont Service Center of the US Customs and Immigration Services recently put out a memo regarding the timely submission of all applications and petitions. The time it takes for the Service Center to process applications can be found on its website. This should be considered when deciding when to submit your application. If you require that your case be considered in an expedited manner, it is important that you review the criteria for an expedited case on the USCIS website.

Things You Should Know

Beginning August 29, 2011, those calling the National Customer Service Center’s 1-800 number will hear a new message. The newly designed Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system provides callers with simpler access to immigration information, case status, and customer service representatives.

The new main menu options are as follows:  1) Immigration Services, 2) Immigration Information, and 3) Special Programs and Other Resources.

The Vermont Service Center hosted representatives from the Office of Transformation Coordination Communications Team.  The OTC team organized the VSC employees into focus groups in order to explore and discuss the new transformed system that USCIS will be using in the near future.  These groups developed feedback to be given to the development team in order to help with upcoming transformation deployment.

Over the past year VSC employees have participated in the USCIS transformation efforts by providing technical expertise, developing new processes, evaluating proposed changes and participating in an agency-wide competition to name the new system.

VSC will be one of the first Centers to utilize the new system later this year.

Inside Division III of the VSC

Division III is managed by Carrie Selby, the Assistant Center Director, and is made up of six Supervisory Immigration Service Officers and roughly fifty Immigration Service Officers.   Division III focuses on the area of family sponsored immigration; focusing specifically on Forms I-130 (Petitions for Alien Relative) and Forms I-129F (Petitions for Alien Fiancé(e)).  In addition, all standalone I-130 and I-129F petitions filed with USCIS Service Centers that may be subject to the provisions of the Adam Walsh Act (AWA) are forwarded to the VSC.

The processing times for form I-129F K1 Fiancé petitions have decreased from seven months to five months. The processing time for Immediate Relative petitions is now current. To find out processing times for I-129 F and I-130 Immediate Relative Petitions, contact the Vermont Service Center at:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Vermont Service Center

75 Lower Welden Street

St. Albans, VT 05479

National Customer Service Center (NCSC): 1-800-375-5283

I-129 Petitions for the K Fiancé Classifications

USCIS has made efforts to increase consistency and standardization. The Vermont Service Center, in accord with those efforts, has made the following changes to the adjudication of the I-129 K petitions:

• Validity dates on approvals will now be 4 months minus 1 day instead of the previous 90-day validity period.
• There has been a change in the manner that the petitioner must demonstrate that the couple has met within the last two years.  Previously, a statement from the petitioner that the couple had met within the preceding 2 years was sufficient. Now, evidence that demonstrates that the meeting has occurred, such as passport stamps, dated photos, airline tickets, etc. is required.  A statement alone will not be acceptable proof of meeting.

New Filing instructions for I-130 Petitioners Abroad

As of August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in countries without USCIS offices must file their Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, with USCIS lockbox facility in Chicago.  During the first 90 days of this new process, USCIS will monitor the implementation of the changed procedures to identify any areas where additional changes to the new policies would be beneficial. USCIS has posted a memorandum for public comment outlining the circumstances by which expedited processing of a Form I-130 may be appropriate by the Department of State at a local embassy or consulate where USCIS does not have a presence. The list of factors under which petitioners will receive expedited processing at a post may be expanded by USCIS after careful evaluation. USCIS is aware of the real impact that the change in the processing of the Form I-130 might have in particular cases and, accordingly, will be offering guidance to its adjudicators to ensure that the equities of each case are duly considered in determining whether a case warrants expedited local processing.