Immigrant Visa Services
American Citizen-Foreign National Marriages
How to File an Immigrant Petition
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has sole authority under U.S. law to approve immigrant petitions. Under certain circumstances, this petition approval authority is delegated to Embassies.
You may file your immigrant petition (I-130) at the Embassy if you are resident in Lebanon or in the U.S. with USCIS or at a USCIS office overseas, but the form and fees are the same. You may also file an I-130 petition with the USCIS by mail and no appointment is required. You do not need to appear for an interview and you can send photocopies of all required civil documents with your petition. The wait for the USCIS to approve a petition and send it to the National Visa Center can range from a few months to over a year, after which the NVC forwards it to an embassy or consulate. When you file your petition with the USCIS, you can also request a K-3 visa, which allows the beneficiary (foreign spouse) to obtain a visa, travel to the U.S., and wait there for the petition to be approved.
To demonstrate residency in a consular district, American Citizen petitioners must be able to show that they have permission to reside in the consular district and that they have been doing so continuously for at least six months before filing the petition. Individuals who are in the country on a temporary status, such as student or tourist, would not be considered to meet the residency standard.
All lawful permanent residents, and American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, must file I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the USCIS website http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).
Petitions for fiancés can only be filed in the United States.
For more information on how to file a petition in the United States with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), please contact your local USCIS office in the U.S. or visit http://www.uscis.gov/.
Any petition (I-130)which is not completely and properly filled out or which is not accompanied by the necessary documents will be returned without action.
If your petition is approved
All correspondence related to your petition will be sent to the address listed for the beneficiary on the I-130 petition, unless another address is specified in writing. Please ensure that the address you provide is clear and complete. The petitioner is responsible for the accuracy of all information provided.
Requirements for filing any petition
To file a petition at the Embassy, every petitioner must meet the following requirements:
- Petitioner/beneficiary needs to contact the post through e-mail or fax or check the post's website for information regarding the type of visa to be requested, and the procedures for doing so.
- If someone wishes to file a petition for an American citizen relative, s/he must come to the Embassy reception and pick up a petition packet, Monday-Friday, 3-4 p.m.
- After compiling the necessary documents and completing the required forms in the petition packet, the petitioner needs to contact the Immigrant Visa Section through e-mail or fax to schedule an appointment.
- On the day of the appointment the petitioner pays the fees. The fee amounts can be found on the USCIS website.
- All petitioners and their beneficiaries filing their petitions in Lebanon must be interviewed by a Consular Officer to determine whether the petition will be accepted.
- If the petition is accepted, the petition will become part of the beneficiary's case file, and will be the basis of an eventual determination as to whether or not an immigrant visa can be issued.
USCIS should be contacted for filing procedures and requirements at http://www.uscis.gov/ in the U.S.
Requirements for filing an adoption petition
To obtain an immigrant visa for an adopted child, adoptive parents (the petitioner) must first file Form I-600A with USCIS. If the petition is approved, it serves as the basis for the immigrant visa application to be made at the Embassy.
- The petitioner must file the I-600A with USCIS. USCIS, in turn, will send the approved petition to the National Visa Center for forwarding to the Embassy. All processing at USCIS and at NVC must be completed before the petition can be forwarded to the Embassy.
- On receipt of the I-600A petition and supporting documentation from NVC, the Consular Section's Immigrant Visa Unit will contact the petitioner to pick up an appointment packet. The petitioner must complete and return for review the packet before an appointment can be scheduled. Once the appointment packet has been reviewed for completeness, the Immigrant Visa Unit will contact the petitioner and schedule an appointment.
To apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, the adoptive parents must complete the adoption through the legal process in Lebanon, and obtain a travel document for the child from the Lebanese government. A medical examination of the child by an Embassy panel physician is also required. A visa cannot be issued until these actions have been completed. The adoptive parents may then apply to the Embassy for an immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. with their adopted child.
All petitioners must present: Proof of U.S. citizenship (passport valid for at least five years at the time of issuance, or naturalization certificate, or birth certificate, if born in the U.S.); the petitioner's and child's passports; $380.00 (cash only) or the equivalent in Lebanese pounds (cash only). Credit cards and personal checks are not accepted.
The petitioner and child must be present at the interview.
For further information, petitioners may send a fax (04-543498), or an email to: BeirutIV@state.gov.
Replies will be sent within 3 working days.
Final note
The decision to hire an attorney or consultant is entirely up to the applicant. Procedures for submitting a petition and applying for a visa can be completed without assistance following the instructions provided. However, if applicants prefer to use outside assistance, that is their choice. There are many legitimate immigration consultants and attorneys assisting applicants for reasonable fees.
