Recent U.S. legislation has led to changes in the procedures American citizens resident abroad must follow if they wish to sponsor an immediate relative (spouse, parent or minor child) for an immigrant visa. Effective immediately, the immediate relative petition (I-130) must be filed with the USCIS office responsible for the petitioner's place of residence (that is, the place of residence of the American citizen who is filing the petition). Immigrant visa processing, including interviews, will continue at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon as usual. While Consular offices at U.S. embassies and consulates are no longer authorized to accept I-130s, they will continue to provide guidance to American citizen petitioners and their family members.
For American citizens in Lebanon, the responsible USCIS office is currently located at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece. Please note that I-130 petitions should not be mailed or filed in person to USCIS-Athens at this time. USCIS will shortly issue guidance on procedures for filing new I-130 petitions by Americans overseas. This procedural change may result in a processing delay for some applicants. The Department of State recognizes and sincerely regrets the inconvenience this may cause.
Responsibility for acceptance and approval of immigrant visa petitions rests solely with USCIS. American citizens in Lebanon should refer their I-130 filing questions to USCIS-Athens as the office responsible for their place of residence.
The mailing address for inquiries from outside the U.S. for USCIS-Athens is:
Officer-in-Charge
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
c/o American Embassy
Vassilissis Sofias 9101 60 Athens, Greece
For general inquiries in Greek or English, telephone: 00 30 210 720-2402, 720-2404 or 720-2405.
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