Effective August 15, 2011, all marriage visa petitions filed by petitioners living outside of the United States will need to be filed at an immigration agency “lockbox” in Chicago. This is a major change for marriage visa petitioners and beneficiaries who both live outside of the United States. Previously, many such marriage visa couples could apply directly with the local U.S. embassy.
Now, with few exceptions, marriage visa petitioners must file with the immigration agency. This change is meant to lower the immigration agency’s costs by making the process centralized and efficient. Unfortunately, this change will most likely slow down the process for many applicants. Due to the lengthening of wait time, it is even more important to contact a knowledgeable marriage immigration attorney to make sure the process is done correctly the first time.