Need help on starting the I-130

[Velvety 4]

I'm a US CITIZEN married to my brazilian husband for less than a year and we are both living in the city of Recife, Brazil. We are getting ready to assemble the I-130 and we are feeling very overwhelmed.

First of all, the Recife US consulate does not qualify for direct consulate filing. The USCIS says to mail the package to an address in Chicago for those residing outside the US. My question is: the check for $420 that is to be mailed along with the package needs to be from an american bank or can it be from our brazilian bank? or would you recomend a money order?

2. If our application gets approved, how will we receive the NOA if we are living in Brazil? or any further notifications?

Sorry if we sound naive but we have no experience whatsoever in any legal process.

[Velvety 4]

Also, from what I know only the Rio US consulate does direct consulate filing. Can we just mail our paperwork there in order to do this without having to reside in Rio?

[Penguin_ie 5,987]

As Brazil doesn't have consular filing, you cannot mail papers to the embassy- USCIS will process the petition in the USA.

You should get the NOA etc in Brazil. To be on the safe side (not sure how the postal service is over there), sign up for electronic notifications.

[Tricia599 2]

There is no more DCF filing in Brasil. They stopped it a few years ago, so you do have to mail everything in. The final interview will be in Rio. No other consulate does the immigrant interviews. As for the check/money order, it has to be in US dollars and from a bank located in the US.

And I agree with the poster above - sign up for electronic notifications. I wouldn't trust the mail at all - domestic mail is sketchy at best. International is a whole other ballgame. When you send stuff out, go with the Sedex that's guaranteed - I think it's called Mundi or something like that. If you choose the cheaper ones, they don't guarantee the delivery time frame, if I remember correctly.

Good luck!

[Ryan H 3,797]

My question is: the check for $420 that is to be mailed along with the package needs to be from an american bank or can it be from our brazilian bank? or would you recomend a money order?

You cannot use your Brazilian bank; the fee must be drawn on a financial institution located in the US and it must be in US currency. This is per the instructions on the I-130.

[DoneWaiting 15]

Citibank has agencies around Brazil, not sure if they have any offices in Recife..

[Velvety 4]

thanks everyone!