Filing I-130 to a lockbox from Egypt

[anader 0]

Dear VJ members,

I am a US citizen by birth. In the early 90's I have returned back with my parents and lived in Egypt since then.

I am married to an Egyptian woman (for 1 year and 8 months) and have a son (9-months old).

I am expecting to get an offer soon to work in the USA, and am willing to take my wife and son as soon as possible to USA (expected in 3-months timeframe)

From what I've read, it's not possible to file I-130 at the US Embassy in Cairo, but it looks possible to file to a lockbox in Chicago.

Can I file this I-130 now given that I currently live/work in Egypt and I have no USA address at the moment?

Did anyone have the experience of filing to a lockbox from Egypt? If so, how did it go, and how long did it take to get a visa?

Please share any experiences you have!

Thanks.

[przyjaciel 5]

At this point, all IR-1/CR-1 petitions are first processed through the Chicago lockbox and not local U.S. embassies except for a few exceptions. This was changed in 2011.

You can file the I-130 now, and should do it as soon as possible. You will need to provide evidence on your attempt to re-establish domicile in the United States once your I-130 is approved and you have to submit your Affidavit of Support when you are at the NVC (National Visa Center) stage.

I have not filed from Egypt, but overall the process has been backlogged for the past year so I suggest filing as soon as possible. The main difference based on filing from specific countries is the wait to get an interview once your case is complete at the National Visa Center. You can search here on the forums and find more information about this and the expected wait for Cairo for example.

[pushbrk 13,653]

Yes, go ahead and file. Make sure to use the courier address instead of the PO Box, if using DHL etc. As mentioned above, you'll provide your affidavit of support and intent to establish domicile at the NVC stage, AFTER the petition is approved. Expect a filing to visa interview timeline of 6 months, if your petition is auto-expedited or closer to a year if it isn't.

[anader 0]

Thank you very much for your replies.

I have some more questions that I would hope you can help with:

- Since I will be filing abroad, and have no current address in USA, what should I write in I-130 Question.18 (Where my relative intends to live in the USA?)

- Did anyone manage to pay the filing fees from Egypt? Please tell me how, did you need support from somebody in the US?

- Is it enough to get a translation for the documents provided in Arabic (marriage certificate, birth certificate for spouse and child,...). Should the provided translations be authenticated?

Thanks again!

[pushbrk 13,653]

Thank you very much for your replies.

I have some more questions that I would hope you can help with:

- Since I will be filing abroad, and have no current address in USA, what should I write in I-130 Question.18 (Where my relative intends to live in the USA?)

- Did anyone manage to pay the filing fees from Egypt? Please tell me how, did you need support from somebody in the US?

- Is it enough to get a translation for the documents provided in Arabic (marriage certificate, birth certificate for spouse and child,...). Should the provided translations be authenticated?

Thanks again!

Address where the relative intends to live can be "To Be Determined".

Read the I-130 instructions with regard to translations. They are very clear about their "certification" not "authentication" and how it is done. Make sure you provide a copy of the Arabic document along with the certified translation.

Read the I-130 instructions with regard to fee payment and interpret them literally. If you don't have a way of paying according to those instructions, you will indeed need support from somebody with a US bank account.