Payment methods for submitting I-130 in Mexico City

[MexicoExpat 18]

Has anyone submitted an I-130 in Mexico City in the past year or so? 

 

What payment methods were accepted and what was written on it? 

 

I am receiving some conflicting information on this and have an appointment scheduled for less than 2 weeks from now. 

 

I am working with a lawyer just to ensure everything in my application is correct and I have supplied sufficient information. 

 

They advised: 

 

Quote

"Check or money order for $535 — payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security” (do not abbreviate) — to cover the government filing fees"

 

However I found a link here within VJ that states the following as true for Mexico City:

 

 

Quote

 

"At the time of this writing the fee for an I-130 is USD$535 but is subject to change. Different USCIS offices accept different forms of payment. I emailed the Mexico City USCIS directly and received the following payment options:

 

• Cashier’s check from a bank located in the U.S. It must be payable to ‘’U.S. Embassy’’
• Giro Bancario. It may be obtained from a bank or currency exchange house in Mexico. It must be payable in U.S. currency and the amount must be written in English. It must be payable to U.S. Embassy. (Note: we don’t take “Giros Bancarios” from MONEX, CI Banco and HSBC)

 

I went to a Santander, 2 Banamexs, and 2 Bancomers and none were able to help me with the Giro Bancario. Bancomer was willing to send a Giro to the US embassy, but they could not write the amount in english. I had relative in the US take out a cashier's check and Fedex it to me instead."

 

 

I'm glad I found this out with about two weeks to spare as I was planning on just using my credit card as I do with any other service at the US embassy here in Mexico City. 

 

I'm also pretty uncomfortable about mailing a money order into Mexico in that amount, as packages often get opened and inspected. 

 

Can anyone advise the best way here? I've emailed USCIS Mexico City but do not expect a response and have been calling but they don't pick up. 

Edited October 16, 2019 by MexicoExpat

[payxibka 10,044]

14 minutes ago, MexicoExpat said:

Has anyone submitted an I-130 in Mexico City in the past year or so? 

 

What payment methods were accepted and what was written on it? 

 

I am receiving some conflicting information on this and have an appointment scheduled for less than 2 weeks from now. 

 

I am working with a lawyer just to ensure everything in my application is correct and I have supplied sufficient information. 

 

They advised: 

 

 

However I found a link here within VJ that states the following as true for Mexico City:

 

 

 

I'm glad I found this out with about two weeks to spare as I was planning on just using my credit card as I do with any other service at the US embassy here in Mexico City. 

 

I'm also pretty uncomfortable about mailing a money order into Mexico in that amount, as packages often get opened and inspected. 

 

Can anyone advise the best way here? I've emailed USCIS Mexico City but do not expect a response and have been calling but they don't pick up. 

Why are you sending a money order?  Just pay with a  credit card with the embassy cashier the day of appointment as per the payment instructions on the uscis website 

[MexicoExpat 18]

Because someone on VJ with direct experience submitting their I-130 quoted only a money order/cashier's check or Giro Bancario being an option when they did it. And that they ended up needing to FedEx a money order down to Mexico. 

 

My lawyer also advised that a money order is the best way. 

 

After waiting several days for an email response, I coincidentally heard back from USCIS just minutes after posting this thread. 

 

Quote

 

The filing fee for a Form I-130 is $535 U.S. dollars. The USCIS Mexico City Field Office can accept one of the following methods of payment only:

 

-              Cash (U.S. dollars)

--            U.S. and Mexican credit card (the holder must be present to sign the voucher)

 

So I should be OK with my credit card as I was originally planning to do. I never saw any such info on the USCIS website. 

 

FYI, this is the VJ page I was referring to, which maybe should be updated with this new info: 

 

 

 

[payxibka 10,044]

52 minutes ago, MexicoExpat said:

Because someone on VJ with direct experience submitting their I-130 quoted only a money order/cashier's check or Giro Bancario being an option when they did it. And that they ended up needing to FedEx a money order down to Mexico. 

 

My lawyer also advised that a money order is the best way. 

 

After waiting several days for an email response, I coincidentally heard back from USCIS just minutes after posting this thread. 

 

So I should be OK with my credit card as I was originally planning to do. I never saw any such info on the USCIS website. 

 

FYI, this is the VJ page I was referring to, which maybe should be updated with this new info: 

 

 

 

You must pay the Form I-131A fee online. For all other applications and petitions that you submit to this office, you must pay the fees to the U.S.. Embassy cashier in U.S.. dollars, U.S credit cards, or U.S. debit cards only. If you pay with a credit or debit card, the cardholder must appear in person.

[MexicoExpat 18]

Thanks. I plan to pay the I-130 fee in person with my credit card when submitting the application. 

 

I do not believe I-131A applies to us, this is what it is described as on the link you provided:

Quote

 

Form I-131A allows you to apply for a travel document if you are:

Returning from temporary overseas travel of less than one year, and your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or Form I 551) has been lost, stolen or destroyed; or
Returning from temporary overseas travel of less than two years and your Reentry Permit has been lost, stolen or destroyed.   

 

We don't have a green card yet, so believe this is something else. If you mean the I-130A then we have that included in our packet to be field with the I-130 application.

[payxibka 10,044]

1 minute ago, MexicoExpat said:

Thanks. I plan to pay the I-130 fee in person with my credit card when submitting the application. 

 

I do not believe I-131A applies to us, this is what it is described as on the link you provided:

We don't have a green card yet, so believe this is something else. If you mean the I-130A then we have that included in our packet to be field with the I-130 application.

Ignore the first sentence.   Salient information is sentence two and beyond 

[lgh0806 0]

I TODAY got an email back from USCIS in Mexico City saying you can use the following payment options:

• US debit card
• US or Mexican credit card
• USD

Good luck! My appointment is also in 2 weeks... I hope everything goes well for you

Edited October 17, 2019 by hackettl

[Jorge V 195]

On 10/16/2019 at 7:31 AM, MexicoExpat said:

Because someone on VJ with direct experience submitting their I-130 quoted only a money order/cashier's check or Giro Bancario being an option when they did it. And that they ended up needing to FedEx a money order down to Mexico. 

 

My lawyer also advised that a money order is the best way. 

 

After waiting several days for an email response, I coincidentally heard back from USCIS just minutes after posting this thread. 

 

So I should be OK with my credit card as I was originally planning to do. I never saw any such info on the USCIS website. 

 

FYI, this is the VJ page I was referring to, which maybe should be updated with this new info: 

 

 

 

FYI I'm the one who wrote this guide 2+ years ago. Back then you had to submit your application via mail, but not too long ago they changed it so you had to file it in person. When submitting by mail you weren't allowed to pay via credit card, but now that you have to file in person it's possible.