USCIS is permanently closing its field office in Frankfurt, Germany on January 31, 2020. This closure will affect many German and European citizens and residents, who now must file their applications with USCIS processing offices in the United States, many of which have significantly longer processing times.
Individuals living in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein must now file the following applications with USCIS service centers within the United States:
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er) or Special Immigrant
Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document
Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status
Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee Relative Petition
Form N-400, Application for Naturalization
Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing or an Orphan Petition
Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
US military service members and their families permanently stationed at military based in Germany are exempt and may process their applications with the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt directly. Please note that this does NOT apply for service members stationed at embassies, civilian institutions, or on temporary duty orders.
Petitions and applications currently pending with the USCIS Frankfurt Field Office will be transferred to the U.S. Consulate in Frankfurt or the USCIS Washington Field Office in Fairfax, Virginia for adjudication.
So, what does this mean for you? The USCIS Frankfurt Field office offered a "fast track" for many German and European citizens and residents applying for certain US immigration applications. Because the office is no longer accepting applications, many Europeans will have to wait significantly longer for their immigration applications to be processed. For example, the USCIS Frankfurt Field office previously processed marriage-based green card applications (Form I-130) within approximately 2 months. At the USCIS Texas Service Center, the processing times are approximately 8-10 months.
If you have questions regarding the USCIS Frankfurt Field Office closure and how this could affect your case, please contact Ayla Adomat at ayla@adomatimmigration.com.