WHAT IS THIS AND WHY?-USCIS to Close its Office in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 1

USCIS to Close its Office in Kingston, Jamaica, on March 1

On March 1, 2013, USCIS will permanently close its field office in Kingston, Jamaica and the USCIS Field Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic will assume Kingston’s former jurisdiction.

The Kingston Field Office had jurisdiction over Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Station.

After March 1, 2013, applications or petitions previously accepted at the Kingston Field Office should be filed as directed below.

Application Processing after March 1, 2013
Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative
Residents of Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Guantanamo Bay Naval Station must follow existing procedures for all petitioners residing in countries that have no USCIS offices: Form I-130 must be filed with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. More filing information is available on the Form I-130 page.

In certain emergency situations, the USCIS Field Office Director with jurisdiction over the country where the petitioner resides may authorize the Department of State to accept the I-130 at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. More information is available on the USCIS Centralizes Filing of Form I-130 page.

Form I-407, Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident
Status The U.S. Department of State’s Kingston consular section will assume responsibility for processing Form I-407 for residents of Jamaica.

Residents of Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands will continue to be processed by their respective U.S. Department of State consular sections.

Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
The Hague Adoption Convention governs international adoptions in Anguilla, Aruba, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands, which follow the procedures outlined here.

In regard to Jamaica and The Bahamas, two countries that are not parties to the Hague Adoption Convention:

A Form I-600 can be filed for children from these countries with a USCIS Lockbox in the United States, at the address given in the form’s instructions.
The U.S. Department of State consular sections in these countries will assume responsibility for processing I-600 petitions filed with them, as long as in-country filing is permitted as per the I-600 instructions.
Read about additional filing options on the Form I-600 page.

Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition Form I-600A can be filed with the Lockbox in the United States at the address given in the Form I-600A instructions. If the prospective adoptive parent is residing abroad in Jamaica or The Bahamas, Form I-600A may also be filed with the USCIS Field Office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/Santo-domingo

Application for Transportation Letter for a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) Traveling Outside the U.S. Transportation letters for LPRs in Jamaica and Cayman Islands are issued by the U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Kingston, Jamaica. Applications are accepted on an appointment basis only. Appointments can be made via email at: [email protected]. Please go to http://kingston.usembassy.gov/questionnaire.html for an application. For additional information on how to obtain a Transportation Letter, please call 876-702-6000 and follow the prompts.
For LPRs in need of a transportation letter who are visiting all other areas of jurisdiction of USCIS, Kingston, please contact the US Embassy or US Consulate having jurisdiction of the location of where you are travelling.
DNA and Fingerprint Collection The U.S. Department of State will assume responsibility for DNA and fingerprint collection. Please contact the U.S. Consulate where you are located for additional information.

To find general information about the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, please visit the official website at http://kingston.usembassy.gov, or contact the Embassy via telephone, during business hours: 876-702-6000, or by mail:

Embassy of the United States of America
142 Old Hope Road
Kingston 6
Jamaica, West Indies

After March 1, 2013, individuals requiring information on USCIS services in Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, The Bahamas, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Guantanamo Bay Naval Station may contact the USCIS Santo Domingo Field Office:

USCIS Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Telephone: (809)-221-2171. If calling from the United States, please dial ”1” first
Fax: (809)-731-4350
Email: [email protected]

Mailing address:
Regular Mail Express Mail
Mailing address from the United States:
American Embassy – Santo Domingo
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Unit 5542
APO AA 34041-5542

Mailing address from outside the United States:

American Embassy
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Santo Domingo
Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson
Calle Leopoldo Navarro
Unidad 5500

American Embassy
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Santo Domingo
Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson
Calle Leopoldo Navarro
Unidad 5500