USCIS Manila Field Office Philippines
Director
David V. Roy, Field Office Director
Service Area
The USCIS Manila Field Office accepts and adjudicates U.S. immigration benefits filed by residents of: The Philippines, New Guinea, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Wallis, Futuna, New Caledonia, Pitcairn Island, Overseas French territories of French Polynesia, and most island nations in the Pacific region that are not covered by the other Field Offices in the Bangkok District.
Street Address
Field Office Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
Embassy of the United States
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita, Manila 1000
Philippines
Office Location
The USCIS Manila Field Office is located at the American Embassy Compound on Roxas Boulevard, on the 4th floor of the Annex Building. Visitors are requested to use the public entrance access.
Hours of Operation
The office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon. The office is closed on both Philippine and American holidays.
The office maintains a public information window (Window #35) in the Immigrant Visa Unit. Arrive early to ensure a place in line. Take a number (one per family) and have a seat in the waiting room. Inquiries are answered and requests processed in the order received.
Visiting the office in person
Walk-ins:
Walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis at the USCIS Customer Service window. A number must first be obtained at the Embassy Information Window.
Paying Fees
The fees for all applications and petitions submitted to the USCIS Manila Field Office must be paid with: cash in U.S. dollars or the equivalent in Philippine pesos; credit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or Diner's Club); U.S. Postal Money Order in the exact amount; or traveler's check (at least 60% must be paid in traveler's checks to receive change in U.S. dollars or Philippine pesos).
Services at the USCIS Manila Office
Form I-130
Petitions for Alien Relatives (For Spouses, known as CR-1 or IR-1 cases)
U.S. citizens residing in the Philippines may file a Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130) with the USCIS Manila Field Office.
Humanitarian Reinstatement requests are processed only for those I-130's that were filed and approved in Manila.
Section 6 of the Child Status Protection Act provides for the automatic transfer of preference categories when the parent of an unmarried son or daughter naturalizes, but also provides the unmarried son or daughter the ability to request that such transfer not occur. As of this date, the Department of State Visa Bulletin shows that visa availability in the first preference category is more current than for the second preference categories, except for beneficiaries from the Philippines. All beneficiaries in the Philippines wishing to opt out of the automatic conversion must file a request, in writing, addressed to the Field Office Director, Manila. See the memo entitled ''Section 6 of the Child Status Protection Act'' for more information.
Additional information about Petitions for Alien Relatives may be reviewed by visiting the following pages on our website:
- U.S. Family Immigration [link]
- CR-1 spouse visas [link]
- Additional information on Overseas filing of Petitions for Alien Relatives, sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Direct Consular Filing” or “DCF”, may be viewed by clicking here [link to article on overseas filing].
NOTE: Overseas USCIS offices do not accept or adjudicate I-129F petitions for Fiancées.
If you have questions regarding filing of Immediate Relative Petitions with USCIS Manila, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-601 Waiver Applications
All immigrant visa applicants who are found to be subject to a specific legal grounds of inadmissibility and are denied a visa are referred to ''Window X'' in the Immigrant Visa Section at the conclusion of the interview. Any inadmissibility for which an I-601 waiver is available is identified by a Consular Officer during the immigrant visa interview..
Additional information about legal grounds of inadmissibility (reasons for visa denials) may be reviewed by visiting our page on I-601 waiver applications [link] or by reading our article on legal grounds of inadmissibility and I-601 waiver applications [link to article]
If you have been denied a visa or if you have questions regarding filing of I-601 Waiver Applications in Manila, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-407
Relinquishment of Legal Permanent Resident Status (Giving up your green card)
The abandonment of lawful permanent resident status is irrevocable. If an individual who relinquishes their lawful permanent resident status (their “green card”) wishes to obtain lawful permanent resident status again in the future, they must qualify again for such status by filing a new petition in a category in which they qualify. One should give careful thought to abandoning lawful permanent resident status.
That being said, there are perfectly sound reasons for relinquishing one’s green card. If a legal permanent resident has been out of the United States for a prolonged period of time, without a Re-Entry Permit, they may have already lost their legal permanent resident status, essentially by operation of law. In such instances and, where the green card holder wishes only to visit the U.S. infrequently and for brief periods of time, it is often advisable to relinquish the green card with an I-407 filing preparatory to filing an application for a B1/B2 visitor visa.
We again caution you that your green card should not be relinquished without very careful consideration and, if you are at all in doubt about your status or intentions, you should obtain a legal opinion to inform your decision making. If you are considering giving up your green card and wish a legal opinion on your status and options, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form N-400
U.S. immigration offices overseas do not accept or adjudicate Naturalization applications from U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs).
EXCEPTION: Certain Active Duty Military members, Spouses of Active Duty Military, and Children of Active Duty Military can be naturalized overseas. However, the applications should be filed with the Nebraska Service Center. For additional information about Naturalization rules applicable to Active Duty Military members, Spouses of Active Duty Military, and Children of Active Duty Military please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed Immigration attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-131 Parole
The Manila Field Office does not issue Humanitarian Paroles. Individuals must apply for Humanitarian parole by submitting their applications to:
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Attn: Chief, International Operations Division
(Humanitarian Parole)
20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20529-2100
If approved, the USCIS Manila Field Office will issue an appropriate travel document.
Form I-131 Re-entry
The USCIS Manila Field Office may, under certain circumstances, issue approved re-entry permits; however, they do not extend re-entry permits.
Form I-590
The USCIS Manila Field Office unable to directly receive refugee resettlement applications. These should be filed at the Refugee Resettlement Section (RRS) of the U.S. Consulate. They are also unable to check the status of any pending refugee resettlement application.
Transportation Boarding Letters
USCIS Field Office Manila issues Transportation Letters to assist Permanent Residents returning to the U.S. Transportation Letters are issued in a variety of situations including lost, stolen, mutilated, outdated, or expired Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card. Please contact the Manila USCIS office directly for further information and application procedures.