Frequently Asked Questions Dec. 9, 2008

**IMMIGRATION INFORMATION FOR MEMBERS OF THE\
U.S. ARMED FORCES AND THEIR FAMILIES**

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers immigration
services and resources specifically for members of the U.S. Armed Forces
and their family stationed in the United States and abroad. Below is a
list of answers to frequently asked questions received by our military
assistance team. USCIS established this team to ensure that the military
community receives quick and secure access to accurate information.

**[Members of the U.S. Armed Forces]{.underline}**

**Q. I am in the military and have official Permanent Change of Station
(PCS) orders reassigning me to an overseas duty station. Will the move
impact my naturalization application? Do I qualify for expedited
processing of my application?**

A. Your reassignment overseas should not impact your naturalization
application. USCIS will continue to process your *Application for
Naturalization* (Form N-400). Currently, a dedicated team at the USCIS
Nebraska Service Center (NSC) processes all Form N-400s filed by members
of the U.S. military. After the military assistance team completes their
processing, they transfer the file to the appropriate overseas USCIS
office, which schedules an interview and the naturalization oath
ceremony overseas. You may ask to expedite handling of your application
because of these special circumstances by:

-   Calling the toll-free USCIS Military Help Line at, 1-877-CIS-4MIL
    (1-877-247-4645). Operator assistance is available from 8 a.m. to
    4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday, excluding federal
    holidays, or

-   E-mailing USCIS' military assistance team at:
    <militaryinfo.nsc@dhs.gov>, or

-   Contacting your military installation's designated USCIS liaison,
    who should request USCIS expedite your application.

**Q. I am stationed abroad serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed
Forces, how can I notify USCIS of my new military address?**

A. Members of the military stationed abroad should notify USCIS of their
new address by contacting the Military Help Line by e-mail:
<militaryinfo.nsc@dhs.gov>, or telephone: 1-877-247-4645. We are working
to add APO and FPO address changes to the on-line change of address tool
and anticipate a solution soon. It is important to notify USCIS of your
address change to receive so that you and your family may continue to
receive information and correspondence about immigration benefits and
services.

**Q. I am scheduled for an appointment at a USCIS office in the United
States, but I am now at an overseas duty station. What do I do?**

A. If you have an appointment, an interview or are scheduled for an oath
ceremony, and you have transferred overseas, contact USCIS and request
we transfer your case to the nearest USCIS overseas office. Either you
or your military installation's liaison to USCIS can do this by e-mail:
<militaryinfo.nsc@dhs.gov>, or telephone: 1-877-247-4645.

**[Spouses of Members of the U.S. Armed Forces]{.underline}**

**Q. I am in the military and have PCS orders to an overseas duty
station; does my spouse qualify for expedited processing of the
*Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence* (Form I-751)?**

A. If you or your spouse has official military orders to PCS overseas,
you may ask USCIS to expedite the I-751 petition. Call USCIS at
1-877-4645 [before you leave the United States.]{.underline}

**Q. My spouse left the United States, traveling on official PCS orders
to join me overseas at our new duty station, but did not receive her/his
permanent resident (green) card, after we filed the I-751 petition. What
do we do?**

A. If you filed the Form I-751 in United States, e-mail or telephone the
USCIS military assistance team and let us know your spouse did not
receive a permanent resident (green) card. We will review your case and
determine if your spouse's card was produced and if USCIS can forward
the card to your new APO/FPO address.

**Q. How can I expedite my *Petition for Alien Relative* (Form I-130) to
bring my spouse to the United States? Is there any way she/he can enter
the United States while the petition is being processed?**

A. Citizens of the United States, who are serving in the military and
have a pending *Petition for Alien Relative* (Form I-130) on behalf of
their spouse, may e-mail or telephone the USCIS military assistance team
and ask for expedited processing of that petition. During that time,
your spouse may enter the United States on a K-3 nonimmigrant visa. To
get a K-3 visa, you must file a *Petition for Alien Fiancé(é)* (Form
I-129F) on behalf of your spouse. An approved Form I-129F will allow
your spouse to enter the United States. If USCIS approves the I-130
petition while your spouse is in the United States on a K-3 visa, she/he
can file an *Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust
Status* (Form I-485) to become a legal permanent resident.

**Q. I am a U.S. citizen and serving in the military, who in my family
is considered as my immediate relative so that I may file a *Petition
for Alien Relative* (Form I-130) on their behalf?**

A. In general, spouses, unmarried children younger than age 21 and
parents of U.S. citizens are considered 'immediate relatives' to file a
*Petition for Alien Relative* (Form I-130). This means they will not
have to wait long to receive an immigrant visa or adjust status in the
United States, because a visa number is immediately available.

If you recently became a U.S. citizen and have Form I-130 pending with
USCIS you can call the USCIS Military Help Line to request USCIS upgrade
your relative's visa category to 'immediate relative' status.

**Q. I am a legal permanent resident and serving in the U.S. Armed
Forces, who in my family is considered as my immediate relative so that
I may file a Form I-130 petition on their behalf?**

A. Spouses and unmarried children younger than age 21, of permanent
residents are not considered 'immediate relatives' to file a Form I-130.
Therefore, relatives of permanent residents may have to wait several
years before immigrating because of the combination of high demand and
the limits set by law on the number of persons who can immigrate each
year.

If you are a legal permanent resident, and have a pending Form I-130
petition on your spouse's behalf, your spouse may be eligible to file
for a V-1 nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. consulate overseas by concurrently
filing the U.S Department of State Forms DS-3052 and DS-156 nonimmigrant
visa applications.

An application for the visa does not guarantee your spouse will qualify
for the V-1 visa. If approved, the V-1 visa, like the K-3 visa, will
permit your spouse to lawfully enter the United States and then adjust
his or her status to lawful permanent resident when his or her immigrant
visa number becomes available.

For specific information about the K-3 and V-1 visas, please see the
U.S. Department of State Web page,
[www.unitedstatesvisas.gov](http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/).

**[Fiancé(e)S of Members of the U.S. Armed Forces]{.underline}**

**Q. I am in the military and am engaged to marry a non-citizen. I filed
a *Petition for Alien Fiance(é)* (Form I-129F) to bring my fiancé(e)
into the United States. Do we qualify for expedited processing of the
petition*?***

A. If you are a U.S. citizen and have Form I-129F, *Petition for Alien
Fiance(é),* pending on your spouse's behalf, you may ask USCIS to
expedite the processing of Form I-129F by calling the Military Help
Line. If you are a U.S. citizen and do not plan to marry your fiancé(e)
before he or she enters the United States, you may file the Form I-129F
petition on his or her behalf. If you are outside the United States, you
can mail the forms to the appropriate USCIS Service Center listed on the
Form I-129F instructions. (Unlike a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent
resident cannot file a Form I129F.)

After USCIS approves the Form I-129F, your fiancé(e) may file an
application for a K-1 nonimmigrant visa at a U.S. Consulate overseas. A
K-1 visa allows your fiancé(e) to enter the United States to marry you,
and for no other purpose. If you and your fiancé(e) do not marry within
90 days of his or her admission to the United States, the K-1 visa will
expire. If you marry your fiancé(e) within those 90 days, your spouse
may file to become a lawful permanent resident by filing an *Application
to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status,* (Form I-485).

For more information, please review the Department of State Web page:
unitedstatesvisas.gov.

**[Overseas Application Process]{.underline}**

**Q. How does overseas processing work?**

A. Overseas processing of immigration benefits depends on the type of
application or petition. For example, USCIS can process an *Application
for Naturalization,* (Form N-400) filed by members of the military who
are stationed overseas. The service member must work with the
installation's designated USCIS liaison to coordinate the request for
processing with the appropriate USCIS office overseas. If the service
member is already overseas, contact the overseas USCIS office at the
following e-mail address:

-   For inquiries from the Rome District, including Iraq: email
    <Rome.Natz@dhs.gov>

-   For inquiries from Germany, email <USCIS.frankfurt@dhs.gov>

-   For inquiries from Japan or South Korea, email
    <CIS-Seoul.Natz@dhs.gov>

-   For inquiries from Afghanistan, email <USCIS.Afghanistan@dhs.gov>

The service member may also telephone or e-mail the USCIS military
assistance team to request overseas processing. Currently, a dedicated
team at the USCIS Nebraska Service Center (NSC) processes all Form
N-400s filed by members of the U.S. Armed Forces. After the military
assistance team completes their processing, they transfer the file to
the appropriate overseas USCIS office, which schedules an interview and
the naturalization oath ceremony overseas.

**Q. Can USCIS process my spouse or children's application overseas?**

A. It depends on the type of application and where you and your children
are stationed overseas. Please see the following for guidance:

-   Form I-130, *Petition for Alien Relative*: If you are a military
    member stationed abroad, you can file the Form I-130 either at a
    USCIS Office overseas or U.S. consulate. Please go to www.uscis.gov
    and click on "Services & Benefits" then look under "Immigration
    Overseas Offices" to determine the USCIS office overseas with
    jurisdiction over your location. If you do not live near an overseas
    USCIS office, then you may file the Form I-130 with the State
    Department through the U.S. Consulate with jurisdiction over your
    location.

-   Form N-400, *Application for Naturalization*: A spouse of a service
    member may proceed with his or her naturalization application
    overseas if the spouse is residing abroad on official U.S. military
    orders. Please refer to the fact sheet: "*Requirements for
    Naturalization Abroad By Spouses of Members of the U.S. Armed
    Forces"* on [www.uscis.gov/military](http://www.uscis.gov/military)
    for filing instructions and additional information.

-   Form I-485, *Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust
    Status*: Form I485 may only be filed by applicants who are inside
    the United States seeking lawful permanent residence. If the person
    is overseas, they must apply for a visa with the U.S. Embassy or
    consulate overseas. Please see above for more information about visa
    processing through the U.S. Embassy or consulate overseas. The
    service member (petitioner) should work directly with the U.S.
    Embassy or consulate to determine if the U.S. Department of State
    can expedite issuing the relative's (beneficiary's) visa. For more
    information regarding visas, please see the Department of State
    webpage at
    [www.unitedstatesvisas.gov](http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/).

-   N-600K, *Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate
    under Section 322*: Eligible children of members of the military may
    also benefit from overseas processing of their applications for
    citizenship under section 322 of the Immigration and Nationality
    Act, if those children live abroad with the military member on
    official orders. Please refer to the fact sheet: "*Overseas
    Naturalization Eligibility for Certain Children of U.S. Armed Forces
    Members*" located on
    [www.uscis.gov/military](http://www.uscis.gov/military) for filing
    instructions and additional information.

-   Form I-751, *Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence*: You may
    file a Form I-751 while you and your spouse are overseas on official
    government orders. You should mail Form I751 to the USCIS Service
    Center having jurisdiction over your residence of record in the
    United States if you are overseas on official government orders.
    Please refer to the form's instructions
    ([www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-751instr.pdf](http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-751instr.pdf))
    for specific filing requirements.

-- USCIS --