WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) today announced revised filing instructions for petitioners filing an Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker (Form I-140). The new form, dated 6/14/10, reflects an overall effort to transition the filing of benefit forms from USCIS Service Centers to USCIS Lockbox facilities. Centralizing form and fee filing to a Lockbox environment allows USCIS to provide customers with more efficient and effective initial processing of applications, petitions and fees.

Form I-140 filed alone or together with an Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status (Form I-485) should be filed at the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility, or at the USCIS Nebraska or Texas Service Centers, depending on the classification for which the petition is being filed. Forms I-140 for skilled workers (marked “f” in Part 2, Petition Type, of the form) should continue to be submitted to either the Nebraska or to the Texas Service Centers. Forms I-140 that are accompanied by a Form I-907, Request for Premium Processing Service should also go only to the Nebraska or Texas Service Centers. Beginning on Aug. 3, 2010 all other Form I-140s should be submitted to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility. Detailed guidance can be found in the updated Form I-140 instructions on the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov.

If a Service Center receives a Form I-140 that should have gone to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility, they will forward the form, and any other forms filed in the same envelope, to the Dallas Lockbox facility for 45 days until Sept. 17, 2010. After Sept. 17, 2010, petitions improperly filed at the USCIS Service Centers will be returned to the petitioner as improperly filed, with instructions to send the petition to the correct location. USCIS will issue a receipt upon receiving a properly filed Form I-140 in accordance to the revised filing instructions.

Certain Form I-140 petitions may be electronically filed (e-filed) with USCIS. Please visit us at www.uscis.gov for information on who is eligible to e-file this form.

Petitioners filing a Form I-140 at a USCIS Lockbox facility may elect to receive an e-mail and/or text message notifying them that their petition has been accepted. They must complete an E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (Form G-1145), and attach it to the first page of their petition.

For more information on USCIS programs, visit www.uscis.gov or call the USCIS National Customer Service Center at 1-800-375-5283.