Embassy of the United States Paris, France

Special Announcements

• Effective May 2nd, 2012, the US Embassy in Paris will be accepting appointments for those who need emergency Green Card replacement, desire to apply for Returning Resident Status or wish to abandon their Green Cards.  The Embassy will no longer be accepting walk-in requests.  Please click on the appropriate service for more information.
• Effective April 13, 2012, the Department of State has adjusted visa processing fees.  The fees for most nonimmigrant visa applications and Border Crossing Cards have increased, while all immigrant visa processing fees have decreased. 
• Important Notice for Diversity Visa (DV) 2012 Entrants:  Successful entrants are encouraged to send in their required documents to the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) immediately, so that an interview appointment at the appropriate U.S. Embassy or consulate can be scheduled before the program ends.  In order for an appointment to be scheduled with either a U.S. Embassy or Consulate, entrants must first submit the Form DSP-122 and Form DS-230 to KCC.  Embassies and consulates only have a limited number of appointments each month, including September, for DV applicants, so it is vital that successful entrants mail these documents to KCC very soon.   
• DV 2012 ends on September 30, 2012.  In addition, if all of the 50,000 DV visas have been issued before that date, the program will end.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates only have six months left to issue visas to eligible applicants in the DV 2012 program.  Successful entrants should act now.  DV-2012 visas cannot be issued after September 30, 2012.  Participants are reminded to check the status of their DV entry through Entrant Status Check www.dvlottery.state.gov, using the confirmation numbers they received when they initially submitted their applications.  
• Effective March 1, 2012, U. S. Embassy Lisbon and U.S. Consulate General Ponta Delgada will no longer process immigrant visa (IV) or diversity visa (DV) applications.  These offices will neither schedule nor conduct IV or DV interviews after March 1, 2012; all immigrant and diversity visa interviews and adjudications for residents of Portugal and France will take place at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, France. read more 
  Tradução em português
• Effective August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas will no longer be able to routinely file Forms I-130,Petitions for Alien Relative, with U.S. Embassies and Consulates except in locations where U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) www.uscis.gov has a public counter presence within the Embassy or Consulate.  Petitioners residing overseas in countries where USCIS does not have a public counter presence will be required, starting August 15, 2011, to file their Forms I-130 by mail with the USCIS Chicago lockbox.  U.S. Embassies and Consulates that do not have a USCIS presence will only be able to accept and process Forms I-130 in exceptional circumstances, as outlined below.
  
  Forms I-130 that were properly filed at an Embassy or Consulate overseas where USCIS does not have a presence before August 15, 2011, will not be affected by this change.

Filing Instructions beginning August 15, 2011:

Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners residing overseas who wish to file a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, may do so as follows: 

• If the petitioner resides in a country in which USCIS has a public counter presence, the Form I-130 may be filed directly with the USCIS field office (see instructions below) or through the USCIS Chicago Lockbox at one of the below addresses.
• If the petitioner resides in a country where USCIS does not have a public counter presence, the Form I-130
  must be filed with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox at one of the addresses below, unless the petitioner requests and is granted an exception based on one of the criteria described below:

USCIS Chicago Lockbox addresses for regular mail deliveries:

USCIS
P.O. Box 804625
Chicago, IL 60680-4107

USCIS Chicago Lockbox address for express mail and courier deliveries:

USCIS
Attn: I-130
131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517

For additional information about how to file a Form I-130 with the USCIS Chicago lockbox, please see the USCIS website at www.uscis.gov or contact USCIS by phone at 1-800-375-5283.

Filing at USCIS Overseas field offices:

From August 15, 2011, petitioners residing in a country where USCIS has a field office, with a public counter,may choose to file the Form I-130 either through the Chicago lockbox or at the USCIS field office.
Petitioners should contact the USCIS field office with any questions regarding the filing of petitions.  For more information on where USCIS has overseas field offices and contact information, please Visit: http://www.uscis.gov/international.

Exceptional Filing at U.S. Embassies or Consulates without a USCIS Field Office:

Beginning August 15, 2011, petitioners, who do not reside in a country with a USCIS field office, but who believe that their situation merits an exception, may request an exception to allow the Consular Section at
the Embassy or Consulate to accept the filing.  Each request for an exception will be evaluated individually.

A petitioner seeking to file a Form I-130 at an Embassy or Consulate where USCIS does not have a presence should contact the Consular Section to request consideration of the request for exception and explain the circumstances in detail.  The Consular Section will then relay the
request for an exception to the USCIS field office with jurisdiction over the Embassy or Consulate.  The determination of whether the case presents exceptional circumstances that warrant an exception to the general filing process will be made by USCIS.  USCIS will be publishing guidance on the circumstances that may qualify as exceptional on their website at: http://www.uscis.gov

The USCIS office with jurisdiction over France is at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, Italy.  Questions for USCIS can be directed to: uscis.rome@dhs.gov

An immigrant visa is required of anyone who wishes to enter the United States to reside there permanently, whether or not that person plans to seek employment in the U.S.  The filing of an immigrant visa petition is also the initial step required to receive a Permanent Resident card (also known as a “green card”).  An immigrant visa holder who successfully enters the U.S. with the intention to reside there will receive a Permanent resident card during the first year of residency.  In most cases, you can only receive an immigrant visa if someone files an immigrant visa petition on your behalf.  You cannot petition for your own immigrant visa.   

U.S. immigration law provides for the issuance of immigrant visas in four general categories: immediate relatives, family based, employment based and Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (also known as the "green card" lottery). Most immigrant visa category petitions cannot be filed at the U.S. Embassy in Paris.  Employment-based, family based and fiancé(e) visa petitions must be filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the United States. 

Please click on Categories and Filing Instructions for more information.