Key Points
- USCIS has announced a change in filing location for some petitions and applications
- H-2A, H-2B, and Form I-129CW petitions will be filed at the Texas Service Center starting November 1
- Related Form I-539 applications will also be filed at the Texas Service Center beginning November 1
- A 60-day grace period, starting November 1, gives applicants time to adjust to the new filing location
- The USCIS website provides details about where to mail petitions and applications
Overview
US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that starting November 1, 2023, certain petitions and applications must be filed at the Texas Service Center (TSC).
Beginning November 1, 2023, H-2A and H-2B petitions, Form I-129CW petitions, and CNMI-related Form I-129 petitions must be filed directly at the Texas Service Center. Additionally, all related form I-539 applications must be filed at the Texas Service Center starting November 1, 2023.
Previously, all H-2A, Form I-129CW petitions, and CNMI-related Form I-129 petitions were filed at the California Service Center (CSC). All H-2B-related Form I-129 petitions were filed at the CSC or the Vermont Service Center (VSC).
To give applicants time to adjust to the new filing location, USCIS offers a 60-day grace period, through January 1, 2024, for the petitions and applications noted above to be filed at the Texas Service Center. Petitions and applications filed at the CSC or the VSC during the grace period will not be rejected.
Looking Ahead
Petitions and applications should still be filed at the CSC or the VSC before November 1, 2023. Petitions and applications received at the Texas Service Center before that date will be rejected.
Please visit the USCIS website for more information about where to send petitions and applications at the Texas Service Center.
Written by: Lucy Halse, Content Marketing Associate, Envoy Global
Edited by: Dmitri Pikman, Supervising Attorney, Corporate Immigration Partners
Source: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
