Recently, USCIS made changes to the forms and procedures for filing an application for a CR1 Marriage Visa.
First, USCIS updated the I-130 form and it now requires far more information than the older version. The form itself grew from 2 pages to 12. For example, the new form now requires the month/day/year for all residential and employment dates, not just the month and year.
Another significant change to the I-130 form and process can be found in the instructions to the new form under the title “Biometric Services Appointment. This new section allows USCIS, at their discretion, to require petitioners to appear for fingerprinting, interviews, photographs and criminal background checks by the FBI. At this time, it is unclear as to when and if such additional steps will be required of the Petitioner. Rather, it appears that after filing the new I-130 form, USCIS will advise the petitioner if any additional steps must be taken.
Next, instead of having to file a G325A Biographic Data form for each spouse, USCIS now requires a new form called an I-130A. This new form collects extensive background information for the beneficiary spouse. This form too is several pages long and requires detailed background information.
As of this writing, I have not experienced any complications with the new procedures or forms. As the process unfolds and I gain experience with the new procedures, I will share my experiences for everyone’s benefit.
If you have any questions about the CR1 Marriage Visa or the new procedures for applying for this visa, please feel free to call me toll free at 1-888-515-3529. I am always happy to help.
Attorney Jeff Pettys
www.marriagevisaservices.com