A change in employment, but only for a sponsoring spouse who is a U.S.A military deployment, but only if the military service member received far less notice than normal.

This might include a pregnancy where the expectant mother will soon be unable to fly.

A medical emergency, affecting either the sponsoring spouse or the spouse seeking a green card and requiring urgent travel.

What counts as an “exceptional circumstance”?Ī qualifying “exceptional circumstance” includes any of the following:

The couple has an exceptional circumstance (see below) - unless an international USCIS field office is available in the country where the sponsoring spouse currently lives.

The sponsoring spouse’s permanent home is - or will be - in the United States.

The sponsoring spouse can prove that they are temporarily living in - not just visiting - a country other than the United States.

citizen currently residing outside the United States or a lawful permanent resident (green card holder) who is outside the United States for an extended period of time. Learn more.įor most spouses seeking a green card, direct consular filing is only available if the couple meets all of the following conditions: immigration can be complex and confusing.

Second, it can be used only to file Form I-130 abroad - it won’t speed up the handling of other green card paperwork, such as Form DS-260 (online immigrant visa application) and Form I-864 (financial support form). First, it’s not available to everyone: Only sponsoring spouses who temporarily live outside the United States and meet other requirements can take advantage of this option. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) lockbox facility in the United States.īut direct consular filing has limitations, too. This process is often much faster compared with filing Form I-130 with a domestic U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agency outside the United States. Requirements and Special Considerationsĭirect consular filing allows a sponsoring spouse to file Form I-130 (family sponsorship form) - the first step of the marriage-based green card process - with a U.S.How to Use Direct Consular Filing for an I-130.How Long Does Direct Consular Filing Take?.

Immigration form ds 260 online