Public Announcements

Family Based/Immediate Relative Immigrant Visa Petitions

As of January 22, 2007, consular offices abroad were instructed to cease accepting certain immigrant visa petitions because consular officers lacked the means to perform the required criminal background checks on American citizen petitioners, as required by the Adam Walsh Act.

Subsequently, the Department of State and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) worked to develop a mechanism whereby USCIS will perform these required "Adam Walsh Act" checks for any petitions accepted abroad by consular officers.

Effective immediately, American citizens who are resident in Trinidad and Tobago can file immediate relative immigrant classification petitions at the Embassy in Port of Spain.  Immediate relative petitions (I-130) for IR-1 (Spouse of an American Citizen), IR-2 (Child of an American Citizen), and IR-5 (Parent of an American Citizen) applicants are accepted by the Consular Section between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., Monday through Thursday, except for U.S. and Trinidad and Tobago holidays. 

To demonstrate residency in a consular district, the American Citizen petitioners must be able to show that they have permission to reside in the consular district and that they have been doing so continuously for at least six months before filing the petition.  Individuals who are in the country on a temporary status, such as student or tourist, would not be considered to meet the residency standard.

U.S. citizens petitioning for relatives must bring their U.S. passports, and the beneficiaries must bring their national passports to the Embassy when the petition is submitted.  Original marriage and/or birth certificates establishing the family relationship must also be presented, along with original divorce decrees from previous marriages. 

All lawful permanent residents, and American Citizens resident in the United States or with a permanent address in the United States, will file I-130 petitions at the USCIS Service Center having jurisdiction over their place of residence (as indicated on the USCIS website: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130.pdf).

The fee to file a petition is US$190 or the equivalent in TT dollar, payable in cash or by credit card. 

Note: Grandparents, aunts, uncles, in-laws and cousins cannot sponsor a relative for immigration.

For more information on Family-Based and Immediate Relative Immigrant Visas, please visit the following web page: http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants_types_family2.html

Minor Child of a U.S. Citizen: An Immigrant Visa may only be processed for a child if he/she has no claim to U.S. citizenship.

Parent of a U.S. Citizen: U.S. citizen must be 21 or over.

Step-parent or child of a U.S. Citizen: Step-parent or step-child relationship must occur before the child’s 18th birthday.

Spouse of a deceased U.S. Citizen: Petition must be filed within 2 years of the death of the U.S. citizen, and they must have been married at least two years and not legally separated at the time of death.