MANILA, Philippines — The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it will permanently close its field office in Manila beginning July 5 as it stopped accepting new applications and petitions to immigrate to the US.
In an advisory recently posted on its website, the USCIS said its Manila-based office is no longer accepting petitions and applications for family visa, foreign adoptions and citizenship.
The last day the office accepted applications/petitions and was open to the public was May 31. The office began redirecting Forms I-130 or the petition for alien relative to the USCIS Lockbox on May 14.
“The US embassy in Manila will assume responsibility for certain limited services previously provided by USCIS to individuals residing in the Philippines,” the USCIS said.
The USCIS also listed on its website the filing instructions for individuals who were previously assisted by its Manila office.
The USCIS is an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security that administers the country’s naturalization and immigration system.