U.S. Embassy Seoul may accept filing of the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, from petitioners who believe they have exceptional situations that would merit an exception from filing by mail to the USCIS Lockbox.
USCIS published guidance (PDF 60KB) on circumstances that may qualify as exceptional.
- New transfer with very little notice (Temporarily suspended: Due to limited appointment availability and a backlog of immigrant visa applications created by the COVID-19 pandemic.)
If you believe that your situation merits an exception, please contact the Visa Information Services via email at support-korea@ustraveldocs.com to request an exception and explain your circumstances with proof in detail.
If your request to file an I-130 petition with U.S. Embassy Seoul is not authorized by USCIS, then you much file the petition with the USCIS Lockbox or online at http://www.uscis.gov/i-130.
Note: U.S. Embassy Seoul may not accept filing of the Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative if the petitioner has already filed a Form I-130 with the USCIS in the U.S. for the same beneficiary. If exigent circumstances exist, the petitioner should request expedited processing for the petition filed in the U.S. Please refer to the USCIS website for information about the process to request expedited adjudication.
For information on how to file an I-360 petition for a spouse of a deceased U.S. citizen, please click here.