USCIS Will Close its Field Office in Panama City on Feb 1

The USCIS field office in Panama City will permanently be closed and the countries, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela and Suriname, that were in the jurisdiction of the Panama City Field Office, will be in the jurisdiction of the Field offices in San Salvador, El Salvador, Lima or Peru. After 1st February, 2012, the Lima and the Peru Field offices will have jurisdiction over Ecuador, Guyana, Colombia, French Guiana, Venezuela and Suriname. Similarly, the San Salvador and El Salvador Field Offices will have jurisdiction over Panama.

After 1st February, 2012, residents of Panama, who look forward to sponsor their relatives and who need to file Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, must file this form with the USCIS Chicago Lockbox. Panama City consular section of the US Department of State will process Form I-407, Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, filed by the residents of Panama. Similarly, petitions filed by the residents of Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, will be processed by the respective consular sections of the US Department of State.

Residents of Guyana and Suriname may file Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, with the USCIS lockbox facility in the United States, according to the form instructions. The consular sections of the US Department of State in these places will deal with the I-600 petitions, filed by the residents. Similarly, residents of Guyana and Suriname may file Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, with the USCIS Lockbox in the United States or with the Lima or Peru Field Offices. Residents of Panama, Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname, may get in touch with the USCIS Field offices in Lima and Peru, for more information on the services offered by the USCIS.