South Korea - USCIS Seoul Field Office
Archived Content
The information on this page is out of date. However, some of the content may still be useful, so we have archived the page.
ALERT: USCIS issued guidance , effective Feb 1, 2020, delegating authority to the Department of State (DOS) to accept and adjudicate a Form I-130 filed by a U.S. citizen petitioner for an immediate relative if the petitioner establishes exceptional circumstances or falls under blanket authorization criteria defined by USCIS. This guidance, which applies even in countries with a USCIS presence, can be found in the USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B Chapter 3.
As of Feb. 1, 2020, USCIS will no longer accept and adjudicate routine Form I-130 petitions at its remaining international field offices. Petitioners residing overseas who are unable to file with DOS must file Form I-130 by mail with the USCIS lockbox facility in Dallas or online using the USCIS website.
Effective September 1, 2019, the USCIS Seoul Field Office will no longer process Form N-400, Form N-600, or Form N-600K for overseas military personnel and qualified family members. As of the effective date, the Guam Field Office will assume responsibility for these cases. Officers from the Guam Field Office will travel to Asia Pacific locations as necessary.
New Cases Filed After Seoul Field Office Closure:
Please review the USCIS filing instructions on our website located at www.uscis.gov/n-400 and www.uscis.gov/n-600 and www.uscis.gov/n-600k. You must file these forms with the appropriate USCIS Lockbox facilities.
Cases Currently Pending with the USCIS Seoul Field Office:
The USCIS Seoul Field Office may not be able to complete adjudication of pending Form N-400, Form N-600, and Form N-600K applications for overseas military personnel and qualified family members. Those cases have been transferred to the Guam Field Office to complete processing.
USCIS will issue a Form I-797C, Notice of Action for cases that have been transferred to the Guam Field Office. Please refer to the Notice of Action for additional information or contact the Guam Field Office by email at guamoverseasmilnatz@uscis.dhs.gov.
USCIS has a toll-free military help line, 877-CIS-4MIL (877-247-4645), TTY (800) 877-8339 and email address at militaryinfo@uscis.dhs.gov exclusively for current members of the military and their families as well as veterans. Our representatives are available to answer calls Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Central), excluding federal holidays.
Members of the U.S. armed forces and their families stationed in the U.S. or overseas may access the help line using the toll-free number through their base telephone operator or using the Defense Switched Network (DSN).
USCIS Closes the Seoul Field Office
USCIS permanently closed its field office in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 30, 2019. The office began redirecting Forms I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, to the USCIS Lockbox on Aug. 16, 2019. The U.S. embassy in Seoul will assume responsibility for certain limited services previously provided by USCIS to individuals residing in South Korea (see table below).
Beginning after Aug. 16, 2019, individuals who were previously assisted by the USCIS Seoul Field Office (which includes individuals residing in Korea and Japan) must follow the instructions listed in the table below:
General information about the U.S. Embassy Seoul is available on the embassy website. You may also contact the embassy by calling 82-2-397-4114 or by mailing:
U.S. Embassy Seoul
188 Sejong-daero, Jongno-gu
Seoul, Korea
| Service/Form | Filing Instructions |
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File your petition by mail with the USCIS Dallas Lockbox or online using the USCIS website. You can find additional filing information on the Form I-130 webpage. If you are a U.S. citizen, the Department of State may accept a petition from you if you are filing for your immediate relative (spouse, unmarried child under the age of 21, or parent (if you are 21 years of age or older) at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate in certain limited circumstances, as described in USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 6, Part B, Chapter 3. Please contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live for further information. Active-Duty Military: If you are an active-duty U.S. citizen service member stationed permanently at a military base overseas, you may file this petition directly with the Department of State at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate without needing to establish exceptional circumstances. |
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Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant (for Widow(er) petitions only) |
If you reside outside of the United States, you may be able to file at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate having jurisdiction over the area where you live. Please contact them for more information. Please see the Form I-360, Petition for Amerasian, Widow(er), or Special Immigrant webpage for the most current filing instructions. |
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Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document (Carrier Documentation) |
Beginning Nov 1, 2019, if you are a lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has lost your LPR card and/or reentry permit and you need travel documentation to return to the U.S., you can file your Form I-131A with any U.S. embassy consular section. |
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Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status |
Submit your Form I-407 to the USCIS Eastern Forms Center. You can find additional filing information on the Form I-407 web page. In very rare circumstances, a U.S. embassy or U.S. consulate may allow you to submit a Form I-407 in person if you need immediate proof that you have abandoned your lawful permanent resident status. The most common need for an expedited application is to apply for an A or G visa. |
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You must file your petition with the USCIS Nebraska or Texas Service Centers, depending on where the petitioner lives in the United States. For beneficiary interviews/processing, contact the U.S. embassy consular section in the country where the beneficiary resides. |
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If you are a member of the U.S. military stationed overseas, please see the Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, page or call (877-247-4645 ), TTY (800) 877-8339 for the most current filing instructions. For qualified children of active-duty service members stationed abroad, the proper form to file is the N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322. |
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N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322. |
For qualified children of active-duty service members stationed abroad, the proper form to file is the N-600K, Application for Citizenship and Issuance of Certificate Under Section 322. |
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Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition |
You must file your Form I-600A application by mail with USCIS lockbox facility in Dallas. The USCIS National Benefits Center will process the application. You may find additional information on the Form I-600A webpage. |
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Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative |
You may file your Form I-600 petition:
You may find updated information on the Republic of Korea Country Information page and the Form I-600 webpage on the USCIS website. |
For information on other immigration benefits, please visit uscis.gov. We suggest you use Ask Emma for more details about what you want to accomplish. Many times, you may be able to complete your task online.
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For in-depth information about visas, please check the Visa Services section of the Department of State’s website.