Lockbox Facility delays receipt of I-129F petitions due to COVID-19 restrictions

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On January 8th, 2021, the USCIS issued a notification regarding delays faced by the Lockbox facilities throughout the nation. The official notice is published here:

https://www.uscis.gov/news/alerts/uscis-lockbox-updates

All categories of immigration benefits, not just fiance I-129F, are being delayed for several weeks due to heightened restrictions placed for the safety of all workers in the Lockbox facilities as well as USCIS service centers.

Here’s what this means for fiance K visa applicants who’ve submitted (or will submit) their I-129F petitions:

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▶ If you are going to submit your I-129F petition to the Dallas or Lewisville Lockbox, expect a delay of 4-6 weeks. Many are waiting even longer.

▶ If you have already submitted an I-129F but have not received a notice of receipt (NOA1) I-797c, you must allow 4-6 weeks to receive a response from the Lockbox facility with your receipt number. Some readers have already faced a 45-90 day delay in receiving their receipt numbers and confirmations. If you submitted a G-1145 for e-notification, you will receive an electronic notification when they accept your case. Otherwise, you must wait for the mail to arrive.

▶ If you have already received your notice of action and receipt,  the USCIS service center is processing your case.

According to reports from several sources, I-129F submitted in early November of 2020 are still not received or processed yet. If your case was postmarked in late 2020, you may not hear back until the middle or end of January 2021.

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What can you do if you’re outside the “normal processing time”

If you’re outside the normal timeline, you may submit an online inquiry (by email) to the lockbox facility if it’s been over 30 days. See their contact information here: 

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/organization/directorates-and-program-offices/management-directorate/office-of-intake-and-document-production 

Provide your case information, details, etc. so the staff can properly identify your case. Ask them to confirm whether they received your case or not.

If they confirm they’ve received your case but haven’t gotten around to inputting it yet, you will just have to be patient.

However, if they claim they cannot locate your case, it may mean one of two things: (1) they haven’t gotten to the exact batch of applications yet, or (2) your petition may be lost in the mail by the USPS, UPS, DHL, or any other service you used.

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Why is this happening?

The USCIS is following safety protocols and limiting the number of operators / staff working in the Lockbox facilities. Of the 200 employees, many will be limited and working at a safe social distance. This severely limits the efficiency that the facility normally enjoys. 

On average, the Lockbox facility processes 80% of all applications within a 48 hour window. They receive tens of thousands of petitions daily. But due to COVID-19 restrictions, the processing speed is severely limited and the backlog is accelerating.

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What does the Lockbox facility do? 

The Lockbox facility is an intermediate sorting/accepting facility for the US government. Most applications for immigration petitions are mailed directly to the lockbox facility where they are sorted out, checks are cashed and details are checked before being sent to the USCIS for processing.

For K visa petitions (I-129F), the Lockbox facility in Texas is only responsible to check for completeness, accept payment, and verify details before forwarding the packet to the USCIS service centers where an officer will adjudicate the case.

Due to a major spike in petitions (various immigration types, not just I-129F for fiances) and due to COVID-19 safety protocols, the lockbox facilities are facing huge delays. For more information on what the lockbox facilities does, see here: 

https://www.visatutor.com/i-mailed-my-i-129f-petition-whats-next/