How to pay for I-130 from abroad?

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bananie

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I am a US citizen married to an Italian citizen. We currently live in Italy, and we are trying to start the process to obtain a green card for my husband, as I got a job in the US that starts in February. I have prepared all the documentation for the I-130, but it is unclear how we pay. The USCIS website and the Rome field office website state that we can pay using a credit card, but how exactly do we do that? Do I write my credit card information on a piece of paper and say that I confirm that they can charge the fee to my account? Does it matter if it is an American or Italian credit card?

I've called about 10 different numbers, and I have only found automated messages; there don't appear to be any real people I can talk with! I appreciate any guidance anyone can give me.
 
I could not find the information on the Rome website but a simpler solution will be to visit your bank or the post office and ask for an international money order payable in US dollars in the US. Those are as good as a money order bought here in the States. Or do you have a family member who could procure a MO or simply issue a check for you?

If I remember it right the forms do not have a place for payment information and typically the payment is attached with the application as a check or MO.
 
I don't think I can get a money order from my bank in the US in $ when I'm in Italy... I have to be able to send something physical with my I-130, right? The mail service in Italy is really unreliable and sometimes takes months to get something sent from the US, if it arrives at all, so I'd rather pay with my Italian bank account or with my American (or Italian) credit card. The USCIS and Rome field office websites say you can pay with a credit card, they just don't say how.
 
I think credit cards are allowed only for online filings. But I-130 doesn't have online filing.

If you have a US bank account, you can write a check from that account.

If you want to send a money order instead, an Italian bank should be able to give you an international money order denominated in US dollars if you give them the cash.

Send the application documents and check or money order via private courier such as Fedex/UPS/DHL.
 
Thanks for the response.

The reason why I think I can pay by credit card is because the Rome Field Office website states that fees can be paid by credit card, and they also don't accept personal checks (they don't appear to have online filing for *any* forms, by the way). They just don't say how to do it.

Can't do a money order in dollars from an Italian bank because the website specifically states that it must be in dollars from a US bank. As I'm not in the US, so I can't make a money order there.
 
bananie said:
Can't do a money order in dollars from an Italian bank because the website specifically states that it must be in dollars from a US bank.
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The bank can give you an international money order linked to a US bank, and USCIS will accept it. Non-US banks that issue international money orders in US dollars have arrangements with banks in the US to make it possible. The money order you get will show the name and address of a US bank on it somewhere, and USCIS will accept it.

If you're not using DCF (Direct Consular Filing), you won't file the application with the Rome field office, you'll file it with a USCIS "lockbox" address in the US (see the I-130 instructions), and they accept personal checks.
 
Jackolantern said:
The bank can give you an international money order linked to a US bank, and USCIS will accept it. Non-US banks that issue international money orders in US dollars have arrangements with banks in the US to make it possible. The money order you get will show the name and address of a US bank on it somewhere, and USCIS will accept it.

If you're not using DCF (Direct Consular Filing), you won't file the application with the Rome field office, you'll file it with a USCIS "lockbox" address in the US (see the I-130 instructions), and they accept personal checks.
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Thanks, I'll try this! We are doing DCF.

By chance does anyone know if we have to mail the documents in a certain way? The post in Italy is notorious for losing/stealing mail and packages (about 1/3 of the things I send go missing), so the only way to guarantee that it arrives is through certified mail (I think that is the name... raccomandata in Italian) but some offices won't accept it because it must be signed for. It isn't clear if I can send the documents this way!

I'm nearly ready to take a 10 hour train ride to Rome just to make sure it gets there safely...
 
Got it figured out! For anyone else in the same situation, it is 315 euros (fixed exchange rate of .75). They only accept credit cards in person.
 
bananie said:
Thanks, I'll try this! We are doing DCF.

By chance does anyone know if we have to mail the documents in a certain way? The post in Italy is notorious for losing/stealing mail and packages (about 1/3 of the things I send go missing), so the only way to guarantee that it arrives is through certified mail (I think that is the name... raccomandata in Italian) but some offices won't accept it because it must be signed for. It isn't clear if I can send the documents this way!
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Contact the consulate directly for information. Most importantly, you need to confirm that you qualify for DCF based on your circumstances and their criteria (how long you've been married, how long you've been living in Italy etc.) and whether they're accepting any DCF at the moment; sometimes they suspend DCF even though their web site indicates they still accept it. And find out what methods of delivery and payment they'll accept. I see the field office web page says they accept credit cards, but that might only be for online filing or in-person.

Also note that the USCIS field office there isn't the same thing as the consulate, even though it might be located in the same building as the consulate.
 
Same here!

bananie said:
Got it figured out! For anyone else in the same situation, it is 315 euros (fixed exchange rate of .75). They only accept credit cards in person.
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Hi Bananie,
I have the same exact problem. I am a Us citizen residing in Italy and would like to file a petition for a K1 visa for my partner to the USCIS FIeld office in Rome. I've looked everywhere, calle dand written to anyone, but no one tells me how can I pay the fee from here... Can I ask you how you solved it? I would prefer not to travel to rome to pay with the credit card, I live in Milan...

Thank you so much
 
You can contact USCIS by their 1 800 number on their website.(although from overseas it's not toll free) After you call, press 1 for English, then wait for awhile, eventually you will press * key, then wait awhile and then press 3, then press 3 and then after the recording goes on for a long time, you will press 6 for a live agent. It takes around 5-10 minutes to get through to a live agent. By the way, if you are using Skype, for some reason it doesn't go through to the agent, only if you call direct from your mobile or home phone. But you can pay for the I-130 via personal check drawn on an American bank account, if both parties names are on the account, otherwise you can go to any bank in the world and ask for a Cashier's check in US dollars. Make the check out to U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The current fee to file the I-130 and I-130a is $535.
 
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