Greece - Athens Field Office
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Field Office Director
Adonis Rubinstein
Service Area
The Athens Field Office has jurisdiction over U.S. immigration matters in the following countries: Greece, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
The Athens Field has jurisdiction over refugee processing in Greece, Cyprus, Iran, Kuwait, Lebanon, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
Street Address
American Embassy
Vasilissis Sofias 91
101 60 Athens, Greece
Please use the public entrance on Kokkali Street
Mailing Address from the US
Field Office Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
PSC 108 Box 25
APO, AE 09842
Mailing Address from Outside the US
Field Office Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
c/o American Embassy
Vasilissis Sofias 91
101 60 Athens, Greece
Express Mail address
Field Office Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
c/o American Embassy
Vasilissis Sofias 91
101 60 Athens, Greece
Office Location
We are located near Platia Mavili, in the Ambelokipi area, directly across from the Megaron Mousikis.
Hours of Operation
The office is open to the public by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM. Please note that the office is closed the last Wednesday of each month and on Greek and American holidays.
Phone, Fax Numbers & Email
For general inquiries in Greek or English, please call the following numbers: 210-720-2404, or 210-720-2405. We are unable to provide specific case information over the phone.
If calling from the United States, please dial 011-30 first.
Fax: For specific case inquiries, a telefax is preferable. Our telefax number from the United States is 011-30-210-729-4304.
E-mail: USCIS.Athens@dhs.gov
Visiting the office in person
Appointments: All individuals that need to visit our office must first obtain an appointment. If you do not have an appointment you will not be permitted to enter the U.S. Embassy. To request an appointment please contact our office at tel: +30-210-720-2404 and +30-210-720-2405 or alternatively you may request an appointment via email at:uscis.athens@dhs.gov. Please write the names of the individuals who will be entering the embassy, the reason for your appointment, and the specific date and time you are requesting an appointment for. Our office will forward you a confirmation e-mail within 48 hours.
Walk-ins: We do not accept walk-in appointments unless the situation is an emergency. Normal requests, such as application filings or status inquiries are not emergencies.
Public Transportation
By Bus: Take Numbers 231, 405, 408, 550, and A5, to Platia Mavili, which is across the street from the Embassy.
By Trolley: Take Numbers 3, 7, and 13 to Platia Mavili, which is across the street from the Embassy.
By Metro: Go to the Megaron Mousikis stop, one block away from the Embassy.
Parking & Handicap Accessibility
Parking is extremely difficult to find in the area and not available within the Embassy compound.
Accessibility for individuals with special needs is available.
Paying Fees
Fees for applications and petitions are in the Forms section on the USCIS website. The fees for all applications and petitions submitted to this office must be paid with Euros, U.S. dollars, postal money orders, cashier's checks, traveler's checks, or Visa/Mastercard/American Express. Personal checks or Eurochecks are not accepted. Money order, casheir's checks, or traveler's checks must be payable to the:American Embassy or US Treasury Department. Please do not send cash or personal checks. The cashier's window closes at 2:00 PM.
Customer Feedback
We strive to provide quality service to our customers. If we have not lived up to this commitment, or if we have met or exceeded your expectations, please let us know. To comment on the services provided at this office, please write to the Field Office
Director at the address given above, or to the:
District Director
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Homeland Security
American Embassy
Via Veneto 119/A
00187 Rome, Italy
If you feel you were mistreated by a U.S. immigration employee, or wish to make a complaint of misconduct by a U.S. immigration employee, you may write to the District Director, or write directly to the:
Department of Homeland Security
USCIS
Attn: Chief, International Operations Division
20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20529-2100
Forms
Immigration forms are available under the Forms section of the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links, or you may obtain them in person at the office.
Visas
For in-depth information about visas, please check the Visa Services section of the U.S. Department of State website.
Form I-407
The abandonment of lawful permanent resident status is irrevocable. An individual who relinquishes lawful permanent resident status must qualify again for such status. Therefore, one should give careful thought to abandoning lawful permanent resident status.
If you wish to abandon your permanent residence and relinquish your Permanent Resident Card (Green Card), please contact us by phone or in writing for further instructions.
Forms I-600 & I-600A
Information on intercountry adoptions may be found at the Department of State and in the Adoption section of the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
The applicant should contact the Athens Field Office either by telephone or fax to discuss the forms needed, pre-adoption requirements, and the time range the adopted parents will be in Greece for the adoption. Appointments for filing the I-600 are given to accommodate the adopting parents. In countries that are within the Athens Field Office's jurisdiction but outside of Greece, Form I-600s are filed at the U.S. Consulate in the orphan's country. Form I-600A, Application for Advance Orphan Petition, can be filed in person or by mail with the Athens office.
The Athens Field Office provides fingerprinting services for Forms I-600 and I-600A.
Form I-130
U.S. citizens who reside in Greece may file Form I-130 for immediate relatives at the Athens Field Office in person, provided that the petitioner and beneficiary reside in Greece. Normal processing time is 30 to 60 days.
U.S. Citizens whose principal residence is not in Greece, and/or are abroad temporarily as a visitor or on business, must file the petition in the United States. Lawful permanent residents who are not posted overseas on government orders must file the I-130 petition in the United States.
Petitions that are commonly filed with the Athens Field Office are for:
1) spouses of U.S. citizens, 2) spouses of lawful permanent residents in the U.S. military; and 3) parents of U.S. citizens.
To file Form I-130 in Athens:
1) You must be a U.S. Citizen who is a legal resident of Greece, or military and civilian members of the U.S. Armed Forces or U.S. government with orders to serve in Greece.
2) Make sure prior to filing, that you (the petitioner) have followed the requirements for reporting your marriage in Greece. If you have married your spouse outside of Greece, you must ensure that you have followed the rules of the country where you were married. If you married your spouse in Greece , the marriage needs to be registered with the Registrar's Office or the Municipality (Lixiarhio) of the area where the marriage took place.
3) All the documents (if they are not in English) must be accompanied by a full English translation and by the translator's certification that he or she is competnent to translate the foreign language into English. The original documents, with one copy, and the English translation should be submitted with the petition.
4) The filing fee can be paid in U.S. or Euros currency (see the acceptible forms of payment above).
5) The Athens Field Office cannot accept Form I-130 by mail unless the I-130 petitioner is an active duty member of the U.S. military serving in the Athens Field Office's jurisdiction.
Form N-400
USCIS offices overseas are only authorized to process applications for naturalization for active duty military members and certain eligible family members. See the Citizenship section on the USCIS Website which can be found to your right under Related Links, to find Naturalization eligibility criteria and proper filing procedures.
The Athens Field Office provides fingerprinting services for naturalization applicants.
Form I-131 Parole
The Athens Field Office does not issue Humanitarian Parole. Individuals must apply for Humanitarian Parole by submitting their applications to:
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
For US Postal Service (USPS) Deliveries:
USCIS
PO Box 660865
Dallas, TX. 75266
For Express mail and courier deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: HP
2501 S. State Hwy 121, Business
Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Instructions on how to file an application for Humanitarian Parole are located on Form I-131 and in the Humanitarian Parole Section of the USCIS Website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Form I-131 Re-entry
The Athens Field Office does not issue or extend Re-Entry Permits. Instructions on how to obtain or replace a Re-Entry Permit are found at How Do I Get A Travel Document section of the USCIS website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Form I-590
We are unable to directly receive refugee resettlement applications. Please contact the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) located at Taygetou 23, Athens, Greece 154 52, telephone number 210-672-6462 or fax 210-672-6417.
Inquiries relating to the status of pending refugee resettlement applications that were submitted to U.S. immigration officials in Turkey, Lebanon, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait should be directed to the Athens Field Office.
Inquiries about requests to review denied refugee applications adjudicated in the countries listed above should be addressed to:
Field Office Director
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
c/o American Embassy
Vasilissis Sofias 91
101 60 Athens, Greece
Or you may send these requests by fax to the Athens Field Office at 210-729-4304.
For general information and processing criteria please see the Department of State website and the Refugee section of the USCIS Website which can be found to your right under Related Links.
Filing Form I-601 and I-212 from Abroad
If you are abroad and otherwise approved to immigrate to the United States, but a Department of State Consular Officer found you ineligible to enter because of one or more grounds of inadmissibility for which a waiver may be available, you may apply for a waiver by filing Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility.
If you left the United States voluntarily after being issued an order of deportation or removal, were deported or removed, or re-entered the U.S. unlawfully after previously accumulating more than one year of unlawful presence, you may apply for readmission to the U.S. by filing Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission Into the United States After Deportation or Removal.
Where to File
On June 4, 2012, USCIS changed where waiver applications are filed. This will provide more efficient and consistent application processing, and allow you to track your case status online. You may also request an email or text message confirming receipt of your waiver by completing and attaching Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance to your application.
Waiver applications and supporting evidence should be mailed directly to the USCIS Lockbox. You may find the address for the appropriate USCIS Lockbox in the form instructions, as well as in the USCIS website at:
Our office will process your application if you submitted it on or before June 4, 2012.
Please see the policy memorandum, Exceptions for Permitting the Filing of Form I-601, Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility, and any associated Form I-212, Application for Permission to Reapply for Admission into the United States After Deportation or Removal, at an International USCIS Offices, for more information.
I-601 Expedited Adjudication Requests
If you are sending your application to the USCIS Lockbox and believe you have extraordinary circumstances that are time-sensitive and compelling, you may attach a written request to have your application expedited at the time of filing.
If you have already submitted your application to the Lockbox, you can make an expedite request by either contacting the Nebraska Service Center (NSC) directly by email, or by calling the USCIS National Customer Service Center.
For information on how to contact the NSC and our National Customer Service Center, please visit the Contact Us page on the USCIS website.
If you filed a Form I-601 with this office on or before June 4, 2012, and it is still pending, you may request that the USCIS office expedite adjudication of your application when there are extraordinary circumstances that are time-sensitive, compelling, and would require you to be in the U.S. sooner than would be possible if your application was processed under a normal time frame. A strong desire to immigrate to the United States as soon as possible is not by itself “extraordinary.”
You must deliver a written request to expedite adjudication to the USCIS Field Office Director. You must also provide evidence of the extraordinary and compelling circumstance.
If your request to expedite the adjudication of an I-601 waiver is approved, the USCIS office will notify you within 15 days of receipt of your request. If you do not receive a response within 15 days, then it is very likely that your request has been denied.
Please be aware that approval to expedite adjudication of an I-601 waiver application does not guarantee that you will be approved, but only that consideration and adjudication of the I-601 waiver application will be expeditiously handled. If additional evidence is required, the adjudication of your application may be delayed. You will receive a Request for Evidence if additional evidence is needed. If your request for expedited processing is denied, your waiver will be adjudicated within normal processing times.
Transportation Boarding Letters
For U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) whose documents have been lost, mutilated, or stolen, the Athens office of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Immigration Customs Enforcement (DHS/ICE) may be able to issue a transportation letter. You may contact the local DHS/ICE office at +30-210-720-2402 or 2703.
