From your country
Your USCIS forms, from Philippines
Philippine documents, USCIS boxes. Your middle name, your province and your PhilID, each where it belongs.
Available now in New Jersey.
Your name on the form
In the Philippines the middle name is your mother's maiden surname. It goes in the middle-name box.
The suffixes Jr., Sr. and III are part of the legal name. USCIS has its own suffix box.
Your PSA birth certificate governs. Copy the name from it and the passport, not the one you use daily.
Write your name the same way on every form. A surname that changes from page to page raises questions.
The “State or Province” box
USCIS asks for a “state or province”. In your country that level is called a province.
In the Philippines, “State or Province” means your province: Cebu, Pampanga, Batangas, Ilocos Norte.
Metro Manila is not a province but the National Capital Region. Even so, that is what gets written there.
The barangay is the smallest unit and belongs in the address, before the city. It is not the province.
USCIS mails you at the address you write down. Check it before you sign.
The ñ, the accents and your passport
Surnames like Muñoz or Peña carry an ñ. The passport shows it at the top and swaps it for N in the machine lines.
We print on your form exactly what you type. Accents do not disappear on their own.
Your national ID is not your A-Number
The PhilID and its PhilSys number are Philippine. They are not your A-Number nor your USCIS receipt number.
The A-Number comes from USCIS, not from your country. It appears on the papers USCIS has sent you.
Where do I find my A-Number →If you are outside the United States
We prepare your form, you print it, sign it by hand and mail it. Being abroad does not change that.
We publish no consulate address, phone number, hours or appointment rule. The State Department handles those.
If your question needs a lawyer
We do not give legal advice and we do not decide your case. We tell you where to look for a licensed attorney or an accredited representative.
Start whenever you want
You fill in the interview in Spanish for free. You pay only when your form is ready, and USCIS fees are paid separately.
See the forms