U.S. citizen petitioners who have been resident in Indonesia or Timor Leste continuously for the past six months and have had permission to do so are eligible to file an I-130 petition for an immediate relative (spouse, child, stepchild, or parent) at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.  Please note that the Consulate General in Surabaya does not accept I-130 petitions, nor do they conduct immigrant visa processing or interviews.  Individuals who are in Indonesia or Timor Leste on a temporary status, such as students or tourists, do not meet the residency standard.  The U.S. citizen petitioner must make a personal appearance at the Embassy to file a petition in Indonesia.  

U.S. citizen petitioners who are resident in the U.S. may file for their immediate relative by mail with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) domestic service center having jurisdiction over their U.S. residence.  There are four USCIS domestic service centers. Please visit the USCIS website for instructions and further information regarding filing: www.uscis.gov.

U.S. citizen petitioners who are filing for family-based qualifying relatives must file the petition with the USCIS domestic service center having jurisdiction over their U.S. residence.  Similarly, U.S. citizen petitioners who are filing for fiancé(e)s must file an I-129F petition with a USCIS domestic service center.

U.S. legal permanent residents must file petitions for their immediate relatives with the USCIS domestic service center having jurisdiction over their U.S. residence. 

Once a petition is approved and received by the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, the relative being petitioned (the “beneficiary”) will be contacted by the Immigrant Visa Unit to be interviewed.  The interview will take place at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.  The petitioner is not required to be present at the immigrant visa interview.  As of July 27, 2006, all U.S. citizen petitioners will be subject to a criminal background check, as required by the Adam Walsh Act.

The fee to file the I-130 petition is USD 355 (subject to change).

Information for U.S. citizens seeking to marry in Indonesia and legally register their marriage with the Indonesian Civil Registry or Office of Religious Affairs can be found on our website.

Still confused? Please check out our most frequently asked questions page . Or, for more information, please contact one of our visa assistants by phone at + 62 (21) 3435-9000, by e-mail at jakiv@state.gov or by fax at + 62 (21) 385-7189 .