USCIS permanently closed its Lima field office on January 31, 2020, so if you’re looking for USCIS services in Peru, you’ll go through the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy in Lima for anything that happens inside the country.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Peru – USCIS Lima Field Office USCIS still exists in your case, but only from U.S. soil: the agency receives and approves petitions filed in the United States, and the Embassy handles everything on the Peru side, from interviews and medical exams to document review and visa issuance.
Who Handles What
USCIS adjudicates petitions like Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative, which a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident files online or by mail to a USCIS lockbox.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-130, Petition for Alien Relative Once approved, the case moves to the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC), and eventually to the Embassy in Lima.
The Embassy’s Consular Section is the office you actually visit. It schedules and conducts interviews, reviews civil documents and police records, decides eligibility, and issues immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. It also provides passport and citizenship services to U.S. citizens living in Peru.
A quick rule for who to contact: if the petition is still pending, contact USCIS. If it has been forwarded, contact NVC. Once your interview is scheduled, the Embassy in Lima is your point of contact.
Green Card Processing Through Lima
The path to permanent residence from Peru is consular processing. After USCIS approves the underlying petition, NVC collects fees, the Affidavit of Support (Form I-864), civil documents, and the immigrant visa application before scheduling the Embassy interview.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA
Fees
Immigrant visa applicants pay several separate fees to different agencies. The immigrant visa application fee is $325 per person for family-based cases (processed on an approved I-130, I-600, or I-800 petition) and $345 for employment-based cases, paid to the Department of State and non-refundable.4U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
After the Embassy issues the visa, you also owe the USCIS Immigrant Fee, which covers processing your visa packet and producing your green card. USCIS encourages paying it after picking up the visa but before departing for the United States. You can pay after arrival too, but the green card won’t be mailed until the fee is paid.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Immigrant Fee
Required Peruvian Documents
Civil documents — birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees — must come from RENIEC (Registro Nacional de Identificación y Estado Civil).6U.S. Department of State. U.S. Visa – Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country – Peru Anything not in English needs a certified English translation.
Immigrant visa applicants also need three separate background records: a Certificado de Antecedentes Policiales, a Certificado Judicial de Antecedentes Penales, and a Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales a Nivel Nacional.6U.S. Department of State. U.S. Visa – Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country – Peru These can take time to collect, so start early.
Medical Exam
Every immigrant visa applicant must complete a medical exam with an Embassy-designated panel physician before the interview, ideally at least 20 days beforehand so results are ready on time.7U.S. Department of State. U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru – LMA The exam covers a physical evaluation, chest X-ray, blood work, and any required vaccinations. Current cost is roughly S/2,000 for applicants 15 and older and S/1,600 for applicants 14 and under, with additional charges if vaccinations are given during the exam.8U.S. Department of State. U.S. Embassy Lima, Peru – Immigrant Visa Supplement The Embassy’s Lima supplement page lists the current panel physicians.
The Interview
Once NVC confirms documentation is complete, the Embassy schedules an in-person interview. Bring original civil documents and have medical results already on file. If the consular officer approves the case, the Embassy issues the immigrant visa and you can travel to the United States as a lawful permanent resident.
Nonimmigrant Visas: Tourism, Study, and Work
Temporary visas — B-1/B-2 for tourism and business, F-1 for study, J-1 for exchange, and others — follow a different track. Everyone starts with the DS-160 online application, then pays the Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee. That’s $185 for B, F, and J visas; $205 for petition-based categories like H and L; and $265 for K fiancé and spouse visas.4U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services
The Embassy uses a two-step appointment system: first a visit to the Applicant Service Center for fingerprints and biometrics, then the interview at the Embassy. B-1/B-2 demand is heavy. New tourist interview slots open every Wednesday at noon and fill quickly. Not everyone who tries will get one, but you can attempt each week to book or move up an appointment.9U.S. Embassy in Peru. Important Visa Information
The 214(b) Presumption
Most nonimmigrant denials happen here. Federal law presumes every visa applicant intends to immigrate permanently unless proven otherwise.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1184 – Admission of Nonimmigrants Overcoming that presumption means showing the officer your economic, family, and social ties to Peru are strong enough that you’ll return. Employment, property, a business, dependents in school, or close family remaining in Peru all count. The officer weighs the full picture during the interview.
Validity for Peruvian Nationals
Approved B-1/B-2 visas for Peruvian nationals receive multiple-entry validity for 120 months (10 years) under the current reciprocity schedule.6U.S. Department of State. U.S. Visa – Reciprocity and Civil Documents by Country – Peru You can enter the United States multiple times over the visa’s life without reapplying, though the length of each stay is set by the border officer at entry.
Waivers If You’re Found Inadmissible
Some applicants discover during consular processing that they’re barred from entering the United States because of prior unlawful presence, criminal history, fraud, or health-related grounds. Waivers exist, but they add time and complexity.
Form I-601A: Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver
If you accrued unlawful presence in the United States and leaving for your Lima interview would trigger a three-year or ten-year reentry bar, the I-601A lets you request a provisional waiver before you depart, so you’re not stranded abroad waiting for a decision.11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-601A, Application for Provisional Unlawful Presence Waiver You must show that a U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or parent would suffer extreme hardship if you were denied admission. File by mail to the USCIS Chicago lockbox. It cannot be filed at the Embassy.
Form I-601: General Waiver of Inadmissibility
For other grounds — certain criminal convictions, immigration fraud, health issues, or prior removal orders — the broader Form I-601 applies. You typically file this after the consular officer at the Embassy finds you inadmissible during the interview.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Waiver of Grounds of Inadmissibility – Form I-601 An approved I-601 is valid indefinitely, even if you don’t ultimately get the visa or later lose permanent resident status. Disclose every ground of inadmissibility on the application; the waiver only covers what you include.
Services for U.S. Citizens in Peru
The Consular Section also serves U.S. citizens living in Peru.
Consular Report of Birth Abroad
If your child is born in Peru and at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), the document certifying the child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth.13U.S. Embassy in Peru. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) Most of the application (eCRBA) is completed and paid online, followed by an in-person interview at the Embassy. Bring the child’s original RENIEC birth certificate, the parents’ marriage certificate if applicable, and evidence of the U.S. citizen parent’s citizenship and physical presence in the United States.
Passports
If your passport is lost or stolen in Peru, the Embassy issues a limited-validity emergency passport, and you then apply for a full-validity replacement using Form DS-11.14U.S. Embassy in Peru. Replacing a Limited-Validity Emergency Passport DS-11 Routine renewals are handled by appointment through the Embassy’s passport services office.
Intercountry Adoption
Peru has been party to the Hague Adoption Convention since January 1, 1996, so adoptions between the two countries follow the Convention’s procedures.15Hague Conference on Private International Law. Convention of 29 May 1993 – Status Table The process starts with USCIS approval of Form I-800A (suitability), followed by a match and approval of Form I-800 for the specific child.16U.S. Department of State. Eligibility to Adopt The Embassy in Lima issues the child’s immigrant visa.
Scheduling and Contacting the Right Office
Nonimmigrant fee payments and appointments run through the official U.S. visa appointment service website for Peru. That system handles MRV payment, biometrics and interview scheduling, and emergency expedite requests for urgent travel. Case-specific questions go through the Embassy’s Visa Navigator tool.9U.S. Embassy in Peru. Important Visa Information
Immigrant visa cases already at NVC use NVC’s own online portal and contact channels, separate from the nonimmigrant system. Match the agency to the stage: USCIS while the petition is pending, NVC after it’s forwarded, and the Embassy once your interview is on the calendar.