hi my name is Diane and i am american and i am currently living in germany with my husband.. he is a german citizen.. i dont want to stay forever as i have an older daughter that is living in the usa.. and i eventually want to go back home. i was wondering i have been here since feb. 2nd. and i remember speaking to people in the past about DCF.. i know they have t his as an option in frankfort. i went to the website and saw they do it but all it said was i can file and make sure i have a proof of residency paper.. but doesnt say for how long i must be a resident. ic ant find that information? and can you file the I130 before you have the resident paper? to begin or no? and when i got here we filed for the resident paper saying i am now living here.. still havent recieved it though as of yet.. and when you become the paper i was told it will have the date you entered the country and came there and filed for the residency paper.. not the date that it finishes.. anyone know anything about that? and i must also file a i130 for his 6 year old daughter too or can i just put her on his i130?

You have to be resident in the counselor district for 6 months or more before you can file I-130 at the consulate.

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/mar/82030.htm

ok thank you for responding.. i read that.. ok so i am confused though now more lol.
it says if you have a residency in america you have to file there? or did i not understand? i live here now in germany but i do own a home in america.. but if i live here with my husband and i am here and later want to do DCF in frankfort i can still do that even though i have ahouse in america right?

Correct, if you are in the foreign country as a tourist, or NON-Resident, you need to file the I-130 to the USCIS in the USA, the address is the PO Box in Chicago.

Owning a home in the USA is a very good thing it proves that you still have domicile in the USA which will later be needed for the I-864 required for sponsoring the immigrant, I-864 requires US Domicile, and past years IRS return.

If you do get residency in Germany, you need to hold for 6 months before you can file DCF, so it may be a toss up file now to Chicago, or file later to the consulate.

thank you for the help.. one more question lol.. do you know if its true what i was told about the residency paper? they told me at the office that when it comes it has the date i filed at the office. for example i filed feb. 11th. and i am waiting now for 5 weeks and when it is eventually done will it have feb. 11th on there as the starting date for my residency in this country?

I would wait and see what the residency paper will have on it.