I hope other VJers who filed/ will file their I-130 in June 08 will join me in this thread.

I realise DCF timelines vary widely depending on country, and the processes can be quite different too, so the amount of support/ tips we can give each other may be less than those of K1/ K3 filers, but I think it would still be nice to have a thread for those of us who filed DCF in June, to compare timelines and just chat and give emotional- and practical- support through this difficult time.

We filed a bit earlier than you, but just by a month! Our process seems to be going quite quickly, but I think
mostly because I thought our interview date would end up being in September or beyond (it's in August).
Good luck to you!

Cool idea! anything I can do to help, just scream. Ok, don't scream, but do tell

Another June DCF filer joining in

We are lodging our I-130 at the Consulate next Thursday.. I really really hope I can have my (2nd) interview by the end of August since my husband is moving back then to start grad school and I don't want to be apart from him for too long

G'luck all!!

Ditto from me! There's a few of us DCF vets around here that are always happy to help.

Cam- hope my interview will happen as soon as yours! Would love to be in the US for Thanksgiving or even Christmas, but I think early 2009 is more realistic- there are few Irish DCF timelines so it is difficult to estimate.

Where do you all plan on moving to and why? We were first looking at Colorado Springs as I like the climate there, but in the end decided on NW Arkansas as my husband has family there which is important now we have kids, plus the unemployment is very low and we can get a large house for a small price! I am not looking forward to the heat though, I don't do well in the heat.

Yes... I am surprised that ours is moving as quickly as it is, but I am wondering if we'll get held up with administrative processing. Since we're in Turkey, I think it's something we may have to deal with, but I'm not sure. I suppose we'll find out at the interview!

We're aiming for a pre-Thanksgiving departure from Turkey. We'll actually be moving to Colorado Springs (!) as it is where my parents are. (it does have a great climate, by the way!) We'll stay with them until I can land a good, solid job. I used to work in animation so it will take a bit of networking to get back into it again. My personal goal is to move to Portland, as I think it's a nice city and I think my husband would like living there too. My husband is worried about moving to a conservative, closed-minded place, but I think Portland should surprise him. Personally, I am really looking forward to being somewhere green again. I love Istanbul, but I'm tired of the traffic and dealing with so many people!

Keep us posted with how everything goes!

I'm a june filer from Chile We already have our final interview date set for July 9, so it's been smooth sailing so far! Hopefully we won't have any problems with the packet we have to turn in at the interview, which is just the affidavit and medical things. I can't believe how quickly this has gone.

Wow Leah, looks like Chile is super fast!
We got the DS-230 instructions today, yay! I think that is kinda like NOA2? I have all the info and should be able to send it back on Monday. In Ireland, the process then is that the embassy sends you interview appointment and medical info, and from the limited info I have that usually happens within 3 months, so with a bit of luck we will be over in the US by Christmas, maybe even Thanksgiving (my husband keeps boasting about the turducken he makes- sausage meat in a chicken in a duck in a turkey- but our oven here is not big enough!).

Husband and I lodged the I-130 petition at the Consulate here a couple of days ago. They said the estimated processing time for the Adam Walsh check is about 2 weeks and I should receive my Packet 3 soon after.

good luck to everybody else!

My wife filed our I-130 and her G-325, and at the same time I filed my DS230 Part 1, Police Cearance, Statement of Readiness etc at the same time two weeks ago in Auckland, NZ.

Documents were assessed, and we got given an interview date and medical instructions there and then (interview on 19 August). My wife had to swear an oath, and we were able to go. Our case should be pretty straight forward. We have been married for 2 and a bit years, have two small children and all our T's are crossed and our i's dotted.

Had medical done last Wednesday. Just awaiting the results of the blood tests to make sure that I have had all of the vaccinations that I need (should be fine).

Everything else is all ready, and am just awaiting the interview in August now.

Been very smooth sailing so far. Lets hope it continues.

Cheers

Grant

HI, We filed our I-130 at the Perth consulate in June10. Still waiting for results from the Adam Walsh Act check. Patiently waiting...

We did our I-130 on June 5th, got approved immediately, but now waiting for continuation although they said they would call us in 15-20 days to tell us what other documents to supply. Well, it will be a month on Saturday, and we are waiting and waiting, and would be easier if noone mentioned 15-20 days. I think I'm gonna set up a bed next to mailbox as well, just in case.

I got my Packet 3 this morning We filed the I-130 last Thursday and the Adam Walsh check took us a week

Hi all... how are your DCFs coming along?

I applied for my husband's visa on June 4 and it was approved today! It was super fast.

wow that's very quick! Congratulations!!

Congrats Leah, our first graduate!
As for me, I have my medical scheduled for the coming Tuesday, as I suspect I will need several visits to the doc- I don't have the tetanus, influenca or Hep B vaccination yet, and I doubt all that can be done in a single go- pretty sure the tetanus at least requires two shots. No news from the embassy about an interview yet, but I heard they are slow in July due to holidays.

In other news, we are off to the embassy today to get the twins registered and order their US passports!

Wow! Super fast. Congratulations! :-)

penguin - even if a vaccine has several parts, you only have to have started the course to pass the medical. The HPV vaccine has 3 parts, and I'd only had one when my visa was approved.

might not be as bad as all that

Oh that would be good- especially as I just discovered I have no record of the MMR! I know I had it done as a baby, but no record, I assume, means I'll have to do it again. So if I can get started today, I can get the rest done by my own GP, which is closer to home an cheaper!

I never had it done as a baby, aparently it wasn't part of the normal vaccination scheme then (I'm 26) so I had to have it done. Luckily I live in the UK, so the NHS did it for me. It was pretty painless, but I don't really mind needles.

Back from my medical! I ended up only needing one injection, a tetanus booster (which apparently will be a pain in the butt tomorrow). Lots of medical questions of course, and got told the DUI issue trips up a lot of Irish visa applicants- fortunately, I have none! Then off to the Blackrock Clinic (very la-di-da private hospital) for bloods and x-ray, and I'm all done!

In the meantime, the twin's consular birth certificates and US passports arrived today. I love their passports, they have pictures of American landmarks and stuff on each page, everything from the statue of liberty to a bear catching a salmon, and little quotes from famous Americans too. Much nicer to look at than boring European passports, or my husband's old US passport!

We also are June filers. Our interview is August 13th. In Jordan it is required for the USC to live for one year before qualifyng for DCF.

Blackrock clinic, no less! Best of luck with the interview!

This is all interesting and also puzzling.

I heard of DCF from a lawyer in California during consultation. He said go back to China and file DCF process.
We thought he was crazy so I contacted a friend who just got some Chinese legal work done. ...that lawyer said
the same thing.

However, ...this lawyer insists it should only take 7-14 days total. He said he has many people with the experience.

Is he saying this so I will be his client? No, ...he wants me to do it my self and charged me nothing to talk.

I read your posts here and called him back again. He said "I don't know why it's taking people so long, I'm cerain
of my experience.

In the mean time I accidently met a family at a restaraunt and coincidentally they did DCF. She said it took 4 weeks
and it was about 3 years ago.

SO, why am I reading here that it's taking months? What is the purpose if a standard filing process is 6 -9 months?

Help me understand.

Thanks,

Just went to get the mail from downstairs, and there was a thick letter from the US embassy. I thought it was our documents back because we had made a mistake somewhere, as I only sent my visa app 10 days ago, and I expected to wait 2-3 months, and then be given a month notice for the visa interview, as it said in the last paperwork I got. Nope.

Interview next Thursday, 24th July, at 1pm.

Less than a week!!! Yes, I made sure it was 2008 and not 2009. Bit nervous now... we are ready, I have all of the documents, just need to photocopy a few, but I just expected to have more time to prepare... They mjust have good faith in the Irish postal system too- the letter wasn't registered and only sent yesterday....

You do need to be resident in the foreign country for 6 months, so DCF may not be suitable for you. DCF is really more for people who lived abroad, and now as a couple decide to move back to the US, rather than US residents moving to their loved one for a short time to make things quicker. That being said, processing times very much depends on the embassy/ country your loved one is in. As you can see above, we have a June filer who has been approved already, and I just got my interview notice- if I pass and get the visa that day, it'll have taken me just shy of 6 weeks to get through the process.

Probably you didn't understand my comments. I have lived in China all these years doing business for foreign corporations so I've been a Resident in China all those years. However I cannot obtain a document of "Legal Residence" status unless I live here and also work for a China Corporation. ...but my point is, I have always lived in China all these years doing business on a Business Visa, not a tourist coming to find a wife.

My main comment and question is, why does it take months for some people to obtain DCF Visa? My understanding is it should be only a few weeks through the DCF process, not months as I see some people reporting.

Wow that's awesome! Congratulations Let us know how the interview goes!

Ah... well, the short answer is: yes, it should only take a few weeks, 2 months tops, but in reality it depends totally on the consulate/ embassy, how picky they ae, how much staff they devote to DCF etc etc.

Hi all, I have received my interview date - August 12, a week earlier than I anticipated

I think the answer to that is. It just Does. Ive been reading this thread with interest as i filed in April and have only last week sent in my packet 3 and June filers seem to be sprinting ahead. But then it varies from country to country and case to case

Went for my visa interview today, and it was a bit of a non-event. You know when you prepare for all eventualities, double check everything, hold your breath and then... it is much less difficult than you thought

My appointment was at 1pm, so I arrived at 12.30pm, and was told to come back at 1pm, they wouldn't let me in beforehand. An old lady was there at the same time and they wouldn't let her in either, not even to the benches inside the security hut, so I walked her to the bus stop bench 50 yards away. Turns out she is 98 and wants to visit the US one last time (she used to be a green card holder). I hope I am that fit mentally and physically at that age! Went back at 1pm, handed over my mobile (cell) phone for them to keep in the security hut, and went to the visa section. There was only myself, an Indian man who I think was there for a work visa, and another gentleman applying for a spousal visa who had to return because he needed to file a waiver.

When I went in I handed in my docs, they seemed surprised how well I was prepared (had a file with dividers for everything as recommended on hee), and didn't even ask for all of our proof of assets and income (I have some income from writing which will continue when I am in the US). Unfortunately my Irish police cert has me listed as being born in 1976 instead of 74, so they could not accept it. Then I went to pay the visa fee and sat back down.

Only a few minutes later I get called by the consular officer, who asks me when we got married- I said 1995 instead of 2005, doh! But he said "are you sue?", and I corrected myself. He asked why we are moving to Arkansas (I said due to better house prices, to which he smiled), and whether the address we gave as our US address (my husband's sisters address)- is near Little Rock, to which I said no, it is in the NW. Not sure if that was a test or just conversation. He asked if I had any kids from my previous marriage (no), and if the twins from this marriage had been registered with the embassy yet (yes), and then said I was all set, just to call them when I had the corrected Irish police cert, and I could come in right away and get the stamp for my passport. So after all this, all the prep and worry that they wouldn't take assets only (a rumour I heard from other Irish applicants), it was actually really easy, they didn't look at any of the bonafide evidence I brought, and I was out of there within the hour.


I won't post a "I have my visa" tpic yet as things can still happen until I have that stamp, but it is looking very very good.

I reckon you're right, Red Baron. I'm a little late to this thread, as I've been following the London May filers, on the theory that whatever happens with them, we can expect a month later. Probably not strictly accurate, but maybe close enough.

Anyway, we filed beginning of June and, as of today, the embassy site says processing 20 May (quite a jump from 8 May, where it was last Monday). So, according to our timeline, we could hear any day now or by 12 Aug. Who knows, SWMBO might even call me today to say that a letter has arrived.

But it the end, it takes as long as it takes is probably the way to look at it. Judging by the experience of some of the May filers who've been posting recently, we're probably likely to get an RFE for affadavits!

PS - Congrats, Penguin!

Got my visa!
It was no bother at all, other than a bit of a wait

Congrats on being our first graduate!

Second- Leah got there before me

Wow, you guys are speeding through!

We filed in Brazil June 23rd and just got the DS 230 instruction packet in the mail yesterday. On to the next step!

My interview is tomorrow so please wish me luck!

Good luck!
I am sure if you read the forums and guides here you are well prepared and will pass with flying colours.

I passed!! It was a busy morning at the Consulate (I arrived at 8.30 and was already #11 of the immigrant visa applicants) but as soon as I got called everything went quickly! I wish that more ppl knew about VJ because there were quite a few applicants before me who were unprepared/had the wrong info/etc

Anyway thanks for the support and guidance guys!! and good luck to those still continuing on their visa journeys!

Hurray!
Looking forward to your embassy review (well, the second review). What sort of questions did they ask?

Thank you!

When do you fly to the States?

We don't have a date yet, still need to sort out a letting agent for our apartment here and find a good home for the cats (they are healthy but too old to move that far according to the vet). We are hoping eerly October but definitely for Thanksgiving.

Hi guys,

I just want to add myself to the list of successful JUNE '08 DCF filers!!! My visa was approved yesterday (26 Aug 2008).

Thank you all for the help and support, this forum has certainly made the first part of our visa journey so much easier.

Cheers!!!

I'm a may filer, but we were approved last week. We delayed 2 months so could have been done in july. This site helped a lot, thanks everyone.