Hi everyone..I didn't decide to write this until I really tried to check if there was this information already in here. I am living in Germany since Sept. 2007, and suffering, as I do not like it here, I cannot adjust and life is miserable for me actually. Sorry to be so downbeat but I must be honest. I'm also dealing with depression and PTSD. Ok. Anyway:
We have filed the I-130 on May 10 at the US Consulate, DHS/USCIS; they charged my credit card on May 20, 2008. I heard nothing, so finally wrote an email to the Frankfurt US Consulate, DHS/USCIS, and I got a reply on June 6, 2008. She said that an RFE was written and waiting to be signed by the officer in charge, and to please "wait until we receive a letter from them before we sent the requested information" which is a copy of my German Resident Permit and a copy of my US Passport. So. I waited for a letter...no letter, no letter, no letter. So on June 11th, I sent another email to the person who sent me the email, with attached copies of my resident permit and passport, no answer. Finally, on Monday, June 16, I wrote another email, no answer; called called called, no one answering the telephone. Finally got in touch with someone on Thursday June 19, and talked with the woman who answered my email. I explained to her that I sent the attachments, and was this good enough, she said "yes." In between this time I contacted my home state's Congressional representative, and asked for help with expedition. I told this to the agent at the USCIS, and she immediately got very surprised. I said, "no, not for anything anyone did, but I have mental health problems" and briefly told her about the reason we need to get out ASAP. She immediately became sympathetic, and said that she would try and move our petition along. So. That was the last thing that happened. She also took my phone number, and said that she would get back to me.
Meanwhile, I have my therapist in the US (who I have phone counseling with) who is writing a letter for the Congressman so they can use it in a request for expediting our case. I don't know what will happen at this point.
But our situation seems a little unique, or maybe I just couldn't find it. Because I haven't read of anyone staying in the country of their spouse while already married until they get the visa.
I am not planning on leaving Germany without my husband, until he gets his Visa. I want to be home SO BAD, but I must wait and go through this process with him. There's many reasons for this, that I won't go into but suffice it to say that I am not very well mentally, and I've gotten much worse living in Germany. I actually was maintaining quite well in the US, but I hate it so much here, and there's so much I cannot adjust to, that I really need to get out of here as fast as possible. So, most of what I read is when the petitioner files the I-130, then leaves to go back home to the US, then the rest of the paperwork is taken care of.
Please, if anyone can help clarify this...how long does it usually take in this case without any help or expedition?
Thank you and many blessings.

P.S....I should say that I don't even see the option for people who stay in a country anywhere waiting for the process to finish and for their spouse to get a VISA. We are not going to go through the K-3 process at all. Even the timeline area where I tried to begin a timeline doesn't have the option to put a timeline without a K-3 visa.
I would really like to have a sense of a timeline in Frankfurt for a US citizen staying in Germany until the process is complete...no US service center, only the Consulate.

I really wish someone would comment on this post...maybe it's because no one is in the same boat or has been?
Blessings All,
Marsha

What kind of a visa did you apply for?
Would this be DCF?

YES, it is DCF, which I said in my first post....DCF Frankfurt. I complained now to Rome, Italy, because they have jurisdiction over Germany's Consulate. They said that our file is being "processed." Such a lovely catch-all term...

Sorry, I missed that.

There are quite a few people on VJ who have filed DCF. I'm not sure about what countries they are from. Hmmm....I think Wacken filed DCF, maybe she'll show up....

Hi there. Maybe I'm not reading it thoroughly, but it sounds like you never received the letter saying what the RFE was for. But then maybe it doesn't matter since you got confirmation that they now have all the information needed.

What will happen next is that you'll receive notice that the petition has been approved. And then you'll receive information about scheduling the medical exam for him and forms to return to say he's ready for the visa interview. Then comes the visa interview itself, and after that it's only a matter of days before receiving the actual visa.

Do you have sufficient assets or a joint sponsor arranged?

I am sorry you are having such a hard time in Germany. Please keep in mind that you are in a great position to already have it go through quickly by living in Germany. The whole process without snags should only be a few months. If you were in the US and had to file through a US service center, the whole process takes a year or more. Currently, it should not be much longer than a couple months more or even less, which is great.

You say you're staying until your husband has his visa, but do you need to? Would it be healthier for you to leave now? Because you certainly can. The only thing that had to be done while you were in Germany was filing the I-130, which you've already done.

Marsha,

I don't have any practical advise to offer, but just wanted to ask you to stay strong. As long as you can count on his love and feel supported by your husband, the only thing that really matters is to be with people who won't let you down. In demanding and stressful times like the one you are going through right now nothing's more important than folks you can rely on. Take your relationship with him as your source of strength and inner balance.

Germany is not a bad place to live. Germans are just so different from Americans regarding their behavior and mind-set. It's not very easy to build friendships in Germany, but once you have build one, Germans have the tendency to be very good and loyal friends. I don't know how your German is, but I can tell you that Germans absolutely LOVE Americans who speak or try to speak German. (What I want to say is, should your German be rough, don't worry for a second about it as Germans, at least the civilized ones, won't mind that at all. They'll love you even more!).

As long as your hubby and you haven't figured out what to do regarding his visa, try to embrace those odd Germans and their weird behavior.....most of us are good and friendly people!

mnieto, thank you so much for your sweet reply. It was sooooo nice of you!
There has been a development. Boy, has there been a development! I complained to the Head office in Rome, Italy; and told the whole story and time line. Well, guess what? 2 days later, I get a phone call from Kristina Carty-Pratt herself (the director of the Frankfurt sub office) She's the big boss!
She apologized profusely..over and over again...for the trouble and for everything. She told me that my I-130 was approved, and that she herself hand carried it down to the visa dept., and I would be getting the receipt very soon with the approval letter!!!
I told her that we already had ALL the paperwork ready, and she said that "Ok, then maybe you will get an interview date too! All this, because I kept after them! They haven't even gotten the letters of request for expedition from Sen. John Kerry and Congressman Michael Capuano's offices yet! They sent them on Friday. But it looks like it's already well into the works of it all! Thank God. Thank you so much, all of you; for all your support: Margotdarko, Jundp, and mnieto...and if I have forgotten anyone, I apologize!
I was really beginning to feel very desperate...it was like NO ONE was hearing me or caring about me at that Consulate! Well, now they are! Thank God. Many Blessings to all!
Marsha

P.S....oops! MargotDarko, I forgot to answer you on the joint sponsor..yes we have one, and I have the papers he filled out and signed. That is all taken care of! Thank God! (I'm thanking God alot!)
WE have everything else ready, and my husband is getting his medical exam in Hamburg very soon, before the interview even so that will be all set too.

That's great news, Marsha! Good luck!

I guess what I mean is that I haven't seen many people who have filed only the I-130 alone and not with the K-3 visa, in fact I haven't read of anyone who has done that. Most who have done DCF have left after filing and approval, and then filed a K-3 visa. We won't be doing that at all. They are saying at the visa section that it takes up to 3 months for the visa process. I don't know if they meant the whole process from filing the I-130 to receipt of the visa in hand??
This process is sooooo very stressful. My God!

Marsha, I want to just second what she said. One of my oldest and dearest friends is one of these odd Germans Also, the first time I went to Germany all I could say was "Das ist gut" pretty much and Karin's friends loved it. They kept teaching me new phrases. Though it took a really long time to learn how to say "Entschuldigen" ( I said something along the lines of "choo choo goo" for a while) they never made fun of me at all. Well, just a little bit



The process is really stressful, whether you leave and come back to the US or you stay in Germany. If you can handle staying with your husband then at least the two of you will be together. If, for your mental health, you feel that you must return to the states, know at least that you aren't alone in this process.

Good luck.

jundp....thanks for your reply...very thoughtful of you.
I have some more news...
I sent emails to Frankfurt yesterday and today, and got back only "standard generic" responses, not even addressed to my name. Of course, we don't have a case # yet. I complained that they give me only generic information, on and on...back and forth 3 or 4 times .FINALLY, a long email from them! personalized as well. ( I told them that it seemed like a robot emailer answered me, and was this in fact the case??) They said that we have a date of July 18th for the final interview!!! This caught me by complete surprise..and makes us VERY VERY happy! We have all the paperwork ready, so we are ready! My husband is going to get his medical exam a few days before in Hamburg, since he works there, he's going right over after work. He's gotten his vaccination updates, so he's all set. Now to find affordable transport to Frankfurt! Thanks to all and many Blessings....

Filed I-130----May 10, 2008
First email from Frankfurt: June 6, 2008
Second email from Frankfurt: July 1, 2008
Final Interview Date: July 18, 2008

I have no idea what you are talking about. If you file DCF you are filing for a CR-1 or an IR-1. You do not file again for a K-3. I have no idea where you got that idea. You are free to leave the country as soon as the I-130 petition is in the mail. The process continues without your presence. I left the next day after I mailed the I-130. My husband did everything himself and entered on an IR-1. End. Don't have to do anything now until it is time to file for naturalization.

I loved Germany. I miss it a lot everyday. I am counting the days until I get to go back for a visit. I wish I didn't have to come back. Of course, all mileage does vary. Congrats on the interview date.

Ok Wacken...I understood that when people file the I-130, then left the country they're in, they file a K-3 so that their spouse can go to the US more quickly. OK, I understand now.
So you miss Germany? You can have our apartment when we leave if you want .....
I'm curious, what is it that made you love it so much? I can't leave here fast enough. And I will never look back...my husband doesn't like it here either, and he grew up here...so I guess we're all different..take care and thank you for responding..

Nah, once you file the I-130 with Frankfurt, that is it. You have filed for the CR-1 or IR-1 and that is all you have to do. I am not sure where all of this got confused with K-3. Maybe some USCs abandoned their PR abroad and then were forced to do K-3 instead of DCF? I dunno. It doesn't really matter now since the process is almost finished.

I like Germany. I can't lie. I would live there the rest of my life if that were in the cards. At the moment, it is just better to be here from a professional standpoint, but I feel my quality of life has suffered as a trade off. Where I lived in Germany, I needed no car and public transport was awesome. Health insurance was affordable and I could go to the doctor or dentist whenever I had a problem and not worry myself about how much it was going to cost this time. Groceries were cheaper, imo. There were walking paths everywhere and I got a lot more exercise than I do here. Stores were right outside my apartment, not 3 miles away. eBay was cheaper. 1/2 of the IL's live on the North Sea the other half and a few km from the Boden See, so I have the best of both worlds when we want to visit. My husband paid nearly nothing to go to uni. What it cost for me for 3 credit hours, he took a whole load for an entire year. I speak German and can function well enough. I loved the weather.

The only major disadvantage was the job market. My husband may try again later after he naturalizes here to get a job there again. At the moment, he is working on gaining more experience and education that wasn't really available to him in Germany. That was basically the only reason why we came back. My husband thought that he might not want to return to Germany, but I think he is starting to get what I was getting at before and can now see going back eventually. It just all depends on if he can get a job there.

It's not for everyone, I am sure. I just liked it a lot and was sorry to have to leave.

I loved the three years we lived in Germany, and didn't want to return to the States. I'm proud to be a USC, but could have stayed there any day. Marsha, I pray that you'll be happy anywhere you are.

Oh man. I love Germany so much. And I can't wait to move there. My SO lives in southern Germany and my best friend in Nuernberg. My mother's family was from Langenbeutingen (near Heilbronn) and from the first time I ever set foot there it just felt ...like "home" I guess. We have discussed moving back in the future, perhaps after P gets naturalized and my daughter is out of high school.

Where is your husband from in Germany?

Anyway, yeah, everyone's different. I love Louisiana and that's my real "home" but nothing can ever make me move back there!

Congratulations on your husband's interview!