I know tokyo is back doing DCF but I have filed with CALI uscis office because we instructed to do so.
(****I meet the residence requirement because i have been living in Japan for 5 years and I have a valid Japanese visa until 2008 and my wife has been living in Japan for 10 years.)

WHAT are oveaseas filers supposed to do if we filed in the states but NOW...we want to do DCF??

Can someone find out ???
Tokyo is not useful and you have to pay money if you want to call them or email them which is B.S.Plus....I dont live in Tokyo...and the osaka office doesnt answer immigrant questions.They have always told me to call tokyo.

Any suggestions on this issue would be great!!!


anyways....
heres what tokyo requires but they dont mention anything about people who filed in the states and what to change..


Print out this page and check the boxes pertaining to your type of visa.

For each I-130 please submit original documents (bearing an original seal, stamp or signature of the office of record) plus one photocopy. English translations of all foreign language documents are required. Any foreign language document must be accompanied by a full English translation that the translator has certified as complete and correct. The translator must certify that he/she is competent to translate the foreign language into English.

Do not send anything to the Embassy or Consulate. Bring your documents to the interview. Before making an appointment, make sure you have all the necessary documents. All applicants must present the following documents at the interview:


1) I-130: This form is required in all cases. (Download form I-130 ) At the bottom of the first page of the I-130 please write an email address where we would be able to reach you.(completed this)

2) Evidence of Residency: The petitioner must provide evidence of residency in Japan for at least the preceding 6 months. Evidence may be a valid Japanese visa and proof of entry, a Japanese permanent residency permit, U.S. military orders, etc. (i assume my alien registration card and work visa on my passport will work)

3) Photograph: A 5cm x 5cm photo with a white background, taken within the last six months. The head (measured from the top of the hair to the bottom of the chin) should measure between 25 to 35mm with the head centered in the frame facing straight ahead. Please submit one photo of the petitioner and one for each beneficiary (i have plenty of these mugshots

4) Proof of U.S. Citizenship: An original birth certificate, original U.S. passport or original naturalization certificate are the only acceptable documents. (i have one)

5) Affidavit of Support: (Required only if applying in Tokyo) Form I-864 is a contractual affidavit of support. Most family-based visa applicants must submit an I-864 completed and signed by the petitioning relative (sponsor). Mistakes in completing the I-864 are the most common reason for refusing an immigrant visa application. Please read all instructions carefully before filling out the I-864. (few questions....i need to file my taxes...i have completed the necessary docs...1040/2555/w-7w-2s for me and my wife..can i send this to texas irs and just bring of copy of completed 1040/2555/w-7???
I made about 30,000 last year and so did my wife..i would assume we meet the requirements to be above the poverity line but we arent in the US..so i would need a co-sponsor..right? )
one more question, if i file in NAHA..do it looks like i dont need to do the I-864...or does this only apply for the military..i thought it might be fun to file in okinawa and get a visa and a vacation out of the whole deal??

6) Photo ID: Please submit a copy of a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID card or other photo identification for petitioner. (i have copies of my passport, valid us DL,japanese alien registration card)

7) Birth Certificate: Please provide an original birth certificate for the beneficiary. Note: For any birth certificate registered more than 6 months after the date of birth, please provide a written statement explaining why the birth was registered late and 2 alternate forms of original, secondary evidence of identity. Secondary evidence of identity normally means original documents dating from the time of your birth and childhood, such as prenatal records, doctor's notes and baby book, baptismal certificates issued on the date the baptism took place, school records/report cards registered or signed by the parents, or pieces of government-issued identification (SS card, driver's license, etc.). (i have a notarized/translated copy from china)

8) Copy of Beneficiary's Passport: Please provide a copy of the picture ID page, U.S. visas, other foreign visas and SOFA stamp, if any. If the beneficiary is non-Japanese, please also provide all previous passports for the beneficiary. (i have a few copies)

9) Biographic Information Form: The petitioner and the beneficiary should both separately complete form G-325. (download form G-325.) (i have these...but ...what about 325-a??

10) Immigrant Visa Application Form: The beneficiary should complete Part 1 and Part 2 of form DS-230. Please do not sign the bottom of the last page of Part 2. You will need to sign that form in the presence of a consular officer after taking an oath. (Download form DS-230)
(i have done these )

(11) Application Fee: The fee is $190 which can be paid at the consular cashier. Payment is accepted in yen or U.S. dollars. You may also pay by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express, Diner's Club) or by money order payable to "U.S. Embassy, Tokyo".
(i can pay it)

If the petition is for a spouse or step-child, you must also include:

12) Marriage Certificate: Please provide an original marriage certificate from the jurisdiction where the marriage took place. If the marriage occurred in Japan, please submit a copy of the family registry.
(i got a notarized translated copy from the osaka office)

13) Divorce Decree or Death Certificate: Original divorce decrees or death certificates, or certified court copies of the certificates, showing termination of all prior marriages of petitioner and/or beneficiary are acceptable. (doesnt apply to me)

14) Proof of Relationship: If you have been married less than two years, please provide a statement of how you met and evidence of your on-going relationship.[b](been married for 2.7 years)[/b]


If the petition is family-based, you must also include:

15) Birth Certificate for Beneficiary's Children: Please provide an original birth certificate or consular report of birth for beneficiary's children. (no kids)

Appointments can only be booked for up to three months in advance.
Thats what the tokyo website says...any advice or answers to my questions would be great.

If you want to file with Tokyo now, do so. You absorb the additional I-130 fee.

Previous Tokyo cases took about a month-2; no one can tell you how fast it will be now.

I guess you have to weigh the hassle of the NVC portion vs the $190 etc. You will want to formally cancel the US I-130 in writing if you re-file abroad (tie up those loose ends).

thanks ....money is no problem for me....im worth millions ....of YEN that is


BUT.....question about ....5) Affidavit of Support: (Required only if applying in Tokyo) Form I-864 is a contractual affidavit of support. Most family-based visa applicants must submit an I-864 completed and signed by the petitioning relative (sponsor). Mistakes in completing the I-864 are the most common reason for refusing an immigrant visa application. Please read all instructions carefully before filling out the I-864. (few questions....i need to file my taxes...i have completed the necessary docs...1040/2555/w-7w-2s for me and my wife..can i send this to texas irs and just bring of copy of completed 1040/2555/w-7???
I made about 30,000 last year and so did my wife..i would assume we meet the requirements to be above the poverity line but we arent in the US..so i would need a co-sponsor..right? )
one more question, if i file in NAHA..do it looks like i dont need to do the I-864...or does this only apply for the military..i thought it might be fun to file in okinawa and get a visa and a vacation out of the whole deal??

I'm thinking of doing the same. Already filed at CA USCIS last month, but there's no telling how long they will take.

Especially considering "weighing the hassle of the NVC portion" as Meauxna said. They are slow as well, plus you pay $70 to file the I-864, so the difference in re-filing is $120, not including postage for all the mailing back and forth to NVC. Time is money, as they say!

Now, how do you cancel the case pending in CA?

I emailed 4 different USCIS(one in the US,Bangkok,Seoul and Rome)offices hoping to find out the answer for people who already filed in the US but want to do DCF now. I hope to hear something soon.
I dont mind paying more.I have plenty of $$ if it means i can get in the US sooner.

Update:
I finally got an offical response and one bs response.

Seoul was waste of time even though they reside over Japan.
Here is their response "Sir,
You need to contact the consulate where you reside for guidance."

But ROME was helpful....
Dear Sir,
at this point the decision is up to you.
If you wish you may file a new I-130 Petition with the closest American Consulate overseas.Consulates overseas are now accepting again I-130 petitions for US citizens
resident in the country(cable 35045 from Dep. of State just came out a few days ago).
In this case you will have to cancel the I-130 and I-129F that you have already filed.
Regards,
Department of Homeland Security
US Citizenship and Immigration Services
American Embassy Rome, Italy

I hope this clear up any confusion you might have if you are like me and file in the US via the Cali USCIS and Chicago USCIS offices.
I think i will wait for my noal for my I-129F which i expect to arrive this friday.It takes a bout 2 weeks to arrive and then i will cancel those petitions..AND schedule an interview with TOKYO.It looks like Tokyo wont let you file or mail them the I-130 until you have you interview scheduled and then you bring it all at once.
Is this right Japanese filers?? Did the read the tokyo website correctly.
Thanks again.

I called USCIS. After going through all the button pushing, I talked to a nice lady and told her that even though I had already filed at CSC, I wanted to know if it was possible to transfer my case to the Tokyo embassy. She said that I could send a written request to CSC, and that it's possible that once it's approved they will send it back. It doesn't sound like a guarantee, and of course it's not known how long it will take.

So now I don't know if I should try this, or just go ahead and re-file at the embassy. If I re-file, how do I cancel the original case at CSC?

Yeah, you can't file by mail anymore (that process ended at the end of Dec.) or on a walk-in basis.

So, the only way you can file is to schedule an appointment and have everything on the checklist ready by then.

I think i will cancel my 2 petitions in the US because it looks like it will take about 5 more months and id like to have my interview in april or may and have the visa ready to go before JUNE.
HOW..im assuming we would have to contact CALI and Chicago and tell them of our plans.I imagine we need to send a letter as well but im not an expert.
It sucks that we have to file in person in Tokyo because i live in OSAKA but if i can file the 1-130 and all docs then i will do it soon!!!

I am in Kyiv, Ukraine, and the embassy here is now accepting I-130s but you have to get an appointment through a new call center that began work today. The call center people didn't know how to give me an appointment for an I-130 and said they would call me later with the info. An embassy staff member emailed me their guidelines for submitting the I-130 but their website still says they don't accept them. There was no explanation as to how they will determine residency in Ukraine.

I filed in the California center (NOA1 on March 6,2007). I want to file and plan to but wonder what I should do about the I-130 I filed in California. Exactly how do you "cancel" a petition? Does anyone really know about this? Will I have to show the embassy some kind of confirmation of this cancellation? The I-130 asks if you have ever submitted a petition for this person or anyone else. Would really like to hear from anyone who knows about "cancelling" or "withdrawing" a petition. I am not even sure what the correct verb is for it. I have appreciated everyone's helpful commentary as we all play this waiting game.

K, I'm really wondering how long DCF will take. I don't know if the embassy has a way to quickly do the background check (online, by e-mail, fax, phone) or if they have to send the paperwork by snail mail to USCIS for them to do the checks, which would take longer.

I think I will have to pay the ¥1500 and call the embassy and see what they say.

Great.... let me know what they say???

Here's what they said:

If you have a petition pending in the US, you have to cancel it before filing DCF. The cancelation can be made by calling USCIS customer support (as stated on the bottom of NOA1), but you have to wait until you get the documents back which could take 3 weeks more or less.

Some people who had petitions pending between July 06 and January 23 07 are starting to get re-approved and notification from the embassy, but many still have not yet been re-approved, and any new petitions filed after Jan 23, including the new DCF process, are in line behind those previous filers, so DCF could still take approximately 4 months, could be more.

In light of this, since I filed mine on Feb 1, they recommend that I not cancel and just wait a little more, since I already have a 2 month head start.

Well, now, the Tokyo embassy is putting out conflicting info. On another discussion site for Japanese, others have been contacting the embassy with the same questions about refiling and cancellation requirements. In some of the replies the embassy said you can cancel by just sending a letter to USCIS and showing the embassy a copy of the letter when you re-file, and in another they said you can re-file and then cancel the other pending petition.

No one else has been told that you have to wait for the return of the documents as I was told.

I guess the only way to find out is to make an appointment and go there with everything prepared to re-file. I know that this will be a gamble for those outside of the Tokyo area, like k-in-osaka.

After several emails and a phone call to the Kyiv embassy, I was told that they don't know anything about cancelling or withdrawing a petition filed in the US. I have to contact USCIS. The consular person did indicate that I would need proof that I had cancelled the petition, but I could refile with that proof. As for the residency requirement in Ukraine, he said there is no specific requirement but stamps in your passport could show you had been resident or "other documents."

I know this doesn't help the filers in Japan but that's the word from Kyiv. We are now debating what to do and have no idea if we should wait it out from California or cancel the petition and hope things go faster in Kyiv. Any thoughts?

I can't help any of your with your decision about pulling a US-filed petition and refiling abroad, but iluvmymac--there is no 'return' of your documents when you cancel a case.

IF you want to cancel a pending petition, you should do so by mail, sent by some sort of trackable method. That is really all there is to it. You won't get any response, but the case will eventually die. Proof of this mailing seems to be what Tokyo wants.

That's what I was thinking all along, but the Tokyo embassy seems to be making stuff up as they go. (!)

That may be, but my answer is based partly on others' experiences over time. Tokyo doesn't want any of you to re-file, so they're hedging. There is no "official' method for canceling a case anyway, and no law that prohibits you having two identical petitions in 'the system'.

I tried calling USCIS from Ukraine today but never got to a human being. No info on the menus about withdrawing a petition. I am wondering what others have decided to do about withdrawing and refiling DCF. I guess we are just going to write a letter to CSC where our I-130 is, include a copy of I-797 (NOA1) and maybe copies of passports, explain our situation and asked that the petition be withdrawn. I read in the on-line adjudicator manual that they are supposed to send a letter confirming withdrawal of a petition but I am not sure that they practice this. It doesn't seem like a big deal in the manual. Here is the text from the manual if anyone is interested:

20.4 Petition Withdrawal. A petitioner or applicant may withdraw a petition or application prior to adjudication. Withdrawal is a voluntary action. It should not be coerced, although it may be suggested as an alternative to a formal denial. Whenever a withdrawal is received, it should be acknowledged, in writing, for the record. Although a withdrawal by a petitioner is not necessarily an indication of fraud, the facts surrounding any prior withdrawal should be considered in the event a subsequent petition is filed by the same pe titioner.

Ribki, I've had some luck getting through to a live person at the USA central USCIS by pretending I have an old fashioned rotary phone. But the person I got was clearly just using key words I said to pull up information and then reading from a script - probably the manual you quote here, so I'm not sure how helpful you'll find the call!

In case anyone is interested in DCF in Kyiv, we decided to withdraw our petition in California (via letter by USPS) and today I called their new call center for an appointment. This time they knew how to schedule an I-130 submission but she was very reluctant to make the appointment. I had to convince that I legally am resident in Kyiv before she would go further. They offered lots of appointment times in April. I got one for April 10. They only accept I-130s two days a week at 10:00AM. Good luck to everyone else who may be re-filing their petitions through DCF.

Hey Ribki..
Good luck...and did they say HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO GET YOUR VISA VISA DCF??? Im trying to decided if I should cancel and go with DCF or wait out my k3/130 in the states in CA!!!
I hear that DCF isnt faster now but I dont know!!

I didn't ask because the call center people don't know anything. I guess it's still too early to tell how long DCF will take in Kyiv. I assume that each embassy will be different so it's impossible to tell at this point how DCF will work post Adam Walsh.

We hadn't filed an I-129F in the US and our I-130 had only been at the California center for three weeks or so when DCF returned. For me, even if it takes the same amount of time, I would rather do all the paperwork through the embassy since I live just 20 minutes from there. I can't imagine the frustration of doing all the NVC documents from Ukraine, mailing back and forth, etc., and the cost for faster mailing. Personally, it seems that DCF will still be faster than waiting for an I-130 to be approved in the US. California seemed to be processing some applications in 2-3 months but it may slow down at any point. And then there are possible delays in going from the processing center to Vermont then to the embassy. But if you don't live near your embassy, I can imagine that would add expense and time too.

Hi Iluvmymac (and all other Japan DCF filers),

I called the embassy yesterday and they confirmed what meauxna said: even if you applied to Cali, you can apply again thru DCF to the Tokyo Embassy with no penalty. I asked the lady 3 times just to make sure that I didn't have to cancel my other application to Cali, and she said "Don't worry about it" each time. So we're going to go ahead and apply thru the Tokyo embassy. When the visa is actually in my hand, then I will think about canceling the other application, but until then it sounds like it not a problem.

Also, the embassy lady told me that the will do an initial criminal check for the US citizen spouse at the embassy... If it comes back clean, there is no need to get a more detailed report from USCIS. Can anyone else confirm this?

Peter

I have an appointment tomorrow 4/5 to re-file I-130. I'll post back on how it went. I was thinking the same as Peter: I'm not going to cancel my other petition until we have the visa in hand.

Also, about the quick criminal checks, that appears to be correct. We've heard reports of some people who have been to the embassy last week to file and were told by the embassy "6-7 weeks".

For those who are re-filing, don't forget the item on pg 2 of the I-130 that asks if you've ever filed an I-130 "for this or any other alien".

Good luck to the Japanese filers! It's very odd (and frustrating and sort of humorous all at the same time) that the Kyiv embassy explicitly told me in an email and over the phone that you cannot file DCF in Kyiv if you have a petition pending in the US. I have an appointment to refile April 10. I will report back. I think it's possible that one person answers email and the phone but other people actually deal with and receive the petitions. Or it may be that Kyiv is just trying to keep people from filing DCF.

Peter and Peyton, thats good news.Thanks for the updated info your fellow japanese filers.

Im going to see whats happening on my end...im got some movement in my case....with my I-130.

Iluvmymac, I'd love to know how things go with your appointment.
Maybe you tell share what all happened and what they specifically required and asked for??? how long will it take to get your visa???

From another VJ thread, I found this link to the US Embassy in India. This is what they have to say about re-filing DCF:

If you have already filed an I-130 petition for this Alien Relative in the US, the US citizen petitioner must provide us with proof that that specific petition has been withdrawn or that processing on that petition has been terminated. We will accept a Notice of Action (form I-797) from US CIS offices to such effect. We will also accept a photocopy of a certified and/or registered letter to the US CIS office processing that petition in which you request termination and/or withdrawal of that petition. Such receipts or letters must note the complete receipt number of the petition filed in the US.

Back from the embassy. It was a breeze, except for waiting to go through the security checkpoint.

On page 2 of my I-130 I answered yes to the question if I had ever filed a petition for this or any other alien, and so they asked me only two questions about that:

1. "So, USCIS is taking a long time to process, around 6 months?" I said yes....
2. "You do understand that you have to pay the filing fee again?" I said yes.... and that was it.


They told me it would be approved in about 2 weeks.

That's great! Thanks for telling us what happened.

iluvmymac,
Are you saying you can have your visa in only 2 weeks??

Did your spouse have THEIR actual interview TODAY???

What about I-864?? Did they ask any questions about this??

Or did you just turn in the docs???

Today was just the I-130 submission interview, and that 2 weeks is to get the I-130 adjudicated (approval). When you go into the embassy, you take a number for the immigrant section. When your number is called, you go to the window and submit your documents to a Japanese staff member (who speaks English, of course). He/she will thumb through the papers to make sure everything's there (and will remove staples, so no need to staple pages). If all's ok, you'll be directed to go to the cashier to pay the fee, and then you take the receipt back to the window. Then you'll wait to be called by the consular officer (who is an American official) who may ask some questions such as how you met, etc. (we've been married 14 years so he didn't ask us much, but we saw others talking to him about many things). Then the officer will tell you to go sit and wait for a little more, and the Japanese staff member who collected your papers at first will call you again to return your passports etc. and will then explain the next steps for you to take (medical, police cert., etc.) That's when we asked how long to get the I-130 approved, and he said 2 weeks. We even double-checked on that, asking him "really, only 2 weeks?" He was sure about it.

They did ask for my permanent residence card in accordance with the new rule, so make sure you have that as well.

My wife had her medical exam also today at the British Clinic, and next she'll apply to get the Police Certificate next week, and that takes about 1-2 weeks to get the result. As soon as we receive notice from the embassy of the petition approval, we can then schedule the visa interview. Well probably be all done with visa in hand by the end of May at the latest according to the info they gave us.

They didn't ask any questions about the I-864. Even though I'll have no income once I leave Japan, I have about $70,000 in assets. I brought the supporting evidence of the assets, but they really didn't look at it, he just gave it back to me. I even asked if he didn't need them, he said no.

I'm so excited, I can hardly contain myself.

Oops, my mistake, they asked for my alien registration card.

Thanks again iluvmymac for the update....its strange that we need a submission interview...but i guess it has to be done this way...(i need to get my bank statements from the us...so i can show them the money...)

2 weeks is great news and if you can get you visa in May thats awesome!!!


If they tell you adjudicated..does that your case is being approved???

I still can't believe it; it's like I'm having a dream. The embassy staff member who I talked with was a really nice guy. When he asked me the question about USCIS taking so long, he was smiling, almost chuckling. And the same when he told me it would take 2 weeks.



I guess so.... I imagine that nearly all cases are approved, unless you have a criminal history or you're newlyweds and can't convince them of the legitimacy.

this is such great news for all of us in japan. i know EXACTLY what to do now.

i am starting this whole process again in tokyo. it's not as easy for me since i live all the way out in ishikawa, but i'll be doing this anyway. i want to get it done as fast as possible so we can go on with our lives.

thank you so much. i think this pretty much nullifies my thread.

woo hoo!

You mean my long-azz message to you was in vain?

We are in a similar situation and are wondering if refiling in Tokyo is worth it.

Our relevant details:
I-130 NOA1 - 2007-02-09
I-129 NOA1 - 2007-03-22
Looking to move to the US around 2007-08-01

Now waiting for some action on either I-129 or I-130.

We residing in Nagoya so we have the hassle and expense of going to Tokyo to consider.

With a few month start on the process I wonder if it is better to just wait out the I-130 or I-129 process or refile in Tokyo.

Incidentally I agree that the Tokyo office has not been very helpful with their "pay-for-help" phone service.

My NOA1 from USCIS Ca. is dated 2007-02-05, and we are looking to move to the US this summer as well, so my kid can be there to start school in Sept.

But it seems to me that USCIS Ca. has gotten bogged down with petitions, with the Adam Walsh thing and also now that Texas and Nebraska no longer process I-130s. My case at CSC hasn't been touched at all (even though that doesn't really mean anything; some cases have had no touches and then all of a sudden been approved), so the uncertainty was driving me nuts. And then after USCIS there is NVC, which is also slow.

So I decided to re-file. Went there last week, they told me the I-130 would be adjudicated in about 2 weeks. But I'm only 1 1/2 hours from the embassy, so it was an easy decision for me.

It may be worth it to re-file even in your situation, since you just filed in Feb/Mar and want to be in the US by Aug.

Best of luck to ya!

For anyone interested, I just filed my I-130 petition in Kyiv, Ukraine . I had made an appointment about 10 days ago. I had also filed CSC mid March. I had been told by the Kyiv consulate that I needed to withdraw my petition (which I did by USPS letter). At the petition submission, I was not asked about withdrawing the petition but the first thing they asked was about my residence in Ukraine. They did look through my passport for stamps to indicate residence for longer than 6 months. I've lived here 11 years so it wasn't hard to prove, but I do think they are going to enforce this residence requirement. They took my papers, no surprises--everything as their website indicates except they did ask for a copy of my passport though the website doesn't say to have a copy. I had extra copies of everything just in case. Then, after paying the fee, I had to wait a while for a very brief interview with the consular (he asked questions like where did we meet? how long have you lived in Kyiv? Do I speak Russian? when are we planning to move? he asked about one of the pictures I had submitted as proof of relationship, asked if we had children?). Then he said the petition was approved. I went back to the window where I submitted my documents and there I was given a case number. She said the background checks brought on by Adam Walsh take about 2 weeks. They send info electronically to the US for approvals.

Another American was there who had gotten caught up in Adam Walsh. He had had an interview Jan. 21 but it was canceled. They got their immigrant visa approval today. While I was there, no one was rejected it seemed. It also seemed everyone's process took at least two hours, or longer. So be prepared for that.

Thanks a lot for the information. Since it looks like there is about a 7 month! wait at the California Service Center we will refile at the Tokyo embassy this month. At least we already have most of the forms ready from our previous two filings.

Cheers

Just checked the status of my pending I-130 at USCIS, it's been approved!

But I'm expecting a notification from Tokyo embassy in a few days about my DCF pending petition, this will still be faster.....

We are in a similar situation since our I-129F was just approved today. I wonder if it is worth waiting on that process or to start over next week with DCF. There does not see to be much data to Japan filers of the k3 visa in the system here.

Woo-hoo! I'm getting closer!

Received notice from embassy today, I-130 approved on 4/12, exactly 7 days. Submitted request for interview, just waiting for that. Pick up results for medical & police next week.

Glad things are moving along so well for you. DCF (Tokyo) does seem pretty fast for you at least.

We will start our DCF process next Tuesday. Hopefully all will continue smoothly.

We are working on getting all of the required vaccinations so that the health check goes without a hitch.

Good luck with your May7th interview!

we just made the appointment for may 8th because next week on tuesday was full. was that you takoyaki? did you nab my appointment time. /:(

all the money is collected, taken care of, and ready. all the paperwork is filled out. i'm still waiting on the IRS but who isn't. i'm sure they will accept a copy of my tax return as filed for the I-864, but i still have a few weeks for a response from the IRS. i even have a job waiting for me for when i get home now.

i suppose all i have to do is wait at this point. i don't think i'll be able to make it back to america around the 1st of august, but maybe we'll be close. the way things are rolling for iluvmymac (ibook g4 in the hizzy here) i think it won't be too long after before we are able to get going.

Good luck!

(now black MacBook; my Mac history: iBook G3, PowerMac 4400, Performa 5440, LCII, Color Classic II, MacPlus 128)

Muckson keep checking the appointment dates. I found that it would let me register sometimes and not others. Also I found I had better luck using IE rather than firefox.

Good luck with it all. As an alternative the I-129f route seems to be pretty fast as well. Ours was approved in a relatively short time. Of course we are waiting on the next step now though.

We just received an email notification from the US Embassy in Kyiv that our I-130 petition was approved and we can now make a visa appointment through their new Call Center ($12 for an 8 minute call). It took about 14 days from DCF submission of the I-130 to their saying they had received all the security checks (the Adam Walsh checks, I guess).

Congratulations, ribki!!!!! I´m now waiting for the security checks on my I-130, said it would take about ten days.