[payxibka]

This was just posted today on the US Embassy website in Kiev.

I-130 Petitions No Longer Accepted by U.S. Embassies

January 23, 2007

Per Department of State instructions, effective immediately, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine and U.S. embassies worldwide are no longer authorized to accept or adjudicate I-130 petitions. American Citizens must file petitions for their relatives with the appropriate United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office in the U.S. Petitioners can check http://www.uscis.gov.../form/I-130.pdf to find the appropriate office. Please visit www.uscis.gov for more general information about filing the petition.

Petitions that have already been approved at U.S. Embassy Kyiv but have not yet undergone visa adjudication must be forwarded to the USCIS office in Moscow, Russia. Embassy staff will forward all of these in the coming week.

We will post more information on this matter as soon as it becomes available to us.

This post has been edited by fwaguy: 23 January 2007 - 12:56 PM

[marcycat]

fwaguy, on Jan 23 2007, 11:55 AM, said:

This was just posted today on the US Embassy website in Kiev.

I-130 Petitions No Longer Accepted by U.S. Embassies

January 23, 2007

Per Department of State instructions, effective immediately, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine and U.S. embassies worldwide are no longer authorized to accept or adjudicate I-130 petitions. American Citizens must file petitions for their relatives with the appropriate United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) office in the U.S. Petitioners can check http://www.uscis.gov.../form/I-130.pdf to find the appropriate office. Please visit www.uscis.gov for more general information about filing the petition.

Petitions that have already been approved at U.S. Embassy Kyiv but have not yet undergone visa adjudication must be forwarded to the USCIS office in Moscow, Russia. Embassy staff will forward all of these in the coming week.

We will post more information on this matter as soon as it becomes available to us.

The Paris Embassy has a similar announcement. On another discussion, someone just reported her husband's interview, scheduled for next week, being cancelled. She says they told her all pending petitions are being sent to Rome.....
What a nightmare!!!

[jpaula]

I just ran into this wall today. My husband and I had an I-130 approved DCF a year ago through Algiers. We then had to file an I-601 waiver which was sent to and approved by DHS in Rome. Rome sent our file back to Algiers with a letter saying the application had been approved and to issue the visa. this was on Dec 19. My husband had his second visa interview today, expecting to be granted the visa, but the embassy in Algiers had basically halted all applications as they are quite confused. They claim they now have to send everyone's files through Rome. However, ours just got back from Rome, so???????

Any other experiences greatly appreciated as I am figuring out how to fight this.

[Anyta Holland]

The Embassy in London has not announced anything yet...

I hope this will be cleared soon!

[vylex]

SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!!!

[briccasart]

I think I'm gonna have a fricking heart attack. I have wanted to move back home for so long and now that it's within reach, a bombshell like this happens.

It's to do with The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act Of 2006 that Bush signed today.

I truly truly hope that they reconsider DCF filings for couples who have no children included in the petition. I can't take the stress anymore. I have everything lined up for our interview next month...applications, mortgage papers, a bank draft and pictures.

I just want to go home.

[devblt]

We may have to take the DCF board off VJ

[payxibka]

What is gonna be bad is the ones who get caught in the transition "net" who have applied but not had there visas adjudicated. Who knows how much time it will add to the process.

[vylex]

devblt, on Jan 23 2007, 03:12 PM, said:

We may have to take the DCF board off VJ

Yes. I feel for those people!!! If this is the case (no thanks to Bush!), then it looks like I am going to the IR-1/CR-1 route. I wonder how long that will take now.

[jpaula]

briccasart, on Jan 23 2007, 09:12 PM, said:

I think I'm gonna have a fricking heart attack. I have wanted to move back home for so long and now that it's within reach, a bombshell like this happens.

It's to do with The Adam Walsh Child Protection And Safety Act Of 2006 that Bush signed today.

I truly truly hope that they reconsider DCF filings for couples who have no children included in the petition. I can't take the stress anymore. I have everything lined up for our interview next month...applications, mortgage papers, a bank draft and pictures.

I just want to go home.

can someone explain the connection to the Act mentioned above? I am trying to figure out the rationale for this change, but a quick google for the Act doesn't show any mention of changes to the visa granting process.

Also, any insight into when a visa is considered adjudicated rather than pending? We have a letter from DHS Rome telling the US Embassy Algiers to issue the visa, but it has not yet been issued. Has it been adjudicated?

GGRRRRRRRR.

[Yodrak]

Anya Holland,

Perhaps because I-130 petitions submitted in the UK are not processed by the consulate. They are processed by the USCIS office in London.

It seems possible that the use of the term 'DCF' to refer to overseas USCIS processing as well as consular processing is about to become more than a matter of symantics.

Yodrak

Anyta Holland, on Jan 23 2007, 02:50 PM, said:

The Embassy in London has not announced anything yet...

I hope this will be cleared soon!

[payxibka]

jpaula, on Jan 23 2007, 02:39 PM, said:

[can someone explain the connection to the Act mentioned above? I am trying to figure out the rationale for this change, but a quick google for the Act doesn't show any mention of changes to the visa granting process.

Also, any insight into when a visa is considered adjudicated rather than pending? We have a letter from DHS Rome telling the US Embassy Algiers to issue the visa, but it has not yet been issued. Has it been adjudicated?

GGRRRRRRRR.

Title IV: Immigration Law Reforms to Prevent Sex Offenders from Abusing Children

This title provides that any alien convicted of the federal crime of failing to register as a sex offender is deportable. Additionally, the Act provides that a citizen convicted of a specified offense against a minor is not eligible to petition for a family-based visa. That bar, however, may be waived if the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that the citizen poses no risk to the alien with respect to whom the petition is filed.


As I read it, the consulates are not able to determine if the petitioner meets the eligibility requirements and therefore they must all be adjudicated through the USCIS.

This post has been edited by fwaguy: 23 January 2007 - 03:54 PM

[jnicv]

OH my GOSH! I am panicking right now. I had everything planned out and ready to go. I am supposed to get married in March and with the embassy I would have worked through, my husband would have had his visa within about a month. What am I going to do? Can we call our Senators/Representatives? I am so upset right now.

[payxibka]

jnicv, on Jan 23 2007, 02:57 PM, said:

OH my GOSH! I am panicking right now. I had everything planned out and ready to go. I am supposed to get married in March and with the embassy I would have worked through, my husband would have had his visa within about a month. What am I going to do? Can we call our Senators/Representatives? I am so upset right now.

You can always call but since it is now officially law, I would not expect anything.

[vylex]

jnicv, on Jan 23 2007, 03:57 PM, said:

OH my GOSH! I am panicking right now. I had everything planned out and ready to go. I am supposed to get married in March and with the embassy I would have worked through, my husband would have had his visa within about a month. What am I going to do? Can we call our Senators/Representatives? I am so upset right now.

I am extremely frustrated myself! I was planning to go to Sydney to see my wife and file for the DCF in April. Now I don't know if I should just file for the IR-1 / CR-1 immediately to try and make up for the time that will undoubtedly increase.