Preparing to submit I-130 London DCF

[britishtex 0]

Hello!

My partner and I will be submitting the I-130 via DCF to London next month. We have already begun gathering things such as birth certificate and police records. My partner, a UKC, is also now up to date on all vaccinations. I have read that if you have everything together at the time of submitting DS-260, there is a way you can send everything in together?? Or am I just making that up? From what I read, this was if you had already been in contact with the Embassy in London and they had told you that you could submit documents early. Does anyone know the number for the embassy with regards to the immigrant visa?

I feel as though I am completely stressing myself out! I had to go through all of this when I, a USC, came to the UK and know having to learn the US route is extremely daunting!

Thank you for any help!!!

Cory Carr

[Stressed Out 81]

When it came time that the Immigrant Visa unit from Frankfurt contacted me (also did DCF, so our experiences should be similar to those in the UK I'd say) contacted us with the Packet 3 letter it gave me a URL (which I had already saved on my PC from previous research) linking me to the immigrant visa checklist I needed, which starts out with Step 1: Submit DS-260...then Step 2: Submit documentation. So, basically you submit the DS-260 and then everything else all at once.

I still am waiting on my parents' express brief from USPS to arrive in the mail with their I-864's and stuff, but I'm going to send it all in one packet, just with dividers between the civil documents, AOS packet and my US domicile bundle.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Hello!

My partner and I will be submitting the I-130 via DCF to London next month. We have already begun gathering things such as birth certificate and police records. My partner, a UKC, is also now up to date on all vaccinations. I have read that if you have everything together at the time of submitting DS-260, there is a way you can send everything in together?? Or am I just making that up? From what I read, this was if you had already been in contact with the Embassy in London and they had told you that you could submit documents early. Does anyone know the number for the embassy with regards to the immigrant visa?

I feel as though I am completely stressing myself out! I had to go through all of this when I, a USC, came to the UK and know having to learn the US route is extremely daunting!

Thank you for any help!!!

Cory Carr

For London, it is two government agencies and separate processes

1) USCIS LONDON FIELD OFFICE- I-130 petition and required petition documents only

Upon approval, they send your file to--

2) IMMIGRANT VISA UNIT aka Embassy which is under Department of State

They notify you to apply for the visa.

Online visa application (DS-260)

Medical exam (show immunization record and police certificate)

Granted interview by letter

Bring all that police certificate, birth certificate, marriage certificate, affidavit of support stuff to interview. Nothing is mailed to the embassy in London.

That is a very brief summary but you can read detailed London DCF procedures written by someone who has done it here http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/DCF_London

Edited November 12, 2014 by Nich-Nick

[lost_at_sea 995]

As Nich-Nick says, since you are dealing with two departments, I don't believe it is possible to send all the documents at once.

For starters, to send the second set of documents (the visa application) is to assume that your first set (the petition) is approved. It just doesn't make sense to do them together.

[bella710 0]

Hey British Tex,

I am American and my husband is British and we currently live in London. We want to move back to the USA and are looking into our options. To be honest, the UK just isn't my cup of tea! I tried calling the Embassy for guidance but got absolutely nowhere. I have been reading up and everywhere it says you have to wait at least 6 months after living in the UK before you can file for the DCF - however, I don't see that on the UK website anywhere. Is that true?

Basically, I'm asking you - or anyone who sees this - what is the most efficient way for us to (legally!) get to live in the US? Is it quicker for me to go back there and file for an IR1/CR1 or should we wait and do a DCF?

Thank you so much and best of luck to everyone with the immigration process.

-Bella

[lost_at_sea 995]

Hey British Tex,

I am American and my husband is British and we currently live in London. We want to move back to the USA and are looking into our options. To be honest, the UK just isn't my cup of tea! I tried calling the Embassy for guidance but got absolutely nowhere. I have been reading up and everywhere it says you have to wait at least 6 months after living in the UK before you can file for the DCF - however, I don't see that on the UK website anywhere. Is that true?

Basically, I'm asking you - or anyone who sees this - what is the most efficient way for us to (legally!) get to live in the US? Is it quicker for me to go back there and file for an IR1/CR1 or should we wait and do a DCF?

Thank you so much and best of luck to everyone with the immigration process.

-Bella

I can't find where it specifically says it, but it has always been 6 months minimum residency in the UK before you can file the I-130 directly with them, but if you want to email them and check, go ahead (see link below for contact details). It did used to say it on the I-130 page on the London embassy website, but it doesn't seem to now, so they may have removed that condition. I'm going to check the change logs for that page to see when it altered.

How long have you been in the UK?

Otherwise, I wrote a guide to what you need to do to file this way: http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/DCF_London

DCF is much faster than filing from the USA - 3 - 5 months versus 9 - 16 or so.

Edited December 9, 2014 by lost_at_sea

[britishtex 0]

Well, working for a bank, we classify a resident as someone who spends at minimum 6 months physically in the country. I would assume your situation is quite unique as not many people spend such a short amount of time in the UK after the agonising UK visa process only to return so quickly. Personally, I would wait the 6 months out and then apply. Then you know for sure you would meet the requirements and not waste time or money.

I'm going to be blunt with you though, unless you feel there is an absolute emergency and you just can't stay, you should really stick it out. Everyone gets a culture shock when they make such a move. I sure did. But there was a reason you went through the whole process to come over here in the first place, right? The winter months can be dark and gloomy in Britain, but there are fun british things to do even in this weather. Experience pub culture, go see a pantomime, get involved in a club, take a train up to manchester and see the amazing Christmas market! This is an amazing opportunity and you may regret it if you don't give it a chance. Plus, I really think you're going to have to wait the six months, so enjoy it! You only live once!! :-)

Honestly though, either way, I wish you the best of luck!

[bella710 0]

Thank you all so much for the advice, I e-mailed the embassy and will keep digging for information but will probably wait the 6 months and then we will apply.

In all reality, we chose the UK because immigration process to the UK allowed us to be together sooner. We would have vastly preferred to live in America. I'm here for my hubby - not because I've always wanted to live here! Haha. I always enjoyed traveling around Europe and visiting the UK - but there's no place like the good ole US of A, I suppose.

Hope everyone is having a great week.

--Bella

[lost_at_sea 995]

I emailed London. They told me:

"As long as you have a UK resident visa, you can file with this office, regardless of how long you have been residing in the UK. We had previously required six months residency but now ONLY require that you have a valid UK Residency Card."

[bella710 0]

Thank you so much! We won't be filing immediately but this is helpful knowledge!

[Confusedtinybird 41]

I emailed London. They told me:

"As long as you have a UK resident visa, you can file with this office, regardless of how long you have been residing in the UK. We had previously required six months residency but now ONLY require that you have a valid UK Residency Card."

Interesting!! Someone else that I replied too on the DCF I believe the country was Russia said that the 6 month residency was no longer a requirement. I am wondering if this is all USCIS International Locations or just some?

[lost_at_sea 995]

Interesting!! Someone else that I replied too on the DCF I believe the country was Russia said that the 6 month residency was no longer a requirement. I am wondering if this is all USCIS International Locations or just some?

Could be, but different countries have had different rules before - some already had no minimum stay or a longer 12 month one.

[bella710 0]

Hey guys - had some downtime so I was looking into this again as we decided we're going to apply soon into the New Year.

I live in the UK and work here - so I don't have a residence or employment in the US. Would you suggest that after receiving our NOA1 I should move back to the US and secure those things? Would that require us to be apart for several months?

Or is it possible for me to secure employment and for us to live in a family property? My parents have a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home with land that they own. If they become joint sponsors would then I only need to show proof that I've secured employment?

Which brings me to a question on joint sponsors - do they only need to fill in the I-864 and nothing else? Thank you! I'm trying to sift through everything to find the answers and write them down so we don't mess this up, but I'm coming up short in a few areas and want to double check.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Hey guys - had some downtime so I was looking into this again as we decided we're going to apply soon into the New Year.

I live in the UK and work here - so I don't have a residence or employment in the US. Would you suggest that after receiving our NOA1 I should move back to the US and secure those things? Would that require us to be apart for several months?

Or is it possible for me to secure employment and for us to live in a family property? My parents have a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home with land that they own. If they become joint sponsors would then I only need to show proof that I've secured employment?

Which brings me to a question on joint sponsors - do they only need to fill in the I-864 and nothing else? Thank you! I'm trying to sift through everything to find the answers and write them down so we don't mess this up, but I'm coming up short in a few areas and want to double check.

You can use a joint sponsor and you can live with your parents. That's no big deal. It's not about proving employment, it's about proving domicile, or residency. Securing a job in the USA just happens to be one very good way of doing this.

USCIS and London provide information on this, as linked to from my guide.

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/immigrate/immigrant-process/documents/support/i-864-frequently-asked-questions.html

http://london.usembassy.gov/faq_i864_domicile.html

http://www.visajourney.com/wiki/index.php/DCF_London

You must do a I-864 whether you have a joint sponsor or not, as no matter what, you will always be the primary sponsor.

Edited December 21, 2014 by lost_at_sea

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Hey guys - had some downtime so I was looking into this again as we decided we're going to apply soon into the New Year.

I live in the UK and work here - so I don't have a residence or employment in the US. Would you suggest that after receiving our NOA1 I should move back to the US and secure those things? Would that require us to be apart for several months?

Or is it possible for me to secure employment and for us to live in a family property? My parents have a 3 bedroom/2 bathroom home with land that they own. If they become joint sponsors would then I only need to show proof that I've secured employment?

Which brings me to a question on joint sponsors - do they only need to fill in the I-864 and nothing else? Thank you! I'm trying to sift through everything to find the answers and write them down so we don't mess this up, but I'm coming up short in a few areas and want to double check.

You need to read those links given to you in the post above mine. You aren't catching the point that you would only need to show you INTEND to gain domicile in the US. You don't have to physically move there first.

You, the spouse, are required to be the main sponsor, with or without an income.

Every sponsor (you included) has to be domiciled in the US according to how the law is written.

But there is a workaround by showing you intend to reestablish domicile.

There are also ways to show you never gave up your domicile in the US and were only abroad temporarily. If you maintained bank accounts, voter registration, driver license...various things like that, then you can show your domicile was always the US and you only resided abroad temporarily. Either way, it is not going to be an insurmountable difficulty to work around the domicile requirement for the I-864.

Your parent can be a joint sponsor. Dad does his own I-864. His income has to be enough to cover his family plus the immigrant. So maybe that is household income for three if it is only Dad, Mom, immigrant. You aren't counted because you are a USC and don't require support or a visa to move to the US.