Switching countries while waiting for DCF

[rushel 0]

We're in London now. I'm reading that waiting times for the full DCF is running 5 or more months. There's a good chance we'll be leaving the UK to work in another country in the meantime. However I want to start/keep the option open to return to work in the USA(I'm a USC) if that other country job doesn't pan out. With the longer lead times that means I have to start the process now. What should I be aware of if I file a I-130 now out of London and we later move countries.

Thanks for any advise

[YuAndDan 153]

If you file in UK, you will be returning to UK for visa interview.

DCF requires evidence of 6 months residency in the consular district prior to filing.

[rushel 0]

If you file in UK, you will be returning to UK for visa interview.

DCF requires evidence of 6 months residency in the consular district prior to filing.

We've lived in the UK for 16 months already. When we file the I-130 we will still be in the UK. We have to be in the UK 6 months prior to filing. Are you also saying that we have to be resident in the UK during the the filing as well?

Just to confirm, you imply that we'd have to come back here to follow up the interview? Assuming we were another country and couldn't do that, then what happens to the process? Is the I-130 scrapped? We have to start with another DCF from scratch in the other country(after 6 months)? Worst case I can live with that, but how does that look on our application record? Do we get a "black mark" for having switched during the wait?

[YuAndDan 153]

We've lived in the UK for 16 months already. When we file the I-130 we will still be in the UK. We have to be in the UK 6 months prior to filing. Are you also saying that we have to be resident in the UK during the the filing as well?

Just to confirm, you imply that we'd have to come back here to follow up the interview? Assuming we were another country and couldn't do that, then what happens to the process? Is the I-130 scrapped? We have to start with another DCF from scratch in the other country(after 6 months)? Worst case I can live with that, but how does that look on our application record? Do we get a "black mark" for having switched during the wait?

Nope, you can move shortly after filing the petition. Many doing DCF, have US Citizen return to the USA to re-establish their US domicile.

Is the beneficiary, the person that will get the visa a UK resident, or citizen? Your profile shows Philippines, this too may make a difference as to where I-130 can be filed.

Lastly, US Domicile, in order to provide the required I-864 at interview time you need to have US Domicile, or evidence that you are in process of re-establishing it.

[rushel 0]

Nope, you can move shortly after filing the petition. Many doing DCF, have US Citizen return to the USA to re-establish their US domicile.

Is the beneficiary, the person that will get the visa a UK resident, or citizen? Your profile shows Philippines, this too may make a difference as to where I-130 can be filed.

Lastly, US Domicile, in order to provide the required I-864 at interview time you need to have US Domicile, or evidence that you are in process of re-establishing it.

I'm a USC, my wife is from the Philippines. We're both here in the UK under a Tier 1 Migrant Visa eligible to work since Sep-2009.

I we start with the I-130 now in the UK but I get a job offer in a third country(say Australia just as an example) and plan to stay there then what happens to our I-130/DCF? It's abandoned? Does it create a black mark on our record?

Really the story is that I don't know where we're going to end up. I need to look for a new job. I want to keep open an option to return to the USA. If the DCF was still a 2-3 month process then I wouldn't worry. But I hear now it's 5 months minimum out of London.