London Processing Times

[mcguiel 0]

Has anyone else seen the note posted by the London Embassy yesterday? On the "Processing Times" section of the website, they have added a note to say that all USCs planning to petition for spouses/children via I-130 (DCF) should file petitions a minimum of 10 months prior to planned relocation.

My husband I filed our petition through the embassy on 20 January and I'm just wandering what, if anything, this means for those of us already in the queue. Just wondered if anybody else had called the embassy for details yet before I try.

Uggghhh.

Edited March 29, 2011 by mcguiel

[Shermeen&Adam 0]

Has anyone else seen the note posted by the London Embassy yesterday? On the "Processing Times" section of the website, they have added a note to say that all USCs planning to petition for spouses/children via I-130 (DCF) should file petitions a minimum of 10 months prior to planned relocation.

My husband I filed our petition through the embassy on 20 January and I'm just wandering what, if anything, this means for those of us already in the queue. Just wondered if anybody else had called the embassy for details yet before I try.

Uggghhh.

That post has been up since Friday. Nobody really knows what it mean, whether its the beginning of the end for DCF in London or whether it just means that they're handling a lot more applications than previously.

My husband and I also filed back in January and he left to get set up over in the US, expecting it only to take 6 months for the whole process. Now, it seems that we can't really know what to expect. No idea whether is means from now on it'll take 10 months or if everyone from December filers onwards, can expect it to take 10 months.

I was hoping to be over there by August at the latest but am having to rearrange things because it might not be until October or November now.

I haven't tried calling them because the price of the phone call just to get no advice is not worth it, whenever I email them I never get a response. It is just a waiting game and of course checking the website when they update. If I'd have known that it would take as long as filing in the US, we would have just sent the application over because at least then you can check on your individual case.

[Christi85 86]

Oh wow, this is new

When we filed our I-130 back in August 2010 they had just started slowing down the process a bit, but in the end that only added 1-2 months to our process (up until mid-summer 2010, DCF in London in the majority of cases used to take about 4 months, 5 would be stretching it, and some cases were even completed in 3 months start to finish).

I don't know why, but if I had to guess I'd say it's a combination of:

a) them cutting back on staff, so working with limited resources

b) plans to eventually scrap DCF and have everyone file through the US Service Centers

c) making it "equal" for all applicants, as at the moment there are big discrepancies in processing times, with the whole process taking 8-10 months if done in the US and just a few weeks if done as DCF in certain Consulates (not London of course, which is quite a busy Consulate). So they may be trying to eliminate those "double standards".

If I were you I'd probably prepare myself for the worst case scenario (it being that you will be affected too by the new processing times).

But with some luck, it may only apply to those filing I-130 from now on.

Keep us posted!

[JoannaV 173]

I don't think the announcement itself means anything: they are just being rather nice by warning people that they need to apply sooner than maybe they would have in the past!

[yanabel 0]

Has anyone else seen the note posted by the London Embassy yesterday? On the "Processing Times" section of the website, they have added a note to say that all USCs planning to petition for spouses/children via I-130 (DCF) should file petitions a minimum of 10 months prior to planned relocation.

My husband I filed our petition through the embassy on 20 January and I'm just wandering what, if anything, this means for those of us already in the queue. Just wondered if anybody else had called the embassy for details yet before I try.

Uggghhh.

Let us know if you manage to speak with them and get any clarification at all: we also filed in November and haven't heard anything yet. Let's hope it doesn't apply to us already in the queue, although I didn't think that the I-130 approval will take 5 months at all (I thought the whole visa process will take that much), and it's getting close to 5 months now since we filed I-130 with no news at all....getting really tired of this:(

[Shermeen&Adam 0]

In the past DCF wasn't taking nearly as long, to be safe I was going on the expectation that the whole process would take maximum 8 months. But from looking at others processing times, I know that won't be the case. Approving the I-130 seems to be taking a long time though its only about 3 months for the medical and interview stage, judging by others timelines. I think it'll just be a wait and see situation.

[Susan&Daniel 0]

This means my son & I wont be in the US until December. My husband is going to miss his son's first birthday

[Penguin_ie 5,987]

This means my son & I wont be in the US until December. My husband is going to miss his son's first birthday

You could fly to visit him for the birthday, or he could travel to the UK?

[Susan&Daniel 0]

You could fly to visit him for the birthday, or he could travel to the UK?

He's going to Uni & we just don't have the $$ outside of what we're spending on the visa etc to spare right now.

[Bandage Girl 0]

If they're saying 10 months now, would it even be worth it to do a DCF or might it be faster to just send the CR-1 application to the States?

[Shermeen&Adam 0]

If they're saying 10 months now, would it even be worth it to do a DCF or might it be faster to just send the CR-1 application to the States?

I wondered that too. Obviously we've already started the process so we can't. But I like that when you file in the US you have the opportunity to check the status of your individual case. DCF London, you don't know about any "touches" to your case. I still think DCF is faster during the second stage though xx

[WinstonKennedy 0]

We're currently going through the DCF process in London. Although it's somewhat worrying that they've put this message up, I don't believe that they're going to put a freeze on applications or anything. I think it's just a warning of the worst case scenario, and until I hear anything further, I'm going to carry on preparations for relocation as I did previously.

[Susan&Daniel 0]

I'm viewing so many timelines where people did this the "normal" way, sent their petition in October, and are already getting interviews for last this month. So that's approx 6-7 months for them.. And now we're waiting 10months?! It would've been better off doing this the "normal" way and not through DCF.

[yanabel 0]

I'm assuming there isn't much going on on here, since no one has posted any recent updates about DCF London...The website hasn't been updated since 16 November and I am still awaiting my case number. Really concerned now about what is going to happen and how long this whole process is going to take:(( Has anyone tried calling them about obtaining case numbers or any other updates in the last two weeks? I tried to, but I am getting disconnected automatically and felt very frustrated, because they charge you even though you never get through to talk to a real person....

[classicmds 0]

I'm assuming there isn't much going on on here, since no one has posted any recent updates about DCF London...The website hasn't been updated since 16 November and I am still awaiting my case number. Really concerned now about what is going to happen and how long this whole process is going to take:(( Has anyone tried calling them about obtaining case numbers or any other updates in the last two weeks? I tried to, but I am getting disconnected automatically and felt very frustrated, because they charge you even though you never get through to talk to a real person....

Yanabel: you're right - there's not much going on! When did you file? I received NOA1 on 22nd November. We called the Embassy earlier this week and they simply said (unsurprisingly) that they have no more information that is on the website though the person that answered the phone admitted that as it usually took three months, this seemed odd that it was taking so long. Now, the website does vary a bit and can leap forwards and not get updated, but I think it's the combination of this slowdown (they are now five months behind) and the message about the whole process taking ten months that is a bit worrying.