London UK DCF - 2012

[Holly2234 66]

Has she sent the DS-2001 yet? They wont send the interview letter with out it.

Ohh im going to have to get all of those things too! Especially scales, i dont know any recipes in cups! We have both over here too but they arent worth shipping so im going to have to sell it and buy again. We're going to be in NY too Waaay up north near Plattsburgh though. Its going to be a culture shock

It sounds like you have everything you need sorted out anyway. Just a matter of waiting for the interview date.

[Laila Cakes 0]

Has your husband left the UK for an extended period of time? If he has and he wont be coming back for a while, you wont be able to do DCF. If he is coming back, then you can file DCF while he is here and then if he has to go back, it doesnt matter. But he has to be a current resident and actively living here. I know he has a house and visa etc. but it doesnt mean much as far as the requirements are concerned.

From the sounds of things (the way i have interpreted your post, he has already left) you will need to file via the Chicago Lock Box. He will not need to be at the interview in London with you. You can marry in any country you want and it wont make a difference.

Yes you will need to get permission from your childs father, your husband (after the wedding!) will need to file a petition for her too.

You also have the option of a K-1 fiance visa and a K-2 i believe for your daughter. It will get you there more quickly. Having a child does not make a difference as long as you have the fathers permission to take her from the country to live in the US. If he wont give permission, you have to go through courts. There is a lady on here called Teachsays (i think!) and she has had to go through something similar so she may be able to give you advice on that.

Hi Holly

Thanks for your reply. My fiancé has military PCS orders to remain in UK. I understand from the embassy website that this is classed as one of the requirements for DCF filing in London?

He is frequently in and out of UK as he is in the US AF and gets deployed from UK to Afghanistan etc.

He will be coming back to the UK sporadically but like I say with his position in the military he really has no choice where they send him on deployments.

What would be the difference in filing in London as opposed to Chicago lockbox? Would he physically have to be here to send the forms to London? The info on DCF is a bit sketchy so I'm unsure as to what he would specifically have to do? For the moment he is in CA on training for a few month. Myself & my daughter are flying out end of October to see him where we plan on getting married. Would we be able to complete the forms while were there with the necessary evidence and I post them to London embassy once I'm back in the UK?

I've not heard of this Chicago lockbox before so I apologise for my ignorance! I'm just overwhelmed by the entire process!

Also we were advised not to go down the fiancé route by the legal dept at the AF. They stated to go ahead and get married and apply for the spouse visa, which may be able to be expedited on the grounds of his deployments?

Any help would be appreciated! Thank you

[Holly2234 66]

I dont know if you are eligible for DCF because he is not in the UK any more. The only thing you could do is apply and wait and see. They also process in the order they are received so no expediting.

I think your best option is most likely filing from the Chicago Lock Box and using your husbands UK address, that often puts it in for auto expedite. You could also request an expedite if he is going to be deployed soon. Take a look at this http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c38ed0ed58b81310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[jobaba 1]

Hi Holly2234,

when you emailed them did you email londoniv@state.gov with your case number?

or did you have to call them first to get some sort of code?

thanks!

I keep losing my own links when i need them so its partly for my sanity too

[Holly2234 66]

I had to call and get a code to put in the subject bar and i emailed londonconsular@state.gov.

[Laila Cakes 0]

I dont know if you are eligible for DCF because he is not in the UK any more. The only thing you could do is apply and wait and see. They also process in the order they are received so no expediting.

I think your best option is most likely filing from the Chicago Lock Box and using your husbands UK address, that often puts it in for auto expedite. You could also request an expedite if he is going to be deployed soon. Take a look at this http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=c38ed0ed58b81310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

[Laila Cakes 0]

I dont know if you are eligible for DCF because he is not in the UK any more. The only thing you could do is apply and wait and see. They also process in the order they are received so no expediting.

I think your best option is most likely filing from the Chicago Lock Box and using your husbands UK address, that often

puts it in for auto expedite. You could also request

expedite if he is going to be deployed soon. Take a look at this http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=

=e7801c2c9be44210VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD

Hi Holly,

Thank you for the email, is the going through the Chicago lockbox likely to be a similar timescale to filing in London? Also if we were to try to apply via London then they refused would that be likely to adversely affect any future applications?

Also we are in the process of renting his house in Cambridge & I am back in Manchester now. We stupidly didn't arrange for post redirection to my property! He's not down as living at my property so I think it would be better mailing from his own address, it's empty at the moment however it's 4 hour drive from me so little far to be popping up for post! Not really sure what the best thing to do is now? Really would like (as I'm sure everyone would) to get this moving as soon as possible as the threat of him being sent to Afghanistan is constantly looming. Unfortunatly with his squadron they don't get much prior notice when they will be deployed its just a waiting game really which doesn't help us being apart :-/

[Holly2234 66]

Since he isnt there and his house is empty, i dont think DCF will be an option at all. You will most likely need to do this one: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130instr.pdf and apply for an expedite if he is going to be deployed.

[weliveyoung 0]

I can't believe your at your interview already Holly2234 - good luck to everyone

If any of you a step ahead of me could clarify a few things I'll be eternally grateful. As I'm reading all my instructions very literally I'm confusing things a bit...

I received my NOA2, which directed me to http://london.usembassy.gov/ds2001.html. This says to initially send in just DS-230-Part 1, but my NOA2 says to send in Part 2 at the same time as well.

In addition to that my NOA2 says not to send anything to the office unless requested to do so, but I assume they mean besides the DS-230 and Form 2001?

And a bit confusingly step 2 is to send in Form 2001 with the date of the medical exam, but step 3 is to schedule the medical.

For some reason I thought I would receive a packet of paperwork at some point, but now it seems I send in DS-230, gather my paperwork, then send in Form 2001 when ready and schedule my medical without hearing back until I receive the interview date? And the I-864 doesn't get submitted until the interview?

One more question, my dad is going to be the sponsor and is sending over his papers from America. Do I need to ask him to send the original copies of his birth certificate and W-2s?

[Laila Cakes 0]

Since he isnt there and his house is empty, i dont think DCF will be an option at all. You will most likely need to do this one: http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/i-130instr.pdf and apply for an expedite if he is going to be deployed.

Hi Just an update & a few questions if that's ok? My other half is back in UK for a few training before deploying again, we will be applying for the CR1 on DCF in London.

Just wondered if any one who has been through this process could help me? I am trying to get together everything we may need for medical & application process. The problem I'm having is my GP surgery has lost my entire vaccination history! I have tried everything to find any documentation that would show the shots I've already had but where I live in Manchester if your over 25 the child health authority destroy your records! My Dr said I will have to start from scratch with all vaccinations & that I will have to pay for this myself which I'm pretty annoyed about! There is apparently a Titre test or some blood test to determine what your immunity is but again my GP wants to charge me £150 for this.

My question is this, if I show up with no vaccination records to the medical in Knightsbridge am I going to fail? I understand the can give you some shots there but again I'd have to pay as I literally have no records.

I looked on the NHS website it says you can get a TB injection free if you travelling, however again surprise surprise my GP won't give it me!

The MMR vaccine that kids have these days I never had the Rubella part as a child, so I asked could I have this as I was looking to get pregnant, but again they will only give it if I pay. I'm not trying to be a tight wad and get out of paying it's just so expensive with everything we have to pay out already. I'd really appreciate anyone's advice on this thanks x

[Holly2234 66]

Who did you ask at your GP's? If it was the doctor or receptionist, bypass them both and make an appointment with the nurse and tell her what you need. They normally do them for free. Especially if you have never had them and for all they know, you havent!

Assuming you are between age 18 and 60, all you will need is MMR x 2 (each one 4 weeks apart) and TdaP which needs to have been done within the last 10 years and the flu shot if your medical will be before March which i expect it probably will.

If the nurse wont do them for free either and they want to really charge extortionate prices, you can get them done at Knightsbridge. You wont be able to have two MMR's because it will be medically inappropriate so you will get a waiver for the second one.

[Laila Cakes 0]

Who did you ask at your GP's? If it was the doctor or receptionist, bypass them both and make an appointment with the nurse and tell her what you need. They normally do them for free. Especially if you have never had them and for all they know, you havent!

Assuming you are between age 18 and 60, all you will need is MMR x 2 (each one 4 weeks apart) and TdaP which needs to have been done within the last 10 years and the flu shot if your medical will be before March which i expect it probably will.

If the nurse wont do them for free either and they want to really charge extortionate prices, you can get them done at Knightsbridge. You wont be able to have two MMR's because it will be medically inappropriate so you will get a waiver for the second one.

Hi yes Ive tried everything, my daughter had an appointment with the nurse for her pre school booster so I tried to get her to do it for me but she wouldn't until Dr authorises it. Dr is insisting I pay! Think it's very unfair but typical of the NHS I'll have to just suck it up & pay. Is the flu shot only seasonal then? I can get that done in Boots chemist it's only cheap I think.

I have been speaking to a family friend who went through the DCF process in London few years ago. I'm confused now as the info she's telling me is different to what I've read up on.

She told me they had to have $50k in the bank? I was just under the impression it went on the US spouses salary, that it had to be something like 125% above the poverty threashold or 100% over for military (which my partner is) can anyone advise me about this as neither of us have actual cash to that value in the bank! I do however have more than that in equity in my property I own, however I'm unsure if assets could be taken into account when doing a DCF as I presume the process is quicker than doing regular filing?

[Holly2234 66]

Sounds like you have a terrible doctor! How much do they want to charge you? Looks like you will have to pay either way at the doctors or Knightsbridge. Yeah the flu jab is only for if you have your medical between October 1st and March 1st.

You dont need any money in the bank. All you need is for your husband to earn 100% of the poverty line for your household size (link in first page or google I-864p and it will come up), if you dont have that you can use a joint sponsor or assets. They may have used the 50K in the bank for the I-864 instead of a salary.

Assets can be taken into account but you probably wont need to with your husbands job. DCF is quicker. I took me 138 days from NOA1 to interview. 4 and a half months.

[Tim42 0]

NOA2 now approved by post only (I didn't get an email message for this - should I have done?)

This is much faster than I thought it would be. We've reset the move date to January now - is this likely to be realistic?

[Holly2234 66]

Thats great news! I didnt get an email for NOA2 either, just the letter. January sounds about right. My move date is 3 months from my NOA2 so if you get things done ASAP it is perfectly reasonable