Fastest Way

[fdhs 8]

3 hours ago, fdhs said:

How do you know that it's a "low-chance gamble"? It is certainly a possibility, see below: 

 

Should have written: why do you think that it's a "low-chance gamble" (I noticed you wrote IMO afterwards). On second reading, my post sounded more confrontational than I intended...

 

I was interested in if you had any statistics/anecdotes which informed your opinion regarding the chances of success for a job-related exceptional circumstance DCF? Googling the forum seems to indicate that it works reasonably often  

[NikLR 13,220]

4 hours ago, fdhs said:

How do you know that it's a "low-chance gamble"? It is certainly a possibility, see below: 

 

Low chance.  Meaning we dont hear about it much.  Most expedites with the USCIS are denied to begin with so it stands to reason that trying for beyond a expedite is even more difficult.  But you can ALWAYS try.  No one says you cant.  

[fdhs 8]

14 minutes ago, NikLR said:

Low chance.  Meaning we dont hear about it much.  Most expedites with the USCIS are denied to begin with so it stands to reason that trying for beyond a expedite is even more difficult.  But you can ALWAYS try.  No one says you cant.  

It's true that there don't seem to be many posts about it, but that could be because not many people try it. However, it worked for us (will post full timeline shortly) and for pretty much everyone else who have tried (that I could find in the posts about it). The OP was asking for the fastest way to get a visa, and DCF with exceptional circumstances appears to be the fastest way (1-2 months).  Note that it is not an expedite, and USCIS clearly state on the page with filing instructions for the I-130 that short-term relocation for job reasons can be a reason to permit DCF at a non-DCF embassy.

 

People who ask for information should get correct info, without (too much) guesswork about what will work or not.

Edited June 1, 2018 by fdhs

[geowrian 22,335]

3 hours ago, fdhs said:

Should have written: why do you think that it's a "low-chance gamble" (I noticed you wrote IMO afterwards). On second reading, my post sounded more confrontational than I intended...

 

I was interested in if you had any statistics/anecdotes which informed your opinion regarding the chances of success for a job-related exceptional circumstance DCF? Googling the forum seems to indicate that it works reasonably often  

My opinion is based on a combination of the requirements for "exceptional circumstances", my understanding of "exceptional", and reported cases on VJ and other forums (more on that below).

 

There are no statistics publicly posted for this activity, so we don't have anything firm to go by. But I've seen - over years - quite more people denied than approved. Much of it has to do with the specific circumstances (notice of the job change, country, etc.) and an evaluation of how one fits into the criteria. There are many cases I've seen where I believe there was a good chance of approval for exceptional circumstances for this reason. There are other cases where I believe there was not a good case.

 

As for what you see in the forums when somebody posts a topic about it, it's usually a success case. Not many people post about a failed expedite or (even less common) DCF under exceptional circumstances attempt. They just apply, and if it doesn't work, they go through normal processing through the US. I've seen more people report on it in the monthly threads or part of other threads, where it tends not to be successful.

Just out of curiosity, would you be writing a post if your attempt had not worked? Also, congrats!

 

2 hours ago, fdhs said:

People who ask for information should get correct info, without (too much) guesswork about what will work or not.

They got an opinion based upon an evaluation of the information available...that's all one can get here. Guesswork - or really an opinion - will always be involved.

I could list a lot of fringe options (in this case and almost all others), but they very likely do not apply to the OP's situation or otherwise are just not worth mentioning since they are so low chance of approval or have specific requirements that there is no reason to believe the OP qualifies for them. The best we can do is be guides, not data dumps.

Edited June 1, 2018 by geowrian

[Boiler 43,525]

The one thing which is a truism on VJ is that you never get the full story, often material information seems to need to be dragged out.

 

So you can usually see where the extremes are, what works what does not, but trying to determine a dividing line when there are many variables is an impossibility.

[fdhs 8]

On 6/1/2018 at 5:56 PM, Boiler said:

The one thing which is a truism on VJ is that you never get the full story, often material information seems to need to be dragged out.

 

So you can usually see where the extremes are, what works what does not, but trying to determine a dividing line when there are many variables is an impossibility.

I absolutely agree; I'd be willing to bet that the country&type of job play a big part in whether it gets approved or not. My main point (and a few previous exceptional circumstance dcf-ers appear to agree, see, for example, the linked thread below) is that people on the forums seem to have almost a  "negative" attitude regarding it, suggesting that it is almost impossible to do. This in turn may lead to people not considering it.

 

 

 

[NikLR 13,220]

that's ONE thread.  Ive only ever seen TWO exceptional circumstances since 2012 on VJ. 

[fdhs 8]

12 hours ago, NikLR said:

that's ONE thread.  Ive only ever seen TWO exceptional circumstances since 2012 on VJ. 

I posted that as an example. There are several others; I have found at least 4-5 approved exceptional circumstance DCFs on VJ for 2018 alone. I strongly suspect that the probability of it working is quite dependent on the country/region. Many of the threads seem to devolve into Europeans telling Canadians that it most likely won't work, and Europeans telling Canadians that it usually works. 

Edited June 3, 2018 by fdhs

[NikLR 13,220]

Ah well maybe in europe it does.  after all you guys rarely have to travel as far as we do just for a normal interview. attempted DCF in Canada involves applying to the embassy in Mexico. 

But please link the rest of you can. 

[fdhs 8]

4 hours ago, NikLR said:

But please link the rest of you can. 

Apart from myself (dcf stockholm), the thread linked in my previous post (dcf copenhagen), I also found these two from 2018 (dcf from belgium and australia):

 

 

 

From 2017:

 

 

[Paul & Mallory 1,398]

On ‎4‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 6:34 PM, Chris009 said:

Hi everyone, 
This is a very broad question, but we need a good direction to get started and this website seems to be filled with answers. So any help would be greatly appreciated. 
My girlfriend and I, after being together in Sweden for three years, have decided to move back to my home state and we are wondering what is the fastest and most guaranteed way of obtaining a green card for her. Sponsorship through a job seems to be very difficult, so it feels like we are left with three options. The first would be applying for a fiance visa. And the other two would be through marriage, either here in Sweden or in the states. We want to move back to the US as soon as possible, so what is our smartest option? Fiance, Marriage in Sweden, Marriage in US, or some mystery choice?. 
Thanks in advance for any advice. 
Cheers

Hej hej!

 

So, lots of people have given helpful answers. I think in your particular circumstance, CR1 would probably be a good fit but as others have said - it's ultimately up to you and your partner, weighing out the pros and cons specific to your situation. One is a tad pricier, one can take a bit longer. One allows the beneficiary to work right away, while the other requires additional applications to work.

 

As a recent Swede/American K1 filer, I can tell you that for us, at least, the whole process seemed pretty straightforward. Sweden being a low fraud country and not having as many applicants as other countries made things (at least on the Swedish end) a bit simple. For us, we filed in June 2017, received our NOA2 approval December 1, and he had his interview February 22, visa in hand March 5. We're together and married now.

 

No matter your circumstance, the best advise anyone can give you is to make sure you and your partner research all available options and ensure you are on the same page before you start taking action. I think someone else also mentioned this, but something else to double check is make sure you have reestablished domicile in the US if you haven't already.

 

Good luck to you both!