No More DCF in Philippines Starting in July? USCIS?

[Falcon Cara 378]

This is just another service that is not going to be offered to US Citizens at the USEM.

 

Too bad it was a nice option to have

 

 

[coa24 69]

2 hours ago, Falcon Cara said:

This is just another service that is not going to be offered to US Citizens at the USEM.

 

Too bad it was a nice option to have

 

 

Agree. Perhaps in the future the option will be available. 

[payxibka 10,044]

1 hour ago, coa24 said:

Agree. Perhaps in the future the option will be available. 

Not unless they reverse the international field office closures and reopen them

[John & Rose 7,237]

25 minutes ago, payxibka said:

Not unless they reverse the international field office closures and reopen them

Which I'm sure is happening because immigration is such a popular subject and finding a way to bring immigrants quickly and easily into the US is a priority!!!  I have a feeling the DCF will simply fade away like an old memory.  They still have access to file just a longer and more expensive journey.  It is a little hard to argue with.  The costs of keeping those offices open is considerable.  The numbers of legitimate DCF filers is negligible compared to all petitions.  It is bad news for all those eligible but not a huge sacrifice for those gof us who aren't.

[Carpe Vinum 2,310]

On 5/6/2019 at 8:28 AM, missileman said:

The immigration process is a hardship for ALL families.......If those USCIS personnel are moved to offices stateside, it will benefit ALL of us....  Now all I-130s will be processed much more equally.

You are an optimist. )) 👍

[Just Paul 4,591]

2 minutes ago, John & Rose said:

Which I'm sure is happening because immigration is such a popular subject and finding a way to bring immigrants quickly and easily into the US is a priority!!!  I have a feeling the DCF will simply fade away like an old memory.  They still have access to file just a longer and more expensive journey.  It is a little hard to argue with.  The costs of keeping those offices open is considerable.  The numbers of legitimate DCF filers is negligible compared to all petitions.  It is bad news for all those eligible but not a huge sacrifice for those gof us who aren't.

I really have mixed feelings about DCF.   Yes we did it, but only because we had the most fortunate of all immigration laws favoring us.

 

The short story . . . 

 

9 months after we first met we were figuring out how best to be together.  K1 vs Spousal.  I did the research and ended up talking to a former corporate attorney of ours that moved to California to do immigrations law.  I've got Mexican Permanent Residency.   She said there was no way to DCF.   No problem we decided to get married in March and get her to Mexico and then file the I-130.  We figured it would take a year or two before she set foot in the US.  We married in Hong Kong between two conferences I had in Kathmandu and Manila. We went to the Mexican Embassy in Makati and got the requirements.  A few weeks later I sent everything over but came to find out that the embassy had no clue how to do the visa. (You thought the US system was bad)  I ended up contacting both the Mexican Consulate in Hong Kong and the Embassy in Tokyo.  Hong Kong said just let us know a day or two before you want to come in we will take care of it.  I cleared my schedule for the last two weeks of April and flew out to meet Mary in Hong Kong.  It took 5 hours to get her permanent resident visa. $36 USD plus our expenses LOL.  Back to Manila to wrap things up.   I found her a cheap flight to Tijuana and left 3 days before her so I could get the place in Mexico ready and drive 6 hours to Tijuana. We got somewhat adjusted to Mexico and had the talkabout what to do next.

 

I started putting our packet together and re-read all of the research and decided I should try the DCF.  I was cautious and wanted her to have all of her Mexican residency  info together.   Not really required but we were recently married, large age gap and didn't want any issues. It took 6 weeks to get her Mexican Green Card and then a day to get a drivers license.  A day later I drive to Phoenix and fly to El Paso and grab a cab into Juarez.  The next morning I have the appointment with USCIS, they go thru the packet and said it looked great, actually asked if I had any questions,  and told me I should get an email in a few days.  I go back for the weekend and we feel happy to get it done.  Expecting at least 6 more months of waiting for an interview.    The next monday we get an email saying everything is approved and it will be sent to the consulate section,  It takes 6 weeks to get a case number from the consulate and then we are able to schedule the interview.  We got December 26th in Juarez.  So christmas in Juarez it will be.  We are so happy.  But I keep checking every day for cancellations and eventually move it up to late September.

 

We go to the ACS and Medical and everything is OK.  She goes to the interview and after an hour I walk back to the hotel to get some sunscreen and better hat.  As I am leaving she comes running in,  all hot a sweaty wearing a beautiful dress and crying.  Calm her down and cool her off and she says she needs to pay the visa fee and she didn't have any cash.   She forgot that she had a credit card for that in with her passport.  Walk her back over to the consulate and camp out for 3 hours while she is inside.  The CO asks her a couple questions about what it is "Exactly" I do for work and question about my background. Mary can't really answer (neither can my parents or son) so she gets a blue slip asking us to come back together at 2pm.  We go back and everything is good.  Told the visa is approved but we have to get a Mexican PCC since she has been there 6 months.   I have to explain the calendar and how to count days to the CO and finally we are told the VISA will be sent out.  I head off to a conference in Vancouver. I get back and have to wait a few days to pickup the passport because roads were washed out by Hurricane Rosa. It is always something.

 

The shorter story . . . .

103 days to get the VISA.   I am sad for those that have to wait especially being apart.  That first month apart was so hard on the two of us.  Harder then we imagined.   But we took advantage of what I had in Mexico.  Not only by her moving there but with the DCF.  If we couldn't DCF we would still be with each other parts of each month.

 

I have friends that are mad with me because it took them so long to get spouses here via K1 or CR1/IR1.  There really aren't that many of us that do the DCF.  I am sad to see it go.  The idea that everyone is the same for spousal visas only seems fair.  In reality we should push our government to move faster on lockbox petitions.   Why can it take only a day to do it a a foreign field office and take 9 plus months stateside?  I've met with our Representative and DHS at an event and they cited security issues vetting the beneficiary.  Uh the USCIS stage is about the Petitioner and not the beneficiary other than having the capacity to marry.  It was totally clear they were clueless.  We have to be that catalyst for a change. We elect those congressmen and they do nothing.  I'm over 50 and immigration, legal and otherwise,  has been an issue as long as I remember.

 

DCF will still be around for exceptional circumstances. 

 

I've been reminded thru this process to be organized, be patient and be grateful for the opportunities we have.  Also be to grateful for the spouses we have that have had to endure this process.

 

I'm sorry for the loss of the option.  I'd like to think my government has a clue.

 

 

 

[EDDY28 2]

Hi All , 

US embassy in manila will be closing? what would happen to the previously file i130 petition for my parent my PD is Nov. 2018. 

Thanks for the input. 

[Just Paul 4,591]

5 minutes ago, EDDY28 said:

Hi All , 

US embassy in manila will be closing? what would happen to the previously file i130 petition for my parent my PD is Nov. 2018. 

Thanks for the input. 

No the USCIS office is closing.   Nothing to do with your petition.