DCF in London - January 2020

[Wuozopo 4,285]

1 hour ago, FA081 said:

Thanks!

 

that is my intention, to be looking for a job and hopefully have it arranged by March. 
do you know much about the domicile part? I moved to the UK when I was a teenager and stayed here since (15 years) so now I don’t have any bank accounts etc in the US but I do have my father and family. So in terms of showing domicile will this be an issue I can’t overcome?

 

also- the form has the addresses to input- do I put my UK address or the address which I intend to move to in the US which is my uncle’s as he is happy to allow us to stay until we get our house which we will as soon as he is entitled to move.

I have heard Londoners report it’s pretty easy to show intent to reestablish domicile. Save correspondence emails concerning:

Applying for jobs or getting an offer

Looking for an apartment

Making inquiries to schools or preschools if you have kids 

Listing your house for sale

letter from Uncle saying you can live there.

 

Do things that show you are planning a move.  Just write some emails to people or utilities or banks car dealerships whether you really need to know or not. And if you move out slightly before him or make a visit over, then get a bank account or sign a lease for an apartment. Kinda scary getting too entrenched with leases until you know the visas goes through.

Your current address for the forms unless it says “Address where you will live in the US”.

 

Edited January 24, 2020 by Wuozopo

[The4Sands 67]

On 1/23/2020 at 10:12 AM, meese said:

We just finished up our DS-260, so let me know if you need any help. My main tip is to keep saving as you go, because the form kept randomly timing out and losing most of what we'd typed in. The medical + embassy interviews were both easy to schedule - it seems like there's a lot of availability in the coming months.

Oh, that's really helpful, thank you, especially about the saving as you go.  Those forms are difficult enough without losing everything and having to start all over again repeatedly.

 

New question: the week I sent my I-130 in the USCIS website said something like applications received before 17th of January will  not receive notice of receipt until the week commencing 20th January.  At least I think that's what it said. Will I actually get some kind of notification that my application was received?  Or is it a just a waiting game till I'm notified my application has been accepted/rejected/RFE?  I'm paranoid my application never actually reached USCIS.

[meese 1]

42 minutes ago, The4Sands said:

New question: the week I sent my I-130 in the USCIS website said something like applications received before 17th of January will  not receive notice of receipt until the week commencing 20th January.  At least I think that's what it said. Will I actually get some kind of notification that my application was received?  Or is it a just a waiting game till I'm notified my application has been accepted/rejected/RFE?  I'm paranoid my application never actually reached USCIS.

One thing you can watch is your credit card bill - I'm assuming you filled out the form that lets them charge the $535 fee to a credit card? If so, they usually charge the credit card before they send out a notification that your application was received. I think this charge is a pretty good sign that they did at least look at the payments page of your application.

 

I had this experience a couple months ago as well, but I don't think you need to worry!

[CaliBound2020 0]

Hi all,

 

Did anyone on this thread file the I-130 in London (DCF) during December?  We had NOA on 6 December and they now say that they are processing filings from 20 December.

 

We were wondering when we should expect to hear back from USCIS with a decision? Does anyone have any experience of how long the review and decision takes once they start processing your NOA filing date?

 

Fingers crossed, they seem to be moving faster than the 120 day guidance that we received upon filing!!

 

Thanks

[The4Sands 67]

Okay, so have a hit a bit of a snag.  The day after I put my I-130 (including the form for G-1450 authorizing credit card transactions) in the post there were a huge number of fraudulent transactions on my credit card.  I'm talking £250 at Deliveroo, £340 with Uber. £600 to Her Majesty's Prison Service.  Anyways, as a result the credit card company had to cancel that card and issue me a new one.  Obviously not I'm not very excited about the idea of putting another G-1450 in the post with new details, so I started looking into the other options (cashier's checks, US bank money orders, international bank drafts) but I can't see how I could do any of those here in the UK (my UK bank certainly doesn't do international bank drafts).  Is my only options getting someone in the US to mail something to the embassy?  Could I (or someone on my behalf) make an appointment at the embassy and go and pay in person?

[The4Sands 67]

Emailed USCIS again and they have confirmed that they did receive my application but as the card payment was declined, they are returning the form to me so I can submit a different form of payment and resubmit.  It's a bit disheartening that I will have to start the waiting process all over again, but at least the whole application wasn't stolen as I feared.

 

My husband has suggested using a courier to send the application this time in hopes that the content will be safer.

[AlanD26 14]

Do you mind if I ask how you actually paid? Did you just put your UK card details on the G-1450 form? Just about to file mine and I'm going around in circles trying to sort out payment.

[The4Sands 67]

1 hour ago, AlanD26 said:

Do you mind if I ask how you actually paid? Did you just put your UK card details on the G-1450 form? Just about to file mine and I'm going around in circles trying to sort out payment.

Yes, I put my UK card details on the form.  I spent the last few days looking into if I could feasibly use any of the other payment methods (US cashier's checks postal money orders or international bank drafts), from here in the UK and none of them appear to be possible.

[AlanD26 14]

Thanks for letting me know, big help. Saves me the hassle of getting an international bank draft from my bank.

 

The documentation suggests that the bank needs to be a US bank, thus meaning a UK credit card wouldn't work, the London embassy could definitely do a better job of letting people know you can pay with a UK credit card.

 

Quick question with regards to the G-1450, under the billing address section did you just leave the "State" section blank and then under "ZIP Code" put your UK post code?

[Wuozopo 4,285]

20 minutes ago, AlanD26 said:

The documentation suggests that the bank needs to be a US bank, thus meaning a UK credit card wouldn't work, the London embassy could definitely do a better job of letting people know you can pay with a UK credit card.

When you get to the embassy part of the process, they tell you. Right now you are paying USCIS for the petition fee, not the embassy.

 

Here’s your instructions for the embassy about paying the visa fee.

Immigrant Visa Applicants – pay the fee to the Embassy cashier on the day of the visa interview.  Fees may be paid in cash – sterling or dollar equivalent; by International Money Order or Bankers Draft; Credit Card – Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, Discover or American Express; or Debit Card with the Visa logo. The Embassy does not accept any other credit or debit cards, or personal checks. 

[The4Sands 67]

17 hours ago, AlanD26 said:

Quick question with regards to the G-1450, under the billing address section did you just leave the "State" section blank and then under "ZIP Code" put your UK post code?

Yes, that's exactly what I did.  

[AlanD26 14]

16 minutes ago, The4Sands said:

Yes, that's exactly what I did.  

Fantastic, thanks for your help.

[FA081 9]

On 1/23/2020 at 10:12 AM, meese said:

 

We just finished up our DS-260, so let me know if you need any help.

 

Hellllo! 
 

would life to ask you for some clarification if it’s okay. 
 

I’ve just been having a read about the whole DCF process in depth and came across an article which stated the USC needs to be in the UK when the petition is filed until the NOA is received and cannot leave the country even for a visit... as the London office will cease to accept petitions after March 31st, we wanted to get it filed ASAP.

I have a pre planned visit to the US with my husband in 2 weeks and we were going to file the petition before we fly therefore we wouldn’t have received the NOA/receipt prior to flying. Do you think that’s a problem as we won’t be in the Country even though we will be coming back in a few weeks? 
 

Any clarification would be most appreciated. 

Thanks. 

[meese 1]

24 minutes ago, FA081 said:

 

I have a pre planned visit to the US with my husband in 2 weeks and we were going to file the petition before we fly therefore we wouldn’t have received the NOA/receipt prior to flying. Do you think that’s a problem as we won’t be in the Country even though we will be coming back in a few weeks? 
 

Any clarification would be most appreciated. 

Thanks. 

Don't worry about a trip - when they say that the USC needs to be in the UK, they mean that you need to prove you're a legal resident of the UK, with a copy of your BRP or UK entry clearance stamp. Trips are perfectly fine - all residents go on trips from time to time.

 

When I filed the I-130 in September, we went on holiday abroad shortly after. We received our notification of acceptance over email while hiking in Vietnam!

[FA081 9]

15 minutes ago, meese said:

Don't worry about a trip - when they say that the USC needs to be in the UK, they mean that you need to prove you're a legal resident

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your quick reply! I read that this morning and have been panicking since and haven’t been able to concentrate on studying because of it! 
 

phew that’s a load off my mind! Hate how these nitty gritty things create havoc in the mind! 
 

thank you again!