London DCF I-130 appointment

[valmed 4]

Hi all,

 

I've contacted the London Immigrant Visa Unit about filing the I-130 directly through embassy due to exceptional circumstances. They have given me an appointment to submit the I-130 petition next week and I wanted to see if anyone had been through a similar process. I've been through the long London DCF thread and it seems that they were previously asking people to mail in the I-130 petition. 

 

For me, they've asked me to bring all of the I-130 stuff as well as our original passports and birth certificates. Are these for verification or will they keep the passports?

 

Does this also mean that they have accepted my application to file my I-130 locally or will they determine that at the appointment?

 

Would really appreciate hearing anyone's experiences after they seem to changed the system to in person I-130 filing!

 

Thanks

[Suze1 366]

We filed DCF in Manila (not London) in 2016.

We both went to the Embassy together to file the I-130.

They went over the documents with us, made a few very minor modifications, and they accepted our spousal application.

We went back for the interview a few weeks later, and the Consular Officer actually spoke with both of us during the interview.

Received the spousal visa in a few weeks, after a very short AP period.

Married in Oct, 2016.

Applied for spousal visa in Nov, 2016.

Got visa in Dec, 2016.

Point of Entry in Dec, 2016.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Suze1

[Suze1 366]

Based on our experience -

 

Definitely take all your documents. And you can ask questions once you speak with an Immigration Officer there.

If your petition documents are accepted, then you have filed the I-130.

I don't recall them keeping the passport at the time of this initial filing. (I think they did that at the interview, later.)

 

Once they have reviewed your application, the beneficiary will be scheduled for an interview, at a later date. (Best for both petitioner and beneficiary to be there, if possible, but not necessary.)

 

Once interviewed, if things look good, they will likely keep your passport then. You might be put into administrative processing for a bit.

 

If/Once approved you will get the passport mailed to you.

 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Suze1

[payxibka 10,045]

2016 was a very different era.  In 2016, USCIS had international field offices open.  Not anymore. 

[Suze1 366]

Yep, agreed.

 

Here is the list -

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices

 

I think applications are being processed by offices in different countries now, or other accommodations made.

 

Since the OP said they asked them to come in for expedited processing, that might be the case here as well.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Suze1

[payxibka 10,045]

1 hour ago, Suze1 said:

Yep, agreed.

 

Here is the list -

https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-a-uscis-office/international-immigration-offices

 

I think applications are being processed by offices in different countries now, or other accommodations made.

 

Since the OP said they asked them to come in for expedited processing, that might be the case here as well.

Applications are being processed by the consulates.  

 

As per policy, overseas USCIS offices do not do i130s anymore 

[Suze1 366]

16 hours ago, payxibka said:

Applications are being processed by the consulates.  

 

As per policy, overseas USCIS offices do not do i130s anymore 

Great!