Embassy Response time for 'I-130 Exceptional Circumstances Request Form'

[JoeBacon 27]

We filled out this form over the weekend as we believe we may qualify for DCF at the London embassy (Wife is a USC living in the UK with me, with a short notice job offer back in the US).

 

https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/i130-exceptional-circumstances-request-form/

 

We tried phoning the embassy today to ask if the form had been received (as we didn't get a conformation email after submitting it) and to ask how long it might take to get a response but we were told this department doesn't accept phone calls and just to wait for an indefinite amount of time until they respond. They couldn't even tell us how they might respond (email, phone etc).

 

My wife has a job offer starting in the US in just a couple of weeks but she is reluctant to leave the UK if we don't get approved for DCF as it will likely mean many months or even years apart if I have to remain in the UK whilst we wait out the normal route.

 

Just wondering if anyone who has done this before could help us by letting us know how long the embassy took to respond to this form, and perhaps how they responded (email or phone)? Any help would be greatly appreciated, my wife's new employers are really keen for her to start and asking every day when she can book her flights to come and take the position (it's a great job too!).

 

Thanks for any help!

Edited April 12, 2021 by JoeBacon

[Boiler 43,859]

DCF is quick but that is relative to the normal process, at best I think you will be looking at months.

[valmed 4]

Hi, I completed the form recently and received a response in 2 days. They gave me an appointment within 1 week to file the I-130 locally so things moved quickly for me so far

 

They reply at unusual times (evening/night UK) time so I'm not sure if some of the employees are based in the US

[JoeBacon 27]

Just now, Boiler said:

DCF is quick but that is relative to the normal process, at best I think you will be looking at months.

Yeah almost certainly, a couple of months at least for the whole process.

 

We were just wondering how long it takes them to respond to the initial request, to decide if we are eligible for DCF?

 

It's just the wife's new employers are breathing down her neck to leave for the US (she had just 2 weeks notice of start date) but she is reluctant to leave and abandon her UK residency if we cant get DCF as it will mean facing probably years apart whilst I wait for my CR-1 here in the UK with her in the US. As soon as they give us the nod that they will accept us for DCF she can go and start her new job but the employers keep asking how long this will take and we have no idea.

[JoeBacon 27]

2 minutes ago, valmed said:

Hi, I completed the form recently and received a response in 2 days. They gave me an appointment within 1 week to file the I-130 locally so things moved quickly for me so far

 

They reply at unusual times (evening/night UK) time so I'm not sure if some of the employees are based in the US

Thank you so much for the information! It is really helpful!

 

We will be sure keep an eye out all times of day now, can I ask if they emailed you or phoned you to let you know of the decision? We're frantically checking junk mail and the wife is keeping her phone on her on full volume at all times but were not sure which one we should be watching.

[valmed 4]

1 minute ago, JoeBacon said:

Thank you so much for the information! It is really helpful!

 

We will be sure keep an eye out all times of day now, can I ask if they emailed you or phoned you to let you know of the decision? We're frantically checking junk mail and the wife is keeping her phone on her on full volume at all times but were not sure which one we should be watching.

They emailed me, I have not received any phone calls/texts from the embassy

[JoeBacon 27]

1 minute ago, valmed said:

They emailed me, I have not received any phone calls/texts from the embassy

Thank you so much again!

 

This pretty much answers my questions now, if anyone else has had a different response time please let me know but now we have some idea of the time-frames involved now so hopefully we can update my wife's employers soon and they don't give her job to someone else 🤗

[SteveInBostonI130 3,330]

6 minutes ago, JoeBacon said:

but she is reluctant to leave and abandon her UK residency if we cant get DCF as it will mean facing probably years apart whilst I wait for my CR-1 here in the UK with her in the US.

 

Just incase they decline your DCF request, you are allowed to visit her in the US during the CR1 process.  You are not banned from travelling because you are a spouse of a USC.  Also, you can enter on VWP.  It is up to the CBP officer to let you in, but as long as you have return tickets and ties back in the UK you should be fine.

[SalishSea 16,984]

10 hours ago, JoeBacon said:

Yeah almost certainly, a couple of months at least for the whole process.

 

We were just wondering how long it takes them to respond to the initial request, to decide if we are eligible for DCF?

 

It's just the wife's new employers are breathing down her neck to leave for the US (she had just 2 weeks notice of start date) but she is reluctant to leave and abandon her UK residency if we cant get DCF as it will mean facing probably years apart whilst I wait for my CR-1 here in the UK with her in the US. As soon as they give us the nod that they will accept us for DCF she can go and start her new job but the employers keep asking how long this will take and we have no idea.

I think perhaps your timeline is a bit unreasonable.  Nothing happens within "weeks" when it comes to even expedited visa issuances.  A job isn't a life or death situation.  She may well need to either accept it and go before you have your visa, or decline the offer if you cannot accept a temporary separation.

 

Btw, most everyone here on VJ has endured separations from their family/partner.  It is expected when it comes to immigration. 

[Chancy 6,233]

11 hours ago, JoeBacon said:

Just wondering if anyone who has done this before could help us by letting us know how long the embassy took to respond to this form, and perhaps how they responded (email or phone)?

 

Many in this thread have completed or are going through DCF at the US embassy in London --

 

 

[Marthaeu 39]

18 hours ago, JoeBacon said:

 

 

My wife has a job offer starting in the US in just a couple of weeks but she is reluctant to leave the UK if we don't get approved for DCF as it will likely mean many months or even years apart if I have to remain in the UK whilst we wait out the normal route.

 

 

 

We all have to go through separation in this process, we visit the spouse whenever we can but at the same time we maintain our life in the USA and at a time when jobs are not plentiful, that job from your wife would be good to accept. Or is there any other  reason other than love that it's an emergency?

 

[JoeBacon 27]

9 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Many in this thread have completed or are going through DCF at the US embassy in London --

 

 

Thank you for the resource! We have been given an appointment at the embassy in 2 weeks time so I will get reading through that so we can know what to expect!

 

Thanks all, no need for any further replies in this thread as the question has been answered now, we got our response with an appointment date via email after just 2 days, just like valmed said, in case anyone has the same question in future.

Edited April 13, 2021 by JoeBacon

[saksnoot 31]

On 4/13/2021 at 7:33 PM, JoeBacon said:

Thank you for the resource! We have been given an appointment at the embassy in 2 weeks time so I will get reading through that so we can know what to expect!

 

Thanks all, no need for any further replies in this thread as the question has been answered now, we got our response with an appointment date via email after just 2 days, just like valmed said, in case anyone has the same question in future.

How did the appointment go?
 

I just filed an I-130 for my spouse at the London Embassy yesterday and they said that it would be a matter of weeks before they contacted me again with information about medical and interview and all. Did they give you any information about the process or how long it would take?

[saksnoot 31]

On 4/12/2021 at 10:31 PM, valmed said:

Hi, I completed the form recently and received a response in 2 days. They gave me an appointment within 1 week to file the I-130 locally so things moved quickly for me so far

 

They reply at unusual times (evening/night UK) time so I'm not sure if some of the employees are based in the US

Same question to you, @valmed as I had for @JoeBacon. How was your filing experience? And did they give you any information about timeframe or process when you filed?