DCF UK Embassy

[UKMatt 0]

My wife is a U.S. citizen, and I am a U.K. citizen. We have been married for four years (married in the U.K.) and have a two-year-old child together. Due to a recent and urgent family matter, my mother-in-law has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer, we are planning to relocate to the United States as soon as possible to be closer to her.

 

My wife has recently received a job offer in the U.S., and we were hoping to explore the possibility of filing through the Direct Consular Filing (DCF) process with the U.S. Embassy in London, given the circumstances. However, we've had difficulty finding clear guidance on the eligibility and steps for filing. When we contacted the embassy, we were referred to USCIS but were unsure of how to proceed specifically with DCF from the U.K.

 

We would greatly appreciate any guidance or assistance you can provide on whether DCF is an option for us and how we might begin the process if so.

[Crazy Cat 44,332]

DCF is completely at the discretion of the London consulate.  You must request DCF submission prior to filing an I-130 through USCIS.  For a DCF case, EVERYTHING is done at the consulate level.  In fact, a consulate is not authorized to accept a case which has already been filed with USCIS.

Contact the consulate and give them your exceptional situation evidence.  They should provide you with guidance.

 

If the consulate denied DCF (although a job offer is normally accepted), you would have to file through USCIS and request an expedite at USCIS, NVC, and the consulate.  Good luck on your journey.

[carmel34 3,734]

13 hours ago, UKMatt said:

When we contacted the embassy, we were referred to USCIS but were unsure of how to proceed specifically with DCF from the U.K.

Did your wife attach the written job offer with the DCF request?  If not, try again with the job offer included in the email and make it clear you are asking for DCF approval.  If she already sent the job offer and clearly asked for DCF based on work relocation to the US, their answer appears to be no and file the I-130 with USCIS.  Good luck!

[UKMatt 0]

Hello,

 

Thank you so much for your helpful replies. We haven’t submitted anything yet and have reached out to the embassy via email to ask whether we qualify.

 

Would you recommend sending a follow-up email with the job offer attached?

 

Also, is there a specific way to request DCF? When we spoke with the embassy, they seemed a bit uncertain and shared an email address and a code, but we weren’t sure if that was the correct information.

 

Thank you again for your help!

[Crazy Cat 44,332]

7 minutes ago, UKMatt said:

Also, is there a specific way to request DCF?

Consulates have their own processes for DCF.  Explain your situation, and provide them the job offer. Ask them for their procedure. 

[appleblossom 4,338]

2 hours ago, UKMatt said:

Also, is there a specific way to request DCF?

 

Yes, this form, is this what you've already submitted? https://uk.usembassy.gov/family-immigration-i-130-exceptional-circumstances-request-form/

[UKMatt 0]

Thank you so much, really appreciate it! Just one last question: I didn’t see an option on the form to upload supporting documents, such as job offers. Is that available at a later step, or is there another way to submit them?

[appleblossom 4,338]

4 minutes ago, UKMatt said:

Thank you so much, really appreciate it! Just one last question: I didn’t see an option on the form to upload supporting documents, such as job offers. Is that available at a later step, or is there another way to submit them?

It’s just an enquiry at this stage, you’ll submit all docs/proof later on. Your wife will need the written job offer with start date on it, to show they need her urgently. And ideally evidence of how she got the job (just to show it’s legit i.e. not a family member giving her a ‘job’). So job advert/emails about an internal transfer/contact from headhunter etc. 
 

Best of luck. 

 

 

[UKMatt 0]

Thank you! And thanks to everyone for their help.