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DCF in Brussels : Start to Finish!

By BGROAD26 in Direct Consular Filing (DCF) General Discussion

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BGROAD26 Newbie

BGROAD26   3

Posted
Country: Belgium
 Timeline
Posted
Hi everyone, 
 
We recently completed a successful visa journey and I wanted to share the details. 
This forum was a huge help, thanks everyone for sharing your story and answering questions. 
 
I am belgian and my wife is from the states. We have been living in belgium for a couple of years now. 
 
  • 29 october 2025 My wife got a job offer
  • 5 november: we file a request for DCF
  • 10 november: consulate emails us: our request for exceptional filing has been approved and we have to come to the embassy on november 21. We need the I-130 and I-130A, both our passports, mariage certificate, my birth certificate ,proof the my wife is living in belgium (original + copies)
  • 21 november : embassy visit. Everyone is super friendly. We have to hand over our papers and that was basically it. On the trainride home we recieve instructions for the next step: we have to contact the embassy when we have all the required next documents: DS260 + I864 + police certificate + court/prison/divorce records (we don't have those) + IRS transcripts of my wife for the last 2 years+ I have to do a medical exam at an approved doctor
  • 25 november: I do my medical exam. You have to prepare some papers before (the embassy mails them to you). Do not forget to bring ALL vacination records... you need a bunch of vaccinations. I did not have all of them (well I had them as a kid, but could not prove it...) so they gave them to me again that day.
  • 26 november: we email the consulate that we had all the required papers
  • 3 december we recieve an email inviting is for an interview at the embassy
  • 12 december: day of the interview. The interview was a bit formal, remember to answer the questions directly and truthfully. We got approved! I have to leave my passport there and await instructions to come pick it up.
  • 23 december: I am contacted that my passport Is ready. I choose to have it fedexed to my house
  • 29 december: fedex delivers. I open the outside envelope but I was not carefull and made a small tear in the inside envelope... the inside envelope you are not supposed to open, but give unopened to the customs official when you arrive. I contact the embassy and they tell me to come by and get a new enveloppe. 
 
 
My main takeaways:
If you plan to do DCF, do NOT start a normal application before that. It is impossible to switch from a normal application to DCF. thank god we did not do that!
In the DS260 step they ask for your address in the states. We did not have that yet... so we had to locked down an apartment in this step. I don't know what will happen if you leave your address blank there. 
It's a lot of paperwork and you have to be very exact in filing it in. Where did I live (dates, adress), employment history (dates, roles, ...), ... it's a lot of paperwork and you want to be as precise as possible with it. 
For a brief period a couple years ago my wife got unemployment support. I was worried about that, but it was not an issue. 
I read other reports in this forum where people prepared documents with pictures etc. We prepared those aswell, but we could not hand them over. 
I wanted to ask my brother in law to be a sponser for the I-186 but we did not end up doing that, and didn't need to. If you qualify you qualify...
Everyone at the consulate was super friendly and professional, and the whole process went faster then we thought. 
My wife already left to the states during the process, and that was no problem. She really only needed to be there for the first embassy visit. The second embassy visit i could have done solo. (i mean she was there for it, but she did not have to be). 
 
Good luck everyone and thanks for all the help!!!!!
 
BGROAD26 Newbie

BGROAD26   3

Posted
Country: Belgium
 Timeline
  • Author
Posted

I just want to add one more thing: months before this whole process we did some information gathering, and we payed a consult for a lawyer to talk us through the whole process. 

 

The lawyer gave us bad information.... please do your own research. Thank god we did not trust her. 

 

This forum is a great resource, do not be afraid to reach out and ask questions. 

TBoneTX Grand Master

TBoneTX   48,955

Posted
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Ecuador
 Timeline
Posted

Thanks for your thorough, thoughtful contributions here, and wow -- the speed!

While your information is fresh in mind, create a VJ Timeline for the benefit of others.

06-04-2007 = TSC stamps postal return-receipt for I-129f.

06-11-2007 = NOA1 date (unknown to me).

07-20-2007 = Phoned Immigration Officer; got WAC#; where's NOA1?

09-25-2007 = Touch (first-ever).

09-28-2007 = NOA1, 23 days after their 45-day promise to send it (grrrr).

10-20 & 11-14-2007 = Phoned ImmOffs; "still pending."

12-11-2007 = 180 days; file is "between workstations, may be early Jan."; touches 12/11 & 12/12.

12-18-2007 = Call; file is with Division 9 ofcr. (bckgrnd check); e-prompt to shake it; touch.

12-19-2007 = NOA2 by e-mail & web, dated 12-18-07 (187 days; 201 per VJ); in mail 12/24/07.

01-09-2008 = File from USCIS to NVC, 1-4-08; NVC creates file, 1/15/08; to consulate 1/16/08.

01-23-2008 = Consulate gets file; outdated Packet 4 mailed to fiancee 1/27/08; rec'd 3/3/08.

04-29-2008 = Fiancee's 4-min. consular interview, 8:30 a.m.; much evidence brought but not allowed to be presented (consul: "More proof! Second interview! Bring your fiance!").

05-05-2008 = Infuriating $12 call to non-English-speaking consulate appointment-setter.

05-06-2008 = Better $12 call to English-speaker; "joint" interview date 6/30/08 (my selection).

06-30-2008 = Stokes Interrogations w/Ecuadorian (not USC); "wait 2 weeks; we'll mail her."

07-2008 = Daily calls to DOS: "currently processing"; 8/05 = Phoned consulate, got Section Chief; wrote him.

08-07-08 = E-mail from consulate, promising to issue visa "as soon as we get her passport" (on 8/12, per DHL).

08-27-08 = Phoned consulate (they "couldn't find" our file); visa DHL'd 8/28; in hand 9/1; through POE on 10/9 with NO hassles(!).

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

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