MrsArmstrong

Did you do DCF? (Direct Consular Filing) It sounds like it, and that's a whole 'nother ball o'wax that I personally have no clue about. If so, ask the mods to move your thread to the appropriate forum, as you'll get /much/ better help in there than in the IR1/CR1 forum.

We didn't do DCF, we send the I 130 by DHL. Is a different process??

I emailed USCIS office in Mexico city asking where my NOA1 was and they answered:

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Thank you for your e-mail.

Our office received this I-130 on May 4, 2011. It has been granted. We mailed you a written notice on May 6, 2011. We mailed it via regular mail, you should receive it any time soon.

Regards,

USCIS/pfcg

It's been over 5 weeks and there's nothing. I already asked the mailman, the mail office and neighbors and no one knows where my NOA1 is. I'm frustrated, what now?? Should I freak out or wait for NOA2??

Thanks.

My husband and I just send the first package I-130 to USCIS Mexico city and was received yesterday by the people at the Embassy (or so DHL says =P), now the question is how long does it take to USCIS Mexico City to send it to Juarez and to start the second step of the process. Is there a number or email for me to ask? I'm in Los Cabos, BCS. And I'm a little bit nervous because I just put everything in the package like that, but I've been reading that some of you use cover letters???? =S

I wonder if that's going to be a problem.

Thanks so much for your help!

Hi, you need to send a Money Order for that amount in dollars. Also they require the money order to be all written in English. You can either address it to CIS or put the full name Citizenship and Immigration Services.

They usually recommend buying the money order from a "Casa de Cambio" I went to Mexico city myself, and bought the money orders at "Casa de Cambio Tiber" But I also saw that someone had bought at "Consultoria Internacional" I called at Guadalajara branch, and they said they would sell traveller checks, but you have to pay them in cash (to the casa de cambio).

Another option they give is to ask for a Cashier's check from a bank, (Santander, HSBC, Banamex), and I tried at my Santander branch at Guadalajara, they did have cashier checks in dollars, but they were not all written in english.

Now, who are you filing for?

You have to send proof that you live in Mexico (usually if you work here, you'll need your FM3). Also send copy of all the documents, and a copy of a Government ID for the person you are filing for (IFE, Mexican passport, etc.)

If you live at Los Cabos, I think you can file your I-130 at Tijuana consulate which would be the nearest to you.

Give them a call.

Go check:

http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eng/einsinfo.html

For Tijuana consulate call:

Tel: [int'l access code + 52](664) 622−7443

Fax: [int'l access code + 52](664) 686−5908

They will tell you if they can receive your I-130.

I'll try to scan a copy of the money orders I submitted.

Hi!!

My husband, who's in Mexico thanks to an FM2, is technically filling it for me, but actually I'm doing all the paperwork since he's always busy with work and his masters, bla bla. So, just to be sure, I have to find a money order completally in English and in US dollars and fill it for "Citizenship and Immigration Services", and I can do this at a Casa de Cambio. The USCIS wepage says I have to send the I 130 to Mexico city and they will send it to Ciudad Juarez.

Thank you very much!!!

I'm fairly new at this whole process, I'm still struggling with the filling of the I 130!!! I live in Los Cabos and at this moment can't afford going to Mexico city, so I decided to mail the I 130. I saw some bad experiences with the mailing option, but no one really explain how they pay for the I 130 $420 USD fee. We have a Banamex account in pesos, but I have no idea if we need to pay inpesos at the exchange rate of that day or what. Can someone explain this to me please!! Thanks, the newbie.

The non filing of returns can cause problems at interview time or NVC time, the REQUIRED I-864 from petitioner requires most recent IRS returns.

I would file one for 2010, and late file the ones for past years. Citizens may be exempt from paying tax on foreign income, however are not exempt from filing returns.

Only US Citizen needs to go to US Consulate or Embassy to file the I-130, however in some cases the DHS officer at the Embassy or Consulate may want to ask a few questions of the couple, I have seen this with people DCF filing in China.

I will move this thread to the DCF forum, since we are talking about that process and filing the petition to the Embassy/Consulate vs Filing it to USCIS in the States.

Thank you very much!!!

If you have residency in Mexico, then file it to the US Consulate or Embassy in Mexico (DCF) this normally requires this to be done in person.

http://ciudadjuarez....e.gov/hcis.html

http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/einsinfo.html

OR

You can simply mail it to the Chicago PO Box and do normal USCIS / NVC process.

Dis you maintain US Domicile, File IRS returns for years outside the USA?

I believe my husband keeps a US domicile (with his parents) but he told me he hasn't file for taxes since he move to Mexico. Is that going to be a problem? Do we both of us have to go to Mexico city?

Hi Everybody! I haven't posted in awhile due to drawbacks in our process: We sent our I-130 via DHL to DF on March 1, and after 3 weeks of not hearing from them I called. They said they had no record of it which probably meant the packet had missing documents and they probably sent it back to me on March 2, and to wait three to four weeks for the slow mail. Four weeks later, after hearing nothing, I called back and asked for it again. They said it was sent out the SAME DAY as I called (approx. March 25). I waited another couple weeks and decided it was lost, and it sounded like DF really didn't know anything about it to begin with. So, discouraged, my husband and I put the packet together again and flew to Mexico City on May 23 to ensure it was properly received.

Today marked the day, four weeks and three days after turning it all in again, that I was going to call and start the whole song and dance again. When I got home I checked the mailbox and I was more than surprised to find a LETTER FROM CIUDAD JUAREZ in the mail!! It said they'd received the I-130 and also included our case number! I couldn't believe it! It turns out after our bad luck with Mexico City, we're having good luck with Ciudad Juarez!

We'd been told 6-8 months when we turned in the paperwork in DF, and now I'm seeing people who are getting their interview dates 5-6 weeks after they turn in packet 3! That gives me hope we could be moving back to the USA six months earlier than planned!

In conclusion, I would like to add a big THANK YOU to everyone who continues to update their statuses on here. I really appreciate everything you have to say and it really makes me feel better about the whole thing! Good luck to everyone!

How did you pay for your I 130 filling fee??

Ok, here is the thing. My husband (American Citizen) and I (Mexican citizen) got married in Mexico March 13, 2009 and lived in Mexico ever since. Now he needs to go back to the States to finish his masters and we're trying to get the form I 130 filled and send but it's somehow confusing. I got the Mexican bank statement that proves that we have a joint bank account, the contract that proves that we rent and live together here, our marriage certificate from Mexico all translated to English. Also have the form I 130 and the G 325 A for both of us. Also pictures of us in different trips, plane tickets, etc etc. Now how do I pay the $420 usd filling fee and where do I send all this??? All the instructions for payments are considering one of us lives in US and has a bank account, also I alredy call US Embassy in Mexico and all I get are machines. As anyone been through the same?? HEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!