hlove

Thank you so much for taking time to explain your process, it has been really helpful reading this to get an idea of what is ahead. Quick question, what does the medical exam consist of? And do both of us have to get this done? Also about the sponsor, is this required or does it help to have one? Can it be an uncle or cousin? Sorry to bombard you with so many questions, I'll keep on researching on my end as well. Hope to receive the letter in the mail soon, We live in Lima! Thank you once again for your help

No problem with the questions. I like to help and make things easier for other people, especially since I didn't really have any guidance with this. Anyway, the medical exam is basically a quick physical check-up to make sure that there are no obvious problems, and most importantly, no diseases that are contagious and could cause problems for others once the immigrant arrives in the States. It will also include a chest X-ray and a blood test. Here in Peru, the cost is S/.400, which covers the cost of the X-ray and the blood test, but does not cover the cost of any vaccinations that your wife ends up needing. That's why I said that the best route is to follow the CDC immigrant vaccination schedule for your wife's age and get the vaccines beforehand that are recommended there. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/index.html There are two physicians approved by the embassy in Lima and you'll receive their contact information with the interview appointment letter. Also, only your wife will have to have the medical exam, since she is the only one applying for the visa.

As for the sponsor. You, as the petitioner, will have to fill out the I-864-Affidavit of Support. This is basically a document saying that you will be able to financially support your wife in the States so that she will not become a public charge. However, in order to support her you must make enough money to meet 125% of the poverty level for your household. They will provide a schedule of how much you would have to be making in order to meet that level. If you do not meet this requirement (like me, since I am earning money in soles), then you will have to have a joint sponsor who is a US citizen that is willing to commit to supporting your wife should you not be able to. It can be anyone who is willing to sign the affidavit, so an uncle, cousin, parent, etc. is fine. I believe you also have to prove that you have a domicile in the US in order to be your wife's sole sponsor. The definition of a domicile is a little more complicated than just a house, but it's included in the instructions for the I-864. Anyway, as I said in the previous post, if you are going to have a joint sponsor, the smartest thing would be to find the person now and have them fill out the I-864 and send it along with the supporting documents now so you will have it with you for the interview. The form can be downloaded from the USCIS website. http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b70f8875d714d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=7d316c0b4c3bf110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD So, if you are going to have a joint sponsor, send them the link and ask them to fill out the form.

Hope that helps. If you have any more questions, just ask. I'll be happy to answer them if I can.

(edited to remove quote of post containing seriously erroneous advice that could harm the OP)

First of all, the original poster made a mistake about the birth certificate. What they give in the embassy is not a birth certificate, but what is called a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, but it is just as valid to show US citizenship as a birth certificate.

Second, DCF (Direct Consular Filing) is not a term invented by Visa Journey. It is the term used by the USCIS to describe what happens when you file for an immigrant visa directly with the consulate. You don't often hear the term because it is available under very specific circumstances, but it is the real term. Now the paperwork, may not be called DCF paperwork, but we all understood what he meant. He meant the I-130 petition and the paperwork used to support it.

Third, not every embassy uses the same process for DCF. In Lima, you don't mail anything to the embassy. You present all the paperwork in the interview (and yes, the official term is interview). And vic23 should only call the embassy about the case if he hasn't received a letter within a month of filing the petition. They told us at the window that we should expect a letter about three weeks after filing. I bet they told him the same thing, but would just like a little more clarification of what he should expect next.

And one piece of advice, if you really want to help people, which I assume you do since you joined this website, you should try not to sound condescending in your replies. Remember that sounding inoffensive on the Internet and sounding inoffensive in person require two different skill sets. On the Internet, we're missing a lot of the cues that would help us understand what you mean and how you are saying it, so the words we use need to be chosen with care.

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. Anyway, we filed the I-130 petition for my husband on October 30 and his interview appointment was on December 6, so things went pretty fast, a lot faster than we expected. The first thing we got after filing the I-130 is a letter giving us his Case # and a list of documents that we would need for the interview. I guess that would be what they call NOA2 on this site. We got that about 2 1/2 weeks after we filed the I-130. However, we live in Puno, so you might get it faster if you live in Lima. About a week later we got a letter giving us the date and time and his interview along with Packet 3, which is basically the list of supporting documents again along with the DS230 and the medical exam form. We actually were unable to get all the documents together. My husband's "Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales" took forever because there were 5 hits with names either the same or similar to his and then the INPE went on strike in the middle of the process. And since we are in Puno, it was impossible for us to arrive in Lima on time to get the medical results back before the interview. So, we got the famous yellow paper and had to sent in the missing documents after the interview, which was a real pain in the butt. But, it looks like his passport with his visa is waiting in Arequipa. He's going tomorrow to pick it up and we'll know for sure.

Anyway, a couple pieces of advice:

First, start getting the documents you'll need together right now. There may not be a lot of time for it once the appointment letter arrives. You find links for the documents required on the embassy website. If you live in a province, your marriage certificate and your wife's birth certificate will need to go through the RENIEC. I believe, though not 100% sure that this isn't necessary if you live in Lima. You'll need to check to make sure. And regarding the police certificates, the embassy does not want the "Certificado de Antecedentes Policiales", so don't even bother with that. They will ask for your wife's "Certificado de Antecedentes Penales" from the Poder Judicial and "Certificado de Antecedentes Judiciales" from the INPE. (I know that seems backwards, but that's the way it is.)

Second, if you are going to have a joint sponsor from the US on the I-864, they will want an I-864 with the original signature of the joint sponsor. So, contact whoever will be the joint sponsor (if you have one) and make sure they get it sent right away. My mom sent it late and we took a scanned copy that she e-mailed me to the interview. They said all the info was fine, but they needed the original signature. That was the other thing we had to send in after the interview.

Third, as soon as you get the interview letter, call for an appointment to one of the embassy doctors right away. In order to get the results before the interview, your wife will need to have the exam at least 5 business days before the interview. You can't get the exam before you have your interview appointment, but make the medical appointment as soon as possible after getting the info for the embassy appointment. Also, unless your wife has her immunization record, they will make her get vaccinations, which will cost a lot more at the embassy doctors than elsewhere. There's a website that details the required immunizations by sex and age. I tried to post a link, but it won't let me put links here. They will send you a list of about 15 vaccines and then tell you not to get any beforehand without first seeing the physician. That's because your wife will not need all of them. If you get the ones recommended on the previous website, your wife should be fine. My husband got the vaccines required for his sex and age for free at the regional hospital and the doctor accepted his immunization record in the exam. Saved us a lot of money.

One last note, the Lima embassy does allow the petitioner to be in the interview. You can also take your daughter along if you like. I was there with my husband and our little girl, and they asked us very few questions. Basically, how we met, how long we'd been together and that was about it. So, having us both there may have helped my husband's case. I hope everything goes well with you. Good luck.

My husband and I recently went through DCF processing in Lima, Peru. No questions here. Just that I haven't seen a lot of people who have done this in Peru and thought I would say that I am willing to share our experience with anyone who is going through the same thing.

This is probably too late to help you, but I just thought I would comment. My husband and I recently did a DCF in Lima and we did not include any affidavits. Basically, they are just looking for proof that your relationship is authentic. We have a little eight month old girl together and I have been living in Peru for the last 3 years. Both of those are pretty convincing proof that our relationship is authentic. They accepted the I-130 without questions asked and the woman at the window even told us that having a child together was pretty much what would prove our relationship. Now, since you have a child together, I'm guessing that the affidavits would add some evidence, but aren't really necessary for getting the petition approved. And since you can attend the visa interview with your wife, then you can always answer any questions concerning your relationship right there in the interview.

No you don't! lol

You are exempted if:

1. You are a permanent resident

2. Lived abroad a year or more

3. Earn over $90,000

First of all, in number 3 I believe you meant to say under $90,000. Second of all, even if you are exempted from paying taxes, you are NOT exempted from filing them. This is a very common mistake for expats to make, including me. I thought I didn't have to file tax returns because I was living in Peru as a permanent resident. However, as we have been getting ready to move back to the States, I looked into it because it asked for my tax returns for the most recent year on the I-864. To my surprise, I was required to file my taxes, even though I was exempt from paying any taxes. I then had to file back taxes for two years. Nothing owed, nothing paid. But I will now no longer have problems with the IRS should they come knocking at my door once I return to the States.