johnholmessc

No problem with kids at the consulate in Naples, Italy. My wife and I brought our two year old daughter, who instantly became the center of attention of the consulate staff. One quick question about how we met and then they turned their attention to her.

As previously mentioned, everything differs from consulate/embassy to consulate/embassy. You cannot bring laptops or cell phones or electronical products of that nature to the consulate in Naples, but basically everything else is fair game, so coloring books, pictures, whatever else would be fine.

Hi fellas,

so I and my wife (I am italian, my wife is my US sponsor) are starting the DCF application here in Italy through the Rome/Naples offices.

I would liek you to help us summarize all we have to do:

1. Fill in the I-130 form;

2. Fill in the G-325A form - one for me and one for her;

3. provide my wife's passport copy, her permesso di soggiorno's copy;

4. provide my criminal records (should it be translated into english? if so how and by whom?)

5. enclose 1 picture of me and one of her, us passport size and recent;

and then what?

how do we pay for the 355 usd filing fees? When?

Thanks a lot folks!

Roberto

Hi Rob,

I am thinking of going through the same path, DCF in Italy. I wanted to ask what are the requirements to prove the in Italy residency of the American Sponsor. Do they want specific documents? Or simply a certificate of residence will do? Also, do they require any minimum period of residence, like for example at least 6 months etc? Any color on this would be much appreciated. Thanks a lot

You need a Certificato di Residenza or Permesso/Carta di Soggiorno; in the case of the Certificato di Residenza, it must show that you have been living in Italy for 6 months. For the Permesso/Carta di Soggiorno, it has to show a date of entry into Italy at least 6 months prior to your application being sent.

Hi everyone,

I posted this less than an hour ago in the "US Consulate/Embassy" section but I realize that it's more appropriate to this forum. Dear administrators - please don't be mad at me for posting the same topic in multiple threads. I am simply moving myself here b/c I need a response quickly. My travel agent is standing ready to book the tix and I don't want to lose them!

Here's my original post as of an +/- an hour ago:

My fiance's visa was approved at the Naples consulate this past Wednesday!!

Now I have a question and I'm not sure where to post it. We are in the process of booking my flight to visit him for Xmas and then our flight together to the U.S. Here's the rub:

Our flight to the U.S. will be my return flight, but for him it's his flight TO the U.S. One way flights cost twice as much as round trip, so the economically most advantageous option is to book a round trip ticket and then not use the return portion of it. So essentially that makes it a "fake" return for the purposes of getting the cheaper rate. I would hate to spend the money on a one-way only flight if it's unnecessary, but will booking a RT ticket cause him problems when he gets to the US with his K-1 visa?

I have to book this flight soon, so your responses will be very helpful!!

RT is fine. I don't think anyone will even ask (given that he will have a type of visa that does not require him to leave the country), but if someone does, just explain the economical reasoning behind buying a RT ticket versus a one way.

Yes, IF they ever schedule the interview!!! I am getting impatient now... Have everything ready to go just waitin on THEM... AGAIN!!! Since in both our cases (three of our cases including InterFc1) we each have been married a significant time (I have been married since 2003) I do not believe that the burdeon of proof for a legitimate marriage is going to be a HUGE issue. I know we have tons of pics, banking etc... together and enough photos to fill a truck (but we will only bring some) as well as we could answer questions about each others life and family as well as we could answer about ourselves by this point... So it will be OK... Just schedule the Damn Interview already!!!!

I printed off and gathered a bunch of different things for evidence - as I might have mentioned previously, I tend to be overly prepared for these situations - and didn't end up needing anything. I had pictures, Christmas and Easter cards, our daughter's birth certificates, old train and plane tickets from trips that we took, etc. Didn't need any of it. The consul did not ask us for one piece of evidence. You might need something if you go alone, but I don't think that it would be that much. There was a guy in front of us who was by himself, not Italian (southeast Asia, I believe), met his wife on the Internet, etc. I was thinking that this guy would have been denied, but the consul just asked to see a few pictures of the wedding, a couple of additional questions, and he was approved.

Never been nervous about interviews.. I just wish my wife could come with me to the embassy... It's ok, I'll do it myself

Should I take a couple of pictures with me to the embassy?? I got pics of us together with the twin towers in back of us ...

If you mean to the consulate, yes... I would definitely recommend bringing sufficient proof with you if your spouse is not going to be present, and given the fact that you did not apply via DCF. The consul might want to see more proof in this case. DCFers like myself who have been married for a relatively longer period of time tend to have less of a hurdle to overcome when it comes to evidence that conclusively proves a genuine relationship (we have been married for more than 2 years, which gives us the 10 year GC directly). My wife was accompanied to the consulate by both myself and our daughter, and that was obviously sufficient proof for the consul.

Yeah, she is. I think she especially liked us because of our response to her only real question about us:

(This is all in Italian but translated for the non-Italian speaking folk on VJ)

"How did you meet?"

"At a New Year's Eve party that neither of us were supposed to attend."

"That's funny, I met my husband in the same way... at a New Year's Eve party and neither of us were supposed to be there."

Anyway, I know it's difficult to do because it's a very important issue but for those people who have everything in order, just relax.

Well, the case is complete now!!! So I am going to have my husband e-mail the embassy and see if they can request the file. And we will ask for the earliest date?? We'll see.... Interfc1... Hopefully your login failure is soon and case complete!!!

Dont forget to let me know... and if you guys have luck in that let me know what to do 2 days after u

Hello everyone... got back from Naples last night (we live in Sicily) with my wife's visa in hand. Truly a simple process and you're going to realize that the medical/interview/biometrics in those two days is basically anticlimatic. Extremely kind and friendly staff at the Naples consulate who upon immediately realizing the obvious - that ours is a genuine marriage - were more interested in our 2 year old daughter than anything else. The consul is a nice young woman who literally asked us one question about our marriage and then we chatted for another several minutes. Don't get me wrong, they're not pushovers - they denied several people who obviously weren't telling the truth (including a guy who was dressed as a priest and had been previously arrested in the United States), but the visa was approved for us without problems. Leaving in less than 3 weeks for the US.

If anyone has any specific questions, feel free to contact me directly. Thanks to everyone here for the assistance provided when requested, and I cannot reiterate enough that as long as you are prepared and honest, it's a cakewalk.

As long as nothing seems out of the ordinary, the medical and interview at Naples do not seem to be anything dramatic - at least from what I have read and heard. The medical is basically there to make sure that the beneficiary does not have any communicable diseases or is not a psychopath or something of that nature. They're not going to deny anyone for having a cough. With regard to the interview, I've heard that it's basically just in two stages... you get there, they call you up and check over your paperwork, and then you have the "interview" with a consulate officer, that is just a couple of minutes and a couple of questions. I'll be able to confirm all of this next week, as we have the medical on Monday and the interview on Tuesday.

Italy is a very low fraud country when it comes to these types of visas, so you're not going to have near the same amount of scrutiny as you might in many Asian and African countries...

These are the addresses off their website;

Street Address:

Department of Homeland Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

American Embassy

Via Boncompagni,2

00187 Rome

Italy

Mailing Address FROM THE UNITED STATES:

District Director

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Department of Homeland Security

PSC 833, Box 37

FPO, AE 09624-0037

Mailing Address FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES and Express Mail:

District Director

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Department of Homeland Security

American Embassy

Via Sallustiana 49

00187 Rome, Italy

Best luck!

Thanks for the reply,

That is where I confirmed the address as well. You would imagine that that address would be accepted at the US Embassy as it is on their website, but unfortunately not.

Has anyone successfully used that address?

The address (in Via Sallustiana) is correct, and it's strange that TNT was unable to deliver the package. I would try to send via Registered Mail (Posta Raccomandata).

I called the Embassy this morning, an 8€ phone call just to know that they dont aything about me yet.

Have to wait until NVC tells them something about the case, and then it will be possible to do something...

I understand your frustration; I had to wait more than two months from the time that I filed the DCF until when it was approved, and then another week or so to get the information sent to Naples. I can imagine it's even worse when not being able to file DCF.

With regard to the NPL number that they were talking about, that is the case number that Naples has for the beneficiary once the case has been sent there. If you don't have that, there's no use in calling the consulate as they won't be able to schedule anything. (NPL stands for Naples obviously).

The good news is that once they have the case, they contact you relatively quickly, and if you are able to get the documentation in order in a short period of time, you can call them and schedule an interview within 2-3 weeks.

Hello everyone...

Quick question that has me a little concerned as I am in the process of getting the final things together for our trip to the US Consulate in Naples for my wife's interview next Tuesday. Is it necessary to include my (US Citizen) birth certificate? I am have been assuming all of this time that it was just my wife's that was needed, and it could be a little difficult to get it from the US in a week. Given that I will be going with her, would my US passport be fine as a substitute?

Thanks in advance for the info.

Thats the new ship... My husband was Senior 1st Engineer with Carnival for 14 years, just quit in April to get green card and come to work in America... I will ask him who is runnin the ship, maybe if you drop a few names might get some or at least some preferentials... My husband is Franco Cervetto, if you see anyone from the engine department, they will know him...

If you need any tips or tricks about cruising Carnival, I'm your girl... took over 100 cruises on Carnival with him over the past 9 years... It should be a GREAT time... We always wanted to do a transatlantic (repositioning) whatever they call it!!!

Acireale, thats near Catania right? We spent a week in Milo with some friends of ours... My husband is from Savona, but his extended family is from Termini Imerese (Palermo).

But if they give us a November date (provided we are done the end of Sept) you can contact them for an earlier date? Is there a number you called???

Sorry it's taken me awhile to respond to this... my father is here visiting from the US and we are getting everything together for Naples and then our subsequent cruise/move in the meantime... one month to go if everything works as it should.

I've never been on Carnival but I've heard positive things about the experience (with the exception of the habitual drunkards that fall off the boat, but that's another story... I think we'll be able to avoid them on a transatlantic though!), and am really looking forward to the fact that the ship is basically brand new. Will have done 3 Mediterraneans before departing for the US with us aboard! I know that the officers on the ship are Italian - the captain is Carlo Quierolo - so I am assuming that he knows your husband and vice versa.

Yes, Acireale is about 10 minutes north of Catania... between Catania and Taormina. It's a decent town/small city but I just cannot deal with life in Italy anymore...

Regarding Naples... I think that you can attempt to contact them for an earlier date if they give you something in November, but you'll also be able to request the earliest possible date available when you call them. I asked for October because I knew that my father would be coming over at the end of September and we didn't want any scheduling conflicts, but it seems that at least currently, there is an approximate 2-3 week wait for an interview date at Naples. If you call now, I wouldn't be surprised if you get something mid to late October.

Anyway, we're heading up there a week from today on the train and will be back here Tuesday night, so hopefully everything goes well. Staying in a good hotel on a safe street (where actually no cars can pass), and I have a couple of friends in Naples that will help to look after us.

In thinking about it, it is easier to just do it all in one trip anyway, and since Naples does not give you much of a choice anyway.... thanks for the info...

When you scheduled the interview, did you just call up or did they give it to you? I ask because I am hoping that we dont have to wait for NVC here to tell him when the interview is or if they are more flexible?

Inter, Congratulations on the cruise! That is one thing I always wanted to do. I assume you are doing a repositioning cruise? Which line? My husband used to work for Carnival and although I did hundreds of cruises, the transatlantic was one we always thought would be so romantic.... Have fun! and Congrats on your interview....

Thanks Italy to USA... but For us, as far as switching to DCF... Too late... we are closer going this route at the moment, plus our fees are paid for NVC and my documents are being sent in the next few days... just one of those woulda, coulda, shoulda things

When I called Naples, they asked me when I - or rather my wife - would like to come in for the interview. I suggested the beginning of October, and then they offered several dates. After selecting the interview date, they noted the medical would come the day before.

With regard to the cruise, they are referring to it as a "transatlantic", but it is a repositioning. The ship is the Carnival Dream; they built it here in Italy at Trieste (Fincantieri) and it has three Mediterranean ventures on schedule before the transatlantic/repositioning to the US (it will sail out of Port Canaveral, I believe). Should be a good time; we need a vacation as it is, and I thought it would be fun for everyone, our two year old daughter included.

Keep us updated with how things go for you as well... we just have two weeks before the interview and a little more than 5 weeks before our scheduled departure...

Good, I will let him know!! Thanks...

The medical for visa interviews at the Naples Consulate is always done the day before at the Istituto Varelli. The vast majority of embassies/consulates in other countries allow you to schedule your own interview, but Italy seems to have changed the procedure several years ago. From what I have read and heard, it seems like a relatively simple procedure, and is probably better than having to worry about doing all of that stuff on your own. You can get it all out of the way in a day and a half.

We are going on the 5th (medical) and 6th (interview) of October, and we are the people who are doing the transatlantic cruise to the US (leaving on the 27th of October) from Civitavecchia.

Glad to see that everything went well with the interview. Definitely best to be honest and explain the situation (for all those who might find themselves with a similar status).

Just to clarify, however, a VWP refusal is a relatively minor thing and from what I understand, has little or no effect on the visa process. It simply means that the individual who was trying to enter the US did not meet the criteria of the program, and is much different from a removal or deportation (considerably more severe). My wife (at that time my fiance) was denied entry via the VWP in March of 2007; the officer (nice guy really, who actually let my wife stay for several days in the US with me on a humanitarian basis notwithstanding the refusal) simply explained that she had not spent enough time out of the country before trying to reenter on the VWP, and hence did not qualify for that type of entry.

Good luck to everyone...

I would recommend being honest (obviously), but without volunteering unnecessary information. If the consular official doesn't specifically ask something that would potentially not work in your favor, I don't see the reason behind providing that reason. There are numerous tales and postings here on VJ where doing something like that came back to haunt the beneficiary.

I call BS. Troll anyone? 6 cars, several properties, lots of land, etc... and we're talking about qualifying for 125% of the poverty level? Unless the land is a remote region of Antartica, the cars were demolished 50 years ago in the local wrecking yard, and the properties have been foreclosed upon by the bank, I personally find this topic to be outrageously ridiculous.

A quick question related to the subject matter: My "employment" for the time being is a small Internet-based business that I run, which I can do from basically anywhere. I am currently out of the US but will be able to continue doing this when I get back to the US. How could I go about demonstrating this in order to use it as income on the I-864 for my wife? What evidence would be sufficient? Thanks.

Yes, the residence permit is enough, but you were also actually residing in Italy. In the above case, they have the residence permit, but are not residing in Italy. The paperwork will ask where they reside, and if they state Italy, they are lying on the paperwork, and if they state the US, they don't qualify for DCF, even if they have an Italian residence permit.

Fair enough, and technically I am sure that is true... but when I called the US Embassy in Rome, they certainly went out of their way to infer that they really didn't care about how long you were in Italy, as long as you had the Permesso di Soggiorno. They actually gave me the impression that they were bored and wanted people to send these things in so that they had something to do...

The Permesso di Soggiorno (or Carta di Soggiorno) is sufficient proof of residency to file DCF with the US Embassy in Rome. I called several times to confirm this at the beginning of the year to be 100% sure of this fact.

It actually took approximately 2 months from my filing of the I-130 to have it approved, but I think that was more of an exception than anything else, as they had to wait for my wife's A-Files to arrive from the US. Generally, the waiting time seems to be 1-2 weeks. If you're able to switch over, it might save you a considerable amount of time.

Hello everyone... quick question. I am in the final stages of a DCF for my wife, and am just waiting for my tax transcripts for 2007 and 2008 (since I filed late) to set an interview date (so that my I-864 is complete). Does anyone else have any experience with this and know how long I will have to wait for those transcripts to become available? I know that you can get them the same day once they become available, but am unsure as to the amount of time that passes between the time of filing and the availability date. Thanks.

Anyone have an experience coming in through means other than the old airplane?!? I have been living in Italy with my wife and daughter (daughter is already US citizen) for a little more than two years now, but we are finishing up the final steps to move to the US (just waiting to complete the interview) and would like to do a transatlantic cruise... combine the travel and vacation in one. I assume this is a perfectly fine way to enter into the US, correct? Any experiences? Thanks.

Thank you for the prompt response. Hence he simply needs to send the I-864 to me in Italy with the necessary documentation that you mentioned in your reply, and I file both his and my I-864 at the Consulate? In other words, he does not need to be physically present, correct? My apologies if I am getting too elementary here, but I want to make sure that I have everything down before scheduling this interview. Thanks again.

Hello everyone,

We have basically completed the compilation of necessary documents and we are getting ready to send everything to the US Consulate in Naples so that my wife's visa interview can be scheduled. However, I am unsure as to a point regarding the I864.

I will obviously be filing one in support of my wife, and am confident that I have the necessary income/assets to prove the ability to support. However, just to be on the safe side, my father will be filing a joint sponsor I864 as well from the United States. My question is this: I assume that my I864 will be accepted at the Consulate when we go for the interview, but what does my father need to do with his? Should he send it to me so that it can be reviewed at the Consulate at the same time, or does he need to send it somewhere in the United States?

Any information regarding this matter would be greatly appreciated; thanks again to all of you knowledgable people...

My apologies if the topic/description are a little confusing, and further apologies if this question has already been discussed but I cannot seem to find it within the forum.

I am a US Citizen, and have been married to my wife (Italian) since September 2007. We are in the final stages of getting her visa to immigrate to the US (just waiting for the interview), and expect to have that visa soon. However, I was thinking to wait to move back to the US until after September 2009 in order to be married for more than two years and hence she would receive a permanent residency green card without conditions.

I just wanted to make sure that she becomes a "permanent resident" when she enters the United States and not when the visa is issued? In other words, even if the visa is issued before we have been married for two years, the important concern is that she enters the US after being married for two years, correct? Ultimately I would like to avoid having to deal with the whole removal of conditions thing and to keep the matter as simple as possible.

I thank you for your responses in advance.