DCF through Frankfurt

[meauxna 15]

Great and thorough report, G! Congrats on your first steps---the rest will go quickly and easily, I'm sure.

It looks like you will be very close to your deadline, and the Consulate may even work with you on that if you ask nicely

[Germlish 0]

The official letter came in from the consulate today; appointment on 31 May at 08:00.

There is also an additional request for her to bring her two sons' birth certificates even though they are not immigrating with her.

Heck, we're moving out because they won't :-).

I'll put the details up at the latest after the interview day.

[meauxna 15]

Man, did I call it, or *what*?

"It looks like you will be very close to your deadline"

Congrats if you're happy with that date, get on the phone if you're not!

[zauberblume 0]

Response from Frankfurt about medical examination:

Thank your e-mail. As the medical examination is only valid from 6-12 months we suggest that you schedule the medical appointment after filing the petition if you are certain that you expect to soon immigrate. Most panel physicians require a case number. So if you appear at the USCIS office in Frankfurt to file the petition, then request a case number from our Window 23.

I hope this information is helpful to you.

Sincerely,

Correspondence and Information Unit

U.S. Consulate General

Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Thank, Germlish, for your re-capping your Embassy experience. Good luck with your interview in ten days! Seems like going in person is the best way to go. I'm still waiting for my I-130 to be approved.

[zauberblume 0]

Another question:

After perusing some timelines, I'm wondering if there is a bit of a backlog at the US Embassy in Frankfurt right now. Maybe World Cup is causing some problems? Most mailed-in I-130 petitions have been approved in 7 to 14 days.

I resubmitted my I-130 on April 24. Payment was registered on May 4, according to my credit card statement. I still haven't received a response. Should I email or call the consulate this week? Perhaps Packet 3 was lost in the mail?

Also, can I just send in the checklist now even though the I-130 petition is pending? I mean, I'm confident that it should be approved unless they don't like my residency permit, which is a student visa. But I've been here since Dec. 2004 and the visa doesn't expire until Dec. 2007 so I think I should be approved.

I'm kind of anxious that we actually won't meet our first deadline of late June to return to the U.S. (Considering when other interviews have been scheduled over at the IR/CR forum, I'm not even sure if we will meet our second deadline of mid-August.)

What's taking so long?! (Candace, your original petition was returned to you on May 13, about two weeks after your second submission. Why did it take so long to return it to you?)

(Trust me, I understand that people have been waiting much longer who don't have the privilege of doing direct filing. In this case, I can and am using this method. Therefore, according to timelines for those who have used this method, I'm wondering what's taking so long.)

[Germlish 0]

Zauberblume, it seems like things are taking a long time, and I'm pretty sure they don't have a problem with your residency permit. They could process anyone they want - their discretion - but the restrict it to people with residnecy permits in Germany, and you have one (did you send a copy of the Aufenthaltserlaubnis from your passport???)

As it turns out, the collegue replacing me will need additional training and support, and my household goods (which were picked up last Tuesday by Brauns Umzug Moving) will not arrive before 21 June so 31 May is ok.

The lady at window x said that the interview appointments need about 4 weeks. I got the impression that this has more to do with normal summer load and vacations in the consulate.

I would recommend first calling and then going to the consulate (depending on the call results). They have a 0900 number which is useless - only appropriate for non-immigrant visas. Use the 069 number and ask for USCIS. I think they are currently open Mon, Wed & Fri 8-12 so go down on one of those days, and arrive by 7 am ( they open doors at 7:30).

I've seen this written here before and I can confirm it in my situation also. If I had not been at the consulate in person, things would have been much more difficult and time consuming. As you already saw, the payment problem is a good example. I suspect that they process people that are there first, then they look at the stuff that came in the mail. Any problems and it is returned via mail and that goes so slowly.

Couple of points that makes this clear:

- USCIS who is responsible for the I-130, and the consulate - who are responsible for the DS-230 - are actually two different bodies, run from two different parts of the government. In Frankfurt we have the happy situation that they happen to be colocated in the same building, a situation that probably exists nowhere within the US, and fairly rarely even outside the US.

As I understand it, the USCIS has final say as to who gets in and who doesnt, whereas Dept of State defines politically who can come in and who can't.

Since they are in the same building, getting the I-130 "downstairs" to State is fairly easy and fast.

If you are also in the building at the same time, they have that much more impetus to do things right.

We went to Frankfurt, I submitted the I-130 while my spouse was getting med examined. She came to the consulate from the Drs. office by the time the I-130 was completed, and we submitted package 1 on the same day.

We will have to return to the consulate for the interview, but just being there the first day really saved us time as far as little mistakes and minor stuff.

We went the evening before and spent €119 on the Hotel Frankenwart. If cost is an issue, you could try an all night train ride, sleep in the car, etc (maybe a rental station wagon?) Either way, I would find a way down there.

Bring everything you think you will ever need for everything. I scanned all my documents, put them on a notebook hard drive, and took notebook, scanner and printer with me. This was unnecessary but just shows the level of preparedness I went to. I could have reprinted any document in full color, had it been necessary (from my car of course with a 12V => 220V converter, because no electronic devices are allowed in the bldg).

Few points:

- Translations from German are not required except for court documents; divorce documents, criminal records, etc.

- If translations are necessary and your German is good enough, translate it yourself and put a statement that your German is good enough to translate this document.

- Bring all orignals and copies of everything. If you still need copies, there is a €0.50 copy machine in the waiting area, and a change machine.

- Make sure the photos are good. There is also a photo machine in the waiting area but even then, make sure both ears are visible and no glasses. (Google for the photo specs, they are fairly specific)

- Spouse can go to Dr on same day. They were a bit confused by the missing number, but they said no problem and that they would forward the results to the consulate. The Frankfurt panel physician is the only one in Germany that accepts applicants with no appointment, Munich and Leipzig both had about a one month wait. Again, early arrival will make the day faster.

Taxi from consulate to Dr. about € 12, parking is difficult and finding it even with navi is not very easy.

- The visa arrives a few days after the interview in the mail (I think you need to leave your passport there). I saw somewhere that this is because the med exam results need to come back first. I'm hoping our early exam will mean the results are in and we can take the visa with us after the interview.

Hope this wasn't too much info. Besides preparing, preparing, and preparing, calling and visiting the consulate is the best way to be sure it works out.

Good luck!

[Fischkoepfin 1]

- The visa arrives a few days after the interview in the mail (I think you need to leave your passport there). I saw somewhere that this is because the med exam results need to come back first. I'm hoping our early exam will mean the results are in and we can take the visa with us after the interview.

No, that won't happen. The reason the passport stays at the consulate is because they need to print the visa after approving it and that's what takes a few days.

Also, I found the easiest and cheapest way to get around Frankfurt was public transport (U5 stops about 200 m from the consulate and also stops close to the Dr.'s office). Parking is a real hassle in most German cities...

Good luck to all of you!

[Candace 2]

(Candace, your original petition was returned to you on May 13, about two weeks after your second submission. Why did it take so long to return it to you?)

I can work in a couple of extra days as I post my (lots of!) submissions via the US Military postal service. So it's two or three days rather than just one for the packets to get there. USCIS just return them by ordinary mail to my German address, so that shouldn't take any longer. I'm expecting the next one back in...oh, a week or so

I'm lucky in that I'm not in a hurry for my visa; we aren't scheduled to leave Germany until end March '07 and it's possible we may have an extension to beginning December '07. If that is the case, I'll be entering the US have my visa stamped and coming back again. Although the way things are going for me it might be close to get it in time!!

If I were in a hurry, I'd be going to Frankfurt. I agree with Germlish that it looks like mailed petitions are dealt with a lot slower than those submitted in person (and rightly so, although I do think they should point this out for people who need to know.)

Germlish - a question - does the Hotel Frankenwart have parking at the hotel for guests?

[Germlish 0]

- a question - does the Hotel Frankenwart have parking at the hotel for guests?

Yep. I had to run to the car twice and while the hotel is across the street from the back of the consulate, it is probably a hundred funny units (meters) to get around to the front.

Parking is also not a problem in front of the consulate if you arrive early - like 3 am. We actually saw people sleeping in their car while others were lining up. Wonder when they finally woke up?

But I do agree with Fisch - if you can get there with public transportation, do it. You can store your handys with the kisok at the U-Bahn stop but 200 Meters gets fairly far when you have to run back and forth so do it when you get off the Bahn.

Thanks also Fisch for the info re: passport stamp. I figured I wouldn't beat the system but what the heck.

[zauberblume 0]

Thanks Germlish and Candace!

I did submit a copy of my Aufenthaltserlaubnis.

I called USCIS to inquire about my petition. The fees were assessed on May 4. It was registered in the computer on May 13. According to the representative I spoke to, it will take an additional three weeks before a decision is made. If the petition is approved, it will then be sent to the Consulate who will mail "Packet 3."

Going to the Consulate now will do nothing since my petition has already been filed and is pending. All I can do is wait... At this point, I can only hope that my husband will be able to come to the U.S. with me for about two weeks as we look for apartments. I am worried about him possibly being denied entry at the POE, which is why my first deadline was in late June. But I definitely have to be back in America by the end of August since that is when my PhD program begins.

As I said before, I would've gone to the Consulate in person to file my petition but I had no idea that it would take almost two months to adjudicate it. Looking at various profiles posted on some forums, all mailed-in I-130s that I saw were processed and approved within two weeks. Nothing that I saw said that it would take two or even three months. I might as well have started earlier and filed in the US b/c I'm with my husband anyway. No separation to worry about.

Unfortunately, petitions are not being approved at this speed anymore via mail. Who knows why?! Maybe there are too many walk-ins and just too much going on, in which case I would encourage everyone to go in person even if you live far away just so there are no mix ups and so it is all taken care of rather quickly. Anyway, it's too late for me to do anything but wait...

Also, the Consulate said that I could not send in the DS-230 or the checklist now. It would only be sent back to me since the I-130 has not been approved yet.

(Just in case anyway comes across that question in their own process...)

[Germlish 0]

... it will take an additional three weeks before a decision is made. ...

Wow, that's a long time. Ours took about 10 minutes - at least I had the impression that the decision had been made while I was standing there and the petition was being reviewed.

And you asked if there was any to way to speed things up?

The only other option then is for your husband to go with you on a tourist visa waiver. He has to return to Germany anyway for the interview but from everything else I've read in the forums, don't even think he can just stay there - could be a reason for them to deny his visa.

Maybe something will happen that things will speed up.

Crossing my fingers and biting my thumbs :-)

[Germlish 0]

The big day has come and gone, the second trip (interview trip) has been completed.

To end the suspense, we walked out with the confirmation that we have successfully completed the required steps and her visa will be mailed to us - probably before I leave the country on 17 June !!!

Brief Description:

On this second visit, the appointment visit, there were four basic visits to the windows:

1. Pay the cashier

They asked for our invitation and used it to link the payment to our name.

2. "Pre-submission"

When our number was first called, the DS-230 part II, photo, and receipt were collected, and we were given the return envelope for our visa for us to address and attach stamps. Minor details on the three documents were corrected.

3. Paperwork inspection and explanation

Here the complete submission was reviewed, our originals were inspected and compared with the copies we had submitted (originals were then returned), and our envelope was collected. The rest of the process was also explained.

4. Interview

Here was the consul. We raised our right hands, swore we wouldn't lie, and my wife (the applicant) was fingerprinted. The consul asked us some questions like how old she was, how many children, simple stuff.

He then let us know we were approved and that we would receive her passport and a sealed envelope in the German mail.

And now the gory details.

Situation: Which of two lines outside the console do we use?

I slightly misunderstood the purpose of the two lines in front of the building in Frankfurt: The long, left side is for non-citizen, non-immigrant visa stuff. The shorter right side is for citizen services AND immigrant visas. We waited in the left line and lost some time because of this.

Suggestion: For immigrant visas and citizen services, go early in the AM and go directly to the right hand side of the line chain.

Situation: what does the security check involve?

We arrived at about 7:05, waited in line, had a handout where everything was spelled out, we were also briefed by someone while we were waiting, and again when at the window for the number but still lots of people got kicked back because they wanted to take a cell phone into the building. The only things they will allow with batteries in them are watches and car keys. Nothing else period!

Suggestion: Make certain you arrive without a mobile phone, radio, mp3 player, calculator. You will not get in with it.

Situation: What to do inside the building?

The very first order of business on the second visit is to pay. Go as quickly as possible and immediately to the cashier - don't wait to be called - and I would recommend to bring cash. The fee was € 175 or equiv US dollar and they do - in principle - accept credit cards. BUT: Today a hand scribbled sign appeared behind the window "Credit Card Machine Broken". This meant for almost everyone; collecting a red "don't stand in line again" pass from the cashier, leave the building, walk about 10-15 minutes [or drive and lose a precious parking space] to the Aral gas station where the nearest cash machine is located, get cash and return.

This also changes the order in which the numbers are processed. We had 809, but got the interview after 810.

Suggestion: Bring cash and run to the cashier with your appointment invitation available as first step.

Situation: What kind of paperwork and documentation problems did we have?

At the "pre-submission" window, the photo which I had worked on so long (and which was ok for the I-130) failed and we had to make another one at the machine in the lobby. She had very small earrings and about three hairs slightly covered one ear.

Suggestion: Get the photos looked at by the downstairs windows during the I-130 visit. Pay special attention to making the ears and entire face visible, no glasses even if you always wear them, no jewlery even though you always DO wear it, (wonder what about implants?) and make sure the dimensions and sizes are correct. Or just do it at the machine in the lobby (5€, change machine is available).

Situation: What kind of paperwork and documentation problems did we have part two?

During the I-130 visit, the I-864 Affidavit Of Support didn't have any US tax return. Big bozo-nono. The form states three are required but the requirement has changed to only the most recent return. Also, the form does not need to be notarized anymore, just signed and dated.

Suggestion: File taxes online and include the return with the I-864 Affidavit Of Support

Situation: What kind of paperwork and documentation problems did we have, part three?

Everything else was ok, just wanted to mention to bring the originals with you!!!

Suggestion: Don't forget to bring the originals with you.

Situation: How long did it take and what should we have brought with us?

We spent about 4 hours altogether in the compound. Once the interviews started they seemed to roll in about 15-17 minute cycles. If you know your position in line, you can estimate how much time you have till the interview is due. We did confront some boredom and they do have snack machines with chips and candy but I would have been happier had I prepared with a magazine and a decent sandwich.

Suggestion: Bring an inkpen for making the inevitable corrections to the forms, bring something to read and something to eat (and something for the kids to do if kids are present) for a three to six hour time period and make sure all these somethings don't have batteries (especially the kids).

Situation: So how much did this all cost?

The I-130 and DS-230 were the biggest chunks at $190 and €175 respectively. We also had to pay for things like the a new passport, my birth certificates, copies (lots of copies) translations (into German) etc. The next category includes things like rental cars, train, fuel or travel fares, and hotel costs.

I'll probably eventually do a complete breakdown but the rough costs were

- for all the beauracies, fees, German and US: $1056 or € 825 at 1.28 exchange rate.

- Travel costs: € 440

- plus copies, paper, ink for the printer, photos, other various odds and ends.

Suggestion: Bring lots of money and have more ready. For those on a shoestring, use cheap travel modes, find cheap copy machines, use the internet to get information.

I hope this helps relieve some of the stress I went through. There are lots of things that could have gone bad and it could have cost us lots of time, money and grief but with preparation everything was ok.

Last thoughts:

Start early and go to the consulate instead of doing things by mail.

Good luck all!

[meauxna 15]

I love your report! You've made an excellent temploate for the next folk doing Ffurt DCF--bless your heart!

SO glad to hear that you got everything done on time and as easy as could be. Even when there are little bumps, this type of process makes them so easy to correct!

Congrats to you both, and happy travels! Thanks for the great report

[Candace 2]

Congratulations Germlish!

And a huge thankyou for your comprehensive report - I've printed it out for reference for when our time comes!

Wishing you a safe trip home

~Candace

[zauberblume 0]

Congratulations, Germlish!

Your report will be very helpful whenever my husband has his interview.