DCF/London/Very Quick Questions!

[esteban 0]

Hello,

If anyone has a moment and could very quickly answer these questions it would be very much appreciated.

1. Does the London office of the US Embassy accept DCF for a UK citizen wishing to marry a US citizen and live in the US?

2. Are we better getting married first in the US and then filing, or is it a case of filing first?

Thanks!

[CarolineM 0]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

[zyggy 9]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

There is a USC residency requirement for doing DCF in London.. The USC must have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in their passport, which means that she would have to be living there for more than 2 years.

A K-1 visa is usually the quicker route, which would mean you would file first.. However, there are pros and cons of each option. Take a look at our guides to see what those pros and cons are. You should choose the Immigration option that fits your priorities. Don't let Immigration control your options, you should control Immigration to meet your own goals.

Edited May 11, 2006 by zyggy

[meauxna 15]

Hello,

If anyone has a moment and could very quickly answer these questions it would be very much appreciated.

1. Does the London office of the US Embassy accept DCF for a UK citizen wishing to marry a US citizen and live in the US?

2. Are we better getting married first in the US and then filing, or is it a case of filing first?

Thanks!

1. No

2. Without knowing what you want to accomplish, impossible to answer.

Have you read the DCF Guide yet? It will explain a lot.

Good luck!

[esteban 0]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

There is a USC residency requirement for doing DCF in London.. The USC must have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in their passport, which means that she would have to be living there for more than 2 years.

So you can only go the DCF way if the USC lives outside the US? At the moment the USC lives in the US and the UK citizen in the UK, and we'd hope to both live in the US.

[CarolineM 0]

You are correct. At this time, DCF is not an option you can take if the USC is still in America

[meauxna 15]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

There is a USC residency requirement for doing DCF in London.. The USC must have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in their passport, which means that she would have to be living there for more than 2 years.

So you can only go the DCF way if the USC lives outside the US? At the moment the USC lives in the US and the UK citizen in the UK, and we'd hope to both live in the US.

That's right, direct filing is normally for USCs who live abroad. In a very few places, the Consulate will take the petition even if the USC lives elsewhere. London is not one of those places.

Since you used the phrase 'wishing to marry' I'll make a guess that you are not yet married. This gives you more options; I suggest that you chek out the Comparison Chart from the Guides tab at the top of the page to help you make your choice. Let us know if there's something you dont' understand--many will be happy to clarify the plusses/minuses of the different visas.

[esteban 0]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

There is a USC residency requirement for doing DCF in London.. The USC must have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in their passport, which means that she would have to be living there for more than 2 years.

So you can only go the DCF way if the USC lives outside the US? At the moment the USC lives in the US and the UK citizen in the UK, and we'd hope to both live in the US.

That's right, direct filing is normally for USCs who live abroad. In a very few places, the Consulate will take the petition even if the USC lives elsewhere. London is not one of those places.

Since you used the phrase 'wishing to marry' I'll make a guess that you are not yet married. This gives you more options; I suggest that you chek out the Comparison Chart from the Guides tab at the top of the page to help you make your choice. Let us know if there's something you dont' understand--many will be happy to clarify the plusses/minuses of the different visas.

Thanks. The comparrison chart didn't seem that clear about the USC living abroad.

We're looking to marry in the US - is there any real benefit in applying for the fiance Visa, being that you still then need to marry within 90 days, as opposed to just coming over on a tourist Visa and marrying within 90 days?

Also, is there any option to marry in the US and then stay while your staus is sorted out - the comparrison chart seems to say in each occasion the foreign spouse has to return home.

Why is it so darn complicated - I feel like I'd be better off actually smuggling drugs or doing something illegal than going through all this!

[meauxna 15]

It depends. I think that there is a USC residency requirement in London. I know you CAN do DCF in London but I don't know the requirements.

As for when to get married in relation to filing - it really depends...For US in Australia it was easier to get married first...but it depends on the country and your situation.

There is a USC residency requirement for doing DCF in London.. The USC must have an Indefinite Leave to Remain stamp in their passport, which means that she would have to be living there for more than 2 years.

So you can only go the DCF way if the USC lives outside the US? At the moment the USC lives in the US and the UK citizen in the UK, and we'd hope to both live in the US.

That's right, direct filing is normally for USCs who live abroad. In a very few places, the Consulate will take the petition even if the USC lives elsewhere. London is not one of those places.

Since you used the phrase 'wishing to marry' I'll make a guess that you are not yet married. This gives you more options; I suggest that you chek out the Comparison Chart from the Guides tab at the top of the page to help you make your choice. Let us know if there's something you dont' understand--many will be happy to clarify the plusses/minuses of the different visas.

Thanks. The comparrison chart didn't seem that clear about the USC living abroad.

We're looking to marry in the US - is there any real benefit in applying for the fiance Visa, being that you still then need to marry within 90 days, as opposed to just coming over on a tourist Visa and marrying within 90 days?

Also, is there any option to marry in the US and then stay while your staus is sorted out - the comparrison chart seems to say in each occasion the foreign spouse has to return home.

Why is it so darn complicated - I feel like I'd be better off actually smuggling drugs or doing something illegal than going through all this!

The comparison chart is a brief sketch of options---the Guides spell out the details.

If you want to marry in the US and then stay while your status is sorted out, that is exactly what the fiance visa K-1 is designed to do---sounds like you've got it!

If you come over and marry without the prescreening process of the K-1 visa, then you do have to go home for a spousal option (immigrant visa or K-3).

As to why it's so complicated, well, it's best to not ask why. And, it's really not all that complicated, more like *involved*. But, the few months that it will take to get your place in line will be well spent by working hard and living cheap so that you can afford the 3-6 months of unemployment that you will surely face once you are in the US.

Again, it's really not "all this", it's just an "all this" that you're not yet familiar with, so it seems more intimidating/stupid than it is. Trust me, you'll survive

[latitudes 0]

If you want to marry in the US and then stay while your status is sorted out, that is exactly what the fiance visa K-1 is designed to do---sounds like you've got it!

This is technically true but to clarify ...

There is no way to come to the US on the Visa Waiver Program, get married, and then file paperwork. (at least not legally, if you have Intent to do this before booking the tickets).

The K-1 visa breaks the process into 2 parts. The first part is (basically) "pre-approval" and takes 3-6 months. Durring this time, your fiance may come and go to the US (or you to the UK) but only under the visa waiver (tourist) program - subject to all the limitations that come with the VWP. Your fiance will need to receive mail in the UK, and go to london twice for an interview and medical.

Once you get your 'pre-approval,' your fiance can come to the US on a K-1 visa, you can get married, and he can stay while you get your status sorted out (this is called the Adjustment of Status part of the process, or AOS).

The other option is to get married in the USA, return to the UK, and stay there untill the "pre-approval" and "AOS" go through. Usually this takes longer than going the K-1 route - or at least means you are apart for longer.