UK DCF -- the ins and outs and ups and downs

[jhphi 0]

Hi englese! I'm not sure about that, but it might be worth having a browse through some of the recent UK DCF timelines, to see if there are any patterns (everyone receiving at end of month, etc.) It seems like in this thread, people's notifications and news have trickled in bit by bit throughout the month, but I haven't really taken specific notice of dates.

If it makes you feel any better, that bit you're in is the WORST waiting bit. It gets easier

[jhphi 0]

That's great news about the passports, Jenny! I hope ours get back as quickly as yours-- that means we could have them on Tuesday of next week! (Which is good, because we'd really really like to fly on Thursday or Friday.) Fingers crossed!

[ohlpomr 0]

We just got a text that said the courier will be delivering tomorrow between 8 and 6. That will be the third business day. There was also an option to upgrade to a specific time of day delivery(which you also could have done at the embassy), but we'd made plans to be here all day anyway so no sense in spending the extra money.

Hokie, did your package every arrive? I got an sms yesterday as well that the passport would arrive today. My wife took off work and waited at the house ALL day, with the door open, never leaving the house, and they didn't come, even though their website boldly claims "delivery attempted"!!!

[jhphi 0]

Hello all! Just wanted to update-- my husband had his interview today, and was approved-- very exciting! So now we just need to wait for the passport to be returned, which they said would take 3-5 days. We hope to fly next Friday, so we're crossing our fingers that it doesn't get held up!

Just a quick write-up of the day. Overall, it went very smoothly. We got there at about 8:15 (we were in the 9am appt block), and there was no queue for us (only for the student/camp groups). I was a dummy and forgot to leave my electronic car key fob at the hotel (oops!), so of course that was picked up when my bag went through the scanner (Doh!), so I quickly went and checked it in at the pharmacy down the street (kicking myself for forgetting, but there had to be one snafu I guess). We got into the embassy at 8:25, and we were 7th in line for the I-#s. We waited for about 45 minutes, then were called over to window 14, where we gave all the forms and answered a few quick questions, and then we were sent to #12 to pay the fee. We returned to #14, and she gave us the pink form to fill out for the courier, then sent us to sit back down and wait to be called for the interview. After about another 45 minutes or so, we were called to window 16 for the interview.

The interview went pretty smoothly-- the only little hiccup was that the woman didn't seem to like the IRS tax transcripts that I brought, so it was a good thing I'd also brought the full printed 70-page tax return. That was the only bit that surprised me, as I'd read that if you get the official tax transcripts sent from the IRS, you didn't need to bring your 1040 and W-2s. When we walked up for the interview, she said "everything looks in order, the only problem is that I don't have your tax information, your 1040 and W-2s." I explained that she had the official IRS transcript there with my documents, and she looked quite unsatisfied when she was flipping through it, and said something like "So I'm going to need to just add all these numbers up?" I then just brought out the whole huge tax return packet I'd brought just in case, and that seemed to make her a lot happier, as she didn't ask any more questions about it.

I'd written up a quick domicile letter (thanks elmcitymaven for the example!) and attached things like my US bank accounts, US drivers license, letter confirming US employment, email correspondence with realtor setting up meeting to look for houses. She looked over the packet and questioned the wording of my employment letter a bit, but no major questions. She then just asked what date we intended to fly, and we told her we'd be booking the flight as soon as the passport was returned, and that we hoped to fly by the end of the month. Then, she said "OK, I'm going to go ahead and approve your visa," and we went off to the courier desk to make the arrangements for the delivery.

We were out of the embassy by 10:30-- the day went quite a bit quicker than I was expecting! All in all, a successful day!

Thanks to everyone on VJ for all the help and support as we've been going through the process!

[Matt_UK 0]

Excellent news ^^

Interesting about the tax documents, other interview threads seemed to suggest that less is often more. Maybe a personal preference of the interviewer?

[Stann 3]

Well done jhphi, good for you!

I just wanted to let you all know my progress. This week was 4 weeks since I sent my packet 3 stuff back saying I was ready and I was feeling really down as missing hubby who went over to start his new job on April 5th. So i decided to call the extortion line on Wed 21st to see if a date had been given as I started to get all paparanoid that my letter may have been lost or some such silliness! Anyway the extortion line said no date had been given for my interview yet and I should hear somthing in the next 5 - 6 weeks.

I was very disheartened as you can imagine and got a bit upset. So imagine my surprise when the packet 4 letter arrived this morning! My interview date is May 28th which is 5 weeks today so hopefully I will be there with hubby in 6 weeks

The letter is dated the 21st so the date must have been given after I spoke to the extortion line - what a waste of a fiver! Oh well - am very excited now.

Thanks for all your help as usual

Stacey

[Hokie97 5]

Hokie, did your package every arrive? I got an sms yesterday as well that the passport would arrive today. My wife took off work and waited at the house ALL day, with the door open, never leaving the house, and they didn't come, even though their website boldly claims "delivery attempted"!!!

They delivered about 10:30 on Wednesday. I stayed home from the kid's school review appointment while my husband went, and it's a good thing because it arrived right in the middle of when they were gone.

Have you gotten it re-delivered yet?

[Hokie97 5]

jhphi - How strange about the tax forms. I had three years of tax transcripts and this 2009's hand written one. I was expecting to have the interview before my taxes were due this year, so I only had print outs of the W2s (my dad had scanned and emailed them to me). They didn't have a problem with that. I did have zeroxes of my dad's returns, as we don't have employment lined up when we move. She looked through your packet of domicile? My guy only needed one thing, though I handed over two and my letter of intent. I had dozens of documents, but he didn't want to see them.

I'm glad your day was so quick.

[scrosso 0]

Hi Guys,

Congrats to everyone who is progressing. I have a quick question on the interview front. Do both of you have to be there? I thought it would just be me needed as my wife will be in the US already, but a previous poster has got me thinking do we both need to be there for her to talk about proving domicile, and ability to cover financially.

Also at what point can she head home, is it after the I-130 has been approved?

And finally, if we change address during the process is that going to complicate things? Our lease runs out in August, and so i was hoping to stay with friends in a different address but will this cause problems with correspondence from the embassy.

Many thanks

Simon

[jhphi 0]

...

My interview date is May 28th which is 5 weeks today so hopefully I will be there with hubby in 6 weeks

Stacey

Congratulations on getting the interview date letter! All the best wishes for a swift arrival of May 28th!

[jhphi 0]

jhphi - How strange about the tax forms. I had three years of tax transcripts and this 2009's hand written one. I was expecting to have the interview before my taxes were due this year, so I only had print outs of the W2s (my dad had scanned and emailed them to me). They didn't have a problem with that. I did have zeroxes of my dad's returns, as we don't have employment lined up when we move. She looked through your packet of domicile? My guy only needed one thing, though I handed over two and my letter of intent. I had dozens of documents, but he didn't want to see them.

I'm glad your day was so quick.

It was strange! I'm still confused about the whole "so I guess I'll just need to add these numbers up" thing that she said about the tax transcript, as it has everything like the Adjusted Gross Income laid out clearly. I didn't press the issue with her when she said she needed to see the 1040, as I didn't want to ask too many questions and annoy her (haha), just simply brought out the huge pack and slipped it through the window, and that seemed to satisfy her as she moved on to other things. She did keep the full tax packet, though, as well as the transcript. Perhaps if I'd pressed the issue further, and not had the "backup," she would've ended up being fine with just the transcript.

The woman at the first window asked something like "what else have you brought for us" when we were going over the affidavit of support items, so I handed her the little domicile packet I'd made (cover sheet on top, stapled to supporting materials, less than 10 sheets in total), and said something about how I wasn't sure what exactly to bring, so I just brought a selection. She said something positive about how it looked like it would be what they needed. At the interview window, the woman gave it a look through, and asked me a couple of questions about the employment letter, but she didn't ask for anything else to prove domicile, other than what I'd provided, so I guess what I brought was fine. I didn't want to get flustered when being asked for domicile docs, so that's why I decided to just staple together a quick domicile pack.

[jhphi 0]

Hi Guys,

Congrats to everyone who is progressing. I have a quick question on the interview front. Do both of you have to be there? I thought it would just be me needed as my wife will be in the US already, but a previous poster has got me thinking do we both need to be there for her to talk about proving domicile, and ability to cover financially.

Also at what point can she head home, is it after the I-130 has been approved?

And finally, if we change address during the process is that going to complicate things? Our lease runs out in August, and so i was hoping to stay with friends in a different address but will this cause problems with correspondence from the embassy.

Many thanks

Simon

Hi Simon! No, you both don't have to be there-- no requirement for both of you to attend.

If your wife will already be in the US living at your interview time, that's a great way to show that she's re-established domicile. If you're worried about getting questions at the interview, you could bring documents such as a lease agreement where you wife will be living, scan of her valid US driver's license, print-out of a US bank statement, letter from her employer stating that she is in good standing). But the fact that she'd already be back permanently residing there would I assume make a bunch of additional domicile proof unnecessary.

For the financial support side of things, she will just need to provide you with all the necessary forms such as the I-864 and her tax information. Is she your only sponsor, or do you also have a joint sponsor? I am the only sponsor for my husband and here is what we provided at the interview: signed I-864 form, letter from my US employer confirming US employment and listing current US salary, 2008 IRS tax transcript and full packet of 2008 tax info, plus my "intent to re-establish domicile" packet. I also brought my 2006 and 2007 tax transcripts, but was not asked for these. If your wife will be using assets to prove ability to support, you will need to provide the evidence of these assets. If you are having joint sponsors, you will need to provide all necessary forms from them as well. I didn't get any "tough questions" at the interview, so I'm sure my husband could've handled it on his own, provided he had all the forms they asked for.

I've heard two things about when she can head home-- I'd first heard that she can head as soon as the I-130 has been filed, and I've more recently heard that she needs to wait until the I-130 is approved. So I don't have a "firm" answer for you, unfortunately, but hopefully one of the experts will come by and clarify that point for us.

For the changing address question, can I just ask what your general intended timeline is, for when you intend to file and when you would like to move? You will be able to notify them of your change of address, but it may not even be an issue if you're filing soon. You can put a different mailing address on the DS-230, and also on the sheet that asks where you would like your interview letter sent.

[Stann 3]

Simon, I moved in the middle of my case to stay with relatives while waiting for my interview date. I called the extortion line and they gave me the correct email address and the code to put in the subject line of my email so I could directly email the correct department about the address change.

I did this and then they replied saying they had updated thier records and now had my new address. Unfortunately you have to call the extortion line to get the code to put in the subject line of the email as it changes weekly

Good luck

Stacey

Edited April 23, 2010 by staceyafreeman

[Reow 0]

Well done jhphi, good for you!

I just wanted to let you all know my progress. This week was 4 weeks since I sent my packet 3 stuff back saying I was ready and I was feeling really down as missing hubby who went over to start his new job on April 5th. So i decided to call the extortion line on Wed 21st to see if a date had been given as I started to get all paparanoid that my letter may have been lost or some such silliness! Anyway the extortion line said no date had been given for my interview yet and I should hear somthing in the next 5 - 6 weeks.

I was very disheartened as you can imagine and got a bit upset. So imagine my surprise when the packet 4 letter arrived this morning! My interview date is May 28th which is 5 weeks today so hopefully I will be there with hubby in 6 weeks

The letter is dated the 21st so the date must have been given after I spoke to the extortion line - what a waste of a fiver! Oh well - am very excited now.

Thanks for all your help as usual

Stacey

I had the same experience. We were on Tuesday that our papers had not been processed and that it could be 5-6 weeks more, and then received packet 4 the next day. Big waste of money since both my husband and I called separately!

[Reow 0]

Hadn't posted in a while since I've been working horrifying hours, but an update on our progress: we have our interview date for May 6! I haven't seen my husband since January so I couldn't be happier - that's not too far away! Do you all recommend booking for 7+ business days from the interview or just waiting it out?