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

[hdouthit 1]

Yay! I'll finally be able to do something with this massive stack of documents instead of staring at it and randomly checking through it to be sure we've not forgotten anything.

There is a sense of liberation when you finally don't have those documents to constantly flick through and can mail them off.

[mcclapa 0]

NOA2 on 19 Feb. and are waiting for Packet 3 with our fingers crossed! I hope I am right in assuming that 2 weeks is standard waiting time and that Royal Mail haven't lost it!

We received packed 3 in the mail yesterday, March 4! Hooray!

[jhphi 0]

Congrats to all the Packet 3 and Packet 4 receivers this week! I didn't receive any sort of fancy packets in the mail this week and now I'm feeling fraught with jealousy! haha

My husband had his medical evaluation yesterday, so we trained down to London for the afternoon. Went smoothly, no problems that we know of yet! I guess if there are any crazy things in his bloodwork they will notify us, but I'm sure everything will be fine. It feels good to have another thing checked off the list. Now we're just settling in for another couple of weeks to wait for Packet 4, like some of the rest of you on this thread. I'm cautiously optimistic that our interview date will be sometime in late April-- we hope to move by May 7th at the latest (the end of our current rental period). That six weeks we lost due to the RFE being lost in the post has made our timeline a little bit too close for comfort, but we're going with the flow and just making preparations for the impending move.

[Pamolly 0]

Hi sveta & jeff! So here's the updated list:

jhphi

Hokie97

nc73

casandra

Matt_UK

londonhornet

taavy

Mr.Man

scrosso (filing in springtime?)

sveta & jeff

We are filing in the next couple months

[jhphi 0]

Hi everyone!

I called the DOS number tonight (just in case!), and we have our interview date! April 22nd at 9am! Woo hoo! The lady said it was just assigned today.

So, if anyone else is waiting anxiously for Packet 4, maybe give them a call? I just used Skype to call them, the number is 202-663-1225 and you press 1, then 0 to get the operator. Have your case number ready!

I am SO excited right now.

[londonhornet 0]

Hi everyone!

I called the DOS number tonight (just in case!), and we have our interview date! April 22nd at 9am! Woo hoo! The lady said it was just assigned today.

So, if anyone else is waiting anxiously for Packet 4, maybe give them a call? I just used Skype to call them, the number is 202-663-1225 and you press 1, then 0 to get the operator. Have your case number ready!

I am SO excited right now.

Congrats guys!! I did the same today actually!! My interview date is on 16th April!! Can't beat that buzzing feeling!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Congratulations you two!!! Wonderful news!

[Reow 0]

We received our NOA2 Feb 25 and so far no Packet 3...is this a normal wait?

[jhphi 0]

We received our NOA2 Feb 25 and so far no Packet 3...is this a normal wait?

Hi Reow. Our wait was only seven days, but I think others have been a little bit longer, looking at the timelines. Mcclapa and sveta&jeff received NOA2 letters around the 19th, and got Packet 3 on the 3rd/4th, so hopefully you'll receive on Monday? Crossing my fingers for you!

I'm impatient lately, since my RFE letter was lost in the mail, so I'd probably only wait till Wednesday to give them a call to ask if the case number has been assigned. Did the police cert you were waiting for arrive?

[Reow 0]

Hi Reow. Our wait was only seven days, but I think others have been a little bit longer, looking at the timelines. Mcclapa and sveta&jeff received NOA2 letters around the 19th, and got Packet 3 on the 3rd/4th, so hopefully you'll receive on Monday? Crossing my fingers for you!

I'm impatient lately, since my RFE letter was lost in the mail, so I'd probably only wait till Wednesday to give them a call to ask if the case number has been assigned. Did the police cert you were waiting for arrive?

It actually arrived at my husband's last night! One weird thing about it is that is says at the bottom: "encl: packet 3" but it's just one sheet of paper, with nothing actually enclosed. Presumably we just use the info on the website? We're pretty much ready with all the documents anyway...

[jhphi 0]

That's right, Reow-- London doesn't mail any of the forms, just provides the website link for you to download the current forms. Good luck getting the form sent off and with booking the medical!

[uk2usa2010 2]

Just got Packet 3 and medical booked for under 2 weeks time!!

[jhphi 0]

Congrats, uk2usa2010! All the best wishes for a smooth, problem-free medical (and a swift delivery of Packet 4!)

QUESTION for all of my expert friends out there : if there are no problems at the interview (fingers crossed!), how does the timing look for receiving my UKC husband's passport back, with the visa? Should we most likely safely have it within 7 days, 10 days, 14 days, etc.? Am just trying to do a little advance planning for our move, and determine if we're going to be able to travel to a family wedding 2 weeks after the interview date.

Thanks!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

London has been all over the place recently with delivery of passports -- some have received it the next business day (really!) and other have been left in the lurch for 10 days+. Unless you're willing to buy a ticket with no penalties on changes, it's impossible to say. Two weeks... yes, you'd probably be fine, but you never know. If you booked flights a month after the interview you'd almost certainly be fine. I know, it sucks. We booked ours for two months after the interview, but that was because I had to work out my notice.

[jhphi 0]

Thanks! I know I'm really asking an impossible question, as there is no way to guarantee that we won't have problems at the interview (although I can't forsee any), and there's no real way to say for sure when he'll get the passport back. We'd thought we'd left ourselves enough time to complete the DCF process when we started it in November, but that RFE lost-in-mail delay has made everything tight, timing-wise. We're pressed for time as our current tenancy agreement runs out on May 7th... but I guess we can always move in with friends, right? And, my current permission to stay (work visa) ends May 14th, so I'd have to leave by then anyway.

I'm not really *worried* about it as I have faith everything will work out... I think I'm just getting nervous about all the changes coming up, so am reaching out for any little thing that can be controlled. Ahhhhh, fun!