DCF experience in Frankfurt, Germany

[exsocal 1]

Our Situation:

Greencard based on marriage to a US citizen. 2 kids - 5mos+2.5yrs - with dual nationality (German and US).

Married in the US while on H1B working there, 6.5 years ago. Lived in Germany for 5.5 years now.

GC through consular processing in Frankfurt, Germany.

Preparation:

We prepared and did background reading on the DHS website, US Consulate in Frankfurt's website and this forum (THANKS!).

All forms and work was done by ourselves with reading through form instructions and US Consulate website, plus applying common sense as to the intent of each form.

Timeline:

Apr 19 2010:

We drove to Frankfurt and stayed in the Best Western by the consulate the night before.

Next morning at our appointment, delivered petition I-130. That got approved right on the spot (married 6yrs+, 2kids).

Then were told to go down to the atrium for filing DS-230 part I. That was not expected. A challenge was to write down all

addresses I had lived at since the age of 16 and the times when I had been to the US in my life! Needed some extra sheets to

put it all down. Filled out and submitted the form.

Total time at the consulate: 2.5hrs

May 31 2010:

Faxed in the "all forms complete" and with an anticipated moving date to the US in Oct 2010.

Jun 30 2010:

Consulate internal stamped visa ok to progress

Jul 06 2010:

Received letter with appointment for interview and medical exam.

Aug 04 2010:

Did medical exam in Munich and chest x-ray.

Should call back for results in a week and results would be send to consulate directly. All was ok!

Jul - Aug:

- collect documents: birth certificate, police records (only non-US residences, consulate checks with FBI and local authorities), military record.

- I-864: we did with our own funds from cash and investments (no job in the US yet, only here in Germany)

Aug 30 2010:

09:12 - parking on street, no issue, plenty of space today

09:15 - outside in line to get ticket number (used for all day)

09:35 - finally inside at Atrium

10:10 - see officer, checking that I have all documents: ok

- needed to buy stamps for the return envelope of my passport and GC package, EUR4.25

- paid feed USD404 for visa fee + security fee (what might that be?)

- took all of 5mins

10:30 - next officer taking the documents and passport,

- explains procedure and next steps what to do with greencard, SSN card, etc,

- passport back in <1-2weeks with temp visa - 6months to enter US

- sealed envelope with cut off corner - to show at port of entry to the US

- duration 10mins

11:20 - finally, interview with officer

- going through documents + typing on computer: all complete, all ok

- 3 questions: how long married, do we have kids, where will I work

- more typing on computer

- green card approved!

- duration 10mins

Total duration at consulate <2.5hrs, face time with consular officers 25mins.

Total GC processing time until interview: ~4.5months, including ~1.5months of waiting (mid-April until end of May)

Items to take in hand luggage when entering US next time:

- all of your family (as you are all immigrating now)

- passport with unexpired temporary visa

- chect x-ray (film or CD-ROM from medical exam)

- sealed envelope from US consulate

Post entry to US:

Green card should arrive at our US address within 2-12months (you get a 12mo visa in your passport at first entry).

GC then needs to be presented each time you enter the US subsequently.

SSN card should arrive in 1-2months at the US address.

In summary, the much dreaded process was very painless. The officers were throughout very courteous and professional.

Once the process is understood, it makes sense what is to be established at which step:

1) The petition establishes the identity of your sponsor and the eligibility to sponsor you.

2-3)The remaining two steps are about the immigrant: their identity, health, criminal background and financial means.

Could we have done it faster? Yes. We were asked numerous times when our anticipated moving date is, we arbitrarily picked Oct 01.

Is it advisable to submit in person? Absolutely. It cuts down iterations, when something small is missing (postage stamps, or so).

Then we waited more than a month to fax in the all-forms-complete. So 3months or less might be doable.

How does it compare to getting a German Green Card (Niederlassungserlaubnis) for my wife?

2.5hrs in total including subway ride to local Auslaenderamt, 6 Euros for pictures

vs.

4.5mos in total, ~1000USD in fees, excluding medical, travel to and hotel in Frankfurt

Notes on the Frankfurt consulate:

They have a large waiting area (the Atrium) where they handle all visas and also the interviews - right on the windows,

where the consular office sits behind glas and talks to you via intercom.

A copy machine is avaialable with 50 Euro cents a copy, coins only! A machine for postage stamps is there too, accepting cash and geldkarte.

Restrooms and a snack bar with coffee and stuff complete the facilities.

The security lines at the entrance can be long, as the security staff is of varying competence and speed.

When we had questions during the period, email was very efficient and the answers helpful and accurate.

[Darnell 8,478]

Excellent Write Up !!!

Congrats on the approval !!!

some errata, to note when you arrive in USA -

--many times, the SSN card just doesn't 'show up' as expected, is some major disconnect into the SSA from DHS/USCIS. Instead, go into any SSA office 2 weeks after yer POE date, bring passport and birth certificate, apply in VISA name. Ask the clerk to look you up in the SAVE database, with either yer name or yer A#. If you can't be found - withdraw yer application, come back in a week, try it again .

[exsocal 1]

@Darnell:

Thanks for pointing this out. My new US employer will be keenly waiting for the unrestricted SSN card.

What is the "SAVE" database?

Is that an acronym of a system in use by the SSA?

Thanks,

mhe

[Darnell 8,478]

SAVE Database - http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.eb1d4c2a3e5b9ac89243c6a7543f6d1a/?vgnextchannel=1721c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD&vgnextoid=1721c2ec0c7c8110VgnVCM1000004718190aRCRD

[Neal851 3]

Excellent !!!Thanks for sharing your experience with us.If everybody will do as u did,then it gonna help bunch of poor people like us....

[veronicavonn 7]

I would also like to thank you for the excellent "write up" about your complete experience with the whole DCF process.

I will be doing this process sometime in the future, and your 4.5 months timeline sure puts a smile on my husband's face and makes him feel better about the whole thing.

Do let us know the outcome and more updates once you arrive in the USA.

[exsocal 1]

Yay, got my passport back yesterday. The IR-1 visa was issued on Aug 31, mailing from Frankfurt took 3 days.

Now, we are all set to go!

@Veronica: Best of luck! And while we considered hiring an immigration lawyer at first, we are now glad we did not.

As our case was fairly straightforward, filling out the forms and getting the required documents was easier than expected.

Ciao,

mhe

[claire11 1]

Firstly, many, many thanks to exsocal for the detailed post - it was hugely important as a source of information for us in the application process.

Our Situation:

I am a Ukrainian citizen, my husband is a US citizen. Married in the US 3 months before the start of the application process. Lived in Germany for 1.5 years. DCF through US Embassy in Frankfurt, Germany.

All the documents were prepared by us. This web-site and the forum have been hugely helpful in the process so many thanks to all who has contributed to it.

Our Timeline:

October 04 2010

Submitted I-130 at window 40 on the first floor.

Sent to window 23 on the ground floor to submit DS-230 along with a copy of the first page of the passport. We had DS-230 filled in already, so that was easy. The consular officer asked about the expected date of the move to the USA. We indicated January 2011 since my husband’s contract was ending in December 2010.

Time at the consulate: about 2.5 hours.

Did medical examination in Frankfurt right after the visit to the Embassy. Costs: EUR140 + EUR53 for missing vaccination.

October 05 2010

Faxed IV document check-list (I had collected all the documents, including birth certificate and police certificates in the previous few months).

Affidavit (I-864). We prepared two affidavits. One by my husband and another by my father-in-law. The reason for the second affidavit by the father-in-law: my husband’s job will not be continued after the move to the US and our assets were not sufficient to meet the asset requirements.

December 08 2010:

Received a letter with interview invitation. Interview date: December 17.

December 17 2010:

Interview day. Called to Window 23, documents checked. Asked to sort documents in specific order for the next consular officer. Called to Window 20, further document checks, explanations about the green card, the social security number, the documents required to show at the point of entry.

Finally, the interview with the consular officer at window 16. Questions: plans in the USA, what are our current occupations, what kind of jobs we will be looking for in the USA. At the end the officer asked if we had any questions to him.

Time at the Embassy: about 2.5 hours, interview with the last consular officer: about 10 minutes.

December 23 2010:

Received passport with the visa in it! Flying to the US on January 17!

Total waiting time from the start of the application to the date of visa received: 3 months and 3 weeks.

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[Luckywife2007 6]

Congrats on your recent approval!

I have a question about your process and filing of the I-130... How can they "instantly" approve that on the spot? I am wondering why other consulates don't follow suit....sounds like the process is fairly pain free and that's GREAT :dance:

Here in Turkey, the process calls for EVERYTHING (I-130, DS-230, G325A and all supporting documentation) to be SENT to the consulate in ANKARA (no hand delivery's)..... darn!

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas or input that would be great... I find posts about the different DCF processes VERY interesting and love to read and compare!

Edited December 28, 2010 by Luckywife2007