DCF UK forms and what to put....?

[CandyBelle 0]

Hey everyone,

I am a UKC married to a USC for just under a year now. I'm looking to use the DCF system to put in my IR-1/CR-1 VISA in the next few days - I just have a few questions.

- Is it better to type the form on the computer rather than handwrite it?

- Cover letter? I read it is a good idea to include one as well as the checklist they provide stating your EXACT reason and any technical things.

- Can I put any addresses on a separate piece of paper? Due to being a uni student I've moved a lot during the last five years - also my husband and I were separated for a while due to me living in halls and he lived with friends, should I include this?

- It says on the G-1445 I think about any addresses outside of the USA.....what do I put? I've lived in the USA for four months during the last five years so all of my other addresses will be outside of the USA....that question confused me.

Sorry if these have already been answered, I've read a lot of posts before deciding to start my own topic but it is possible I've missed something.

Also, when I have an interview (thinking positive about all of this)....is it preferable to bring the spouse? I had to go to the embassy when I was getting my J1 Visa years ago and its a scary, scary place by yourself!!!!

[Christi85 86]

Hey everyone,

I am a UKC married to a USC for just under a year now. I'm looking to use the DCF system to put in my IR-1/CR-1 VISA in the next few days - I just have a few questions.

- Is it better to type the form on the computer rather than handwrite it?

- Cover letter? I read it is a good idea to include one as well as the checklist they provide stating your EXACT reason and any technical things.

- Can I put any addresses on a separate piece of paper? Due to being a uni student I've moved a lot during the last five years - also my husband and I were separated for a while due to me living in halls and he lived with friends, should I include this?

- It says on the G-1445 I think about any addresses outside of the USA.....what do I put? I've lived in the USA for four months during the last five years so all of my other addresses will be outside of the USA....that question confused me.

Sorry if these have already been answered, I've read a lot of posts before deciding to start my own topic but it is possible I've missed something.

Also, when I have an interview (thinking positive about all of this)....is it preferable to bring the spouse? I had to go to the embassy when I was getting my J1 Visa years ago and its a scary, scary place by yourself!!!!

Good luck in your petition! If you are married for a year, you will be going for the CR-1 option.

Just to say that there aren't any hard and fast rules for most of your questions, so I'm just offering my personal opinion to those. I also assume you're doing DCF in London. Keep in mind that Embassies are often different in their requirements to the USCIS Service Centers in the US, and as such, you have to follow the specific requirements of the Embassy you are applying to, which don't always agree with the Service Centers guidelines. So:

- There is no restriction to typing or handwriting, and you're free to do either, but I think it looks neater if you type it.

- The London Consulate isn't one that favours extraneous documents and they strictly specify so in their instructions (see their website). As such, in my opinion, the checklist on top should be more than enough and it really serves the purpose of a cover letter stating what documents you have included in your package. If they do need further explanations about something, they will contact you and ask for it. Also, keep in mind that ConOffs in general (and that's in their operational manual) don't like it when applicants over-explain X and Y and Z, as it makes them suspicious that something may be wrong and may make them examine your application harder than normal. As I said, no hard and fast rules, but I've always gone with "give them what they ask for". There was the case of a USC petitioner (don't remember if she was on this forum or another one)who was doing DCF in London. She was living and working in London at the time for more than 6 months, and was clearly entitled to do DCF. She wrote them a cover letter and made the mistake to say she was in the UK temporarily. She meant she was on a 2-year visa, but they took it to mean that the UK wasn't her principal residence, and denied her DCF , asking her to file in the US. She then wrote back, and although she presented compelling evidence (i.e. lease, proof of work in the UK) she still wasn't accepted for DCF on the basis of what she wrote on that cover letter. Just an example and I know it sounds incredibly narrow-minded on their part, but this convinced me to stick with my principle "give them just what they ask for". If they want something more, they'll ask for it.

- Yes, you can continue on a separate piece of paper. Make sure you mark it as "I-130 continuation sheet" or "G-325A continuation sheet" as appropriate and write down the exact number of question. Mention ALL your addresses of the past 5 years, as they're asking you to. Respectively, your husband will have to mention ALL his addresses in the past 5 years on the G-325A. I'm not sure what you mean. Why would it matter to them that you lived separately for a while in the past 5 years? You won't need to explain anything here. Just answer the question and state the facts.

- No, that's on the G-325A and it asks for "your last address outside the US of more than a year", which is self-explanatory.

Re the interview: you are allowed to bring your spouse to the interview, but are not required to. It doesn't make much difference, as most of the times the USC spouse just stands there watching and isn't allowed to participate in the interview unless they're specifically asked something. It doesn't have any bearing on the outcome of the interview, as far as the London Consulate goes.

Edited October 1, 2010 by Christi85

[CandyBelle 0]

Thank you, and yes I'll definitely take into the consideration the 'give them what they ask for' rule. Sounds pretty decent.

And, I only ask because we lived separately in the UK after we were married. But if that's a problem I'm sure i'll be notified and asked to provide evidence why. We weren't opposite ends of the country but a town over while I was at university. I had to live in halls as a senior student and he couldn't live with me - a position I took before we decided he'd move over and couldn't get out of really.

Thanks for your help Its a big relief to know I can't look too much into this.

[Christi85 86]

Thank you, and yes I'll definitely take into the consideration the 'give them what they ask for' rule. Sounds pretty decent.

And, I only ask because we lived separately in the UK after we were married. But if that's a problem I'm sure i'll be notified and asked to provide evidence why. We weren't opposite ends of the country but a town over while I was at university. I had to live in halls as a senior student and he couldn't live with me - a position I took before we decided he'd move over and couldn't get out of really.

Thanks for your help Its a big relief to know I can't look too much into this.

I'd be surprised if that was a problem. Usually they're more interested in where you're living at the time of the application, so if you're living together now, there shouldn't be a problem.

[CandyBelle 0]

Another quick question - I kept leaving home and moving back home during my time at uni....I don't want there to be gaps so is it best to keep writing down my main address and then where I moved too? for example to 1 high street, london, - uni address - 1 high street london - next uni address - and so on?

[Christi85 86]

Another quick question - I kept leaving home and moving back home during my time at uni....I don't want there to be gaps so is it best to keep writing down my main address and then where I moved too? for example to 1 high street, london, - uni address - 1 high street london - next uni address - and so on?

If you were actually moving in and out of places through uni, then that's probably the best thing to do, so as not to leave gaps. If, however, you only went back home say for uni breaks and then back to your uni address in term time, then just put down the uni address but without any gaps (i.e. include any breaks you spent at home into the period when you lived at the uni address/es).

Hope it makes sense.

[CandyBelle 0]

That does make sense. Thank you. I left for on average a month at a time so I might just put it down without any gaps. Just hope it isn't something like that which stops my application....

[JoannaV 174]

That does make sense. Thank you. I left for on average a month at a time so I might just put it down without any gaps. Just hope it isn't something like that which stops my application....

You can always make the dates overlap: ie put your home address down for the whole time period (eg 2005-2010) and then put each uni address down for the entire time you were paying rent on the place (eg oct 09-jul10).

Personally, I only put down my home address cuz I figured my uni hall was more like a temporary (long-stay) hotel-type thing, seeing as how I wasn't allowed to stay there in the vacations.

[CandyBelle 0]

You can always make the dates overlap: ie put your home address down for the whole time period (eg 2005-2010) and then put each uni address down for the entire time you were paying rent on the place (eg oct 09-jul10).

Personally, I only put down my home address cuz I figured my uni hall was more like a temporary (long-stay) hotel-type thing, seeing as how I wasn't allowed to stay there in the vacations.

That sounds like a better idea. I really wasn't happy doing it the way I did it originally. Did it work ok for you then?

I don't mind doing the forms a 1000 times until I'm happy with them. Means too much otherwise.