Question regarding DCF required documents.

[Illusion1 0]

I'm getting a DCF done in Brazil and because they don't usually do this, gathering information about it is being a nightmare. First they gave us a dead link from their website, then they told us to give them "a filled out I-130 and the required additional documents as asked by the USCIS" which is ridiculous, so just to be 110% sure we are gathering every document as required for a standard filling using the chicago lockbox. I also tried to access that dead link they gave me and managed to view it using archive.org.

So based on all the info we have so far, we have a few questions:

1- They ask for proof of residency in Brazil, would my wife's passport (the USC) with her permanent citizen visa + her Brazilian ID be good enough? We really do not have anything else as she never got a brazilian driver's license etc.

2- The passport pictures. Which size is it? Some places say "passport size", others 5x5cm or 5x7cm, others in inches, so we don't know which size is the correct one.

3- Proof of relationship prior to the marriage. Is this necessary? We have been married and living together in Brazil for 6 years, we have a ton of info from the marriage day onward but not much from before.

4- Proof of US Domicile. When during the DCF process is this necessary, during the inicial filling or later on the interview? My wife still has a US address where her bills get sent to, a valid driver's license (and logs of her keeping it up to date), active US bank accounts with transactions being done monthly, credit card statements and receipts. Will that be enough?

5- We will need a Co-sponsor, the co-sponsor lives in the US, is it ok for him to scan the filled out I-864 form and the supporting documents and send it to me, or does he has to actually mail everything to us? Like will they care that the form isn't 100% original?

6- In between the filing and the interview dates, my wife will most likely have to go to the US for a few days to get a few things started, but she will come back to Brazil immediately after. Will that hurt the DCF in anyway, if they see that she left and entered the country recently?

Thanks in advance, the entire process is a bit confusing so we want to be prepared for anything!

Edited March 4, 2016 by Illusion1

[Anh map 2,098]

You can submit scans/copies of signed documents (I864 for example) but should have originals available at the interview for inspection.

[gradtaai 8]

OK

1 What you have should work, She has to be in the country 6 months

2 google US passport pictures, I seem the remember 2x2, with the face 1.25 in high. There is a site somewhere that explains.

3 never heard of that one but if you have proof of continuous marriage for that long, you won't have a problem

4 Yes. She has to show continuous connection

5 No, they need the signed doc.

6 No, it would be better I think if she files before she goes

[gradtaai 8]

You can submit scans/copies of signed documents (I864 for example) but should have originals available at the interview for inspection.

That may be true, but the co-sponsor still has to get the signed doc to you to give to them.

[Illusion1 0]

That may be true, but the co-sponsor still has to get the signed doc to you to give to them.

All the forms will be signed already. Our plan is to have the sponsor scan the signed form, and also send the original one to us by regular mail. Just in case the officer says "hm, this signature looks like it was scanned not written" kind of thing. International mail can take anywhere between 1 to 2 months to arrive here so we just wanna be sure having at least the scanned one.

Also, regarding "4 Yes. She has to show continuous connection" When do we have to show this info though? Together with the I-130 or during the Interview?

Edited March 4, 2016 by Illusion1

[Anh map 2,098]

FedEx, UPS, DHL will deliver in a couple of days - week. This is an expensive process. Don't be foolishly thrifty.

[Illusion1 0]

FedEx, UPS, DHL will deliver in a couple of days - week. This is an expensive process. Don't be foolishly thrifty.

Haha we know that, but you don't wanna know how Brazilian Customs operate..things get stuck there for months all the time, getting things mailed here is always a nightmare, so we wanna be safe having something here than run the risk of not having anything at all.

[Maticar 0]

I´ll answer your questions one by one. I just finished the process with muy wife (the USC) in mexico, we did it in only 3 months!! I will help you guys as much as I can.

1- They ask for proof of residency in Brazil, would my wife's passport (the USC) with her permanent citizen visa + her Brazilian ID be good enough? We really do not have anything else as she never got a brazilian driver's license etc.

Assuming her permanent citizen visa is for Brazil then its perfect, as it proves legal residence in Brazil, also her ID would be a plus, but a residency permit for her would be the best. That would be the textbook answer, however the us embassy in mexico accepted her mexican bank statements for 3 months, since her residency card had expired and it was really hard to get another one, also a letter explaining the situation of why she didnt have the residency card.

2- The passport pictures. Which size is it? Some places say "passport size", others 5x5cm or 5x7cm, others in inches, so we don't know which size is the correct one.

I dont remember if we needed pictures with the i130, i think you do but i dont remember what size. For the interview we were asked for 2 5x5 cm for the beneficiary (me). 5x5 cm is almost the same as 2x2 inch.

3- Proof of relationship prior to the marriage. Is this necessary? We have been married and living together in Brazil for 6 years, we have a ton of info from the marriage day onward but not much from before.

This could be contracts for leases you have together before getting married,we went with this. Also signed letters of people that knew you while dating, preferably notarized. Also plane reservations for trips you made and pictures of you before the marriage

4- Proof of US Domicile. When during the DCF process is this necessary, during the inicial filling or later on the interview? My wife still has a US address where her bills get sent to, a valid driver's license (and logs of her keeping it up to date), active US bank accounts with transactions being done monthly, credit card statements and receipts. Will that be enough?

For us they just asked for an address, although her US licence has her licence on it.

5- We will need a Co-sponsor, the co-sponsor lives in the US, is it ok for him to scan the filled out I-864 form and the supporting documents and send it to me, or does he has to actually mail everything to us? Like will they care that the form isn't 100% original?

Call the embassy with this particular question because it might be different in brazil (Try to get the answer by email, so you have written proof). We presented this form on the day of the interview at the end of the process in ciudad juarez in mexico, we took an originally signed form by our co-sponsor.

6- In between the filing and the interview dates, my wife will most likely have to go to the US for a few days to get a few things started, but she will come back to Brazil immediately after. Will that hurt the DCF in anyway, if they see that she left and entered the country recently?

After our I-130 was approved, we both went to the US for vacation for two months , I have a tourist visa so I couldnt work and you wont be able to either, but you can both go to the US as long as you mantain Brazil as your main residence, as we did in Mexico. She is a US citizen and has the right to go to the US. As for your, if you have a tourist visa you can go as a visitor to the US.

Keep in mind that it is ilegal to use a tourist visa to travel to the united states with the intent of overstaying or working, but as long as the true intent of your trip is being a tourist and visiting your wife there it is not ilegal as long as you dont break this condition and intend on returning to brazil. It would be useful to buy a return ticket to brazil in advance so you can convince the inmigration authorities in the point of entry that this is your intent. Remember never lie to agents, honesty is the best policy.

[Marrienne 113]

4- Proof of US Domicile. When during the DCF process is this necessary, during the inicial filling or later on the interview? My wife still has a US address where her bills get sent to, a valid driver's license (and logs of her keeping it up to date), active US bank accounts with transactions being done monthly, credit card statements and receipts. Will that be enough?

It should but it depends on the consulate and the discretion of the consular officer. You need to show intent to re-establish, I think it will be enough though.

5- We will need a Co-sponsor, the co-sponsor lives in the US, is it ok for him to scan the filled out I-864 form and the supporting documents and send it to me, or does he has to actually mail everything to us? Like will they care that the form isn't 100% original?

Original. You need the original documents mailed to you. Photocopies will not do!!
Don't forget I-864a if he files taxes with his wife.

6- In between the filing and the interview dates, my wife will most likely have to go to the US for a few days to get a few things started, but she will come back to Brazil immediately after. Will that hurt the DCF in anyway, if they see that she left and entered the country recently?

Yeah she can travel, it won't be a problem.

[Illusion1 0]

Thanks for the answers guys, we feel much better about the whole thing now.

6- In between the filing and the interview dates, my wife will most likely have to go to the US for a few days to get a few things started, but she will come back to Brazil immediately after. Will that hurt the DCF in anyway, if they see that she left and entered the country recently?

After our I-130 was approved, we both went to the US for vacation for two months , I have a tourist visa so I couldnt work and you wont be able to either, but you can both go to the US as long as you mantain Brazil as your main residence, as we did in Mexico. She is a US citizen and has the right to go to the US. As for your, if you have a tourist visa you can go as a visitor to the US.

Keep in mind that it is ilegal to use a tourist visa to travel to the united states with the intent of overstaying or working, but as long as the true intent of your trip is being a tourist and visiting your wife there it is not ilegal as long as you dont break this condition and intend on returning to brazil. It would be useful to buy a return ticket to brazil in advance so you can convince the inmigration authorities in the point of entry that this is your intent. Remember never lie to agents, honesty is the best policy.

Oh of course. I don't even have a tourist visa so I can't go to the US even if I wanted to haha. She just -really- gotta go to the US pretty soon and stay there for 2 days or so to get a few things started, and since we don't know when will the consulate give us the interview date we can't sit around waiting for that.

[7Ken 15]

We choose DHL, $63 from the US to the Philippines. I would think it would be cheaper and faster for you.

We've read to many problems as well as experienced them first hand with regular mail because it's goes from US mail to Philpost (country specific mail). Philpost is usually the problem here especially with customs but by using one company and it only being a personal documents packet there should be no reason for customs to open or delay it as they would say a box. We were told 10 days and DHL has a very good reputation about approximate delivery dates as well as it actually getting there as we have also experienced first hand. Where using US / Phils post we have lost packages and they wont insure packages because they know how bad their own record is. I also believe with DHL if you don't get your package they will refund or re-send it for free. When I check with US/Phils post they were about the same price and claimed only 7 days which I have never seen a package arrive on-time. Good luck in what-ever you choose.