DCF with exceptional circumstance in Brussels - timeline

[Mr_B 3]

Here's my exception based DCF timeline, filed at the Brussels embassy:

 

Jan 8: Request for DCF due to urgent relocation for USC job. USCIS Frankfurt and embassy approval, including appointment date, received the same day.

Jan 16: First interview for I-130. Received the list of deliverables, plus a case number for filling out DS-260.

Feb 7: Medical: Chest X-rays, urine and blood sample, vaccination check (none needed). 170 EUR.

Feb 10-15: Travel to US on ESTA, via Dublin, a US customs and immigration pre-clearance airport. No questions at immigration about pending I-130.

Feb 21: Filled out DS-260. Could have done this earlier, but decided to wait because of travel.

Mar 1: Interview +/- 10 minutes (With 2 kids, not a lot of bonafide proof needed...) with very nice Brussels embassy consul , I went alone but USC spouse would have been allowed, congratulations after the interview and received Visa pickup date

Mar 8: Passport with Visa ready for pickup

 

A few things useful to know:

- Police and court record, birth certificate, military record etc. were accepted in Dutch without translation or legalisation needed

- US marriage certificate: a normal Xerox accepted after verification by consulate employee of the original document, no need for certified copy

- Copy of 1040s (US tax returns) of the last 3 years and accepted offer letter from US employer, together with I-864 were enough financial proof in our case

- There is never any direct interaction with USCIS Frankfurt, everything goes through the embassy

- End-to-end DCF average process time as indicated by the Brussels embassy is 4-6 weeks, they said usually the medical exam is the bottleneck (a few days to appointment, plus 2 weeks for result). It took me a little longer due to US travel and passport renewal.

 

Edited March 2, 2018 by Mr_B

[Mr_B 3]

Mar 8: Picked up my passport with visa and paid the immigrant fee. That's it for me. Good luck to everyone else here and hope you'll see this screen very soon too!

 

 

[yuini 29]

On 3/9/2018 at 3:56 PM, Mr_B said:

Mar 8: Picked up my passport with visa and paid the immigrant fee. That's it for me. Good luck to everyone else here and hope you'll see this screen very soon too!

 

 

Amazing! Congratulations!