DCF Manila March-June 2018 Recap

[Arkitekt-GS 19]

Hi All,

My wife and I just finished the I-130 / CR1 process via DCF in Manila. Just wanted to give a recap as a recent experience in case others are searching the forums for info.  If this should be in a different forum please feel free to move it. 

 

First off, if it wasn’t for the VisaJourney forums we’d probably still be sitting around waiting for an NOA2 for a K1 petition. I didn’t post a ton, but I gained a lot of knowledge and insight in the processes from reading the forums regularly, so thanks to everyone here!

 

Backstory...I’ve been living in the Philippines for 2 years for work and my wife and I have been together for a little over a year. After researching visa options and knowing some friends who went through the long I-130 process in the US, it seemed like K1 was the quickest option since I had to move back to the US in June 2018 for my next role at work. We submitted an I-129F for K1 in November 2017 and started the dreaded wait. Fortunately one day while looking through the forums I found a topic that had been moved to the DCF forum which was first I had heard of that option. After seeing that and digging into the research we decided to get married and file DCF. In hindsight there’s a ton of info out there for the I-130 via DCF, but for some reason I never came across it until I knew about it and was looking for it. 

 

Back to the process recap... we needed speed due to my return to US timeline, and while our process took a bit longer than some it still definitely provided the speed we needed (and in hindsight our complaints about taking long were ridiculous...ha!). A total of 13 weeks or 90 days from I-130 submittal to Visa in hand. 

 

3/11/18

Civil Marriage in Hong Kong (this was key as US recognizes the HK marriage certificate for petition submittal without having to wait for PSA/NSO documents). 

 

Recorded marriage at Philippines Consulate General in Hong Kong. 

 

3/12/18

Passport amendment for married name at Hong Kong consulate (in hindsight if you have time and can afford another trip to HK, do a renewal so you get the name on the passport bio page...takes 2 months and you keep the original until the new one is ready for pick up). 

 

3/16/18

Filed I-130 Petition at USCIS Manila Field Office at US Embassy Manila. (Take your spouse with you...they can enter through the US entry with you so it’s easy, and there’s a contact info form they need to sign with you and if there’s anything you forgot to have them sign they can do it on the spot while the counter agent reviews the petition). 

 

5/3/18

Notified by Philippines consulate in HK that the marriage records were transmitted to PSA/NSO Manila and ready for pick up. (Good to have just in case the IV unit asks for it at interview...they were still ok with the original Hong Kong marriage license though). 

 

5/17/18

I-130 petition approved by USCIS Manila

 

6/1/18

Department of State MNL case number received from Immigrant Visa unit at embassy. This allowed DS-260, interview scheduling, and medical exam tasks to proceed. 

 

6/4/18

Medical exam at SLEC. Do the online registration form as it speeds the process a bit at the clinic. 

 

6/7/18

Visa interview at US Embassy. Consular officer mentioned it was helpful and positive that I attended the interview with my wife. Told we were approved at the end of interview. 

 

6/8/18

Visa with Issued status. 

 

6/14/18

Visa packet in hand. Picked up at the 2GO Ayala branch in Makati. 6/12 was a holiday so probably delayed visa by one day. 

 

6/19/18

We will make our POE in Seattle, WA

 

Hopefully this info can be helpful to someone else researching the process. Good luck to everyone going through the process now...quite a relief to be done!

[imjustintime 42]

Wow, did it really take 3+ months from the time you submitted your form to the interview date? 

[Arkitekt-GS 19]

5 hours ago, imjustintime said:

Wow, did it really take 3+ months from the time you submitted your form to the interview date? 

Not exactly. Total process from submitting petition to visa in hand was just a day or so under 3 months. 

 

About a month longer than I was expecting or hoping for though. 

[Just Paul 4,595]

Did she get the CFO stamp yet?

[Arkitekt-GS 19]

4 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

Did she get the CFO stamp yet?

Yup she got that right after picking up the passport. Fortunately she had done the seminar early when we were still in the K1 process. 

[J&Cmay2016 4]

So you submitted your i130 in Hong Kong and they transfered it to Manila? Jw bc we just submitted ours at the Manila embassy June 1st and wondering if it took so long for you bc of starting in Hong Kong. I hope our process doesn't take that long. I'm pregnant and can't fly after October. If it does take three months I guess it's not a huge deal, it'll just stress me out not having anything set until last minute like that I guess. Thanks for sharing your journey. 

[Arkitekt-GS 19]

1 hour ago, J&Cmay2016 said:

So you submitted your i130 in Hong Kong and they transfered it to Manila? Jw bc we just submitted ours at the Manila embassy June 1st and wondering if it took so long for you bc of starting in Hong Kong. I hope our process doesn't take that long. I'm pregnant and can't fly after October. If it does take three months I guess it's not a huge deal, it'll just stress me out not having anything set until last minute like that I guess. Thanks for sharing your journey. 

Hi there. Congrats on the upcoming little one! 

We submitted everything through U.S. Embassy Manila...only thing in HK was the marriage and registering the marriage at the consulate in HK. The HK marriage just cut out having to wait for a PSA/NSO marriage license before submitting as the HK marriage license is internationally recognized. 

 

Hopefully yours will will be quicker for the I-130 portion...definitely were a few posters on here approved around the same day as us that had just submitted a few weeks prior, so there’s probably not a bad chance of it going quicker than ours. 

 

Best of luck on your journey!

[Haltom Family 40]

On ‎6‎/‎17‎/‎2018 at 7:05 AM, imjustintime said:

Wow, did it really take 3+ months from the time you submitted your form to the interview date? 

 

On ‎6‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 4:06 AM, Arkitekt-GS said:

Hi All,

My wife and I just finished the I-130 / CR1 process via DCF in Manila. Just wanted to give a recap as a recent experience in case others are searching the forums for info.  If this should be in a different forum please feel free to move it. 

 

First off, if it wasn’t for the VisaJourney forums we’d probably still be sitting around waiting for an NOA2 for a K1 petition. I didn’t post a ton, but I gained a lot of knowledge and insight in the processes from reading the forums regularly, so thanks to everyone here!

 

Backstory...I’ve been living in the Philippines for 2 years for work and my wife and I have been together for a little over a year. After researching visa options and knowing some friends who went through the long I-130 process in the US, it seemed like K1 was the quickest option since I had to move back to the US in June 2018 for my next role at work. We submitted an I-129F for K1 in November 2017 and started the dreaded wait. Fortunately one day while looking through the forums I found a topic that had been moved to the DCF forum which was first I had heard of that option. After seeing that and digging into the research we decided to get married and file DCF. In hindsight there’s a ton of info out there for the I-130 via DCF, but for some reason I never came across it until I knew about it and was looking for it. 

 

Back to the process recap... we needed speed due to my return to US timeline, and while our process took a bit longer than some it still definitely provided the speed we needed (and in hindsight our complaints about taking long were ridiculous...ha!). A total of 13 weeks or 90 days from I-130 submittal to Visa in hand. 

 

3/11/18

Civil Marriage in Hong Kong (this was key as US recognizes the HK marriage certificate for petition submittal without having to wait for PSA/NSO documents). 

 

Recorded marriage at Philippines Consulate General in Hong Kong. 

 

3/12/18

Passport amendment for married name at Hong Kong consulate (in hindsight if you have time and can afford another trip to HK, do a renewal so you get the name on the passport bio page...takes 2 months and you keep the original until the new one is ready for pick up). 

 

3/16/18

Filed I-130 Petition at USCIS Manila Field Office at US Embassy Manila. (Take your spouse with you...they can enter through the US entry with you so it’s easy, and there’s a contact info form they need to sign with you and if there’s anything you forgot to have them sign they can do it on the spot while the counter agent reviews the petition). 

 

5/3/18

Notified by Philippines consulate in HK that the marriage records were transmitted to PSA/NSO Manila and ready for pick up. (Good to have just in case the IV unit asks for it at interview...they were still ok with the original Hong Kong marriage license though). 

 

5/17/18

I-130 petition approved by USCIS Manila

 

6/1/18

Department of State MNL case number received from Immigrant Visa unit at embassy. This allowed DS-260, interview scheduling, and medical exam tasks to proceed. 

 

6/4/18

Medical exam at SLEC. Do the online registration form as it speeds the process a bit at the clinic. 

 

6/7/18

Visa interview at US Embassy. Consular officer mentioned it was helpful and positive that I attended the interview with my wife. Told we were approved at the end of interview. 

 

6/8/18

Visa with Issued status. 

 

6/14/18

Visa packet in hand. Picked up at the 2GO Ayala branch in Makati. 6/12 was a holiday so probably delayed visa by one day. 

 

6/19/18

We will make our POE in Seattle, WA

 

Hopefully this info can be helpful to someone else researching the process. Good luck to everyone going through the process now...quite a relief to be done!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with DCF.  And... CONGRATULATIONS. 

 

 

 

[J&Cmay2016 4]

On 6/19/2018 at 8:22 PM, Arkitekt-GS said:

Hi there. Congrats on the upcoming little one! 

We submitted everything through U.S. Embassy Manila...only thing in HK was the marriage and registering the marriage at the consulate in HK. The HK marriage just cut out having to wait for a PSA/NSO marriage license before submitting as the HK marriage license is internationally recognized. 

 

Hopefully yours will will be quicker for the I-130 portion...definitely were a few posters on here approved around the same day as us that had just submitted a few weeks prior, so there’s probably not a bad chance of it going quicker than ours. 

 

Best of luck on your journey!

We just got our approval today and will be moving on to the visa side of it. I think we have to wait for the email from the visa center for directions though, is that right? 

[Arkitekt-GS 19]

On 6/27/2018 at 10:37 PM, J&Cmay2016 said:

We just got our approval today and will be moving on to the visa side of it. I think we have to wait for the email from the visa center for directions though, is that right? 

Correct you have to wait for the email, then schedule interview, complete DS-260, and go to SLEC for medical (do the online registration to save paperwork time when you get there). I heard some people who had the email come in a couple days. For us it took 10 days... if it starts taking awhile I would suggest emailing ivmanilareplies@state.gov with subject line LASTNAME, first name(s) and follow up often...the call center was basically useless as they can only see If there’s a case number and can only email the embassy to follow up for you. 

[J&Cmay2016 4]

We just got our case number today, yay. Excited to begin final steps. Thanks for talking me through the waiting periods. 

[fastjourn 0]

I'm also in Manila and was about to file a K1 but I hopefully have stumbled upon a good thing here. I've been in the Philippines for 6+ months on a tourist visa. My fiancé and I both live together and both our on the lease. 

I read conflicting information on whether I qualify for the DCF. Can anyone point me to the requirements for DCF?

If I'm eligible I'll go the HK route for marriage and get this thing started.

[J&Cmay2016 4]

On 8/1/2018 at 9:29 PM, fastjourn said:

I'm also in Manila and was about to file a K1 but I hopefully have stumbled upon a good thing here. I've been in the Philippines for 6+ months on a tourist visa. My fiancé and I both live together and both our on the lease. 

I read conflicting information on whether I qualify for the DCF. Can anyone point me to the requirements for DCF?

If I'm eligible I'll go the HK route for marriage and get this thing started.

Yeah you qualify. I was here since last Aug after our wedding on a tourist visa. I didn't get changed to dependent on my husband's work visa until Jan or Feb. Although once you leave ph the six months start over again, I believe, so the Hong Kong route may not be the best road for you. I think it's just bc of the tourist visa though. Maybe someone else can confirm or correct my assumption. Good luck

[Jorge V 195]

On 8/1/2018 at 8:29 AM, fastjourn said:

I'm also in Manila and was about to file a K1 but I hopefully have stumbled upon a good thing here. I've been in the Philippines for 6+ months on a tourist visa. My fiancé and I both live together and both our on the lease. 

I read conflicting information on whether I qualify for the DCF. Can anyone point me to the requirements for DCF?

If I'm eligible I'll go the HK route for marriage and get this thing started.

You could be, but it depends on the USCIS field office. The requirement is that you reside in the field office's jurisdiction and that's open to interpretation. I was able to DCF in Mexico on a tourist visa, but I had been living there full time for 4 years. Mexico allows visa runs, so to renew my visa I simply had to leave and re-enter the country.

 

Once I learned about DCF I contacted the USCIS field office in Mexico City and they told me that I likely qualified. It was easy for me to prove that I resided in Mexico as I had built a life over 4 years. I had a lease, bills, passport entry stamps, etc.

 

Be sure to contact the Manila filed office, you can find their contact info here: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/philippines-uscis-manila-field-office . They also have more info regarding filing the I130, including additional residency evidence you can send. Here's an excerpt:

 

 

Quote

 

Evidence of residency must be submitted with the petition. The evidence you submit must support a determination that you are a resident in the Philippines.

Please Note: Certain pieces of evidence may more strongly support a finding of residency than others.  For petitions filed at this field office, you must submit one or more of the following:

• Resident Alien Card
• Foreign Property Deed/Rental/Lease

In addition, other evidence of residency may include, but is not limited to:

• Utility bills
• Housing lease
• Work contract or other employment documents
• Proof of local registration
• Local bank statements

 

•  

[fastjourn 0]

1 hour ago, Jorge V said:

You could be, but it depends on the USCIS field office. The requirement is that you reside in the field office's jurisdiction and that's open to interpretation. I was able to DCF in Mexico on a tourist visa, but I had been living there full time for 4 years. Mexico allows visa runs, so to renew my visa I simply had to leave and re-enter the country.

 

Once I learned about DCF I contacted the USCIS field office in Mexico City and they told me that I likely qualified. It was easy for me to prove that I resided in Mexico as I had built a life over 4 years. I had a lease, bills, passport entry stamps, etc.

 

Be sure to contact the Manila filed office, you can find their contact info here: https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/philippines-uscis-manila-field-office . They also have more info regarding filing the I130, including additional residency evidence you can send. Here's an excerpt:

 

 

•  

Thanks for the info. I did contact the Manila field office and they gave me some general guidelines like being in the Philippines for 6 months or longer and then the link you sent. I need to travel back to the US soon for a couple weeks so I'll be reaching out to them again to see if that will cause any problems. I read that leaving and coming back may not cause issue as long as its not a move, but I'll seek clarificaiton.

 

Currently I've been in PH without leaving for longer than 6 months.