DCF New Delhi / Mumbai, India

[Kuneesa 92]

Hey! 

This website has helped us a LOT in our visa journey, so I thought I'd put in my experience of filing for a CR-1 visa via DCF in New Delhi, India. 

 

A little background: USC petitioner living in Delhi from past 10 years and petitioning for her Indian husband. Got married on 5th Nov 2018. 

 

We started collecting documents for filing our I-130 after we got married. We went through a lot of information available on USCIS website but still wasn't clear on if we could file the petition from outside the US. Eventually, we found Visajourney and people on this forum suggested to file the DCF route as the petitioner meets the residency requirement & USCIS Delhi offers I-130 filing. 

 

For people who are interested, if you meet the residency requirement of living in India ( 6 months as of now) and are on a visa which allows you to stay here for longer, you can file I-130 from here. The proof might include your house lease, work visa/work contract, FRRO registration etc. 

 

We filed the I-130 on Jan 8th, 2019. Here's a list of documents that we submitted: 

 

1.      Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

2.      Two passport size photos of the petitioner

3.      Form I-130A Supplemental Information for Spouse Beneficiary

4.      Two passport size photos of the beneficiary

5.      Form G-1145 e-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance

6.      Copy of unexpired US passport of the petitioner

7.      Copy of birth certificate of the petitioner

8.      Copy of petitioner’s driver’s license

9.      Copy of birth certificate of the beneficiary

10.  Copy of unexpired Indian passport of the beneficiary

11.  Copy of beneficiary’s name change proof (if applicable)

12.  Copy of marriage certificate

13.  Copy of petitioner’s work visa and work visa extensions in India

14.  Copy of petitioner’s FRRO registration

15.  Copy of petitioner’s pay stubs for ongoing employment in India

16.  Copy of petitioner’s work contract in India

17.  Copy of petitioner’s lease deeds in India

18.  Copy of petitioner’s phone/internet utility receipts in India

19.  Copy of tax returns of petitioner for the last 3 years in India

20.  Copy of petitioner’s PAN card

21.  Copy of petitioner’s EPF card & EPF account statement

22.  Copy of petitioner’s local bank’s current statement

23.  Evidence of the bona fides of the marriage including:
a.) Copy of rental lease showing joint tenancy of a common residence

b.) Selected pictures that document our relationship history & marriage

c.) Copy of several flight itineraries for trips taken together

d.) Copy of e-mails & conversations etc.

 

Also included was a Demand Draft (DD) for $535 filing fees converted to INR and payable at Delhi. The petition was approved on 8th Feb 2019 and we got the notice of approval in the mail through speedpost on 19th Feb 2019. Now waiting for the petition to reach Mumbai Consulate (as Mumbai is now handling all the IV cases) and the case number once it reaches there. 

 

Will update this thread as our timeline progresses. Let us know if anyone wants to know anything specific regarding filing DCF I-130 from Delhi. We will be more than happy to help 😁

Edited February 20, 2019 by Kuneesa

[millefleur 5,046]

Congrats on the approval!

[Kuneesa 92]

9 minutes ago, millefleur said:

Congrats on the approval!

Thank you!!! 😁 Your experience thread helped us a lot while collecting our evidence  

[millefleur 5,046]

4 minutes ago, Kuneesa said:

Thank you!!! 😁 Your experience thread helped us a lot while collecting our evidence  

Glad to hear! Were you guys interviewed together or separately? Curious if it differs from field office to field office.

[Kuneesa 92]

1 minute ago, millefleur said:

Glad to hear! Were you guys interviewed together or separately? Curious if it differs from field office to field office.

We filed the petition in person. The officer at the window was very helpful (an Indian lady) and she asked my wife (USC petitioner) a few questions regarding how long she has been here in the country and how we met and all. I was standing there but she didn't ask me anything directly. It didn't feel like an interview tbh. She just went through our huge bundle of papers and made small talk based on that. Is that normal or is there an official interview usually at other field offices?  

[millefleur 5,046]

7 minutes ago, Kuneesa said:

We filed the petition in person. The officer at the window was very helpful (an Indian lady) and she asked my wife (USC petitioner) a few questions regarding how long she has been here in the country and how we met and all. I was standing there but she didn't ask me anything directly. It didn't feel like an interview tbh. She just went through our huge bundle of papers and made small talk based on that. Is that normal or is there an official interview usually at other field offices?   

Ah right, that sounds very similar to what we experienced except that the IO didn't do any small talk at all and was more interrogating of my husband, heh. We did have red flags though so that probably influenced his mood. Nope, no official interview other than that, sounds like you just had a friendlier IO than we did.

[Kuneesa 92]

***UPDATE***

 

After not receiving our case number for almost 3 weeks, we emailed ustraveldocs with our petition approval notice from USCIS Delhi. They escalated it to the Post (Counalate/Embassy) and we got a reply today (6th March, almost a month after the case was approved) which included our case number and instructions to download Packet 4 and schedule a medical exam, OFC/VAC appointment & interview appointment. 

 

We filled out our DS-260 form on CEAC website using our case number (starts with BMB) and using the DS-260 confirmation number, we filled out the information on ustraveldocs website to book our OFC/VAC & Interview appointments. 

 

For anyone that is reading this from India, even though your IV Interview location would be Bombay (as of March 2019) you can schedule your medical exam & OFC/VAC appointment in other cities around India too. The list for medical exam location is available here . And for OFC/VAC appointment selection, you'll select from a dropdown menu at ustraveldocs website for which city you want your appointment in. 

For medical appointments, you will have to call the clinic and schedule the appointment that way. They will tell you what all to bring for the medical exam. 

 

Current Status: 

 

Medical Exam (Delhi): 9 March 2019
OFC/VAC (Delhi) : 12 March 2019
Visa Interview:(Mumbai) : 08 April 2019

I hope this is helpful to anyone going through DCF process in India. You can reply here if you have any other questions. I'll be more than happy to help!

 

 

[AnonIndia 58]

On 3/6/2019 at 2:49 PM, Kuneesa said:

***UPDATE***

 

After not receiving our case number for almost 3 weeks, we emailed ustraveldocs with our petition approval notice from USCIS Delhi. They escalated it to the Post (Counalate/Embassy) and we got a reply today (6th March, almost a month after the case was approved) which included our case number and instructions to download Packet 4 and schedule a medical exam, OFC/VAC appointment & interview appointment. 

 

We filled out our DS-260 form on CEAC website using our case number (starts with BMB) and using the DS-260 confirmation number, we filled out the information on ustraveldocs website to book our OFC/VAC & Interview appointments. 

 

For anyone that is reading this from India, even though your IV Interview location would be Bombay (as of March 2019) you can schedule your medical exam & OFC/VAC appointment in other cities around India too. The list for medical exam location is available here . And for OFC/VAC appointment selection, you'll select from a dropdown menu at ustraveldocs website for which city you want your appointment in. 

For medical appointments, you will have to call the clinic and schedule the appointment that way. They will tell you what all to bring for the medical exam. 

 

Current Status: 

 

Medical Exam (Delhi): 9 March 2019
OFC/VAC (Delhi) : 12 March 2019
Visa Interview:(Mumbai) : 08 April 2019

I hope this is helpful to anyone going through DCF process in India. You can reply here if you have any other questions. I'll be more than happy to help!

 

 

Hey me and my wife are thinking about filing through DCF as well. She came to india on a tourist visa back in August 2918 and we got married last november. We converted her visa to an Entry Visa based on her marriage to me. She is now eligible to stay in India till 2022 and she has been in India for more than 7 months now. She will be getting her Aadhaar card and a PAN card soon along with a local bank account. She has no income for 2018 so we will be using a joint sponsor. Are we eligible for the DCF procedure and does she have sufficient proof of residency in India to qualify for the procedure? She is not authorized to work in India yet. We have multiple utility bills and a rental agreement but they are all in my name. We have plenty of proof we have been living under one roof as a couple through. Do the utility bills need to be in her name?  

[AnonIndia 58]

On 2/20/2019 at 11:15 AM, Kuneesa said:

Also included was a Demand Draft (DD) for $535 filing fees converted to INR and payable at Delhi. The petition was approved on 8th Feb 2019 and we got the notice of approval in the mail through speedpost on 19th Feb 2019. Now waiting for the petition to reach Mumbai Consulate (as Mumbai is now handling all the IV cases) and the case number once it reaches there. 

 

Will update this thread as our timeline progresses. Let us know if anyone wants to know anything specific regarding filing DCF I-130 from Delhi. We will be more than happy to help 😁

Who dictates the exchange rate for the Demand Draft and who is it addressed to?  How early did you have this Demand Draft ready? Is there any other way to pay the filing fee at the USCIS field office? 

[Kuneesa 92]

20 minutes ago, AnonIndia said:

Hey me and my wife are thinking about filing through DCF as well. She came to india on a tourist visa back in August 2918 and we got married last november. We converted her visa to an Entry Visa based on her marriage to me. She is now eligible to stay in India till 2022 and she has been in India for more than 7 months now. She will be getting her Aadhaar card and a PAN card soon along with a local bank account. She has no income for 2018 so we will be using a joint sponsor. Are we eligible for the DCF procedure and does she have sufficient proof of residency in India to qualify for the procedure? She is not authorized to work in India yet. We have multiple utility bills and a rental agreement but they are all in my name. We have plenty of proof we have been living under one roof as a couple through. Do the utility bills need to be in her name?  

 

17 minutes ago, AnonIndia said:

Who dictates the exchange rate for the Demand Draft and who is it addressed to?  How early did you have this Demand Draft ready? Is there any other way to pay the filing fee at the USCIS field office? 

Hey! 

According to your info, you might be eligible for DCF filing in Delhi. Is your wife registered with FRRO and has that registration document? Check the USCIS webpage here (https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/india-uscis-new-delhi-field-office) and click on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative tab. This is what it says regarding evidence of residency: 


 

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

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:

• Passport entry stamp(s) and visa reflecting that you are residing in USCIS New Delhi and not just visiting New Delhi
• Residency permit or card
• Work authorization document
• Military or government orders assigning you to reside in New Delhi

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
• Proof of school enrollment
• Vehicle registration
• Local driver’s license
• Tax documents listing a New Delhi address
• Foreign property deeds or registration (although proof of property ownership in itself, may be insufficient if there is no evidence that the petitioner resides at that property)

What we essentially did was to frontload the application with as much evidence as we had. Adhaar card should be a good proof of residency along with local bank account imho. It won't hurt to get her added on the lease too, although if she's registered with FRRO, that document should have an address on it.  

 

The demand draft is addressed to American Embassy, New Delhi and is for $535 converted to INR according to exchange rate mentioned on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/. PLEASE CHECK THE RATE BEFORE MAKING THE DD. We ran into a problem where the exchange rate changed to a different amount the day we went to submit the application. They rejected our DD (even though it was for more amount than required) and we had to go back to the bank, cancel it and make a fresh DD and come back the next day to apply. Here's the letter they gave us with the relevant info. Any other mode of payment is not accepted. You both will physically have to go to the USCIS section in US Embassy Delhi the day you apply. 

 

I would also suggest to just write an email to USCIS Delhi at CIS.NDI@uscis.dhs.gov or schedule an Infopass appointment here at https://my.uscis.gov/en/appointment/intl (only for US Citizen) to go there physically and ask if you meet the residential requirements. Good luck with your filing. Do let me know if you need more help!

[AnonIndia 58]

3 minutes ago, Kuneesa said:

 

Hey! 

According to your info, you might be eligible for DCF filing in Delhi. Is your wife registered with FRRO and has that registration document? Check the USCIS webpage here (https://www.uscis.gov/about-us/find-uscis-office/international-offices/india-uscis-new-delhi-field-office) and click on Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative tab. This is what it says regarding evidence of residency: 


 

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

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:

• Passport entry stamp(s) and visa reflecting that you are residing in USCIS New Delhi and not just visiting New Delhi
• Residency permit or card
• Work authorization document
• Military or government orders assigning you to reside in New Delhi

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
• Proof of school enrollment
• Vehicle registration
• Local driver’s license
• Tax documents listing a New Delhi address
• Foreign property deeds or registration (although proof of property ownership in itself, may be insufficient if there is no evidence that the petitioner resides at that property)

What we essentially did was to frontload the application with as much evidence as we had. Adhaar card should be a good proof of residency along with local bank account imho. It won't hurt to get her added on the lease too, although if she's registered with FRRO, that document should have an address on it.  

 

The demand draft is addressed to American Embassy, New Delhi and is for $535 converted to INR according to exchange rate mentioned on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/in/. PLEASE CHECK THE RATE BEFORE MAKING THE DD. We ran into a problem where the exchange rate changed to a different amount the day we went to submit the application. They rejected our DD (even though it was for more amount than required) and we had to go back to the bank, cancel it and make a fresh DD and come back the next day to apply. Here's the letter they gave us with the relevant info. Any other mode of payment is not accepted. You both will physically have to go to the USCIS section in US Embassy Delhi the day you apply. 

 

I would also suggest to just write an email to USCIS Delhi at CIS.NDI@uscis.dhs.gov or schedule an Infopass appointment here at https://my.uscis.gov/en/appointment/intl (only for US Citizen) to go there physically and ask if you meet the residential requirements. Good luck with your filing. Do let me know if you need more help!

Thank you! So much useful info! I did check out the USCIS indian field office page. There is plenty of proof that my wife and I are living together in the same address. She had a FORM C done with the local FRRO as soon as she came to india on a tourist visa back in August. FORM C has the address in which we are currently reside.  We just got the visa converted to an Entry visa on March 2nd. We are currently in the process of registering the new visa with the local FRRO to get the Certificate of Registration from them. As for the marriage we did not have a traditional Indian ceremony because my parent was opposed to me marrying my wife. It was done at the Sub Registrar's Office with the help of my friends as witnesses. They did not allow us to take any pictures. We do have plenty of pictures of us living as a normal couple with pictures of us in restaurants and pictures of us helping out at dog shelters etc. Considering that the USCIS won't accept a DD with the exchange rate of the day before the filing of the petition, is it wise to schedule the appointment in the afternoon while getting the DD in the morning based on the exchange rate given by the consulate?  Also how have you been filing your US taxes while being in India? My wife can't download her previous taxes from the IRS website because she doesn't have a working US phone number. It's required to sign up on the IRS website. She can't file her 2018 tax returns online as well. She made no money back in the US or in India for the whole year though. IS she still required to file? She only has her W2s from the 2017 tax year, no full transcript. 

[AnonIndia 58]

22 minutes ago, Kuneesa said:

What we essentially did was to frontload the application with as much evidence as we had. Adhaar card should be a good proof of residency along with local bank account imho. It won't hurt to get her added on the lease too, although if she's registered with FRRO, that document should have an address on it.  

 

Did you have to provide proof of domicile in the US while filing or your intent to fully move to the US? Is that an issue only when you are the lone primary sponsor? Will having a joint sponsor in our case cancel the need to show proof of domicile in the United states and the intent to move? I read a lot of cases where the petitioner doing the DCF process had to fly back to the US and make arrangements such as getting a US job/ finding a house to rent to proof to the Consular Officer that the petitioner has US domicile. 

[Kuneesa 92]

2 minutes ago, AnonIndia said:

Thank you! So much useful info! I did check out the USCIS indian field office page. There is plenty of proof that my wife and I are living together in the same address. She had a FORM C done with the local FRRO as soon as she came to india on a tourist visa back in August. FORM C has the address in which we are currently reside.  We just got the visa converted to an Entry visa on March 2nd. We are currently in the process of registering the new visa with the local FRRO to get the Certificate of Registration from them. As for the marriage we did not have a traditional Indian ceremony because my parent was opposed to me marrying my wife. It was done at the Sub Registrar's Office with the help of my friends as witnesses. They did not allow us to take any pictures. We do have plenty of pictures of us living as a normal couple with pictures of us in restaurants and pictures of us helping out at dog shelters etc. Considering that the USCIS won't accept a DD with the exchange rate of the day before the filing of the petition, is it wise to schedule the appointment in the afternoon while getting the DD in the morning based on the exchange rate given by the consulate?  Also how have you been filing your US taxes while being in India? My wife can't download her previous taxes from the IRS website because she doesn't have a working US phone number. It's required to sign up on the IRS website. She can't file her 2018 tax returns online as well. She made no money back in the US or in India for the whole year though. IS she still required to file? She only has her W2s from the 2017 tax year, no full transcript. 

2

My pleasure  

I'd suggest you get the new visa registered at local FRRO. That'll be helpful in proving and meeting the residency requirement. 

The marriage is perfectly fine as long as you have a legal marriage certificate. I believe you got the marriage registered under the Special Marriage Act? Ours was the same (although it was just our choice not to do any traditional/religious ceremonies, not because of the family) and the marriage certificate was accepted at USCIS Delhi. 

Pictures are good proof and I suggest you compile an album with pictures of you two in different places, with different people etc in a timeline. We did this too and had around 50-60 selected pictures detailing our relationship from the start. 

In regards to DD, I would suggest you keep an eye out on http://ustraveldocs.com/in/ and check the date for which the current rate is valid through. Right now for eg., the rate is Rs. 74 to $1 and is valid through 12th March, so if you plan to submit before 12th March, get the DD made. Otherwise, wait till the date and check the new date on the website. They don't change the rate daily. I believe it is done once a week or once a month. 

You HAVE TO file US taxes no matter what if you are a citizen/LPR and residing outside the US. Even if you are claiming the foreign earned income exclusion  ($103,900 for the tax year 2018) and your income for tax purposes is ZERO, you still have to file the return. More info here (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p54#en_US_2018_publink100047594) 

You have to have a US phone number registered with the same name as on the return to download the transcript online from the IRS website. There's no way around it other than requesting it via mail. 

 

[AnonIndia 58]

6 minutes ago, Kuneesa said:

My pleasure  

I'd suggest you get the new visa registered at local FRRO. That'll be helpful in proving and meeting the residency requirement. 

The marriage is perfectly fine as long as you have a legal marriage certificate. I believe you got the marriage registered under the Special Marriage Act? Ours was the same (although it was just our choice not to do any traditional/religious ceremonies, not because of the family) and the marriage certificate was accepted at USCIS Delhi. 

Pictures are good proof and I suggest you compile an album with pictures of you two in different places, with different people etc in a timeline. We did this too and had around 50-60 selected pictures detailing our relationship from the start. 

In regards to DD, I would suggest you keep an eye out on http://ustraveldocs.com/in/ and check the date for which the current rate is valid through. Right now for eg., the rate is Rs. 74 to $1 and is valid through 12th March, so if you plan to submit before 12th March, get the DD made. Otherwise, wait till the date and check the new date on the website. They don't change the rate daily. I believe it is done once a week or once a month. 

You HAVE TO file US taxes no matter what if you are a citizen/LPR and residing outside the US. Even if you are claiming the foreign earned income exclusion  ($103,900 for the tax year 2018) and your income for tax purposes is ZERO, you still have to file the return. More info here (https://www.irs.gov/publications/p54#en_US_2018_publink100047594) 

You have to have a US phone number registered with the same name as on the return to download the transcript online from the IRS website. There's no way around it other than requesting it via mail. 

 

Yes we got the marriage registered under the special marriage act and we have two original copies of the marriage certificate. Right now our only issue is filing taxes while she is in India for the 2018 year. We tired to use turbo tax to file online but the website said that it can't be done online because the taxable income was zero. I guess we just have to do it by mail from India and then request the tax transcript for the past three years by mail. There is a contact page on the USCIS India website. Do they respond to questions if you call them or email them? Please let us know how your Interview in mumbai goes.

[Kuneesa 92]

11 minutes ago, AnonIndia said:

Did you have to provide proof of domicile in the US while filing or your intent to fully move to the US? Is that an issue only when you are the lone primary sponsor? Will having a joint sponsor in our case cancel the need to show proof of domicile in the United states and the intent to move? I read a lot of cases where the petitioner doing the DCF process had to fly back to the US and make arrangements such as getting a US job/ finding a house to rent to proof to the Consular Officer that the petitioner has US domicile. 

You have to provide the proof of US domicile and the affidavit of support I-864 (to be filled by petitioner & joint sponsor) at the interview stage for DCF after the I-130 petition is approved and the interview has been scheduled. You will physically have to take all those documents to the interview and the officer will decide if the US petitioner has enough evidence for domicile requirement. Having a joint sponsor WILL NOT cancel the need to prove domicile for the petitioner. Ideally, the US petitioner should at least have their most recent 3-year tax transcripts, W-2 forms (both required regardless for filling I-864), A voting record in the United States, records of paying U.S. taxes, having property in the United States, maintaining bank or investment accounts in the United States, having a permanent mailing address in the United States, other proof such as evidence that the sponsor is a student studying abroad or that a foreign government has authorized a temporary stay, having maintained a vehicle/insurance in the United States while residing outside etc. You can check the requirements on the I-864 filing instructions page 5&6 (https://www.uscis.gov/system/files_force/files/form/i-864instr.pdf)