DCF - London

[homesick_american 1]

Thing is...your husband just started a job in the UK but you guys want to move to the USA? Why did you move here to the UK if you both wanted to live in the USA?

I left most of my life in storage and came to the UK so that DH and I could be together and not have to pay rent in two countries. DH took a job because his contract work wasn't coming in and savings were being depleted and we enjoy eating and a roof over our heads. It's not ideal, but it's fine while we're slogging through paperwork. I'm homesick, and can't wait to return to US because it costs half as much to live there, but the process is really frustrating. If the UK were less expensive, I would just stay here. The UK is much more welcoming to me than the US is to DH.

Wow, I've found it to be the other way around. You're right about the USA being cheaper...definitely!

[latteberry 1]

Thanks for your help, MargotDarko. I hadn't considered the address change, but I think I'll stick with the path I'm on. I'd hate to pull out now, try to file DCF and get rejected. That would put me WAY far behind.

I am also thinking that it probably makes the most sense to not even bother filing the I129f to get the K3. I didn't realize that DH wouldn't immediately be able to work on a K3...that could be a bigger hit and hurt more than staying here a bit longer, not even counting the additional filing fees. I already have to fork over another $800 just to be able to stay here longer (filing the FLR-m this weekend).

What is most surprising to me is that, according to the timeline on this website, (which I finally learned about and filled out), we should expect an adjudication of the I-130 by late August. That doesn't seem to match up with the processing times listed on the USCIS website - they say they are only now processing things received in November 2006. Is there really that much of a discrepancy between what the feds say they are doing and what the experience has been for people on this site?

We just signed another 6 month lease for this house, but if things haven't progressed much by autumn I think we may have to consider moving house to something less expensive. I hate the thought of moving house because we managed to find a place with all the conveniences I'm used to in the US (tumble dryer, power shower, off-street parking, walking distance to train station, cat allowed, etc). It's just more money than we had hoped to spend for rent. I think we'll have to see where we are in a few months. As you might imagine, change is hard enough to deal with when you're fully able...being disabled makes change even more difficult for me.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and support.

Oh, and OP - sorry to hijack your thread!!

[homesick_american 1]

Thanks for your help, MargotDarko. I hadn't considered the address change, but I think I'll stick with the path I'm on. I'd hate to pull out now, try to file DCF and get rejected. That would put me WAY far behind.

I am also thinking that it probably makes the most sense to not even bother filing the I129f to get the K3. I didn't realize that DH wouldn't immediately be able to work on a K3...that could be a bigger hit and hurt more than staying here a bit longer, not even counting the additional filing fees. I already have to fork over another $800 just to be able to stay here longer (filing the FLR-m this weekend).

Wow, is that what they cost now? I got my FLR in 2001 and I can't remember precisely what it cost, but it was much less than $800!

It appears to me that you guys should have just gone for a K-1 visa, that way you wouldn't have had to move to the UK at all. I still don't get why you moved here. If money is tight this is the last place you want to live; the cost of living is obscene.

What is most surprising to me is that, according to the timeline on this website, (which I finally learned about and filled out), we should expect an adjudication of the I-130 by late August. That doesn't seem to match up with the processing times listed on the USCIS website - they say they are only now processing things received in November 2006. Is there really that much of a discrepancy between what the feds say they are doing and what the experience has been for people on this site?

What website is that? I don't know which one you're talking about.

We just signed another 6 month lease for this house, but if things haven't progressed much by autumn I think we may have to consider moving house to something less expensive. I hate the thought of moving house because we managed to find a place with all the conveniences I'm used to in the US (tumble dryer, power shower, off-street parking, walking distance to train station, cat allowed, etc). It's just more money than we had hoped to spend for rent. I think we'll have to see where we are in a few months. As you might imagine, change is hard enough to deal with when you're fully able...being disabled makes change even more difficult for me.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and support.

Oh, and OP - sorry to hijack your thread!!

Given how slowly the gears grind in the US vs a DCF, you'll likely be here longer than 6 months. Think of it this way...once you get the FLR you'll be able to work so maybe you'll be able to afford your lease a bit longer. My FLR took only a few weeks to process. I remember it pretty well; we got married in early June 2001. In fact, our anniversary was yesterday and both of us completely forgot. :lol: :lol: The stress of moving'll do that to you! I applied for the FLR in late June 2001 and received the visa in late August 2001...about 7-8 weeks. I was offered my first job here the morning of 9/11/01. Started off nice, anyway!

[MargotDarko 0]

Thanks for your help, MargotDarko. I hadn't considered the address change, but I think I'll stick with the path I'm on. I'd hate to pull out now, try to file DCF and get rejected. That would put me WAY far behind.

I am also thinking that it probably makes the most sense to not even bother filing the I129f to get the K3. I didn't realize that DH wouldn't immediately be able to work on a K3...that could be a bigger hit and hurt more than staying here a bit longer, not even counting the additional filing fees. I already have to fork over another $800 just to be able to stay here longer (filing the FLR-m this weekend).

Wow, is that what they cost now? I got my FLR in 2001 and I can't remember precisely what it cost, but it was much less than $800!

It appears to me that you guys should have just gone for a K-1 visa, that way you wouldn't have had to move to the UK at all. I still don't get why you moved here. If money is tight this is the last place you want to live; the cost of living is obscene.

What is most surprising to me is that, according to the timeline on this website, (which I finally learned about and filled out), we should expect an adjudication of the I-130 by late August. That doesn't seem to match up with the processing times listed on the USCIS website - they say they are only now processing things received in November 2006. Is there really that much of a discrepancy between what the feds say they are doing and what the experience has been for people on this site?

What website is that? I don't know which one you're talking about.

We just signed another 6 month lease for this house, but if things haven't progressed much by autumn I think we may have to consider moving house to something less expensive. I hate the thought of moving house because we managed to find a place with all the conveniences I'm used to in the US (tumble dryer, power shower, off-street parking, walking distance to train station, cat allowed, etc). It's just more money than we had hoped to spend for rent. I think we'll have to see where we are in a few months. As you might imagine, change is hard enough to deal with when you're fully able...being disabled makes change even more difficult for me.

Thanks again for all your suggestions and support.

Oh, and OP - sorry to hijack your thread!!

Given how slowly the gears grind in the US vs a DCF, you'll likely be here longer than 6 months. Think of it this way...once you get the FLR you'll be able to work so maybe you'll be able to afford your lease a bit longer. My FLR took only a few weeks to process. I remember it pretty well; we got married in early June 2001. In fact, our anniversary was yesterday and both of us completely forgot. :lol: :lol: The stress of moving'll do that to you! I applied for the FLR in late June 2001 and received the visa in late August 2001...about 7-8 weeks. I was offered my first job here the morning of 9/11/01. Started off nice, anyway!

By "this website" she means this website - the VJ timelines. Yes, UK immigration fees were recently raised quite a lot. I'm sure she's in the UK because she didn't want to be separated from her SO for the time it takes a K1 to process. I don't think she'll be able to work if she's not able to work in the US, but they'll be fine because of her hubby's new job.

To Latteberry - the date on the USCIS website refers only to the oldest date on any petition they're still processing. So most likely it's only a handful of difficult ones from November they're still processing and the majority being processed right now are more recent. Does that make sense? The timelines here on VJ give a better idea of the actual average time. My guess is that you should plan on being here in the UK until roughly Feb/March 08 if you skip the K3 visa. The K3 visa would get you guys to the states maybe as much as three months earlier, but then the advantage is cancelled out by your husband having to wait to work and the extra fees for adjustment of status.

Do you mind if I ask where you're living in the UK and how much you're currently paying for rent? We're living in Oxford and our one-bedroom furnished flat is costing us £875 a month, but luckily we're moving to a nearby town at the end of this month to a one-bedroom place (smaller but just as nice inside) for £675 a month. It's the one thing that really bothers me about the cost of living in the UK. Aside from housing and electrical goods, I've found most things to be pretty relative to my salary compared to the salary I would get for the same job in Michigan. So I think it's a perfectly reasonable and understandable thing to have done - moving to the UK to be with him while going through the US immigration process. I'm sure it will balance out in the end for you guys.

[latteberry 1]

By "this website" she means this website - the VJ timelines. Yes, UK immigration fees were recently raised quite a lot. I'm sure she's in the UK because she didn't want to be separated from her SO for the time it takes a K1 to process. I don't think she'll be able to work if she's not able to work in the US, but they'll be fine because of her hubby's new job.

To Latteberry - the date on the USCIS website refers only to the oldest date on any petition they're still processing. So most likely it's only a handful of difficult ones from November they're still processing and the majority being processed right now are more recent. Does that make sense? The timelines here on VJ give a better idea of the actual average time. My guess is that you should plan on being here in the UK until roughly Feb/March 08 if you skip the K3 visa. The K3 visa would get you guys to the states maybe as much as three months earlier, but then the advantage is cancelled out by your husband having to wait to work and the extra fees for adjustment of status.

Do you mind if I ask where you're living in the UK and how much you're currently paying for rent? We're living in Oxford and our one-bedroom furnished flat is costing us £875 a month, but luckily we're moving to a nearby town at the end of this month to a one-bedroom place (smaller but just as nice inside) for £675 a month. It's the one thing that really bothers me about the cost of living in the UK. Aside from housing and electrical goods, I've found most things to be pretty relative to my salary compared to the salary I would get for the same job in Michigan. So I think it's a perfectly reasonable and understandable thing to have done - moving to the UK to be with him while going through the US immigration process. I'm sure it will balance out in the end for you guys.

Thanks, MargotDarko - that does help me understand a little better. That's a relief about the timeline discrepancy. I was thinking early next year would be about right.

Well, we're living in Hertfordshire, in admittedly one of the most expensive places to live in the UK (Radlett). The hardest part was finding somewhere that would take DH's cat, which immediately ruled out most flats for some unknown reason. And, DH is quite picky about location, didn't want to live in a "dodgy" area. But, for that, we have a semi-detatched, with lots of room, modern kitchen and bath, and a separate summer house that DH was using for his business (though, now that he's working, he doesn't need that anymore). He can walk to the train station for his job in London - another consideration for where we live. Our house is £1500/mo, and we had hoped to pay about half that, but couldn't find anything even halfway decent under £1000 in the nearby communities. Our current lease is up early December. If the timeline goes as you think it does, then we really only need to stay an additional 2-3 months, which makes moving house somewhat unnecessary.

You are correct, I am physically unable to work, regardless of what my visa status is. That's why I receive disability income. And yes, I came here to UK because I wanted to be with my SO and had to live somewhere. My last home in the US was the house I owned with my ex-husband. We sold that during the divorce, and the new owners really preferred that I not be there when they moved in! It didn't make sense for me to find an apartment in the US and for us to pay rent and utilities both in US and here in England. I came here while the divorce was being processed. Once it was final, we made a whirlwind trip of the US to get my fiancee visa, had a "faux" wedding with the family, and came back here for the "official" version. I know we could have saved a bit of money had we had the official wedding in the US, waited for the paperwork, and filed for the spousal visa up front, but the cost of staying around in the US for an extra couple of weeks would have been more than the £395 filing fee for the FLR. Plus, I will always have the story of being married in a building that used to be a prison (St. Albans) in England. It's got a high "coolness" factor, I think.

Thanks again!

[The_dip_sticks 0]

Im confused what is the difference between LPR and LFR?

Im actually thinking of going to the UK to be with my husband to wait out this who visa drama. We are planning on getting a spousal visa for me to enter. I know that I can enter with a VWP but in case that we decide to change to DCF then I have to enter on the spousal visa to fufill the residency requierment to DCF correct? Do you think that I can just move my application to London or go to London and if we are not approved by the time that we are elgible to DCF, I cancel our existing applicatoin and start from london again after we meet the 6 month residency requierment? The only reason why im thinking of all this is because we haven been stuck in AP HELL for over a year at USCIS and we have not recived our NOA2 for either petition. Imagine we are going through all this ####### at the USCIS level we have not even made it to NVC which is normally where the background checks are more common for every one. I have lost a few screws here and there this past year waiting for that NOA2.

If DCF would be possible for us after a few months, I think I can go to london for a few months. any suggestions? Am I just completly nuts for thinking this could be a possibility for me?

[MargotDarko 0]

Im confused what is the difference between LPR and LFR?

Im actually thinking of going to the UK to be with my husband to wait out this who visa drama. We are planning on getting a spousal visa for me to enter. I know that I can enter with a VWP but in case that we decide to change to DCF then I have to enter on the spousal visa to fufill the residency requierment to DCF correct? Do you think that I can just move my application to London or go to London and if we are not approved by the time that we are elgible to DCF, I cancel our existing applicatoin and start from london again after we meet the 6 month residency requierment? The only reason why im thinking of all this is because we haven been stuck in AP HELL for over a year at USCIS and we have not recived our NOA2 for either petition. Imagine we are going through all this ####### at the USCIS level we have not even made it to NVC which is normally where the background checks are more common for every one. I have lost a few screws here and there this past year waiting for that NOA2.

If DCF would be possible for us after a few months, I think I can go to london for a few months. any suggestions? Am I just completly nuts for thinking this could be a possibility for me?

If the problem has been AP, filing in London even from the start would not have helped you I don't believe. Since your case is not straightforward, in my opinion, trying to cancel and start again in London would only cause more problems.

[The_dip_sticks 0]

Thank you for the advice. We thought it was a straight case from the get go but... now that we have been stuck in never land we are just clueless about the whole situation as to what is holding us back. It just sucks cause all they say is that it will be done when its done and they cant give any further info. Its so stupid and it drives people stuck in AP no hope and drives them insane at the same time. Well any ways we certainly dont want to do any that will delay this even more, so I guess we sit and wait and stare at the wall or count the bumps on the cealing.