DS-260 with no Fee?!

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

HI

 

Wondering if anyone else has come across this.  

 

In January we had a letter to say that our I-130 had been approved and passed to the NVC (57 days after submitting the I-130!!!).  Awesome!

So we waited and a week later we had a letter with our case number on it etc.  So we went to CEAC and the only option on there was to complete the DS-260.  

It didn't ask for a fee, didn't ask for the DS-261 to be completed or for the Affidavit of Support, civil docs etc.   When I go back to CEAC and check my status it says its ready.  I can go back onto my completed DS-260 and where it says "Fee" it says Not Applicable.  

 

I haven't sent any documents to them (other than what was in the I-130 pack), is this right?  Everything I have read on US sites etc says that you pay the fees, complete the DS-261 and then you do the civils, affidavit of support, police cert etc and then the DS-260.  

 

I am a UK Citizen, my wife is a US Citizen.  She is currently in the UK on a spousal visa, having originally arrived on a fiancé visa.

 

I have tried calling CEAC with no luck at getting through yet (I have checked here for tips and times to call them which I will try), I have emailed CEAC but it says could take over a month for a reply and I don't really want to be waiting around if I am meant to be sending some stuff off to them.

 

Anyone experienced anything similar? Or have any suggestions?

 

Many thanks  

[Wuozopo 4,293]

@Bear_and_Bunny
 

Since your wife lives in the UK, are you doing the DCF process where your I-130 was filed with the USCIS office in London?

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

1 minute ago, Wuozopo said:

@Bear_and_Bunny
 

Since your wife lives in the UK, are you doing the DCF process where your I-130 was filed with the USCIS office in London?

Hi Wuozopo

 

Yes we are, it was filed at the USCIS Field office at the Embassy in London. 

[Crazy Cat 42,621]

I don't think the DS-261 has been used in a few years.

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

Thats

8 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

I don't think the DS-261 has been used in a few years.

That's cool then.  If that's the case, that answers that question. lol Thank you.

When I go to https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/the-immigrant-visa-process/step-1-submit-a-petition/step-3-pay-fees.html it has step three as pay fees, which I haven't done, actually wording.....

 

 

Quote

 

Step 3: Pay Fees

The first thing you need to do after receiving your NVC Welcome Letter is pay your processing fees. There are two processing fees:

1. Immigrant Visa Application Processing Fee
2. Affidavit of Support Fee

You will need a bank routing number and a checking or savings account number from a U.S. based bank. 

To pay your fee, log into your case in CEAC and click the ‘PAY NOW’ button under Affidavit of Support Fee or IV Fee on your summary page.

 

 

  

The only fees I have paid so far have been the I-130.  

 

[SorrowL 138]

You’ll be required to pay the full fee on the day of interview, as this is a DCF case according to your above statement. Most consulates accept cash in US dollars, local currency, electronic payment methods such as credit cards, and US issued US dollar money orders. You can check on your local consular website to see what methods are accepted.

 

the NVC is completely irrelevant in this case as they are completely skipped over.

Edited March 17, 2020 by SorrowL

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

1 minute ago, SorrowL said:

You’ll be required to pay the full fee on the day of interview, as this is a DCF case.

Awesome.  Thank you so much.   Do you know whether I wait for them to request my other documents as I cannot see an option when I sign in to CEAC to upload them?  

Really appreciate all the replies.  Thank you. 

[SorrowL 138]

7 minutes ago, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Awesome.  Thank you so much.   Do you know whether I wait for them to request my other documents as I cannot see an option when I sign in to CEAC to upload them?  

Really appreciate all the replies.  Thank you. 

You should receive an email or letter from the consulate with that you need to send in. Typically you need to send in various documents, including police certificates, sponsorship documents and evidence, birth certificate, passport copy, etc. all documents usually need to be sent in to the consulate directly if it is a DCF case, as in physical mail. Each original should be accompanied with a copy or two depending on instructions from your consulate.

Edited March 17, 2020 by SorrowL

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

5 minutes ago, SorrowL said:

You should receive an email or letter from the consulate with that you need to send in. Typically you need to send in various documents, including police certificates, sponsorship documents and evidence, birth certificate, passport copy, etc. all documents usually need to be sent in to the consulate directly if it is a DCF case, as in physical mail. Each original should be accompanied with a copy or two depending on instructions from your consulate.

Thank you so much.  That is so helpful and puts my mind at ease some.  I really appreciate that.  Mind has been fried from different visa processes we have done in the last 3 years! Thank you.  

[SorrowL 138]

1 minute ago, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Thank you so much.  That is so helpful and puts my mind at ease some.  I really appreciate that.  Mind has been fried from different visa processes we have done in the last 3 years! Thank you.  

I just finished a DCF process in Frankfurt last month. I’ve been in the US for 3 weeks now. It’s how it worked for me in Germany. Things will probably be different in the UK, but also somewhat similar.

Edited March 17, 2020 by SorrowL

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

Just now, SorrowL said:

I just finished a DCF process in Frankfurt last month. I’ve been in the US for 3 weeks now. It’s how it worked for me in Germany. Things will probably be different in the UK, but also somewhat similar.

Wow hope things are going well over there and congrats on getting there!   I would imagine it being similar.  It puts me at ease a little knowing I am waiting on them to get back to me now.  I hate it when I am waiting to complete stuff, but this way I can relax while they get back to me.

 

Thank you.  How long did the whole process take you?  It has been relatively quick for us so far I feel.  Although things may slow down a little now with Coronavirus.

[SorrowL 138]

4 minutes ago, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Wow hope things are going well over there and congrats on getting there!   I would imagine it being similar.  It puts me at ease a little knowing I am waiting on them to get back to me now.  I hate it when I am waiting to complete stuff, but this way I can relax while they get back to me.

 

Thank you.  How long did the whole process take you?  It has been relatively quick for us so far I feel.  Although things may slow down a little now with Coronavirus.

97 days for my I-130 to be approved, 130 in total till my visa was issued, about an extra 1 month 2 weeks post I-130 approval. All details are in my timeline. It takes the consulate a couple days to send out mail/emails, and you can ask them via email what your next steps are if you haven’t heard from them in a week.

[Wuozopo 4,293]

4 hours ago, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Hi Wuozopo

 

Yes we are, it was filed at the USCIS Field office at the Embassy in London. 

Disregard most of what was posted to you in this thread. For London:

• All your documents will be taken to the embassy on the day of your interview (no uploading or mailing). No photocopies of them are needed. They scan them now. 
• They will send you to a cashier window after collecting civil docs to pay your visa fee. There is no  affidavit of support fee for DCF.
• Normally you would pick an interview date and arrange the courier return of your visa online, but interviews are suspended for now so you won’t find any available dates.

Here are your instructions from the embassy. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/how-to-apply-2/
They have kind of mixed NVC processing and USCIS London processing on the same page, so disregard things that are addressed to NVC processing.  Your steps to follow are on the page. Find these and open each.

Step 1 - Application Form (DS-260)

Step 2 - Supporting Documents

Step 3 - Scheduling Your Interview

Step 4 - Medical Examination

 

I will note that Step 4-Medical is typically arranged prior to picking an interview date (Step 3). You do not have to attend your medical before picking an interview. While things are suspended, I wouldn’t be worrying about going to a medical now because it doesn’t push you forward in the queue. Stay out of London. No unnecessary travel. Stay off the Tube. Hunker down and be safe. 
 

And visit the U.K. Forum if you have London questions https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/99-united-kingdom/

 

[Bear_and_Bunny 25]

16 minutes ago, Wuozopo said:

Disregard most of what was posted to you in this thread. For London:

• All your documents will be taken to the embassy on the day of your interview (no uploading or mailing). No photocopies of them are needed. They scan them now. 
• They will send you to a cashier window after collecting civil docs to pay your visa fee. There is no  affidavit of support fee for DCF.
• Normally you would pick an interview date and arrange the courier return of your visa online, but interviews are suspended for now so you won’t find any available dates.

Here are your instructions from the embassy. https://uk.usembassy.gov/visas/family-immigration/how-to-apply-2/
They have kind of mixed NVC processing and USCIS London processing on the same page, so disregard things that are addressed to NVC processing.  Your steps to follow are on the page. Find these and open each.

Step 1 - Application Form (DS-260)

Step 2 - Supporting Documents

Step 3 - Scheduling Your Interview

Step 4 - Medical Examination

 

I will note that Step 4-Medical is typically arranged prior to picking an interview date (Step 3). You do not have to attend your medical before picking an interview. While things are suspended, I wouldn’t be worrying about going to a medical now because it doesn’t push you forward in the queue. Stay out of London. No unnecessary travel. Stay off the Tube. Hunker down and be safe. 
 

And visit the U.K. Forum if you have London questions https://www.visajourney.com/forums/forum/99-united-kingdom/

 

Thank you so so so much.  That is super reassuring. I will take a read of these this evening and digest and hopefully be better placed to know what to do next.   Genuinely appreciate this so much.   Obviously it can be quite stressful so this has helped massively.   

[Just Paul 4,595]

2 hours ago, Bear_and_Bunny said:

Thank you so so so much.  That is super reassuring. I will take a read of these this evening and digest and hopefully be better placed to know what to do next.   Genuinely appreciate this so much.   Obviously it can be quite stressful so this has helped massively.   

Just make sure that you take everything that would have been sent to the NVC with you to the interview.