Several questions about upcoming DCF interview in London

[roof 6]

Hello! After a much prolonged DCF in London journey, I'm finally preparing for my husband's interview at the end of the month. This is a DIY application, so I just want to make sure I'm doing everything right. 

 

For context, I'm a US citizen, my husband is British and we live in the UK. I petitioned his I-130 through the DCF route in March 2020 before it closed. When we received a case number in September 2020, I was pregnant so therefore not in a position to move. In February 2021, we filed the DS-260. Now that some time has passed since our child was born, we're ready to complete the application and move to the US in the next six months. We have a straightforward application -- no divorces and have been married five years. Only slight issue is that we filed the I-130 and DS-260 before our child was born, so I understand we will need to bring amended forms on the day to reflect this.

 

My questions are as follows:

• Medical appointment and interview time frame: What time gap should I leave between booking the medical exam and interview? The website states it takes five working days to get the medical results to the embassy, but I've seen other posts here stating people usually leave to weeks.
• Medical appointment: I've read here that in the UK applicants should bring their NHS "summary care record" to the medical examination. Is this all he should need? He's had all his vaccinations, many from when he was a child in the 70s, so if they're not included on the summary care record I'm not sure how else to prove he's been immunized. Also, is he exempt from a flu shot since the interview is before September 30th?

 

For the medical appointment, I have down that my husband needs to bring the following to the interview. Am I missing anything?

 

Required Documents	Vaccination
Vaccinations List	TD/TDAP
	MMR
	Varicella
	Flu shot
ID	Drivers license or passport
4 x photographs	Requirements
UK Police Certificate	Issued within last six months
Vaccination records
Completed Medical questionnaire

 

• Taxes: I filed by 2020 taxes, but don't have a transcript yet so am planning on bringing a photocopy of every page to prove it. To be totally upfront, I've been delinquent on filing taxes from the last three years though I have recently filed them. Do I need to provide photocopies of these taxes or just have the numbers for my total income (adjusted gross income on IRS for 1040EZ) as reported on my federal income tax returns for 2018 and 2019) for form I-864?
• Form I-864: I will be my husband's sponsor since we don't have jobs in the US. For a family of three I will have to prove I have $27,450 (which is 125% of the HHS poverty guidelines). Just to check, this does not need to be in hard cash? I have this amount in a mix of mutual funds, stock and cash and I'll just need to show this, correct?

 

Other then that, my husband needs to bring the following to the interview. Am I missing anything?

 

What	Description
Passport	Current & Valid Passport (Beneficiary) + 1 Copy of Photo Page
	Current & Valid Passport (Petitioner) – Copy of Photo Page
2 x photographs	Specifications
Appointment Letter and Courier Confirmation Page	Applicants whose case was processed by NVC will be required to bring your appointment letter. Both locally filed and NVC cases must bring their courier confirmation page..
	Date of Interview Document + 1 Copy
	Courier Confirmation Page + 1 Copy
Birth Certificate	You must obtain the original, or certified copy (provided by the issuing authority), of the birth record
	Birth Certificate (Beneficiary) + 1 Copy
Marriage certificate	original or certified copy + 1 Copy
Police Certificate	obtain a police certificate from the ACPO Criminal Records Office (ACRO). Further information is available from their website at www.acro.police.uk. UK police certificates are valid for 12 months only. Failure to present all necessary and valid police certificates at the time of the interview will incur significant delays to your application. Police Certificate UK + 1 Copy
Form I-864	Must be submitted at the time of the interview. Evidence submitted with the I-864 must be less than 12 months old. +1 copy
Appointment guide
Tax Records	Tax Records 2020 + 1 Copy
DS-260	DS-260 - submitted electronically + 1 Copy

 

Thanks so much for your help!

Edited August 8, 2021 by roof
formatting

[Chancy 6,241]

48 minutes ago, roof said:

Do I need to provide photocopies of these taxes or just have the numbers for my total income (adjusted gross income on IRS for 1040EZ) as reported on my federal income tax returns for 2018 and 2019) for form I-864?

 

Your income numbers reported in your tax returns for the 3 most recent tax years must all be listed in the I-864.  But, you are only required to bring your tax transcript or a copy of your tax returns + schedules for the most recent tax year.  Your tax paperwork for the 2nd and 3rd most recent tax years are optional.

 

53 minutes ago, roof said:

this does not need to be in hard cash? I have this amount in a mix of mutual funds, stock and cash and I'll just need to show this, correct?

 

Yes, assets do not need to be cash only.  Other liquid assets, like stocks and mutual funds, are also acceptable.

 

Note that if the total value of your assets is not well above the minimum requirement, I recommend that you line up a joint sponsor in time for the interview, to avoid delays in case the consul officer asks.  If the CO does not ask, no need to bring it up.

 

[roof 6]

2 minutes ago, Chancy said:

 

Your income numbers reported in your tax returns for the 3 most recent tax years must all be listed in the I-864.  But, you are only required to bring your tax transcript or a copy of your tax returns + schedules for the most recent tax year.  Your tax paperwork for the 2nd and 3rd most recent tax years are optional.

 

 

Yes, assets do not need to be cash only.  Other liquid assets, like stocks and mutual funds, are also acceptable.

 

Note that if the total value of your assets is not well above the minimum requirement, I recommend that you line up a joint sponsor in time for the interview, to avoid delays in case the consul officer asks.  If the CO does not ask, no need to bring it up.

 

Amazing, thanks for this. I've never heard of a tax schedule -- what am I supposed to bring? Is this something I can request from my CPA?

 

Great about the assets, thank you!

[Chancy 6,241]

2 minutes ago, roof said:

I've never heard of a tax schedule -- what am I supposed to bring? Is this something I can request from my CPA?

 

Yes, your CPA would know.  To be safe, just bring a copy of all the 2020 tax paperwork your CPA filed for you with the IRS.

 

1 hour ago, roof said:

For a family of three I will have to prove I have $27,450 (which is 125% of the HHS poverty guidelines).

 

Actually, you need to show at least $82,350 (or 3x $27,450) in liquid assets, if you are going to use only assets to qualify.  There's a "3x" multiplier for required asset value for a USC to sponsor a spouse or a minor child.

 

[roof 6]

3 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Yes, your CPA would know.  To be safe, just bring a copy of all the 2020 tax paperwork your CPA filed for you with the IRS.

Great, thank you.

 

3 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

Actually, you need to show at least $82,350 (or 3x $27,450) in liquid assets, if you are going to use only assets to qualify.  There's a "3x" multiplier for required asset value for a USC to sponsor a spouse or a minor child.

 

So I'm doing a bit more reading about this and am slightly confused. My husband is actually going to keep his job and transfer to the US (I need to correct my original post, I meant to write only I won't have my job is the US). If we claim his income on the I-864 and get proof that his job will continue when he moves, do we need to show that his salary covers $27,450 or $82,350?

[Chancy 6,241]

15 minutes ago, roof said:

If we claim his income on the I-864 and get proof that his job will continue when he moves, do we need to show that his salary covers $27,450 or $82,350?

 

If your husband has a formal offer (in writing) of US transfer from his current company, you may include his current income on your I-864.  The minimum requirement for current annual household income to qualify would be $27,450.

 

The "3x" multiplier only applies to assets used to make up the income shortfall.

 

For example, if your qualifying household income were only $25,000 --

• Income shortfall:  $27,450 - $25,000 = $2,450
• Minimum total asset value required:  3x $2,450 = $7,350

So, if your qualifying household income were $0 --

• Income shortfall:  $27,450 - $0 = $27,450
• Minimum total asset value required:  3x $27,450 = $82,350

 

[roof 6]

15 hours ago, Chancy said:

 

If your husband has a formal offer (in writing) of US transfer from his current company, you may include his current income on your I-864.  The minimum requirement for current annual household income to qualify would be $27,450.

 

The "3x" multiplier only applies to assets used to make up the income shortfall.

 

For example, if your qualifying household income were only $25,000 --

• Income shortfall:  $27,450 - $25,000 = $2,450
• Minimum total asset value required:  3x $2,450 = $7,350

So, if your qualifying household income were $0 --

• Income shortfall:  $27,450 - $0 = $27,450
• Minimum total asset value required:  3x $27,450 = $82,350

 

amazing, thank you!!

[roof 6]

Hi folks,

 

I just wanted to thank the community for your help with my husband's application. We went to the embassy today and it was approved, so good news! I just wanted to share a few things about our experience:

• We left a five working day gap between between the medical and the interview, which was totally fine.
• They're only letting applicants into the embassy right now due to COVID. I accompanied by husband and brought my daughter  thinking we could come in (and I thought she would have to be present since she wasn't originally included on the DS-260), but they would only let whomever has an appointment in.
• They didn't care that we'd had a child since filing the I-130 and DS-260 and didn't update either of those forms. They told my husband "congratulations" and that was it.
• I printed out an insane amount of paperwork for the interview, particularly to satisfy the financial requirements for the I-864. This is everything I prepared:
  • My husband's passports + 1 copy
  • My passport + 1 copy
  • Our daughter's passport + 1 copy
  • 2 x photographs
  • Appointment letter + 1 copy
  • Courier letter + 1 copy
  • Husband's birth certificate + 1 copy
  • My birth certificate + 1 copy
  • Daughter's birth certificate + 1 copy
  • DS-260 + 1 copy
  • Marriage certificate + 1 copy
  • Police certificate + 1 copy
  • i-864 + 1 copy, plus the following supporting evidence:
    • 2020 tax return + 1 copy
    • 2019 tax return + 1 copy
    • 2018 tax return + 1 copy
    • 12 months of bank statements from two banks in the US and UK with hard cash +1 copy
    • 12 months of statements from three financial institutions in the US and UK with a mix of stocks, shares and Roth IRA + 1 copy
    • an annual statement from a financial institution in the UK I have a cash ISA with + 1 copy
    • Letter from my husband's employer stating her will continue to work for the company after relocating to the US +1 copy
    • 12 months of pay stubs from my husband's company + 1 copy
    • My husband's 2020/2021 P60 + 1 copy
  • Evidence to reestablish domicile:
    • My US driver's license + 1 copy
    • My US voting record + 1 copy
    • 12 months of statements from a US credit card + 1 copy

The only things they took were:

• Appointment letter
• Courier letter
• Husband's passport
• Husband's birth certificate 
• Police record
• Photographs
• I-864 - no evidence taken
• DS-260
• Marriage certificate
• 2020 tax return

I couldn't believe they didn't take any of the evidence for the I-864! 

 

He had an interview with the typical questions about why he was immigrating to the US, but was also asked some unusual ones like if he goes by his middle name and if he ever lived abroad for more than a year. He said the interview took all of two minutes and he was approved.

 

Thanks again for everyone's help and I hope someone else finds this information useful.