Timeline DCF with exceptional circumstances in Taiwan 2022

[sweetieyou 9]

Hi all,

 

I'm currently in the process of DCF i-130 with exceptional circumstances in Taiwan.

Thanks for all those who are generous about sharing the experiences so that I can feel more comfortable in the process and know what's gonna happen next.

I've never seen anyone sharing DCF experience in Taiwan so I think I'll contribute here and help those who also qualify for DCF.

Exceptional circumstance:

Short notice of position relocation

My husband (then boyfriend) got a job offer in early July, and the position will start from Jan. 1, 2023. Prior to this, he's been in Taiwan for work for almost 5 years.

We want to shorten the time of being apart as much as possible so we first consulted a lawyer about what options we have.

After realizing we are highly possible to qualify for one of the exceptional circumstances, we decided to try DCF by ourselves since our situation is quite straightforward. 

 

Here is the timeline so far:

Aug. 26, 2022  Lawyer consultation.

Aug. 29, 2022  Emailed AIT(American Institute in Taiwan) if they accept DCF.

Aug. 29, 2022  AIT replied an hour later to ask for the explanation of the exceptional circumstance in detail and submit it along with copies of our passports, his Taiwan ARC, I-130, I-130A, proof of his exceptional circumstance, divorce decree (if any), and marriage certificate.

Sep. 14, 2022  Got married.

Sep. 22, 2022  Emailed AIT the proof of exceptional circumstances and the documents.

Sep. 22, 2022  AIT emailed back an hour later and scheduled an interview for filing I-130 at the embassy a week later.

Oct. 03, 2022  Interview at AIT and submit the documents. The interviewer said that our documents look good and we shall receive the notice for the next step a week later.

Oct. 11, 2022  AIT emailed us to provide the case no. and the next step. AIT told us to email them as soon as DS-260 filled online and the required documents (I-864, birth certificate and police record) are ready to schedule an interview.

Oct. 12, 2022  Emailed AIT to notify them the completion of DS-260 and the required documents are ready.

Oct. 13, 2022  AIT emailed back and scheduled the next interview on Nov. 8.

 

This is the timeline so far. I'll update it as the progress moves forward.

So far everything is going fast and smoothly. AIT is very responsive and on time.

The best thing about submitting documents in person is that they check if you miss anything required.

The interviewer is nice and friendly. He asked me if I'll stay in Taiwan for the next 6 to 10 weeks. Then when we ask how long the whole process is going to take, he said around 4 to 6 weeks.

I'm excited to know if this process is really going to go through before 10 weeks mark. But of course we need to have everything ready for the next interview to avoid getting RFE.

Feel free to ask me any questions. Hopefully this post can be helpful.

 

 

Edited October 13, 2022 by sweetieyou

[sweetieyou 9]

Updates:

 

I went to the interview on Nov. 8. The interviewer just told me everything looks good and my visa is approved! 😀

He then said the visa will be mailed to me in a week.

But it's faster than that. I just received the visa package from the delivery.

The whole process took less than 6 weeks to go through. It is really lightening fast.

When I searched for DCF expereinces on Chinese websites, it was literally nothing.

Hopefully this thread can help those who need this information!

[usamax 0]

Hi @sweetieyou, thank you for the detailed info. in your post - very helpful.

 

We are in almost exactly the same situation as you were in last year.  (i.e. applying from TW, with job transfer as reason for DCF-130 exceptional filing).

 

Qs: What email address did you use to contact AIT ? When I used the TaipeiACS@state.gov email address listed on their website and sent an email with our particulars, I just got a standard form reply back with no additional information about who to contact etc.)

[PumpkinSpiceLatte 1]

On 9/11/2023 at 6:47 AM, usamax said:

Hi @sweetieyou, thank you for the detailed info. in your post - very helpful.

 

We are in almost exactly the same situation as you were in last year.  (i.e. applying from TW, with job transfer as reason for DCF-130 exceptional filing).

 

Qs: What email address did you use to contact AIT ? When I used the TaipeiACS@state.gov email address listed on their website and sent an email with our particulars, I just got a standard form reply back with no additional information about who to contact etc.)

Hi @usamax, just wanted to share my experience in case it helps. I initially reached out to the ACS email address provided on their website, but didn't get a response even after sending a follow-up email a week later. I ended up calling them and discovered that the correct email address was different than the one I had used.  

Interestingly, the correct email address they provided matched the one listed on VisaJourney for the consulate (I filed with a different consulate). So, to prevent any delays, you may want to consider calling them to verify the correct email address.

 

Here's the link to the Visa Journey Taiwan consulate thread, where you can find the email address: Taipei, Taiwan US Consulate Information. Hope this helps!

[Cupcakelover 0]

Hi! May I please know who is your lawyer? We are in the exact situation as you. Thank you!