Direct Consular Filing - Exceptional Circumstances (DCF-EC) Experience for IR1 through Embassy in Singapore

[uncle_chai 3]

I’m (Beneficiary) posting our experience for the DCF-EC process for IR1 through the Embassy in Singapore, as I benefitted tremendously from this forum, and wanted to pay it forward. I added in some more operational details/things I wish I knew beforehand.

 

Summary

• DCF exceptional circumstances requested due to the Petitioner’s new job offer starting in 2 months
• USC Petitioner, with 2 USC children under 10, married over 8 years
• Time from request to visa in-hand: 67 days
• An especially big thanks to a previous post for Singapore
• The Embassy in Singapore was really efficient and responsive

 

Timeline

• Oct 1, 2023: E-mail Embassy to request DCF due to exceptional circumstances
  • E-mail outlining details of our situation (job change) with Petitioner’s information attached, and requesting for assistance to file the I-130 locally. Later I realized there is a template on VJ here (can't find the link), but here's another one for a different country.
• Oct 2, 2023: Embassy responds
  • The Embassy had a template set of questions that we had to fill out, and many questions actually overlapped with the details we sent in the request letter
  • They asked for confirmation of having the Petitioner’s original birth certificate, to which we scramble family to overnight the birth certificate to us
  • Their e-mail emphasizes that both Beneficiary and Petitioner need to have been resident in Singapore, and maintains status until filing date to be able to file locally
  • Some questions in their e-mail were not applicable to our case (e.g: questions about transfer instead of change of employment)
• Oct 2, 2023: Respond to Embassy with details
• Oct 3, 2023: Embassy responds that the request is under consideration
• Oct 3, 2023: Embassy allows local filing
  • Provided a list of items to bring (originals, copies, translations)
  • A filing date was given for 2 weeks later
  • Both Petitioner and Beneficiary are required to attend together
  • Unexpected: the Beneficiary’s original birth certificate was included in a list of documents to bring, prompting my travel to get an original from country of citizenship (lost and a new one was needed)
  • At this point, I began the process to translate documents as well
• Oct 18, 2023: Petition filed with both Petitioner and Beneficiary present at the Embassy
  • Submitted I-130, I-130A, and documents at counter 7 to administrative clerk. Minimal documents requested, most were returned to us. We had prepared a thick binder as evidence of Bona Fide Marriage and Proof of Domicile, which they didn’t ask for.
  • Called to counter 8 to meet with Consular Officer from DOS. CO reviews process, documents, returns our originals, confirms filing looks good and gives information on next steps (approval from USCIS, DS-260, medical and interview). Informed us that the I-864 isn’t needed at this point (it was on the checklist from the Embassy), also that the Petitioner doesn’t have to be in country anymore and can leave to start work. The rest of us could remain in Singapore as long as our passes allowed it.
  • Apparently November interview slots fill up fast due to quota resets. They were quite sympathetic of wanting to be minimally separated given the young kids.
  • We were given a Filing Acknowledgment Letter with an SGP Case Number.
  • Further action is pending background checks and approval from USCIS, and we were given an estimate of 2 days to 2 weeks.
  • We were also given a list of civil documents to start collecting. For police certificates that need a letter from a foreign authority (e.g. Singapore Police Force), we would have to wait until the USCIS approval letter and packet to be able to start the process.
• Oct 23, 2023: Correction in mailing address on Filing Acceptance Letter
  • E-mailed Embassy to correct the mailing address. The Embassy responded on the same day.
  • Tip: Check that the filing acceptance letter had the correct mailing address. There was an error on ours, hence this step. The next correspondence is by post!
• Oct 27, 2023: Receive I-130 approval and Packet 3 by post
  • We had been anxiously checking our e-mail inboxes/refreshing regularly only to find out it’s by snail mail
  • The packet contains instructions on next steps: application instructions for the DS-260, arranging a medical exam, a letter to verify that a foreign authority is requesting Police Certificate (for countries that require it), a checklist to (snail) mail back to the Embassy which will initiate the appointment booking process
• Oct 29, 2023: DS-260 submitted, with confirmation on submission
• Oct 30, 2023: Begin process for other required documents
  • (Providing this to give an indicative time frame relative to the whole application process)
  • Request for Singapore police certificate appeal (timeline not included here, but it took about 5-7 days in total to the certificate in hand)
  • Scheduled medical exam
• Oct 31, 2023: Medical exam
  • (Providing this to give an indicative time frame relative to the whole application process)
  • Before the appointment could be made, the clinics needed additional information with passport, DS-260 confirmation, and Case Number. It's not as straightforward as just booking, as an FYI.
  • I needed several vaccines and it got pricey at their approved clinic (total was SGD1.2K), but it was fast. Needed to go to another location for the X-Ray.
• Nov 6, 2023: Ask Embassy if we can mail the checklist yet while Police Clearance if pending
  • Embassy responded on the same day advising to mail the checklist
• Nov 8, 2023: Checklist sent by same-day courier
  • Re-sent by private courier (scanned copies) as the local mail delivery/previous attempt from the 6th had some delays
• Nov 14, 2023: Receive e-mail to register on waitlist to schedule interview appointment
  • This was from the USTravelDocs portal, and approval is needed after submitting
•  Nov 15, 2023: Request to Schedule has been approved e-mail
  • This allows the Beneficiary to select an interview slot
• Nov 15, 2023: Appointment Confirmed e-mail
  • E-mail confirmation sent
• Nov 24, 2023: Appointment reminder e-mail from the Embassy
• Nov 29, 2023: Interview
  • Arrived about 30 minutes early, and allowed to go inside to wait
  • IV applicants were seated in the back of the room until they were called up
  • Clerk called to counter to collect additional paperwork (civil documents), given domestic violence pamphlet, and instructions on how to the Interview Fee, then return the receipt to clerk
  • Called up by the CO for interview. I was asked a few basic questions about my education, where I attended university, how the Petitioner and I met, where/when we got married, age/birthplace/citizenship of children, and summarize domestic violence rights of immigrants
  • Informed me that we could move forward, and that my passport would be held for stamping and it would take 3-5 days
  • In total this took about 1.5 hours in the Embassy
• Dec 7, 2023: (Midnight) Notification of passport ready for collection at pick-up point
  • Passport collected, and returned items included a sealed manila envelope (do not open!) to be handed over to the immigration officer upon arrival to the US
  • There were also instructions on how to pay an Immigrant fee, which was recommended prior to departure

 

We flew the week after for reunification! At entry, the immigration officer opened the sealed envelope, and the process did take slightly longer than others going through. The officer informed me I would be able to study, work, enter/exit as a permanent resident from that point on, and took my most recent address on where to mail the physical green card.

 

Hope this helps, and good luck to all!

Edited December 19, 2023 by uncle_chai

[millefleur 5,046]

Thank you for coming back and updating us! 

[Dashinka 24,493]

I agree, thanks for sharing the experience.  We seem to be seeing more DCF questions now and this may be very helpful.

 

Good Luck!