guiri2000

Right - they won't give you an interview appointment until after you submit the I-130/I-130A, get approved and then submit the DS-260/packet 3.....Regardless we're starting our move anyways because I need to be in the USA next week (technically, I don't need to be here after I submitted the I-130 and it was approved)! Good luck in your journey back home

We're in the same situation! I'm the US Citizen, my husband is Spanish and we're moving back due to my job offer. I emailed the embassy early November, they replied back a few hours later with an appointment to submit the I-130 application (I had emailed them all the relevant documents in my first email to prove my circumstances). You don't need to send passports for the I-130 appointment, just bring both of them with you (and a copy) to the appointment in December. You'll be at the embassy for a few hours, so be patient (your spouse can't be there). You'll be able to leave with all your originals, so you can still plan to travel to USA (of course you still need to come back as you stated above). After this step, you will receive the approval via email with a case number to submit "package 3" of the documents (I got mine a week later) - which is basically everything else (i.e. DS-260, I-864, criminal record, copies of everything again, etc...). They will send you a checklist and you must mail everything original + copies (except for passports). Then, they will review all the paperwork and send you the final interview date for your spouse. We are currently at this step, waiting for the final interview date. We need the interview date to make the appointment for the medical check, so in a holding pattern right now. I believe at the final interview they do take your spouse's passport, but I think they return it with the visa inside a few days later (you don't need an appointment to pick it up, they leave it at another office nearby - I overheard someone at the Embassy saying some nearby Correos office, but I'm not sure).