Elavod

@randomstairs do you see it affecting ongoing DCF cases?

Hi everyone, I wanted to share an update on our DCF process, especially for those who might be in a similar situation. After the I-130 was approved, we’ve completed the DS-260 form, but are currently stuck at the stage before we can schedule our consular interview. We ran into this issue right as the system transitioned to a new scheduling platform. As of October 26th, 2024, the new system for scheduling appointments is: https://www.usvisascheduling.com You can also find a notice of this change here: Germany - Notice of System Change (PDF) The problem we’re facing is that when we try to create an application in this new system, we are asked for a “NVC/KCC Case Number.” However, the case number given to us by the consulate (which starts with “FRN2024…”) is not being recognized. The error message we receive is: “The Case Number entered is invalid. Please confirm your Case Number and re-enter it.” We’ve reached out to support via the application portal and provided screenshots of the issue. Unfortunately, after a week, we still haven’t received any concrete solutions. I’ll keep you posted if we get a resolution, but if anyone else has faced this and found a workaround, I’d love to hear your advice. Hopefully, this helps anyone else going through the same transition!

Thanks! Alright, I'll try to get the missing pay stubs.

Hi @pushbrk Thanks for your message! My dad only has the corporate income, and it's not very significant. If I take my mom's latest pay slip from her main job, and adjust by the number of pay periods in one year, I get a figure in excess of $200k... would this be enough to qualify (their household size is 3), or should I try to get pay slips from her other two activities? Best,

Thanks a lot for your answer, that's very clear! 🙂

Hi Dashinka, Thanks for your message! Yes, we are on the same page 🙂 However, I have some doubt of whether I've gathered enough evidence from my Joint Sponsor. I'm pasting here my previous post: Hi everyone, I need some help determining whether I have enough evidence for my I-864 submission. Recap of my I-864 Situation: - I am the Petitioner Sponsor with no qualifying income. - My mother is the Joint Sponsor, with three sources of wages (let's call them A, B, and C) and a corporation. - My father is a household member of the Joint Sponsor, he is retired but has a corporation making him some income. - They file taxes jointly. - Any of my mother’s three wage sources alone is sufficient to meet the income requirement. Documents I’ve gathered so far: - Mother and father’s joint tax returns for 2023 (both IRS transcript and photocopies of their personal records, including Form 7203 for each corporation). - Mother and father’s joint tax returns for 2022 (IRS transcript) - Mother's 2023, 2022 and 2021 W-2s from Source A. - Mother's 2023 W-2 from Source B. - Mother's 2023 1099 from Source C. - Mother’s Source A pay stubs for the past six months. Do I have enough evidence for my I-864 submission? Am I missing anything that’s required or good to include? Do you definitely recommend that my father files the I-864A form? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Hi @Dashinka @pushbrk @Crazy Cat Our I-130 was approved today! 🙂 Do you have experience with Form I-864? Could you advice me on the issue described above? Thank you very much for your time.

Hi everyone. Our I-130 petition was approved today! ✌️ I'm sharing the instructions for next steps provided by the consulate, for reference. * Step 1: Complete & send your online application DS-260 Complete the DS-260 “Immigrant Visa Application Form” online for each applicant, save and print the confirmation page. IMPORTANT, please select “Frankfurt” as the processing post. Once completed, please send the DS-260 confirmation to us as PDF via email. Please go to “Immigrant Visas” and proceed to “Provide or update my DS-260/ DS-160”. * Step 2: Choose visa delivery method & submit interview appointment request Go to ustraveldocs.com to create an account. This website will allow you to select a visa delivery method and to schedule an appointment for your visa interview. Choose your visa delivery method before your appointment. Registering provides us with the information we need to return your passport to you after your interview. As soon as our office has received your DS-260 confirmation page via email (Step 1), and you have submitted an appointment request, our office will be able to approve your appointment request. * Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist Prior to scheduling your appointment, you must obtain all documents listed below that pertain to your case and bring them to your visa interview. DO NOT send them to this office by mail. Please refer to the Document Finder to learn about the civil document requirements for each country. You must be prepared to present the originals of all civil documents plus one copy each. The originals will be returned to you after the visa interview. Our office accepts documents in English or German. All documents not in English or German must be accompanied by an English translation. Translations must be certified by a competent and registered translator. Do not separate original and copy. - A copy of your interview appointment confirmation scheduled at ustraveldocs - DS-260 confirmation: Confirmation page of your DS-260 online application submitted at CEAC. - Passport: Your unexpired passport must be valid for six (6) months beyond your intended date of entry to the United States. - Proof of prior U.S. visas: If you have been issued any type of non-immigrant visa to the United States (for example, tourist, student, or work visas) bring your passport containing the visa to your interview. - Birth certificate: You and each family member immigrating with you must obtain an original birth certificate or certified copy. The date and place of birth and parent(s) name(s) must be shown on the birth certificate. If you or any of your children were adopted, you must also submit a certified copy of the final adoption decree. - Marital status documents (not required if never married): Marriage certificate if you are married. Legal termination of any prior marriages, e.g. divorce decree or death certificate of ex-spouse. - Police certificate(s): If you are 16 years of age or older, you must obtain police certificates from all countries you have lived in using below criteria: If you… Are 16 years old or older AND you… Lived in your country of nationality for more than 6 months at any time in your life THEN submit a police certificate from… Your country of nationality If you… Are 16 years old or older AND you… Have lived in your country of current residence (if different from nationality) for more than 6 months THEN submit a police certificate from… Your country of current residence If you… Have ever lived in another country for 12 months or more AND you… Were 16 years or older at the time you lived there THEN submit a police certificate from… The country where you used to live If you… Were arrested for any reason, regardless of how long you lived in that city or country, and no matter what age you were THEN submit a police certificate from… The city and/or country where you were arrested Note: Present and former residents of the United States do NOT need to submit any U.S. police certificates. Important: Police certificates expire after two years, unless the certificate was issued from your country of previous residence, and you have not returned there since the police certificate was issued. All police certificates with an entry must be accompanied by a certified English translation. - Court and prison record: Persons who have been convicted of a crime must submit each court record and any prison record, regardless of whether they benefited from an amnesty, pardon, or other act of clemency. English translations must be provided for all court and prison records. - Military record: A military service record, if applicable and obtainable, is required. Evidence of financial support: - The appropriate Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for each financial sponsor along with a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript or most recent U.S. federal income tax return, and any relevant W-2s - Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s (and if applicable) joint sponsor’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card). - Biometric photo: One color photograph for each applicant, regardless of age, is required (less than 6 months old, without glasses). Please write the applicant’s name on the back of the photograph. Further guidance is available on our website. Petitioner documents: - If you are applying for an IR5 visa as the parent of a U.S. citizen or for an F4 visa as the brother or sister of a U.S. citizen: You must obtain an original birth certificate for your petitioner, or a certified copy. - If you are applying for an IR1, CR1, or F2A visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident and your petitioning spouse was previously married: You must obtain evidence of the termination of EVERY prior marriage your petitioning spouse has had. This evidence must be an original or certified copy of one of the following documents: FINAL legal divorce decree, death certificate, or annulment papers. - Medical examination: You (and each family member or “derivative applicant” applying for a visa with you) are required to schedule a medical appointment with one of our approved panel physicians. Note that you do not need to contact the Consulate and may attend your regularly scheduled interview even if the appointment for the medical examination is after your interview day. You will be interviewed, and the processing of your case completed once the medical examination results have been received by the respective case worker. The list of approved physicians and additional information is available here. * Step 4: Your visa interview appointment On the day of your interview, please submit the following: - your visa delivery registration (see Step 2) - the required documents, originals and copies (see Step 3) - Immigrant visa fee - 325 USD for family-based Immigrant visas We accept the following payment option at the U.S. Consulate Frankfurt: Cash (U.S. dollars or Euro) or credit cards, no EC cards The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview: - U.S. citizen/ U.S. LPR petitioners - Interpreter: Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or German well enough to participate in an interview Special Needs Visitors: Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the consulate while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. This process can take up to 14 business days. The visa will be sent to you via the delivery method selected at Step 2. IMPORTANT: No advance assurance can be given when or whether your visa will be issued. You should NOT resign from your place of employment, sell property, or make any final travel arrangements until the visa has been issued and is in your possession. Step 5: After visa approval Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. Attention: Visa applicants will receive a sealed envelope containing documents that they must give to U.S. immigration authorities when they arrive in the United States for the first time. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you; do not put it in your checked luggage. If your case was processed as an electronic case and your visa contains the following annotation “IV DOCS IN CCD”, you will NOT receive a sealed envelope. USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to USCIS prior to traveling to the United States. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa. Your visa cannot be extended, and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you have provided on your DS-260 form (Step 1). Once you become a lawful permanent resident you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will lose your status as a lawful permanent resident.

@TonyaJackson Can I ask what the process was? Did you request DCF via email and got denied? Or did you get approved at first, and then denied after filing the I-130 petition?

I recently got married via Utah online wedding and got a "Marriage License" completed with "Certificate of Marriage", and a note saying "This is an Official Certificate of Marriage"... I am attaching it in case it helps.

Hi everyone, I need some help determining whether I have enough evidence for my I-864 submission. Recap of my I-864 Situation: - I am the Petitioner Sponsor with no qualifying income. - My mother is the Joint Sponsor, with three sources of wages (let's call them A, B, and C) and a corporation. - My father is a household member of the Joint Sponsor, he is retired but has a corporation making him some income. - They file taxes jointly. - Any of my mother’s three wage sources alone is sufficient to meet the income requirement. Documents I’ve gathered so far: - Mother and father’s joint tax returns for 2023 (both IRS transcript and photocopies of their personal records, including Form 7203 for each corporation). - Mother and father’s joint tax returns for 2022 (IRS transcript) - Mother's 2023, 2022 and 2021 W-2s from Source A. - Mother's 2023 W-2 from Source B. - Mother's 2023 1099 from Source C. - Mother’s Source A pay stubs for the past six months. Do I have enough evidence for my I-864 submission? Am I missing anything that’s required or good to include? Do you definitely recommend that my father files the I-864A form? Thanks in advance for your advice!

Absolutely, that makes perfect sense! I’ll provide as much information as I can to support the case. That said, my parents are sending me their documents gradually—it seems like it’s taking some time for them to dig everything up (e.g., they each have W-2s from multiple sources). If there’s any way we could omit my father’s income, it would definitely ease the burden of proof on our end. By the way, I just read your bio about your time in the US Air Force—impressive! Thank you for your service.

Thanks. So, since my mother's income alone is sufficient, no need to include my father's income and no need for him to file 864A, correct?

Thanks for this! I checked the I-864 instructions, and it says that submitting evidence of current income is optional unless specifically requested by a U.S. Government official. However, I understand that it can still be useful to provide this evidence to demonstrate ongoing income and avoid potential delays. Since my mother’s income from her job is stable and well above the required level, I might include her recent pay stubs or ask for an employment letter just to be safe. That way, there’s a clear picture of both past and current income. But again, this is in principle "optional", right?

Hi @babyjk I am just a newbie here, so don't take my word for granted. I am in the process of sponsoring my spouse and filing the I-864. In my understanding, if you are NOT using your household member's income to qualify, then you do not need to mention them in Part 6 of the I-864 and they do not need to file the I-864A. Maybe senior members like @Dashinka or @pushbrk can confirm this.