USC petitioner living abroad

[oohpartiv 484]

11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? No. 21 days.

Three weeks isn't an auto-expedite in your book?

[lost_at_sea 995]

Three weeks isn't an auto-expedite in your book?

I mistakenly included our process in this thread, thinking the OP was looking for *any* journeys, regardless of DCF or not - rather than just I-130 filed from abroad. Ours was done DCF, 3 weeks is normal for London DCF. I can't delete or edit my post now, however.

[Jessica1972 0]

Just wanted to add my information to the stats

1. Country USC resides in: Belgium
2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No
3. When did you file the I-130: January 2012
4. How long had you been living abroad: 18 years
5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes
6. What is the reason for your residence: work permit/student/tourist/ other--this is my other country of citizenship.
7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes
8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes
9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? .No
10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes
11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? 98 days including 1 RFE

[kitchen_princess 1]

Hurray, our I-130 was approved today! Here's my information. My husband is the USC.

1. Country USC resides in: Canada at the time of filing, but he moved to the US while we were waiting for a decision

2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No
3. When did you file the I-130: March 2013
4. How long had you been living abroad: 28 years
5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes
6. What is the reason for your residence: work permit/student/tourist/ OTHER - my husband has lived in Canada nearly all his life, and I have for 15 years
7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes, but we informed USCIS of my husband's US address when he moved
8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes
9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? .Yes, we included utility bills (mostly to prove that we live together)
10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes
11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? 75 days, which is much quicker than I was bracing myself for.

[burnabrenna 19]

Hurray, our I-130 was approved today! Here's my information. My husband is the USC.

1. Country USC resides in: Canada at the time of filing, but he moved to the US while we were waiting for a decision

2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No

3. When did you file the I-130: March 2013

4. How long had you been living abroad: 28 years

5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes

6. What is the reason for your residence: work permit/student/tourist/ OTHER - my husband has lived in Canada nearly all his life, and I have for 15 years

7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes, but we informed USCIS of my husband's US address when he moved

8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes

9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? .Yes, we included utility bills (mostly to prove that we live together)

10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes

11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? 75 days, which is much quicker than I was bracing myself for.

This gives me hope! It's been 70 days so far for us, still hoping for a semi-early approval. Congrats!

[Jessica1972 0]

Just wanted to add my information to the stats

1. Country USC resides in: Belgium

2. Is there a USCIS field office in this country / Is DCF still possible? No

3. When did you file the I-130: January 2013

4. How long had you been living abroad: 18 years

5. Do you reside in the country legally? Yes

6. What is the reason for your residence: work permit/student/tourist/to be with husband

7. Did you list your foreign address on all forms in I-130 package? Yes

8. Did you send I-130 package from abroad? Yes

9. Did you include evidence of your residence abroad in the I-130 package? .No

10. Did you mention the fact you reside abroad in the cover letter or write a letter describing your current situation and the evolution of your relationship with your spouse (mentioning your residence abroad)? Yes

11. Has your case been "auto-expedited"? How long between NOA1 and NOA2? 98 days including 1 RFE

Sorry, should have read January 2013, not 2012

[oohpartiv 484]

I mistakenly included our process in this thread, thinking the OP was looking for *any* journeys, regardless of DCF or not - rather than just I-130 filed from abroad. Ours was done DCF, 3 weeks is normal for London DCF. I can't delete or edit my post now, however.

Ahh, gotcha.

[lucybelle 453]

This gives me hope! It's been 70 days so far for us, still hoping for a semi-early approval. Congrats!

87 days for me. I'm guessing I'm not in the expedite line. Stupid USCIS messed me up

[maksimov 15]

In order to improve the chances of getting expedited, do y'all recommend that I mention that I live abroad with my wife in the cover letter, in an attached letter explaining the evolution of our relationship, or both?

Auto-expedite aside, Is a letter about the evolution of our relationship advisable?

Thanks!

[MVM 1]

Hi,any chance of some of you telling me did any of you mail the forms from your address in Europe to the USA,will this be slower of faster and is it possible to receive the documents aboard in Europe?I would also like to know what did some of you write in the I 129F,did you use the address aboard where you live and was this a problem as I live in Europe for a very long time and I do not have a US address.Also if anyone knows,is there a DCF service in Belgrade or Montenegro by any chance and please share your time needed to go through the DCF,is it faster then the K1?I meet my fiance 2 years ago and ho long would we have to be married to be able to apply for the DCF and can you go to a near by Embassy in another country to do the DCF or only in your own?Thank you!

[AshleyLCBaker 7]

In order to improve the chances of getting expedited, do y'all recommend that I mention that I live abroad with my wife in the cover letter, in an attached letter explaining the evolution of our relationship, or both?

Auto-expedite aside, Is a letter about the evolution of our relationship advisable?

Thanks!

I was expedited fairly quickly and I actually didn't mention anything in my cover letter, mainly because I didn't know that it was a thing that people do before I sent in the petition. I thought it was fairly self-explanatory, though, because the package was mailed from Australia, I put my mailing address as Australia, etc. I did get a couple of sworn affidavits from people for proof of our relationship and I think they mentioned that my husband and I live together overseas in those.

I didn't write out a letter about our relationship either, as the affidavits sort of did that work for me. My husband and I have been married for more than four years and we have a one year old, so that might have helped with the bonafide thing. As for the expedite stuff, I'd think you'd be ok just mentioning it in your cover letter and making sure it's clear from the actual I-130 that you live abroad.

[MVM 1]

Hi,any chance of some of you telling me did any of you mail the forms from your address in Europe to the USA,will this be slower of faster and is it possible to receive the documents aboard in Europe?I would also like to know what did some of you write in the I 129F,did you use the address aboard where you live and was this a problem as I live in Europe for a very long time and I do not have a US address.Also if anyone knows,is there a DCF service in Belgrade or Montenegro by any chance and please share your time needed to go through the DCF,is it faster then the K1?I meet my fiance 2 years ago and ho long would we have to be married to be able to apply for the DCF and can you go to a near by Embassy in another country to do the DCF or only in your own?Thank you!

I have read that the eI-130 that is sent from aboard goes much faster,dose this also happen with sending the I-129F from aboard and using my European address where I live?

[Ryan H 3,812]

Also if anyone knows,is there a DCF service in Belgrade or Montenegro by any chance

No

and can you go to a near by Embassy in another country to do the DCF or only in your own?

DCF is only possible if you reside in a country where it is available. If it's not available in the country you reside in, then it's not an available path to you.

[MVM 1]

Did the USCIS make any problems or reject when some of you put your address in Europe in the I-129F or G-325A?I have been living in Europe for many years and I do not have a address in the US at this time,will it be a problem to put my Europe address on the forms and letter package?

[Chris & Trinh 15]

Did the USCIS make any problems or reject when some of you put your address in Europe in the I-129F or G-325A?I have been living in Europe for many years and I do not have a address in the US at this time,will it be a problem to put my Europe address on the forms and letter package?

Of course it is not a problem to put your foreign address. Many USC live abroad for long periods of time. The thing you will need to worry about is proving domicile. If you do not have a US address you will have to show intent to re-establish domicile at the NVC and Embassy interview stage.

As for the USCIS office there is no problem using your foreign address. As some have already mentioned in the past and maybe still, when the petitioner and beneficiary both lived abroad the USCIS stage of the process was quicker.

I am a USC living in Vietnam with my wife who is the beneficiary. We have been waiting exactly 3 months. Still no NOA2 yet. On all our paper work and in a cover letter I stated my Vietnamese address and that I was living abroad. It seems it is not helping me get through the process any faster.