DCF I-130 US Embassy Manila (PLEASE HELP)

[edba2406 0]

Manilaraf.... Thank you so much for your feedback and sharing your experienced.... I believe our case are very strong as we submitted all possible requirements for I-130 application.

What other documents will they need moving forward other than the Affidavit of support?

[manilaraf 28]

Oh, sorry to hear this. Unfortunately, I think you should expect it to take anywhere from 15 months-2 years. I'm also an American citizen with 2 children who are both American citizens, my spouse is from the EU and we've been married for over 9 years, and STILL it's taken us since Oct. 2013 to finally get to the point where my husband will have his interview here in Helsinki on April 9th. And I know it stinks, but since she is from the Phillipines, she might expect a harder/longer time. I'm not racist by any means, but I say this because some of my good, personal friends are from the Phillipines, and the always, sadly, seem to face discrimination just because of where they are from. Is there any way to avoid the separation? If you were to stay there? I can't imagine how hard it will be to be apart . . .

I'm guessing you filed via the USCIS lockbox system since USCIS doesn't have an office in Helsinki. Just note that you're replying to someone who's filing DCF with the US Embassy Manila, so the timeline is much more compressed.

The DCF process goes by very quickly. From the day I filed the I-130 directly with USCIS Manila, it took just a day under two months to when my wife had her Passport with her IR-1 visa printed inside.

Good luck with your husband's interview. If you can make it over to Helsinki to be there with him for the interview, it really does help. Godspeed.

Edited March 18, 2015 by manilaraf

[manilaraf 28]

Manilaraf.... Thank you so much for your feedback and sharing your experienced.... I believe our case are very strong as we submitted all possible requirements for I-130 application.

What other documents will they need moving forward other than the Affidavit of support?

Read through the post that's linked in my signature. It details everything we went through and everything we prepared for the Medical and the Interview.

Once you get approved and get your MNL Case number from the Immigrant Visa Section of USEM (US Embassy Manila), they'll send you an attachment with instructions on how to proceed.

That attachment is publicly available here on the USEM website:

IV Applicant Interview Preparation Instructions (English)

I see you've gone through this via K-1 before, it's very very similar. I suggest getting all the required documents (NBI, Marriage Certificate, CEMAR, etc) ahead of time. If you haven't filed your 2014 1040 returns with the IRS, get them done and filed now since most likely it'll be close enough or beyond Apr 15th so that they'll be asking for that instead of the 2013 1040 to support your AoS come interview time.

Oh, as a DCF filer, you send NOTHING to NVC or the Embassy. Everything goes with you to USEM on interview day.

EDIT: DO NOT fill out the DS-260 until you have the MNL Case number or get a go ahead from IV-Manila!

Edited March 18, 2015 by manilaraf

[manilaraf 28]

The US Embassy Manila DCF said, it will take up to 6 to 9 months. However, I have read on this site that some have completed the process within a month or more. Trying to find out how I can complete this in a month or two.

That would be the timeline the USCIS officer behind the glass at USEM told me as well, but having checked out other threads regarding DCF via USEM, if you stay active and don't sit back and wait for things to happen, it goes by much quicker.

If I didn't follow up via phone with USCIS-Manila as well as emailed IV-Manila after I found out from USCIS-Manila that we were approved, I'd probably still be waiting for "Packet 3" to arrive.

Edited March 18, 2015 by manilaraf

[edba2406 0]

We came here on April 2013 and didn't work 2013 and 2014. The latest I have is 2012

[manilaraf 28]

I'm guessing you filed via the USCIS lockbox system since USCIS doesn't have an office in Helsinki. Just note that you're replying to someone who's filing DCF with the US Embassy Manila, so the timeline is much more compressed.

The DCF process goes by very quickly. From the day I filed the I-130 directly with USCIS Manila, it took just a day under two months to when my wife had her Passport with her IR-1 visa printed inside.

Good luck with your husband's interview. If you can make it over to Helsinki to be there with him for the interview, it really does help. Godspeed.

Oy, that should read a day under 3 months. I was thinking 2 months and change while I typed that and I guess the 2 got hit instead of 3.

[manilaraf 28]

We came here on April 2013 and didn't work 2013 and 2014. The latest I have is 2012

Hmm, you will need to show income that'll put you over the 125% poverty level for your family size.

(See I-864P here http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864p.pdf)

If you don't have work lined up yet, you might need to get a joint sponsor, preferably a close relative with the income to put you all over the top of the income requirements.

[manilaraf 28]

We came here on April 2013 and didn't work 2013 and 2014. The latest I have is 2012

Oh wow, ok so that's why this happened. As a green card holder, you're not supposed to stay outside the US for more than a year without having a reentry permit. Add to that the fact that the wife's GC expired while you were here:

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

[edba2406 0]

Hmm, you will need to show income that'll put you over the 125% poverty level for your family size.

(See I-864P here http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-864p.pdf)

If you don't have work lined up yet, you might need to get a joint sponsor, preferably a close relative with the income to put you all over the top of the income requirements.

With God's Blessing, I recieved a job offer and will be starting on March 23. I make over 6 digits salary and that's over 125% poerty level. I just don't have 2013 and 2014 W2 since I did not work after we left the US.

[edba2406 0]

Oh wow, ok so that's why this happened. As a green card holder, you're not supposed to stay outside the US for more than a year without having a reentry permit. Add to that the fact that the wife's GC expired while you were here:

http://www.uscis.gov/green-card/after-green-card-granted/international-travel-permanent-resident

Yes, she was not supposed to stay here longer than one year but we had no plans to stay here since we came here ONLY to attend a wedding. However, she was almost 5 months pregnant and had complication traveling here in the Philippines. She had contractions and bleeding and doctor advised her to be on bed rest. Could not fly and after the baby was born, it took a year for the US Citizenship to complete for my son.

[manilaraf 28]

With God's Blessing, I recieved a job offer and will be starting on March 23. I make over 6 digits salary and that's over 125% poerty level. I just don't have 2013 and 2014 W2 since I did not work after we left the US.

If that's the case:

1) Try to get a letter from HR or someone stating your current pay level and your expected salary for this year. It'll help you prove that you'll exceed the income requirements by a good margin.

2) If you didn't file your IRS 1040, you have to write a letter stating why you didn't file for those years. If you were like me and didn't file because you didn't meet the income requirements for filing ($20,000 when filing married, jointly in our case) you'll just have that letter handy when you submit your I-864 (AoS) come interview time. (Just now saw that you didn't work, so the above still holds true). This letter is actually required if you read through the I-864 instructions.

3) If need be, especially since you won't have the income proof via 1040, you can submit proof of assets (bank accounts, real estate holdings, securities, etc). Again, it's all there when you read the I-864. (And I just realized, you may already have done an I-864 in the past as part of the Adjustment of Status, so don't mind me ).

Edited March 18, 2015 by manilaraf

[manilaraf 28]

Yes, she was not supposed to stay here longer than one year but we had no plans to stay here since we came here ONLY to attend a wedding. However, she was almost 5 months pregnant and had complication traveling here in the Philippines. She had contractions and bleeding and doctor advised her to be on bed rest. Could not fly and after the baby was born, it took a year for the US Citizenship to complete for my son.

I'd go back to the hospital and get a Discharge Summary as well as a Medical Certificate from the OB-Gyn. It'll probably help if you run into the inevitable question of why this happened come interview time. And definitely bring all the paperwork involved in doing the CRBA (Consular Report of Birth Abroad)/Citizenship/Passport of your son.

[Pennycat 880]

?? Now this doesn't make sense. Why would I need others to decide if it's rude or not? It was. End of story. I know the queation wasn't asking about my situation, but I was trying to give a basis as to why I suggested it would take so long, and my experience was a case in point. If you people on here who haven't experienced prejudice, then I'm happy for them, truly! I wish it never ever did but it does happen and is something to consider.

Philippines petitions were being expedited as a humanitarian effort due to the typhoons in late 2013. They seem to still be expedited, although no one is completely sure (it certainly appears that they are, if you look at the VJ data). That's what they're talking about with you having it all wrong. Also the OP was asking about direct counselor filing which is much faster than the standard spousal visa petition (which is what you gave timeframes for).

Yes, some countries are harder than others to get US visas from, not sure the Philippines is really stand-out on either end of the spectrum, depending on the visa. I can certainly see how that feels like discrimination (my fiance is in Costa Rica and didn't get a tourist visa to come visit me, I get it), but really it's about meeting the requirements of that visa. Some countries have a large population that can meet the requirements, some don't.

[guitarjam 5]

I filed a I-130 Petition at the US Embassy Manila on March 12, 2015. Does anyone know how we can expedite the process?

Was this done thru the Embassy Outreach Visit, Homeland Security Section at the Azzuro Hotel, across from the Casino Filipino last Thursday? This is considered DCF, which I don't think is any faster.

I submitted two I-130's for my Spouse & Stepson there at that time myself, its been a week and I have not received anything from the USCIS.

Edited March 19, 2015 by guitarjam

[manilaraf 28]

Was this done thru the Embassy Outreach Visit, Homeland Security Section at the Azzuro Hotel, across from the Casino Filipino last Thursday? This is considered DCF, which I don't think is any faster.

I submitted two I-130's for my Spouse & Stepson there at that time myself, its been a week and I have not received anything from the USCIS.

Call USCIS Manila this week or next and ask for an update or if they've been approved. Don't wait for them to send you anything.