Bomjeito

I realize there are threads and wikis, but I've not found the answer.

The DCF timeline?

We submitted the DCF and I got an email that it was received for processing (in London) on 14 Jan. According to the London USCIS website, they aren't even processing any I130s from January 2010 yet. 10 Feb we received a letter that our I130 has been approved and is being forwarded to the London State Dept.

We've not received anything further yet. I understand the next letter will be for our next steps.

Any thoughts from past DCF London experiences?

I130 received: 14 Jan
Approval of petition received: 10 Feb

Noorah101

I'm really surprised you couldn't find any DCF timelines here. There have been plenty of people doing DCF in the recent past. Did you find their threads? They must have mentioned a timeline somewhere in there. Did you search using the keyword DCF?

Rene

Noorah101

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/DCF_I-130_Filed_In_London

Your answer is in the Wiki, you don't even have to read very far to see it. I'm surprised you didn't notice it.

Rene

Bomjeito

Noorah, thanks. I'm not trying to upset the veteran folks here.

I am looking for folks with experience with the DCF in London, and looked for support.

I hope wiki is not the end all?

But thanks for pointing it out, I've long read it and understand it.

Anyone out there still here having gone through the DCF in London - I'd greatly appreciate any personal experiences on their wait time, especially if it is recent.

Thank you. I truly meant no offense or to indicate lack of respect for the wiki.

Bomjeito

working on deleting question. thanks all.

Noorah101

No offense taken, and no need to delete the question, I'm sure there are DCF folks here who will share their timelines with you. The Wiki is not an "end-all", no, just a guideline.

Just curious, are you hoping to hear something different than a 4 - 6 month turnaround?

Rene

avanutria

My timeline lives on my profile at Dive Into America - a lot of people there did that. Here's a copy:

June 2009: Assembling paperwork for the I-130

7 July 2009: Filed I-130
8 July: DH met with GP to discuss needed jabs
9 July: Took cat to vet to discuss needed jabs
14 July: Embassy returned duplicate forms
15 July: Credit card charged £223.58 by embassy
16 July: Received email confirming receipt of form with official filing date of 15 July (NOA1?)

20 August: Received letter confirming approval of I-130 application, dated 18 August (NOA2?)

2 September: Noticed that my address is wrong on the NOA2 - I'm in London, not Warwick! Start to worry...
8 September: DH calls the extortion line and learns that everything is OK. The packet was sent on the 4th, he was given his case number, and the operator confirmed that my address is correct in the files.
8 September: DH books his medical for tomorrow.
9 September: DS-230 and DS-2001 submission
9 September: DH has his medical; no problems. He's told the Embassy should have the results by Tuesday (6 days).
12 September: Received Packet 3 from Embassy - redundant now, but nice to have!
21 September: Received interview date letter! Interview will be on 8 October.

8 October: IR-1 Visa approved! Got x-rays back too.
12 October: Received passport/visa via courier, along with mysterious brown envelope

9 December: flight over, no problems!

Bomjeito

I was looking for a time line, not a time frame.

1. I-130 - receipt to approval xxx weeks/months.
2. IVU - request for documentation (ie, 'we' got your I-130, now the next steps are...) - xxx weeks/months after I-130.

And so forth.

I read the wiki at least 10 times. I understand clearly the start to finish is 4-6months. But that isn't a time line. That is a time frame. I understand the time frame of 4-6 months for start to finish clearly as the sky. What I was wondering was the time frames inside the total time frame. The wiki could be useful in that manner.

I also have read gobs of DCF posts here where things got lost or stuck. So if I had a relative experience idea that if we haven't heard a peep from London State Dept in say xxx weeks, for example, that they are aware our I-130 has been approved, then I can start asking around.

Some posts in the search then say folks sent in their next DS230 - did they get any prompt from London State Dept? Did London State Dept send a letter from their IVU requesting our next steps? This is a question that I do not see answered in the wiki.

So do we simply wait for London IVU to contact us?

Thanks avanutria! Your post appears to state that you went ahead and made appointments for medical and interview ands ending in DS230 without London State Dept asking you to? (Is that what we should be doing now instead of waiting for another letter TELLING us to do that?)

Noorah101

Oops, my bad. I see what you were looking for now.

Rene

Bomjeito

Rene, when its all done and over, I'll let you know my timeline and maybe it can help others later! That is always nice.

thanks for all the help, and mostly the time and effort you put into the DCF wiki! It makes it all easier for new folks.

lansbury

You need to wait until you get a letter from the visa unit. It will direct you to a web site with all the instructions on, but more importantly it will give you your London case number. You can't book medicals etc without that number.

Bit old now but for what it is worth


IR-1 Timeline
2006-06-08 I-130 sent to US Embassy London
2006-06-21 NOA1 received file date 14-06-06
2006-09-08 NOA2 approved received
2006-09-18 Packet 3 Received
2006-09-23 Packet 3 Returned
2006-09-28 Medical completed
2006-10-13 Packet 4 received
2006-10-31 Interview - Approved
2006-11-02 Visa received
2006-11-19 Arrived in USA (POE Portland Oregon)
2006-12-09 Social Security Number received
2006-12-11 Welcome to America letter received
2006-12-14 Green Card received

See http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new...ivprocess.html and the web page I mentioned above http://www.usembassy.org.uk/cons_new...iv/ds2001.html

meauxna

Yes.
The Embassy/London site has the processing date for I-130 there, and instructions on what to do next.

S Folinsky

It pays to remember -- "Your mileage may vary." One of my first cases involved two I-130's by a father for his twin daughters -- filed same time, same documents, same lawyer -- one took 21 days, the other generated an "RFE" and took 10 months.

avanutria

Once DH received his case number, we went ahead and made medical/interview plans without further prompting. I think the letter with the case number actually said to do that, too. Don't wait for further prompting - if you've received your case number then as far as they're concerned the ball is in your court.

To book the medical, just ring up. Have your case number handy. We made sure to do this before we sent in the DS-2001 so we could fill in the blank asking for the date of the medical.

This thread might be useful - it highlights people who have made their DCF timelines available in their profiles.

http://forum.diveintoamerica.com/showthread.php?t=5865

Edit - I've just reread, and if I understand correctly, you've been told that the I-130 has been approved but have not yet heard anything with a case number? If this is correct, and it's been several weeks or more without hearing anything, and you're DCF filing, you may want to ring the hotline to ask whether you should have received anything by now. Our I-130 approval came in the middle of last year's postal strikes in London, and we didn't get the notification on time, so we rang to ask. DH was told his case number over the phone, and we were able to proceed from there with booking medicals etc.

If you were approved for the I-130 on 10 Feb, I'd wait till March 5 or so and then call them.

frank09

Hey,

If you look through my previous threads you can see my experience of just having completed the process.

here's my timeline:
Filed my wife's I-130 on October 14th - Letter sent to me that it was approved dated October 19th. Packet 3 recieved October 29th.

A week or so later discovered that I had insufficient evidence of my physical presence in the US to pass on citizenship to my kids and so on November 23rd submiited I-130's for them and was adivsed to wait for their Packet 3's till I proceeded with my wife's case as they would all be linked.

January 7th Packet 3 for kids came.

January 11th DS-230 I and DS-2001's sent.

Jan 20th Medical

Jan 21st - Informed via email that a letter with Interview date (Packet 4) was being posted for interview on Jan 9th

Jan 23rd - Packet 4 for all arrived

Feb 9th- Interview at 8 am

Feb 9th- Left embassy at 9.15 with happy faces!

If I wouldn't have had the complication with the kids I honestly belive I would have had the whole process done within 6 weeks.

Here's some tips for a speedier processing. Look ahead now for what will be required once you recieve your packet 3. Right now I would sort get the police certificate(s) sorted. Also, the IRS returns for the sponsor, get them sorted. And all supporting I-864 paperwork too. This very importantly included DOMICILE, that paperwork is essential. Those are the time consuming things that, if you have on hand as soon as you recieve the Packet 3, you can be very nearly to send off the De-230I and DS-2001. Also, as soon as Packet 3 arrives (or if you call the information lines and get your cae number earlier) book your medical and put that date on the DS-2001.

Looking through my threads you'll see that I wanted it as quick as possible and emails to the embassy were answered brilliantly and speedily. In fact, taking into account a pause of a month we were done within 3 months.

The key is to be as overpreapred with paperwork as possible.