mlw500

Hey,

Thanks for everyone's reply. We've decided that we'll marry next year a couple of months earlier than planned and apply for the visa before we go over while we are in Ireland.

Everyones comments have been a great help in us deciding what to do, and i'm sure i'll be back on here soon enough and be pestering everyone with all new questions.

All the best and have a great christmas

meauxna

What about the Embassy link I posted?
Dublin can do them, Belfast can not.

BritishGuy36

Somehow I missed your link.

I was going off the info from this page:

https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?ac...statecode=Rome

"Service Area
The London Field Office has jurisdiction over U.S. immigration matters in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden."

The OP has said they are in 'Ireland' but not specified North or Republic - one would presume the republic in which case it appears that both embassies can adjudicate the petition. If it's Northern Ireland then it looks like London only.

Of course, it could be faster to use London anyway, since is known to have the shortest wait time of any field office in the world.

jeffreyhy

BG,

This is where it's important to distinguish between DCF processing and CIS processing. I-130's submitted in the UK will be processed by CIS, I-130s submitted in other countries will be processed by the consulates in those countries even though the countries are in the region covered by the London CIS office.

Regards, JEff

BritishGuy36

I don't believe I understood the 'distinction', at least not from that explanation. Could you expand?

It doesn't help that we use terms that aren't official, like DCF, so perhaps you could propose an official equivalent.

meauxna

Consulates accept the I-130 for USCs living in their District, unless there is a USCIS Field Office there that does it.
The list of Overseas Field Offices is presumably at the link you last posted (it didn't work for me).

CIS has given permission for Consular Officers to adjudicate I-130s when the USC is resident abroad. If there is a local CIS office, there is no need for the CO to do their job for them.

London is a sub office of Rome (as is Athens which is why I ever looked at this in the first place). I had a similar misunderstanding to you then, and thought my I-130 would have to go to Rome. However, it went to Athens.

The FAM explains it here: http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/88018.pdf
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has delegated authority to accept and adjudicate petitions for a status accorded to certain relatives to consular officers assigned to visa-issuing posts abroad where there is no U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) overseas office.

BritishGuy36

Thanks, but that still doesn't help me understand what 'DCF' and 'CIS' processing is, and what's the difference.

Presumably CIS processing in the case in question would be in Dublin, and DCF in London.

And there still appears to be nothing to say that the OP couldn't send his petition to London.

meauxna

DCF = Direct Consular Filing
The ability to file the petition with a Consular Officer.

CIS processing/filing = filing with the USCIS office.

So, the opposite of your example. DCF = Dublin (I-130 is approved locally and visa application completed there.. some places you file it all concurrently) and CIS would be London, where you file the I-130 to the CIS office, get it approved and then apply for the visa.

Dublin is fast too; London in fact is not all that fast in the 'DCF' scheme of things because it's a very busy post. Our similar "non-DCF" case in Athens took 33 days.
I don't believe he qualifies to send I-130 to London due to their residency requirements.

BritishGuy36

Hmmm.....but if one lived in the UK, the 'DCF' office is London, correct?

Also I don't know why the webpage would say that the RoI is under London's jurisdiction if the OP wasn't allowed to send it there.

jeffreyhy

If one lives in the UK there is no DCF - no consular filing. The filing is done with CIS, not with the consular section of the embassy. Although the CIS office is located with the consular offices in the embassy compound, the CIS office is still a part of DHS, not DoS.

Yes the Republic of Ireland is under the jurisdiction of the London CIS Sub Office. However, CIS does not have an office or any personnel there, so it allows the consular officers in Dublin to process I-130s for US citizens who are living there - i.e. DCF.

Regards, JEff