Where to file DCF?

[alec_bauserman]

Hi everybody. Id like to submit I-130 through a DCF. I (the USC petitioner) live in Guiyang, Guizhou. I think I am in the Chengdu region but dont all the DCF's go to Guangzhou? Is it worth it to file the papers by hand? Thanks!

 

-Alec & Elf

[CR1togo]

There are some older posts concerning DCF here. I am sure you can file at the consulate in Chengdu (IF you have a China Resident Card). I believe it must be in person- it *may* then go to the Embassy in Beijing (someone from a Shanghai DCF reported this in their case-prior to GUZ) and FINALLY all DO in fact go through Guangzhou for the interview.

 

In addition to searching this forum for "DCF", there is a list of FAQ's Davidzixuan has posted.

 

Oh, WELCOME to CFL Alec and Elf!!! acw

[jbray]

I DFC-ed in February. Luckily I live in Chengdu, so it wasn't a big deal. Yes, you must have a residence permit. I have a student visa, so I have a one year permit... Yes, you have to do it in person (I believe). Ms. Ren (She is Chinese) is who I submitted my forms to. She was very helpful.

 

If you are in Chengdu's consular district, then it would be Chengdu that you would file with.

 

Yes, it is worth it to DCF. You are probably reading about how various visa processing places (Texas, California, etc) are backed up for months and how it's taking years to get visa's. If you DCF, you bypass all of that. Everything stays in China. It is about 6 to 9 months fast to DCF.

 

The way it works is, after you file, it goes to Beijing. They check over your forms to make sure you crossed the "t"'s and dotted the "i''s and lower case "j"'s. Once they are done (it took me about 2 months) they will send you a letter saying they are done and the forms are being send to GZ. That letter is basically what people call NOA2 (Notice of something 2... In my case that took 2 months). I never got NOA1. Then when it arrives in GZ, they will send you some more forms (AKA P3). For me, that was a week later. That's where I am at this point. I sent back the P3 in the end of April.

 

Please, if I made a mistake, someone PLEASE correct me. This is what my understanding is... The whole thing is so confusing!!! At this point I can't remember what my name is!!!

[alec_bauserman]

Thanks for all the help everybody... Looks like we're getting hitched sooner rather than later! Im an English teacher in Guiyang, Guizhou so I am under the jurisdiction of Chengdu. Hopefully we can get married within a week and have the paperwork sent out by August. Come to think of it, my older bro is coming to meet me in August and w're going to Tibet via Chengdu. Maybe I should just drop it off by hand. Hmm...Anyway, I really want to thank everybody for taking the time to reply. You've made hard decisions and complicated procedures MUCH easier to manage.

 

Big hugs from us both!

 

-Alec & Elf

 

p.s. Jbray I can sympathisize. Some days I forget who I am and what Im doing.I feel like my brain is leaking out my ears!

[jbray]

Yeah, if you have any questions, this is the place to get answers. Right now, you probably have no idea what is what in this process (and it only gets worse). By the time you are finished, you will be an expert. It seems like everyone has a different situation, requiring a slightly different proccess/forms. Example, you can file K1, K3, CR1... Get married in China, or US... File in China or US. Those things really change the process...

 

I would also recommend hand delivering the forms. Ms. Ren at the consulate went through our forms with a fine tooth comb. It is so easy to miss something (signature, birthday, passport number), or have the wrong kind of passport pictures. But that's easy for me to recommend that because I live about 20 minutes away by bus.

[frank1538]

I would caution you to deliver it by hand. Someone mailed their's not too long ago and it never got delivered. Deliver by hand and you will be sure it is in the pipeline. Also, anything missing can be taken care of on the spot.

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I ran across this on filing DCF - don't know if it is applied universally:

 

9 FAM 201.1 Location of Petitioner and Beneficiary (TL:VISA-152; 09-09-1996)

 

a. As a general rule, the petitioner must reside in the consular district but the residence or even physical presence of the beneficiary is immaterial. The petitioner must execute the petition in person before the consular officer.

[Jocelyn]

I DCF'd.

 

Yeah, totally, do it in person. And just check the consular websites -- they will tell you what provinces belong to the consular district. Last thing you want to do is show up at the wrong one.

 

BTW, you should know that DCF petitions are different from the average ones. You don't supply evidence/I-864/I-134 with it. They just want the facts with these. That means:

 

-- copy of passport

-- copy of work permit and residence permit for China

-- copy of China visa

-- original of marriage certificate

-- four passport sized photos of you

-- four passport sized photos of S/O (note that photos must be according to their standard size)

-- money to pay the initial filing fee

 

Plus the paperwork (I 130 and biographic info sheets).

 

That's about it. Get it filled out quick and throw it in the pipeline.

[david_dawei]

I DCF'd.

 

Yeah, totally, do it in person. And just check the consular websites -- they will tell you what provinces belong to the consular district. Last thing you want to do is show up at the wrong one.

 

BTW, you should know that DCF petitions are different from the average ones. You don't supply evidence/I-864/I-134 with it. They just want the facts with these. That means:

 

-- copy of passport

-- copy of work permit and residence permit for China

-- copy of China visa

-- original of marriage certificate

-- four passport sized photos of you

-- four passport sized photos of S/O (note that photos must be according to their standard size)

-- money to pay the initial filing fee

 

Plus the paperwork (I 130 and biographic info sheets).

 

That's about it. Get it filled out quick and throw it in the pipeline.

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So, I'm a little confused, when does the AOS step occur for DCF? Your submitting a I-130/CR1...

[Jocelyn]

AOS is only if you do a fiancee visa (K types).

 

If you do either a CR1/IR1, then you do not need to do AOS -- you are essentially granted your green card once it's all over. As far as I know, the green card gets mailed to your US address so technically you're ready to go once you arrive.

 

Of course, we'll still have to remove the conditional residence later on, before the "2-year anniversary" of John getting his green card. And, I (being a sponsor) will have to alert the US govt of my address change when I go back to the US. But other than that, we'll be set after the process is over.

[david_dawei]

So, I'm a little confused, when does the AOS step occur for DCF?  Your submitting a I-130/CR1...

 

David,

 

Just to double check- by AOS are you meaning "Adjustment Of Status" OR "Affadavit Of Support? A CR/IR-1 (DCF or NVC) does not do Adjustment of status but is required to file an Affadvit of support. (Your prior FAQ question seemed to indicate Adjustment... ). acw

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I meant Adjustment of Status.. and only brought it up since one post stated

 

BTW, you should know that DCF petitions are different from the average ones. You don't supply evidence/I-864/I-134 with it. They just want the facts with these. 

 

But I got it clear, that Adjustment is only for K# .... for CR1, you cannot adjust what you don't have yet... nor need to adjust from something you then get...

[CR1togo]

BTW, you should know that DCF petitions are different from the average ones. You don't supply evidence/I-864/I-134 with it. They just want the facts with these.?

 

 

This statement is also misleading, also was the writer implying (other than DCF pets.) that fianicial data was needed to SUBMIT the initial appl.?

 

1) K/I-129F visas, NORMALLY need an I-134 at time of interview. (they do the I-864 at AOS in US).

 

2) CR/IR-1/I-130 at NVC, I-864 is REQUIRED!!! Filed with NVC BEFORE the petition is reviewed, then sent to GUZ.

 

3) CR/IR-1/I-130 DCF I believe you will find the I-864 is again REQUIRED. I don't personally known of a DCFer that has NOT turned one in. acw

Edit: #3) DCF I-864 should read .... turned one in 'at/or by time of interview' acw

Edited July 16, 2005 by CR1togo (see edit history)

[david_dawei]

Jocelyn ,

 

please clarify if you submitted any affidavit of support (I-864) as part of the process, at any time..

[david_dawei]

David, You might also want to view some old DCF posts (concerning I-864). Particularly coming to mind was bejingjenny and Boba. acw

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Believe me.. I have.

 

I just want jocelyn to clarify that one post of suggesting they did not submit any I-864... that sounds out of the ordinary and why I ask. I would want to know of a specific example of someone not submitting, if that is what truly happened.

 

Boba was not DCF.. he got the blue for a video request, etc.. very sad issue which was overcome...

 

thanks as always...

[david_dawei]

Jocelyn has posts back in May about the I-864 also. acw

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Found it and read it.. THANKS !!

[Jocelyn]

Sorry for the confusion!

 

I didn't mean to suggest that DCFers don't submit an I-864. I just meant we don't need to submit one with our I-130. We only give them the I-864s at the interview

 

Anyhow, looks like you guys figured it out. Sorry...