Hi All,
Sorry for the slight delay in posting this - things were a bit crazy with me packing and travelling back to the USA...
My DCF experience went GREAT - details follow:
My husband and I arrived in Delhi on April 10th. We stayed with relatives who don't live too far away from the consulate area, so they were able to drop us and pick us up...
We reached the consulate at about 8:00 a.m. on April 11th. First there was a long line snaking around the building. Don't worry about this, this is just the general security check line and it moves pretty quickly.
So we got on line (lugging our heavy photo albums of course ) and pretty soon reached the front. Most people are showing their appointment letter, but obviously DCF applicants don't have one. Have your US passport ready - the guard will check it and the date you entered India (to make sure it is at least 60 days).
You are then asked to go to another security officer who will check your belongings - two things were asked - do you have a cell phone and do you have perfume in your bag. You can either go there without a cell phone or you can check it in with the guard inside and retrieve it later. There is a public phone booth not far away that you can use as well if you need to make a call and don't have your cell phone on you.
After the general security check, the long queue is separated into 4 groups: non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, general USCIS services, and general american citizen services.
We were sent to the USCIS queue. There were about 10 couples (and one child-parent DCF) ahead of us in the line (I wonder if they ALL read Rahul's experience!!).
We waited on this line until about 9:30 a.m. (yes a pretty long wait - standing up - bring something to fan yourself with - you can bring water, but bring a sealed bottle, or they will ask you to drink it in front of them.)
At 9:30 a.m., they started sending the people in batches - we were in the second batch.
First thing when you enter, the guard asks to see your bags again, and takes away any cell phones - you are given a token that you can use to retrieve your cell phone later.
Then another guard takes you through a outdoor pathway into a separate room (reserved for USCIS services) and they take your US Passport from you. As soon as you sit, a lady comes out. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR PAPERS IN EASY ACCESS. She rattles off an order of papers - you haev to submit it in this order. She is very quick and only gives you a few minutes to re-order the papers before she starts calling people (by reading out the US Passports in the order in which she received them).
Here is how I ordered the papers:
I-130
G-325A (with a color photo stuck on the bottom left corner) for me and my husband - PAGE 1 ONLY - they don't need pages 2-4.
Marriage Certificate copy
My US Passport copy
His Indian Passport copy
Loose wedding photographs in an envelope
Copy of Vermont NOA
It never hurts to take extra materials:
2 copies of everything above
Husband's Birth Certificate + 2 copies
Drafted letter of cancellation (for Vermont application) + 2 copies
Scotch Tape
Glue
Wedding Album
She called our name and quickly went through our papers and stapled it.
She looked through the loose pictures and picked out a few (we had all the important points of the wedding, plus family pictures, and a picture of the guests - to show that it was a large-scale wedding).
She said the pictures were beautiful and gave us a yellow letter that stated our petition was accepted and that we would be hearing from our local consulate within 3 months. She also gave a us a note to pay $185 at the cashier. Also, she gave us a letter instructing us on how to cancel our Vermont application.
I have to note, if you go unprepared, the officers are quite strict. People went without passport copies, or without loose wedding photos, and they were asked to get the materials and come back.
We were directed to the cashier's office and paid in USD cash - TAKE EXACT CHANGE - the day we went the cashier was running low on small bills and had no change for anybody. He exchanged large bills with us (we had taken $300+ in small change) so he could get our small change to pay back the others!
The cashier gives you 2 receipts, one white and one yellow. You keep the yellow. On the back of the white, note your name and your spouse's name, and your US phone number and spouse's Indian phone number. Give the white receipt to the guard outside the cashier's office.
You can then go out and take an auto-rickshaw to "Malcha Marg Market". Ask the driver if he is willing to wait a few minutes and then take you back. They might charge some extra money but it's worth it. This is where the post office is. At the post office, we sent to Vermont:
1) A letter stating our withdrawal
2) A copy of the Vermont NOA (again on this, state reason for withdrawal)
3) A copy of my US Passport Biographical page
If you don't have extra copies - opposite the post office there is a shop where you can make photocopies (this is near the local phone booth as well if you need to make a phone call). Make 3 copies of everything.
Mail this as a registered post to Vermont Service Center.
Come back to the photocopy place and make 2 copies of your registered post receipt as well.
Go back to the USCIS and stand in the long security queue again. This time, tell them, you have come to hand in the receipt. You don't have to stand int he 4 internal queues - you can walk straight in.
Give the ORIGINAL receipt plus a copy of what you sent to Vermont to the guard.
Keep one full copy for yourself.
That's it - we had called my uncle to pick us up at the Market and we went home!
I think the volume of DCF applicants has really shot up. So I am not expecting my timeline to be as quick as Rahul's. But like he said, the 2 months spent in India were absolutely precious - I would have done it anyway, regardless of how fast the DCF is.
Good luck to everyone trying DCF over the next few months!
DISCLAIMER: Looks like Rahul's experience and my experience were slightly different - so they may change the procedure again, at any time. Don't take my experience word-for-word on what to expect. Don't stick your photo on to the G325-A for example - keep it loose and use the glue or tape you take with you to stick it if they ask you to.
Ratrat
Sorry for the slight delay in posting this - things were a bit crazy with me packing and travelling back to the USA...
My DCF experience went GREAT - details follow:
My husband and I arrived in Delhi on April 10th. We stayed with relatives who don't live too far away from the consulate area, so they were able to drop us and pick us up...
We reached the consulate at about 8:00 a.m. on April 11th. First there was a long line snaking around the building. Don't worry about this, this is just the general security check line and it moves pretty quickly.
So we got on line (lugging our heavy photo albums of course
) and pretty soon reached the front. Most people are showing their appointment letter, but obviously DCF applicants don't have one. Have your US passport ready - the guard will check it and the date you entered India (to make sure it is at least 60 days).You are then asked to go to another security officer who will check your belongings - two things were asked - do you have a cell phone and do you have perfume in your bag. You can either go there without a cell phone or you can check it in with the guard inside and retrieve it later. There is a public phone booth not far away that you can use as well if you need to make a call and don't have your cell phone on you.
After the general security check, the long queue is separated into 4 groups: non-immigrant visas, immigrant visas, general USCIS services, and general american citizen services.
We were sent to the USCIS queue. There were about 10 couples (and one child-parent DCF) ahead of us in the line (I wonder if they ALL read Rahul's experience!!
).We waited on this line until about 9:30 a.m. (yes a pretty long wait - standing up - bring something to fan yourself with - you can bring water, but bring a sealed bottle, or they will ask you to drink it in front of them.)
At 9:30 a.m., they started sending the people in batches - we were in the second batch.
First thing when you enter, the guard asks to see your bags again, and takes away any cell phones - you are given a token that you can use to retrieve your cell phone later.
Then another guard takes you through a outdoor pathway into a separate room (reserved for USCIS services) and they take your US Passport from you. As soon as you sit, a lady comes out. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO HAVE YOUR PAPERS IN EASY ACCESS. She rattles off an order of papers - you haev to submit it in this order. She is very quick and only gives you a few minutes to re-order the papers before she starts calling people (by reading out the US Passports in the order in which she received them).
Here is how I ordered the papers:
I-130
G-325A (with a color photo stuck on the bottom left corner) for me and my husband - PAGE 1 ONLY - they don't need pages 2-4.
Marriage Certificate copy
My US Passport copy
His Indian Passport copy
Loose wedding photographs in an envelope
Copy of Vermont NOA
It never hurts to take extra materials:
2 copies of everything above
Husband's Birth Certificate + 2 copies
Drafted letter of cancellation (for Vermont application) + 2 copies
Scotch Tape
Glue
Wedding Album
She called our name and quickly went through our papers and stapled it.
She looked through the loose pictures and picked out a few (we had all the important points of the wedding, plus family pictures, and a picture of the guests - to show that it was a large-scale wedding).
She said the pictures were beautiful and gave us a yellow letter that stated our petition was accepted and that we would be hearing from our local consulate within 3 months. She also gave a us a note to pay $185 at the cashier. Also, she gave us a letter instructing us on how to cancel our Vermont application.
I have to note, if you go unprepared, the officers are quite strict. People went without passport copies, or without loose wedding photos, and they were asked to get the materials and come back.
We were directed to the cashier's office and paid in USD cash - TAKE EXACT CHANGE - the day we went the cashier was running low on small bills and had no change for anybody. He exchanged large bills with us (we had taken $300+ in small change) so he could get our small change to pay back the others!
The cashier gives you 2 receipts, one white and one yellow. You keep the yellow. On the back of the white, note your name and your spouse's name, and your US phone number and spouse's Indian phone number. Give the white receipt to the guard outside the cashier's office.
You can then go out and take an auto-rickshaw to "Malcha Marg Market". Ask the driver if he is willing to wait a few minutes and then take you back. They might charge some extra money but it's worth it. This is where the post office is. At the post office, we sent to Vermont:
1) A letter stating our withdrawal
2) A copy of the Vermont NOA (again on this, state reason for withdrawal)
3) A copy of my US Passport Biographical page
If you don't have extra copies - opposite the post office there is a shop where you can make photocopies (this is near the local phone booth as well if you need to make a phone call). Make 3 copies of everything.
Mail this as a registered post to Vermont Service Center.
Come back to the photocopy place and make 2 copies of your registered post receipt as well.
Go back to the USCIS and stand in the long security queue again. This time, tell them, you have come to hand in the receipt. You don't have to stand int he 4 internal queues - you can walk straight in.
Give the ORIGINAL receipt plus a copy of what you sent to Vermont to the guard.
Keep one full copy for yourself.
That's it - we had called my uncle to pick us up at the Market and we went home!
I think the volume of DCF applicants has really shot up. So I am not expecting my timeline to be as quick as Rahul's. But like he said, the 2 months spent in India were absolutely precious - I would have done it anyway, regardless of how fast the DCF is.
Good luck to everyone trying DCF over the next few months!
DISCLAIMER: Looks like Rahul's experience and my experience were slightly different - so they may change the procedure again, at any time. Don't take my experience word-for-word on what to expect. Don't stick your photo on to the G325-A for example - keep it loose and use the glue or tape you take with you to stick it if they ask you to.
Ratrat