Success Story: Approval of an I-130 Petition in London Through Direct Consular Filing in Under 3 Months 

Success Story: Approval of an I-130 Petition in London Through Direct Consular Filing in Under 3 Months 

Our client, a German national residing in the UK with their U.S. citizen spouse when the U.S. citizen received a job offer that required them to relocate back to the States. Due to the nature of the job offer being a short notice relocation offer, our firm was able to request Direct Consular Filing (DCF) through the U.S. Embassy in London. 

DCF allows a U.S. citizen living abroad to file an I-130 petition for a foreign relative directly at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of residence, rather than routing it through a USCIS office in the States this local filing can cut processing time from 18-24 months down to a few months in many cases. In this case, our client was able to secure a DCF of their I-130 petition with the U.S. Embassy in London. 

While DCF eligibility itself is based on the U.S. citizen’s qualifying residency in London, a short-notice job relocation back to the U.S. can strengthen a request for expedited processing once the case is filed, since embassies have discretion to prioritize cases involving urgent, documented circumstances like an imminent job start date. It’s worth noting that expedited treatment isn’t guaranteed, it typically requires the petitioner to formally request it and provide supporting evidence, such as an offer letter with a specific start date.

With the assistance of our firm, Blue Lake Law, we were able to submit a request to the U.S. Embassy in London, detailing the nature of the urgent job relocation, which the embassy approved right away! As a result our client was able to obtain their approved I-130 petition in under 3 months! Our firm would like to extend a huge congrats to our client and their spouse who are in the process of settling down and working in the U.S.. 

A sudden job relocation shouldn’t mean choosing between your career and your spouse. At Blue Lake Law, we know how to build a compelling case for expedited Direct Consular Filing, working directly with U.S. embassies to keep families together on tight timelines. If you’re facing a short-notice move back to the States and need to secure your spouse’s I-130 petition quickly, contact Blue Lake Law today to get started.