Success Story: Direct Consular Filing for a South Korean National through London 

Success Story: Direct Consular Filing for a South Korean National through London 

Our client, a South Korean national, who was living in the UK at the time of their application reached out to our firm to help secure a DCF request with the U.S. Embassy in London to expedite their I-130 petition. Because our client was a legal resident in the UK they were able to conduct their immigration visa case through the embassy in London, rather than having to go through their home country. U.S. visa cases are handled where the client resides rather than where they are a national of. 

Our client is married to a U.S. citizen who was also residing in the UK when they received a short notice job relocation to the States. This falls under an exceptional circumstance for Direct Consular Filing. The U.S. Embassy in London accepted our client;s DCF request, allowing the I-130 petition to be filed directly with the embassy (rather than with USCIS), bypassing the standard 1-2 year processing time, to just a matter of weeks or months. 

Blue Lake Law successfully secured the I-130 petition approval for our client within 4 months of filing the original petition. We would like to extend a huge congratulations to our client and their spouse who are now happily living together in the U.S..

At Blue Lake Law, we know that where you live matters more than where you’re from and that’s a distinction that can save your family months, or even years, of waiting.

If you’re a foreign national legally residing in the UK and your U.S. citizen spouse has received a short-notice job relocation, you don’t need to go back to your home country to begin the immigration process. U.S. visa cases are handled based on where you reside, meaning the U.S. Embassy in London may be able to handle your case directly, regardless of your nationality.

Through Direct Consular Filing, eligible U.S. citizens in the UK can bypass the standard 1–2 year USCIS processing timeline and file their I-130 petition directly with the embassy, often reducing the wait to just a matter of months. Our team has successfully handled DCF cases in London for nationals from across the world, navigating the nuances of residency-based jurisdiction and exceptional circumstance eligibility with precision.

If you and your spouse are facing an urgent relocation and need to act fast, contact Blue Lake Law today. We’ll determine whether DCF is the right route for your situation and guide you through every step, just like we did for our client from South Korea.