Sm1smom
Super Moderator
I suggest you send for the Diploma, better safe than sorry. Some IOs have insisted on seeing the H/S Diploma in the past before issuing an approval, while others never bothered to ask for any educational document.
DV 2015 AOS Only
- Thread starter Sm1smom
- Start date
I suggest you send for the Diploma, better safe than sorry. Some IOs have insisted on seeing the H/S Diploma in the past before issuing an approval, while others never bothered to ask for any educational document.
EURO2014
Well-Known Member
Just wondering: what did you present for undergraduate college admissions in the US, if you don't hold a HS diploma? Did you pass an equivalent school exit exam etc. which qualifies you for university entry?
When I visited the office they gave me the I-458 forms, what's you prefer to fill it by hand with black ink or just download and fill it by the computer?
Write all on capital letter is ok or what do you think? Sorry if it seems silly question but I want to make sure everything ok.
Write all on capital letter is ok or what do you think? Sorry if it seems silly question but I want to make sure everything ok.
maryb
Member
Mom is right (DUH
). At my interview the FO asked to see my HS diploma, the original, and spent quite a few time looking at it. She even requested I photocopy for her another HS document that I brought with me which is a diploma+transcript and evaluation that I got after my graduation exam in my country. So yes, it is important to have your original HS diploma with you!
EURO2014
Well-Known Member
Quite. In fact, it should not come as a surprise as HS diploma or equivalent is one of the few, clearly defined DV requirements. A Bachelor or Master degree, based on DV rules, would by definition not be a substitution for a missing HS diploma, hence my earlier question to the OP. Of course the Case FO might not do her/his job properly at the specific DV interview, yet hope alone does not necessarily represent an effective preparation strategyMom is right (DUH
hazelnutButter
Member
Wohoooo!!! Just got my CPO! Wanted y'all on this forum to be the first to hear.
I'll be posting a very detailed account of the entire process for me from start to finish in the next few days. In the meantime, thanks so so so so much to all of you. I only found this forum much later on in my process, but from the day I found it, the whole thing became so much less stressful thanks to everyone's moral support and Mom's incredible knowledge and support.
Good luck to everyone still in the process.
I'll be posting a very detailed account of the entire process for me from start to finish in the next few days. In the meantime, thanks so so so so much to all of you. I only found this forum much later on in my process, but from the day I found it, the whole thing became so much less stressful thanks to everyone's moral support and Mom's incredible knowledge and support.
Good luck to everyone still in the process.
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
A.W.E.S.O.M.E.!! Congratulations! I almost reached out for a glass of margarita after reading this, but had to stop myself considering it's still a bit early on my side of the west coast, and I don't want to end up looking like this:
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
It doesn't matter which form you use. Follow your instincts in filling the form. You've submitted forms to USCIS before, so filling out this isn't much different from what you did before.
How To Fill Out Form I-485
- Type or print legibly in black ink
http://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/files/form/i-485instr.pdf
mukamimugi
New Member
Our Number 2015AF70*** appears pretty risky at this point....but if by any blessing we become current in Sept, a realistic option seems to be the CP option since my wife is not in the US and she is the principal applicant. Now here are my concerns:
1) I have been in the US for 4 years but I go home every year for a month, do I need to get any documents from any authorities here (such as background check, health records, taxes)?
2) I have about two semesters to complete my PhD program and I have been doing part time authorized work (via CPT) for about 2 years now. Can I use my tax returns to make a case that we will not be a public charge or will I need a formal job offer from my employer?
Thanks
1) I have been in the US for 4 years but I go home every year for a month, do I need to get any documents from any authorities here (such as background check, health records, taxes)?
2) I have about two semesters to complete my PhD program and I have been doing part time authorized work (via CPT) for about 2 years now. Can I use my tax returns to make a case that we will not be a public charge or will I need a formal job offer from my employer?
Thanks
Dv2015as3xxx
New Member
I attended my high school senior year here in the US but was doing really bad at school at that time. So I went to community college when I turn 18 without HS completion and then transferred to a California State university eventually got my Bachelor degree. I got my Master degree last summer and working full time on OPT now. I got my GED back then but I know they are not gonna accept that. I am super worry right now cause I think my interview is coming up soon.....
EURO2014
Well-Known Member
This is very unfortunate, indeed, as your personal US education angle won't provide you with any leverage to argue comparable foreign equivalency to US High School degree. As you already know, the respective law the DV program is based on is rather clear in this respect, i.e.I attended my high school senior year here in the US but was doing really bad at school at that time. So I went to community college when I turn 18 without HS completion and then transferred to a California State university eventually got my Bachelor degree. I got my Master degree last summer and working full time on OPT now. I got my GED back then but I know they are not gonna accept that. I am super worry right now cause I think my interview is coming up soon.....
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...-requirements-the-diversity-visa-program.html
Of course you can and probably should go to the interview as you presumably already have paid respective filing fees etc. and just see how it will go - in case of an emerging issue at the interview, you unfortunately won't have much of a basis to stand on, though
adinutzyc21
Member
How about your job? DV is based on either HS diploma or a job:I attended my high school senior year here in the US but was doing really bad at school at that time. So I went to community college when I turn 18 without HS completion and then transferred to a California State university eventually got my Bachelor degree. I got my Master degree last summer and working full time on OPT now. I got my GED back then but I know they are not gonna accept that. I am super worry right now cause I think my interview is coming up soon.....
Work Experience: If you are qualifying with work experience, you must have two years of experience in the last five years, in an occupation which, by U.S. Department of Labor definitions, requires at least two years of training or experience that is designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
If he's on OPT since last summer he surely won't have two years of relevant experience yet?
adinutzyc21
Member
Oh, I didn't realize it was since last summer. Perhaps work before coming the US, though it seems he came directly from HS...
I think this whole high school thing is kind of silly. An MS degree should more than make up for a GED...
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Yeah, it probably should. But there are parts of the world where a masters degree is worth less than a US high school diploma, or where you can buy a fake masters (you can do that in the US too of course, and then of course all those stories about colleges that are just FI visa scams...), and they need a fairly easily verifiable way of being able to adjudicate fifty thousand visa applications, so the one or two guidelines per country they can use for high school makes the job a lot easier than having USCIS have to go and verify each and every individual institution in the US or around the world that someone presents a diploma from.
adinutzyc21
Member
Which colleges are those? I'm... asking for a friend
(my degrees are super valid, but I am seriously curious about those schools)
EURO2014
Well-Known Member
This obviously is not the issue in this case - California State University (http://www.calstate.edu/) is a first class academic institution. The specific issue here is that the GED, used as basis for OP's university entry, is not being recognized for DV qualification purposes, which is the part which actually could/should be modified. Yet this is unfortunately how the law is currently being interpreted and appliedWhich colleges are those? I'm... asking for a friend
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SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
This obviously is not the issue - California State University (http://www.calstate.edu/) is a first class academic institution. The specific issue here is that the GED, used as basis for OP's university entry is not being recognized for DV qualification purposes, which is the part which could/should be changed. Yet this is unfortunately how the law is currently being interpreted for DV application purposes
I know that's not the issue - I was trying to explain why it seemed USCIS does not always take the "obvious" route. You can say Cal State is fine and we all know it is - but the USCIS will have to verify that, as they will have to verify each and every diploma that gets put in front of them if they allow for that to supersede the much easier verified requirement.
EURO2014
Well-Known Member
Sure, no problem of course, SusieQQQ. I was simply trying to respond to adinutzyc21's unrelated question "Which colleges are those? I'm... asking for a friend (my degrees are super valid, but I am seriously curious about those schools)". A straight forward web search will help to identify those, I believe.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Which colleges are those? I'm... asking for a friend
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tri-Valley_University
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ly-Indians-uncertain/articleshow/15350846.cms
http://watchdog.org/95968/university-of-northern-virginia-forced-to-close-leaving-students-in-limbo/
I also something the other day about being able to get degrees (for cash and without much/any actual work) from "Barkley" and "Columbiana"...
Really, it becomes quite obvious that USCIS cannot be expected to figure out if every university degree put in front of them is genuine, especially if it is from outside the country they are interviewing in. Whereas high school diplomas are issued by national boards not individual schools and thus much more easily verifiable.