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Is it possible to get a DV interview appointed in a different country?

J

justneedsomeanswers

New Member
I have a question about what happens when one is selected for further processing in DV.
When filling out DV260 form, one must enter current address. Now here's the thing: I am planning on temporary relocating to an other country strictly because of my job. I will still be in an other country when DV lottery results are available on May 2, 2017. However, if I win, I would like to come back to my home country and go through the process there. That would be much easier and more convenient for me.

In other words, I live in country X, I entered it as my current country of residence when I entered the DV lottery this October, but I am planning on temporary relocating to a country Z. However, if I win the lottery in May 2017, I want to come back to country X. But I will only do it if on May 2, 2017 I find that I won the DV and I receive an appointment for an interview.
So at the time of filling out the DS260, I will still be in country Z, but I would like to have the DV interview in country X.
Is that kind of scenario possible?
 
Yes you can interview in another country. But first you need to get selected. So - IF you get selected, this might be worth thinking about, but not until then. Remember most interviews for the lottery you entered will be in 2018.
 
Not only do you need to get selected, but you need to realize that the appointments take place between Oct 2017 and May 2018, and you only get notified 6-8 weeks in advance - the OP seems to expect to get an interview appointment along with the selection notice?
But yes, first get selected, then you have months to worry and strategize about this, even if you do get selected.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Not only do you need to get selected, but you need to realize that the appointments take place between Oct 2017 and May 2018, and you only get notified 6-8 weeks in advance - the OP seems to expect to get an interview appointment along with the selection notice?
But yes, first get selected, then you have months to worry and strategize about this, even if you do get selected.
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The reason I strategize now is because I have to make a decision regarding a job offer from abroad now.

I realize that interviews don't take place in May 2017. But the results of DV2018 will be available in May 2017 and that's when the selectees must fill out their DS260. And that's when they must enter their current address in the form. Having read the instructions, I haven't found anything about the way that the country and city where the interview is going to take place is determined.
The instructions state: you get selected, you fill out DS260, and then (if you're lucky) you get an appointment for an interview. Nothing about being able to choose at which embassy. So the way I see it, there are two ways they determine where to make an appointment for selectees:
1) going by the country of residence that the selectee specified when entering the lottery
2) going by the "current address" in the selectee's DS260.

So how do I make absolutely sure that my interview gets appointed in my "home" country (country of residence at the time of entering the DV lottery)? Do I simply enter the address that's in the country where I want the interview as my "current address" when filling out the DS260? If so, wouldn't that be considered a fraud because at the moment of filling out the DS260 that wouldn't actually be my actual current address?

In other words, if it all is up to the "current address" field in the DS260 and entering anything else other than the actual current address would be considered a fraud and might get one disqualified, then I must stay here and reject that job offer from abroad. If not, then I should accept it. Anyway, I have to make this choice now, and not in 2017 or 2018. That's why it's important for me to strategize now.
 
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justneedsomeanswers said:
The reason I strategize now is because I have to make a decision regarding a job offer from abroad now.

.
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You realize you entered a lottery, right? If you entered a lottery to win $25000000 would you be strategizing around your job offer based on the fact that you would never need to work again if you won?
 
SusieQQQ said:
You realize you entered a lottery, right? If you entered a lottery to win $25000000 would you be strategizing around your job offer based on the fact that you would never need to work again if you won?
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Could we please not talk about my attitude towards lottery and my reasons for wanting to get an interview appointed at the country where I live (I have my reasons, they are very serious and that's out of scope of my question here) and instead concentrate on the question? I don't really need lessons on how to look at a lottery. I didn't ask you if I should or should not strategize about not having to work if I win $25000000 or if I should or should not strategize on what I do if I win the DV lottery. I had a very specific question. If you can answer it, thank you, if you can't please don't steer the discussion away from the question.
 
Come on people! I realize that this is a lottery and I realize all the implications! However, what's the point of this forum then? I ask a question and you go: "Don't even think about anything because you haven't won it yet". So should I just sit on my ass, smoke mushrooms and wait until I win and then when I get an appointment for an interview realize that it's too late for some things that I was supposed to take care before that?
Why can't I get answers BEFORE I win so that when I win, I know have I have taken care of everything, everything's in order and I have everything under control?

And, by the way, I am sick of that "IF you win, which you won't" attitude. What's the point of that? I know it's a lottery, but I am determined to win this year. I wouldn't care to live if I didn't believe in things working out for me. If I don't win, I don't, but until I find the results this coming May, I believe I will win. If I didn't believe I'll win, I wouldn't have entered the lottery.

I don't want to end up like some selectees who ended up not getting the visas simply because they missed something and failed to take care of some formalities. Why shouldn't I go by "better be safe than sorry"?
 
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For sheez! You do realize nobody here is obligated to answer your questions? So you might want to tone it down a bit please if you really hope to elicit a response.

Oh! And my response to your question(s)? Get selected first.
 
Sm1smom said:
For sheez! You do realize nobody here is obligated to answer your questions? So you might want to tone it down a bit please if you really hope to elicit a response.
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Of course I realize no one is obligated to answer my question. But I didn't realize I cannot ask questions and expect useful answers (from people who are willing to answer) before I get selected.

Sm1smom said:
Oh! And my response to your question(s)? Get selected first.
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This is what I am talking about. This is pretty much the response I got from you guys in the first place (just in less words). This is why I said what I said afterwards.
 
justneedsomeanswers said:
Of course I realize no one is obligated to answer my question. But I didn't realize I cannot ask questions and expect useful answers (from people who are willing to answer) before I get selected.



This is what I am talking about. This is pretty much the response I got from you guys in the first place (just in less words). This is why I said what I said afterwards.
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Yes you may ask, and indeed you have asked. Like I already responded, nobody is obligated to answer.
 
Okay, I apologize guys for the way I reacted. This wasn't right. It was a result of me constantly running into an answer like this and not really getting the info that I need. And I feel that if I don't get answers before I get selected and don't get things in order beforehand, I'm going to screw this opportunity. But I shouldn't have allowed myself be impolite here especially since you don't know the severity of my situation. So I apologize.
 
justneedsomeanswers said:
Okay, I apologize guys for the way I reacted. This wasn't right. It was a result of me constantly running into an answer like this and not really getting the info that I need. And I feel that if I don't get answers before I get selected and don't get things in order beforehand, I'm going to screw this opportunity. But I shouldn't have allowed myself be impolite here especially since you don't know the severity of my situation. So I apologize.
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Thanks for the warranted apology. Your attitude toward people helping you to that point was indeed somewhat amazing!

I answered your question in the first 7 words of the first response. The answer is, it can be done. There is nothing you need to do about it now to make it possible later. The precise way you do that will depend on the circumstances at the time - and it is therefore nuts to try and work around it now. But - don't worry, we (the three people that answered you on this thread) will not advise you to commit any type of fraud ever, so really, RELAX!

As for making plans about whether to decline a job offer or not based on how you process the DV lottery win. As several very experienced and very helpful people have now expressed, that would be crazy. Live your life. If you win, you will work that win into the equation. Depending on your region your chances of winning are probably less than once every 100 years. In some parts of Africa that number is more like once in 200 to 300 years.

If you really can't wait to learn more about the DV lottery, read lots of posts here, OR read my blog.
 
justneedsomeanswers said:
Could we please not talk about my attitude towards lottery and my reasons for wanting to get an interview appointed at the country where I live (I have my reasons, they are very serious and that's out of scope of my question here) and instead concentrate on the question? I don't really need lessons on how to look at a lottery. I didn't ask you if I should or should not strategize about not having to work if I win $25000000 or if I should or should not strategize on what I do if I win the DV lottery. I had a very specific question. If you can answer it, thank you, if you can't please don't steer the discussion away from the question.
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Dude, if you're prepared to turn down a job offer on the chance of winning a lottery, surely you'll be fine resigning from it and moving back if you do win. Huh? I'm missing some logic in your reasoning here. Beyond that, good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Britsimon said:
Depending on your region your chances of winning are probably less than once every 100 years. In some parts of Africa that number is more like once in 200 to 300 years.
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This is exactly why I need to make it count when I win and why I need to strategize everything related to it. I strategize everything in my life, that's the way I am, and this particular thing is something that I just have to make sure goes well if it happens. I'm a control freak if you will. I don't mean to attack by what I just said. It's just an explanation.


SusieQQQ said:
Dude, if you're prepared to turn down a job offer on the chance of winning a lottery, surely you'll be fine resigning from it and moving back if you do win. Huh? I'm missing some logic in your reasoning here. Beyond that, good luck with whatever you decide.
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You're right, I can resign. But here's the way I see it:
* they determine where to appoint an interview based on "current address" in DS260.
* if I am selected this time, I must fill out DS260 ASAP, according to the rules (and for me ASAP means the same day so as not to risk anything, and that is on May 2nd).
So if I check my status on May 2nd and find that I have been selected, I will resign, go home and fill out the DS260. However, it will take at least two weeks for my resignation to come through (there are laws governing the minimum amount of time required to stay at work after resignation).
I could resign in April before I know the results of the lottery. However, that would be foolish personally for me.
In my current situation, I have a job that I'm satisfied with, but I'm only interested in the offer from abroad just because it has its advantages, not because I'm unhappy with my current job or anything. I could stay at my current job no problems - there are plenty of upsides to that, but if I could take that offer from abroad not risking anything, that could be interesting and fun. So it's not like turning the job offer from abroad would be a mistake. It would not be.
 
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Britsimon said:
I answered your question in the first 7 words of the first response. The answer is, it can be done. There is nothing you need to do about it now to make it possible later. The precise way you do that will depend on the circumstances at the time - and it is therefore nuts to try and work around it now. But - don't worry, we (the three people that answered you on this thread) will not advise you to commit any type of fraud ever, so really, RELAX!
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Could you please tell me how I would be able to do that? Is it via entering the address in the DS260 form, contacting the USCIS after being selected or some other way?

Like I pointed out in my previous post, the rules of DV lottery advice selectees to fill out DS260 ASAP. The way I understand it, delaying the filling out of DS260 might reduce one's chances of getting an interview appointed. Is that so? I mean, are selectees assigned some sort of priority number based on when they fill out the DS260.
 
For crying out loud. 2 weeks will make no difference in your case. Your priority number is assigned when you get selected, not on when you submit your DS260.

And actually, this is the reason we tell people to ask once they've won. Something like 14 million people enter the lottery each year. Can you imagine if we sat here going through all the what-ifs with every entrant who's strategizing about their "certain win"? I've given my answer, done here now. Good luck.
 
Well, it took me about 6 months to retrieve my birth certificate and I am still having unresolved issues with it. Like you said, some selectees get their appointment as early as October same year. Better be safe than sorry.
 
I'm going to drop an other "what if I win" bomb here. I am thinking of changing my name. It's not a matter of life and death, I really don't need to change it. I'd rather get US green card than change my name. However, it would be nice to change it if it doesn't jeopardize my chances if I get selected this May.
So my question is: is it safe to change my name now (until May)? Or should I wait until May and only change it in case I don't win?
 
justneedsomeanswers said:
Could you please tell me how I would be able to do that? Is it via entering the address in the DS260 form, contacting the USCIS after being selected or some other way?

Like I pointed out in my previous post, the rules of DV lottery advice selectees to fill out DS260 ASAP. The way I understand it, delaying the filling out of DS260 might reduce one's chances of getting an interview appointed. Is that so? I mean, are selectees assigned some sort of priority number based on when they fill out the DS260.
Click to expand...


Really. RELAX!

Or read my blog.
 
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