Minimum residence period before applying for a visa from Abu Dhabi US embassy

[Falcon239]

Is there a minimum residence period in a country (for example the UAE) before a family can apply for a DV immigrant visa?

We are currently living in an European country as a family holding European passports, except the spouse. The spouse is on a visit visa and having her status changed by the local immigration authorities, but this may take some time.

Just in case we get selected, we are planning to withdraw our status adjustment application and move back to the UAE as legal residents (full-time employment), with the hope to get our immigration visas processed and approved there in Abu Dhabi. It is all hypothetical and our chances are very slim, but we must be prepared just in case.

Thank you very much.

 

[SusieQQQ]

I'm not sure I understand the question. The US couldn't care less about how long you've lived where you live, or what visa you are on, as long as you're eligible for a diversity visa.
(I assume you have read the entry rules and know country of eligibility is usually birth country and that you do not think that where you live or what passport you hold affects your country of chargeability.)

 

[Falcon239]

I'm not sure I understand the question. The US couldn't care less about how long you've lived where you live, or what visa you are on, as long as you're eligible for a diversity visa.
(I assume you have read the entry rules and know country of eligibility is usually birth country and that you do not think that where you live or what passport you hold affects your country of chargeability.)

Thank you for your prompt reply SusieQQQ.

Please let me clarify something and correct me if I am wrong. When we entered the DV lottery, we were living in the UAE. We then moved to the UK this year. Because of the still unresolved immigration status of my spouse in the UK, (who is actually the principal applicant from North Africa), we are are not eligible to apply for a visa from the UK for her and therefore, the whole family. We are thinking about a solution in case we are picked (a very slim chance anyway).

Could we for example pick one country and apply from there while only visiting? Or do we have to be permanent residents to qualify.

I believe KCC must be notified as to where we are applying to for the visas? Right. Thank you.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Thank you for your prompt reply SusieQQQ.

Please let me clarify something and correct me if I am wrong. When we entered the DV lottery, we were living in the UAE. We then moved to the UK this year. Because of the still unresolved immigration status of my spouse in the UK, (who is actually the principal applicant from North Africa), we are are not eligible to apply for a visa from the UK for her and therefore, the whole family. We are thinking about a solution in case we are picked (a very slim chance anyway).

Could we for example pick one country and apply from there while only visiting? Or do we have to be permanent residents to qualify.

I believe KCC must be notified as to where we are applying to for the visas? Right. Thank you.

Are you talking about the country you use to claim eligibility? With rare exceptions, you cannot "choose" that - it is almost always your birth country. It doesn't matter where you live or what passports you hold. For exmaple, the fact that you live in the UK currently is meaningless. If your spouse was born in an eligible country (which means by the way that you can enter too, using her country of birth for what is known as "cross chargeability") then both of you can enter, regardless of where you live. I suggest you look up and carefully read the DV lottery entry rules on the official site on travel.state.gov

If your spouse has already won - (I am still not entirely clear on whether you are winners or looking to enter) then it doesn't matter where you live. Plenty of people process for DV while living in the UK.

 

[Macanese]

i think he is asking about which Embassy he should choose to process the VISA interview after they are luckily enough to be picked(hypothetically). if that's his question, please just calmly wait for the result.

 

[SusieQQQ]

i think he is asking about which Embassy he should choose to process the VISA interview after they are luckily enough to be picked(hypothetically). if that's his question, please just calmly wait for the result.

No, he is confused somewhere because he thinks you can't process a DV visa in the UK, which is not true. He is confusing eligibility with visa offices. I just wanted to ensure he has not made a mistake on chargeability on the entty, which can be a disqualifying mistake.