So, my Follow to Join journey. Sorry it will be long:
Some insights: I'm the principal applicant (winner of DV2020) and I was in the US when I learned about winning the lotter . Through some unfortunate events I got separated from my wife, she had to go back home. I was preparing myself to follow her and do the CP (the process is easier and shorter), but after covid and all these crazy things happened, I decided to proceed with AOS and for my wife with Follow to Join (she couldn't come back on her non immigrant visa with intention to immigrate, plus the immigration ban).
Unfortunately I got my interview too late (September 17th) plus during interview I realized that IO has very little experience with DV cases (e.g. she didn't know that she had to request my file from KCC). Because of that the decision on my case was postponed till September 22.
Now about the follow to join. We started to prepare for this process way earlier. I contacted embassy in the last week of August, gathering info about what they need and asked if it would be possible to schedule the interview... Sm1smom was the key in learning about the process, so whoever will be doing FTJ, please listen to her and follow step by step what she says. In addition to working with embassy, I scheduled an appointment for medical examination for my wife. In my home country it is just one accredited center and it is kind of monopoly. They refused to schedule appointment at first because she didn't have interview scheduled yet, so, in a such situations you must not take 'no' for an answer, fight for your chances, it is important. The fact that my wife has all the documents on hands, it helped to prove embassy that we are serious about it.
I also tried to file i-824 (form needed to show your intend for follow to join) during my interview, asking IO to accept it and once my case is approved to send it to the embassy as a proof of my change of status... She didn't accept it, and now I understand why... Normally by process FO doesn't have anything to do with follow to join. You have to file i-824, pay a fee for it and send to lockbox. From lockbox it goes to NVC were it takes 4-6 week (if not mistaken) to approve and the NVC sends information to the embassy (
@Sm1smom pls correct me if I am mistaken). But, they (uscis) don't care that DV program has a hard deadline, so what I did, I contacted my congress office, my senator, talk to lawyers (total wast of time and money - useless consultation cost me $210, and they asked for $8,000 to take the case considering tight deadline). I also got in touch to Director of the Field Office (by email and mail set with FedEx overnight) who forwarded my email to IO and I started conversation with her. She insisted to file i-824 properly and pay the fee, what I did today. Though my embassy ask me for any proof or evidence that my status changed. I believe that even a simple note from my FO would work (through internal email)
I don't know what triggered the FTJ process, and who was the one who decided to help us, but obviously I did something right.
@Sm1smom once again it wouldn't be possible without your guidance. Thank you.
Now fingers crossed everything goes well and my wife gets visa. Good luck everyone!!!
All the best to everyone!!!
