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Right, there are so many factors. We just can’t assume the first question a CO will necessarily ask is “why are you here today instead of at the other embassy in X country?”. Every application is different, and people are different.

Semantics!! You can call what you want, doesnt change the fact that people are wired differently; there are so many factors that you or I don’t know about people. I just don’t think any of us should rule out options for people. Let people choose for themselves what to do or not to do, it’s all...

Well, those who used an old photo and who are afraid to think outside the box will be disqualified. I strongly believe that it’s up to the selectee to do what can be done within the confines of the law to take advantage of their selection. To someone who’s trying to save their selection without...

true in general, and this is not a good theory for everyone (i.e: Venezuelans as a group), and people take different steps in the face of different situations. However, for someone who could reasonably be sure of the odds of denial in Bogota due to this issue, KCC might schedule an interview in...

Congratulations! Glad to hear you were selected, perseverance always pays off in the end :) It is safe to assume that if an embassy has issued denials for old photos in the past, same embassy might see information about old photos from previous visa applications AND old DV entries (think: eDV...

By the way @veronice , were you selected for DV2020? I haven’t stayed up to date with the whole threads for DV2020 here so I don’t know whether you were selected or not.

That’s my point: ANY previous applications (NIVs or IVs) where the applicant used that same old photo might be brought up during the IO’s search and review before the end of the interview; and if the embassy has had previous cases of denial due to entries with old photos, chances are a denial...

@veronice COs do dig up additional applicant information from a worldwide DoS Consular Affairs database shared by all US embassies with consular sections at the end of the interview before making a decision on the application. This database contains embassy archives from all past NIVs and IVs...

It’s better to buy cheap second hand furniture off Craigslist and eBay and OfferUp, etc. than to rent a fully furnished apartment or condo. Sometimes you find great deals at 70-90% cheaper than the retail price (last year I found a 1-month old recliner leather sofa for $90 while the same piece...

@damo1089 Sorry for the late comment on this. Speaking from personal experience, and being in an academic environment, I think immersion helps a lot (surrounding oneself with situations which include listening to faster-than-average American English speech: some TV shows, comedy shows(some...

In many States (if not all, TBD) you might have to retake the whole driving test again. Most States’s driving tests are pretty straight forward and easier for many people who learned to drive in other countries and have been driving for many years, the only one that stands out in terms of...

I used Safari on a mac last year and also this year in showing someone how to check if their picture is of proper dimensions, and that DoS website photo tool worked fine with safari as well, if you only have access on Mac computer.

Thank you Timothy! I was the most stressful close-call I’ve ever experienced. I agree, LPR status hasn’t quite sunk in yet for me either; no more applying for a tourist visa to Canada and a few other countries, plus I will definitely have a harder time coming up with excuses to postpone...

Last update: GC timeline: - interview and visa pickup: Sept 30th I then joined an expedition in the North of Canada where I got to learn and work with some of the leading scientists on glaciers topography and climate change, but also gather some valuable data that may be helpful as I wind up my...

My timeline: - interview and visa pickup: Sept 30th - POE: Oct. 15th - CPO: Oct. 28th - GC mailed: Oct. 30th - GC received: Oct. 31st.

Could anyone who has entered and activated their LPR status more recently share their OS155A online status change and GC production timeline from POE date to GC received?

Thanks, the consular officer and the KCC supervisor and their teams were absolutely amazing, they took ownership of the urgency and acted as if they were in my shoes...it was such a far cry from my very passive FO. Small gestures such as the interview day morning email from the consulate asking...

Thank you. You cannot believe how many activation stories I’ve read in the past 4 days. “How does activation actually unfold?”. Through so many experiences shared here, I have an idea of how so many airports actually look like from the inside traveler’s perspective, and where CBP booths are ;)

Yes @Mila05, I tried to let it go but I just couldn’t get over myself...I just knew I’d regret it my whole life if I didn’t give my case one last shot and push all the way.

[...last part, I promise :) ] The CO was a friendly gentleman who asked me to raise my right hand and swear to tell the truth. Then he asked: high school completion year? What I did after that? How many years I lived in each country since then? What year I moved to the US (no questions about...