2014 DV Australian winners
- Thread starter AU.Dan
- Start date
Talk about winning the lottery. Lucky you remembered to check.
haha I know!!
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Yes, be sure to send updated forms with him as spouse and a DS230 for him too along with copy of marriage certificate to KCC, even better if you get married before you send your own forms in to be sure he is on the interview list given that you will have a relatively quick turnaround time at KCC and they may not have time to add him before your interview is scheduled. Take copies of these to the interview too. And be sure to take evidence of a bona fide relationship to the interview.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Not sure what the current processing time for forms is, but if he's going to call them anyway he can ask them that too. Remember you can't list him as a spouse until you are legally married.
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
Whatever pictures you have are not to be sent to KCC with your forms. The only thing needed at this stage is a marriage certificate if you intend for him to benefit from your selection. The evidence of a bona fide relationship only becomes relevant at the time of your interview.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
I assumed she meant the passport photos that need to be sent with the DS forms?
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
Oh I see. My bad, in that case. Thanks!
samolaniyi
Registered Users (C)
Hello guys,I had my interview on the 27th Feb 2014. How long does it takes a visa to remain on AP and be processed after a successful interview?Because I just checked CEAC site now and found out that it was last updated today and it is on AP.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
If they didn't actually inform you that you were on AP, then it's just the default status while they are doing the processing of the visa. Don't worry about it.
lotteryvisa2014
Registered Users (C)
Disastrous Experience Thus Far
I am Australian citizen that has lived/worked in the USA for >5 years on an H1B visa. I won the diversity lottery in May 2013 and received a decent number of <450. My number became active in December 2013. I decided to hire a lawyer to ensure my applicatoin was submitted without errors and that everything would go smoothly.
Despite having the assistance of an apparent expert my application has been rejected twice: the first time because the lawyer failed to tick a particular box and the second time (today) for reasons I do not know - rejection notice says 'See Form M-180' - I can't even find anywhere on the internet what that document is.
I have a number of concerns:
- I don't know why it took my lawyer so long to submit the application. My number became active in December but after all the back/forth between myself and the lawyer's office (which included them having to correct a number of errors in the initial draft of the application), the submission did not occur until early February.
- The application has now been rejected twice by USCIS
- I am worried this lawyer does not know what she is doing
- I am worried I have wasted MONTHS of valuable time and I live in NY and have heard that it takes MONTHS to obtain an interview.
ANY ADVICE or SUGGESTIONS?
I am Australian citizen that has lived/worked in the USA for >5 years on an H1B visa. I won the diversity lottery in May 2013 and received a decent number of <450. My number became active in December 2013. I decided to hire a lawyer to ensure my applicatoin was submitted without errors and that everything would go smoothly.
Despite having the assistance of an apparent expert my application has been rejected twice: the first time because the lawyer failed to tick a particular box and the second time (today) for reasons I do not know - rejection notice says 'See Form M-180' - I can't even find anywhere on the internet what that document is.
I have a number of concerns:
- I don't know why it took my lawyer so long to submit the application. My number became active in December but after all the back/forth between myself and the lawyer's office (which included them having to correct a number of errors in the initial draft of the application), the submission did not occur until early February.
- The application has now been rejected twice by USCIS
- I am worried this lawyer does not know what she is doing
- I am worried I have wasted MONTHS of valuable time and I live in NY and have heard that it takes MONTHS to obtain an interview.
ANY ADVICE or SUGGESTIONS?
MattK
Registered Users (C)
that is absolutely unacceptable from an 'expert lawyer'. the forms are made so that any person can fill in the information without a high degree of difficulty. my advice would be just fill in the forms yourself. your lawyer has wasted an enormous amount of your time and your money for something that you can easily do yourself.
you need to get a move on now because the last interviews for DV 2014 will be in September, and if you do not have a visa by the end of that month, you wont ever be able to get the green card from your winning entry. so don't waste any more time with your 'lawyer'
lotteryvisa2014
Registered Users (C)
Indeed. I am annoyed with myself that I allowed her to waste this amount of time before I finally realized she had no idea what she was doing. It's trully atrocious that a 'professional lawyer' in the city of New York could be allowed to get away with some incompetence. I will be taking control of the situation from here and doing it myself. I am just distressed knowing that by rights I should already have the green card in my hand. The process could have commenced BEFORE December 1st (when my number became current). There was then no good reason it took 2 months for her to compile my application and then to have it rejected TWICE by USCIS is just unforgivable.
badabingbada
Registered Users (C)
Referring to Crawf's wonderful blog
http://crawfinusa.com/green-card-interview-process/
I had a question, if you pay the 3 or 400 bucks on the eftpos machine on the day of the interview, and then you get knocked back, do you get a refund?
http://crawfinusa.com/green-card-interview-process/
I had a question, if you pay the 3 or 400 bucks on the eftpos machine on the day of the interview, and then you get knocked back, do you get a refund?
badabingbada
Registered Users (C)
Does anyone know much about re-entry permits?
The following PDF says something that concerns me:
http://lawandborder.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Guide-Reentry-Permit-2012-10-20.pdf
"If you have been outside the U.S. for more than 4 of the last 5 years since becoming
an LPR, the reentry permit will be limited to 1 year (except that the permit will be
valid for 2 years in the case of an LPR who is a professional athlet
e, traveling on U.S.
government orders, or employed by a public international organization).
46"
Am I to take from that, that someone applying for a re-entry permit immediately, in the first week or so of FIRST entering the US on the GC, would be knocked back?
I was told by someone else, can't remember who, that the following was possible:
1. Get approved in Sydney for GC, have six months since medical to enter US.
2. Let's say it's five months since the Sydney interview success and coming up on the six months since the medical, you go to the US.
3. Stay in the US for a few weeks, file the application for the re-entry permit, get an expedited biometric (there's a separate biometric for the reentry permit as I understand it), stay those few weeks, fly back to Oz.
4. Stay in OZ for almost 2 years.
Thereby giving someone almost a quarter of a decade of time before seriously committing to the big move?
Is that possible?
I'm not saying I'd personally MAX OUT that whole time, like the whole 2 years on the re-entry permit, but I might need some time.
Is this possible?
If what that PDF is saying is true, then a reentry permit is pointless, because the GC itself gives you up to one year out of the US?
The following PDF says something that concerns me:
http://lawandborder.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Guide-Reentry-Permit-2012-10-20.pdf
"If you have been outside the U.S. for more than 4 of the last 5 years since becoming
an LPR, the reentry permit will be limited to 1 year (except that the permit will be
valid for 2 years in the case of an LPR who is a professional athlet
e, traveling on U.S.
government orders, or employed by a public international organization).
46"
Am I to take from that, that someone applying for a re-entry permit immediately, in the first week or so of FIRST entering the US on the GC, would be knocked back?
I was told by someone else, can't remember who, that the following was possible:
1. Get approved in Sydney for GC, have six months since medical to enter US.
2. Let's say it's five months since the Sydney interview success and coming up on the six months since the medical, you go to the US.
3. Stay in the US for a few weeks, file the application for the re-entry permit, get an expedited biometric (there's a separate biometric for the reentry permit as I understand it), stay those few weeks, fly back to Oz.
4. Stay in OZ for almost 2 years.
Thereby giving someone almost a quarter of a decade of time before seriously committing to the big move?
Is that possible?
I'm not saying I'd personally MAX OUT that whole time, like the whole 2 years on the re-entry permit, but I might need some time.
Is this possible?
If what that PDF is saying is true, then a reentry permit is pointless, because the GC itself gives you up to one year out of the US?
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Your first two re-entry permits are valid for 2 years each, after that you can only extend for one further year, so that ties up with the PDF. If you haven't been an LPR they don't count the prior non resident periods - so yes you can apply after you activate. But I also believe you need to file reasons why you need the permit, and I have heard of people having them denied - it is not automatically approved.
Remember as a green card holder you are liable to file for US taxes the entire time as well.
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