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CP or AOS...unique situation

S

showtime

Registered Users (C)
Hi. I am showtime.
I recently received DV notification for 2008 and I am having hard time trying to decide if I should CP or AOS due to my unique situation. So I was wondering if I could hear you guys' opinions.

I am Japanese, but I have been living in US for several years with my family. Everyone in my family applied for DV but only I got selected.
It makes it especially hard for me to decide between CP and AOS becasue my situtaion is a bit different from that of most Japanese who get selected.


-I am currently in US(Michigan) with F1 visa, attending college, and have realatively high GPA.

-I have been living in the US since I was 14.

-I have completed high school in Michigan since the beginning of the freshman year.

-I have no criminal records.

-I am originally from Japan, but I moved to Samoa when I was 10, and moved to Michigan, US when I was 14 and have lived there since.( I'm not sure if that's a necessary information, since I was still a little kid.)

My case # is 2008AS00004xxx-ish.(I'm not quite sure if that's early enough or not)

I was thinking since I have been living in US without causing any problem, it might be easier for me to AOS rather than CP... but I'm not sure.

Please share you guys' opinions/experiences with me. Thank you.
 
which status were you in while in high school?

your number is so-so for AOS. Right now, ASIA 5,125 is current.

http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_3169.html

learn about what "current" means for DV winners.

Advantages/disadvantages of AOS vs. CP might have been covered here. It all depends on your number, your status (or lack thereof), your chances in general, how much money you have, whether you can get a police certificate from all the countries you lived in after turning 16 years old, etc.
 
thanx LucyMO!

I have been living in US since I was 14 under F2 visa, and I went to a local High School in Michigan. After I graduated from high school, I got F1 visa to go to college in US.

I have never gotten in trouble(not even for minor traffic violations or anything;P) ever since I came to US.

so...I thought may be it won't take long for them to do my background check(because I have been in the US the whole time) that seems to cause delay for most people that choose aos...

well, what you all think? or is it not that easy to do aos? is it better to do cp?...:confused:
 
Hello. I won DV2006 and was in a somewhat similar situation as you. I moved to the US when I was 4 years old, left when I was 10, and returned for school when I was 17. I'd been in the US since then, through my PhD and post-doctoral work. My number was AS5xxx, I had a decent savings account, and I was never in any trouble. I thought that AOS would be no problem but I was one of the unlucky ones. Although I was ultimately successful, I think I would have had an easier time with CP. I provided a detailed account of my experience (link below).
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=223312

If I had to do it all over again, I would have chosen CP. Of course, you hear horror stories in both AOS and CP camps.

Good luck to all.
 
thanx researcher29:)


ok...so cp still IS safer then...I guess I'll stick with cp:D

btw, if I go with cp, when would the interview most likely be?
is it possible that I can get my green card before the end of August?(when the school starts?)

the only thing I'm worried about is missing school if the interview is during the school year. I can't drop my grade and lose my scholarship...:(
 
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CP and F1

Hi showtime.
I am in exactly the same situation as you are; i.e. deciding between CP and AOS. After reading this forum extensively it seems that CP is faster and more secure but there is still the chance for delays doing cp and there is also the chance (although very small) of loosing your F1 if things go terribly wrong and not be able to come back. As I understand from the postings in this forum, the problem with the name check wheter with Cp or AOS is not that they may find you did something wrong. the problem is that someone with a name similar to yours is in some obscure list and when they run your name a match comes up that requires further investigation and more time...
(this is what I got from reading some of the postigs here maybe someone can explain to us if this reasoning is correct)

I didnt mean to scare you and I am no expert in this.
I will be defending my Dissertation next year so getting stuck in my home country while doing cp would be the worst. I am very risk averse so I am going for AOS.
 
Hey guys.

I thought about it over...and I changed my mind. I think I'm gonna go with aos.

but this is a bit troublesome because the KCC's packet doesn't have much information on aos processing, and I'm quite confused about what I should do.

I have a few specific questions.

1. I was looking through the thred of 07 aos, and I noticed that the instruction is different from the one I read in my packet(the places to send the packet etc.) Did something chage since the last year's process?

2. If I'm doing aos from F1 visa, and I have been living in US since I was 14 with F2 visa with no criminal record, would I still need criminal record from my home country?

3. How does the aos process differ from cp process? I've read enough about cp to know how it works(kind of...) but I haven't found much about aos processing, and it's kind of hard to understand what people are talking about when I don't even know about the general process of aos. So can you guys tell me how the aos process goes?


if you guys can give me any other advice about what I should/shoudn't do for aos, let me know. I'd really appreciate it.
 
showtime said:
Hey guys.

I thought about it over...and I changed my mind. I think I'm gonna go with aos.

but this is a bit troublesome because the KCC's packet doesn't have much information on aos processing, and I'm quite confused about what I should do.

I have a few specific questions.

1. I was looking through the thred of 07 aos, and I noticed that the instruction is different from the one I read in my packet(the places to send the packet etc.) Did something chage since the last year's process?

2. If I'm doing aos from F1 visa, and I have been living in US since I was 14 with F2 visa with no criminal record, would I still need criminal record from my home country?

3. How does the aos process differ from cp process? I've read enough about cp to know how it works(kind of...) but I haven't found much about aos processing, and it's kind of hard to understand what people are talking about when I don't even know about the general process of aos. So can you guys tell me how the aos process goes?


if you guys can give me any other advice about what I should/shoudn't do for aos, let me know. I'd really appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Hi SHOWTIME, time is very critical in AOS especially if you don't have a low number for your region. You will have to wait for your number to be current (check the Dept. of State visa bulletin) before you can send the AOS forms to USCIS to start the process. It takes several months for USCIS to process everything about your application. Anyway if you want to do AOS:
1. Send the forms (you received in your packet) back to KCC mentioning you want to do AOS. Some people don't sent these forms, but I did and it's better to play safe. The address to send the forms should be the same for CP or AOS, check your packet.
2. A few months before you think your number will be current, send the Diversity Visa Payment (mentioned in the letter you received) to the Department of State (check the address in your packet also). You will get a receipt in a week or two.
3. Do the medical exam (check USCIS site for approved USCIS doctors).
4. Start preparing your AOS packet (all forms and evidences) that you will send to USCIS (the main form is I-485). There's a lot of info on this forum what you need to send.
5. A few days before the month your number is current, send the packet to USCIS to the address mentioned on the I-485 instructions form.
6. Then you just wait, USCIS will send you a receipt and further instruction.
Hope that this summary helps :) And NO you DON'T need any criminal records from your home country.
 
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Thanx a lot guys.

I've been doing some research and I'm starting to understand more about how this works.

btw, the first packet, many people on this forum says that you have to send the 1st packet back to kcc even if you are doing aos, but the instruction on my packet says to take it to USCIS if you are doing aos.(it says send it back to KCC for cp). did the rule change for '08? Also, I understand now that the real process begins after my case# becomes current. But do I have to(or should I) send the 1st packet ASAP? I have school on week days, and it's hard for me to go to the office on weekdays. My classes will be over in the beginning of May. Would it matter if I send back/take the 1st packet in May?
 
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