I read the forum!
)
I added my info yesterday and was checking ever since to see when someone will ask me this question ;-)
So if you read one of my long posts, we moved and I didn't get the NL in mail. I am nearing my L1 stay and my employer sponsored PERM was in audit so my lawyers at Fragomen (should sound familiar to all working for big companies) where asking me for some documents to see if they can file for H1B for me..... and while checking my archive I saw the DV confirmation numbers, it was end of March and I decided to see if the system will allow me to check for DV2012. It didn't. I run all our confirmation numbers since they started offering online check (I think for dv 2009). And it always said it wanted numbers starting with 2011 so at the end I've got to 2011 confirmation numbers and there was big surprise waiting for me there.
It was Friday night (2am Saturday) and I immediately sent email to KCC, getting to sleep was difficult that night.
It took me couple of days emailing and calling KCC and (week -3)
on Tuesday I've got my case number,
on Wednesday I've got the link to dvselectee web site,
on Thursday I've got the 1st NL in email but I have read dvselectee already and wasn't waiting, in the morning I was already in USCIS FO Lawrence, MA.
Why Lawrence not Boston? - This might be my biggest mistake, we will see. USCIS web site said this is the FO serving my county, it is the same distance from me to go to Boston and Lawrence but driving to Boston and parking is crazy and besides I figured Boston FO will be very busy. I haven't read this forum yet.
I've got in Lawrence FO in lunch break there was almost nobody in the waiting room and only 2 officers on duty. But they were totally clueless to why I was there and what to do with DV cases. I just later learnt from this forum that this is a sign of big troubles ahead.
The same day (Thursday) I sent DSP-122 to KCC with Lawrence FO office as my choice.
On Friday April 1st I prepared the certified check for DV fee and later in the night started reading the forum. The I realized I should've chosen Boston.
Next week (week -2) was uneventful because the local civil surgeon was fully booked, I just sent the dv fee check. I should've looked for another but I was very busy with other things and besides this one is 3 miles from my home.
week -1 - did the medicals and sent documents for translation. My wife and I got just MMR, I've got Tdap and my son got some shots which he would've gotten anyways in the end of the year.
I should've tried to do the medicals and translations previous week but I was very busy and also was trying to find local translator. I ended up with someone in WI.
Week 0 (EASTER) - got the seal medicals and translations, put everything together and on Thursday night sent the package to the lockbox. I could've mailed it on Wed but the translations needed some corrections and the two whole punch pushed that one day.
Week 1 – acceptance, NoA
Week 2 – biometrics and interview letter
Week 3 –pass
Week 4 – biometrics done
Week 5 – hopefully uneventful
Week 6 – hopefully interview
Oh, did I mention I didn’t file I-131 Advance Parole and I-765 EAD to speed up my case?! I was very concerned at first that all the visas are already taken and I found out too late that I am selected. Also later when I was more informed I figured I don’t need them because I am in valid L1 (possibly H1B later) status till Sept 30th.
If there is interest I can publish my whole log (censored of course).
But in brief
- Have a low case number
- Read the instructions many times
- Read the forum (if possible many times)
- Be suspicious of everything someone tells you, even your lawyer, always double check if possible. (Ok, sometimes you have trust your lawyer and hope he/she is right.)
Clarification – I didn’t use my company paid lawyers, I used the forum and common sense. My company paid lawyers are not paid to handle my DV case and provided me only with general info that is available here in the forum. If I had used them I had to pay them and I am certain they would’ve done great job and shielded me from the details but I thought I could achieve greater speed on my own.
This is very briefly the whole story ;-))