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DV 2014 AOS Only - New Thread

lotteryvisa2014 said:
Hello,

An update on my case.

I did biometrics in early April. My EAD was approved in mid May.

But still no letter from NY office regarding an interview.

I know someone else from the NY area who did her biometrics in December and still no interview. And from the timeline I don't see anyone from the NY area who has had an interview.

What should we do? Reach out to congress person. There's only 3 months left. Time is running out. I know that even after receiving the letter there's another wait of at least a few weeks to a month. Is it possible they are grouping all the NY DV AOS cases together and interviewing us all at the same time? It just seems like nothing is happening in that regard, like we are being treated like all other AOS cases and being made to wait like the rest -any they are taking something like 9 months to process regular AOS cases.
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NY FO seem to be taking their sweet time this year, so starting being proactive from your end. Make infopass appointments, call the 1-800 number and ask for a service request to be sent to your FO, contact your congressperson. Start making some noise!
 
I agree with Mom. I for sure will be following her advise. Seems like the staff at NY-FO are lost/ not knowledgeable or slacking.

Its time to be proactive. I worry about the same since I will be going through the same FO when my number gets current in August.

@lotteryvisa2014 - please keep us posted !
 
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lotteryvisa2014 said:
It seems the NY office is a major problem. I have encountered the same issue. Any updates for you? I think it's time we contacted the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Maybe if more than one of us does that it will help. She has a specific link on her webiste for people seeking help with their immigration case: http://www.gillibrand.senate.gov/services/casework/form/
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Congresswoman Grace Meng lit a fire under TSC for me, I'd say contact senator and congresspeople, the more chance you get for something to get pushed through.
 
In regard to the required DV qualifying education, it is published on http://travel.state.gov/content/vis...re-selected/prepare-supporting-documents.html as below:

The principal diversity visa applicant must have a high school education, or its equivalent, OR two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years.

Education: Submit to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at your interview, a certificate of completion equivalent to a U.S. diploma, school transcripts, or other evidence issued by the person or organization responsible for maintaining records, which specifies the completed course of study. The diversity visa selectee must have completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the U.S. or a comparable course of study in another country, sufficient in itself to qualify a student to apply for college admission. The following are not acceptable:

  • Equivalency certificates (such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable.
  • Vocational degrees that are not considered a basis for further academic study will not be considered equivalent to U.S. high school education.

My sister chose a non-formal education program and she got a certificate that says she "has satisfactorily completed the upper secondary education." The education system in our country is 6-3-3 (primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary), which is 12 years of education. I am not sure whether the certificate that she obtained is qualified or not. The first paragraph says that "...applicant must have a high school education, or its equivalent" but the first bullet point sounds contradicted to the "its equivalent" part.

When she got admitted into a Teacher's College here in the US, she was required to submit a "Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report" and she did it through CIE (http://www.international-education.com). In the report, it states that she "completed 12 years of study with the award of the Certificate of Upper Secondary Education" in the remark.

I am wondering if she has fulfilled the required education. Thanks for any input on this.
 
Sorry guys for the question again about the right adress to send my AOS package in Chicago ,
I ,m confused about two different addresses I have now .
Thank you so much .
 
Vivemaroc said:
Sorry guys for the question again about the right adress to send my AOS package in Chicago ,
I ,m confused about two different addresses I have now .
Thank you so much .
Click to expand...
USCIS
Attn: FBAS
131 South Dearborn - 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60603-5517
 
urbanite said:
I agree with Mom. I for sure will be following her advise. Seems like the staff at NY-FO are lost/ not knowledgeable or slacking.

Its time to be proactive. I worry about the same since I will be going through the same FO when my number gets current in August.

@lotteryvisa2014 - please keep us posted !
Click to expand...


I just want to defend NY FO =)
You guys are talking about NYC (city!!) FO. Which is known to be very slow and difficult to deal with.
From timelines in previous years it seems to me that they indeed wait and combine DV cases with the latest one.

But!
We have several FOs in NY and they are pretty competent.
I was processed in the upstate NY FO(Albany/Latham). Although it was not completely smooth, it was handled well.
Please see my timeline below:

CN: 2014EU00015XXX (AOS on F-1: Current on 02/01/14)
05/01/13: 1st NL
12/31/13: Mailed DSP-122 to KCC
01/24/14:Confirmation Email from KCC
01/17/14: DV Payment Mailed
01/31/14: Medical Exam
02/24/14: DV Payment Receipt Received
02/25/14: I-485 Mailed to Chicago LockBox
02/26/14: I-485 Received at Chicago LockBox
03/06/14: NOA Received (text+email)
03/13/14: NOA Received (mail)
03/19/14: Biometrics Notice Received
04/04/14: Biometrics
04/04/14: Interview Letter Received
04/29/14: Interview
04/30/14: CPO
04/30/14: Status went to "Post Decision Activity"
05/05/14: Welcome Letter(by mistake on USCIS part)
05/30/14: INFOPASS
[It turned out they did not request visa # from DoS. They took my first welcome letter,
told me I do not have the LPR status yet and requested visa #]
06/02/14: CPO
06/03/14: New Welcome Letter (true this time)
06/07/14: Green Card Received
 
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CWH said:
In regard to the required DV qualifying education, it is published on http://travel.state.gov/content/vis...re-selected/prepare-supporting-documents.html as below:

The principal diversity visa applicant must have a high school education, or its equivalent, OR two years of qualifying work experience in the last five years.

Education: Submit to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at your interview, a certificate of completion equivalent to a U.S. diploma, school transcripts, or other evidence issued by the person or organization responsible for maintaining records, which specifies the completed course of study. The diversity visa selectee must have completed a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in the U.S. or a comparable course of study in another country, sufficient in itself to qualify a student to apply for college admission. The following are not acceptable:

  • Equivalency certificates (such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable.
  • Vocational degrees that are not considered a basis for further academic study will not be considered equivalent to U.S. high school education.

My sister chose a non-formal education program and she got a certificate that says she "has satisfactorily completed the upper secondary education." The education system in our country is 6-3-3 (primary, lower-secondary, and upper-secondary), which is 12 years of education. I am not sure whether the certificate that she obtained is qualified or not. The first paragraph says that "...applicant must have a high school education, or its equivalent" but the first bullet point sounds contradicted to the "its equivalent" part.

When she got admitted into a Teacher's College here in the US, she was required to submit a "Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report" and she did it through CIE (http://www.international-education.com). In the report, it states that she "completed 12 years of study with the award of the Certificate of Upper Secondary Education" in the remark.

I am wondering if she has fulfilled the required education. Thanks for any input on this.
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Your description of your sister's "non-formal education(al) program" is a bit ambigious and would have made it quite difficult to give useful guidance or contributions if she was doing CP IMO.

However, because she's processing AOS, I assume, it shouldn't make much of a difference because there are a couple of factors likely to work in her favor here:
  • Most IO's are not too familiar with the DV process, they therefore tend to loosely interprete the requirements and are more likely to not pay closer scrutiny to issues such as this.
  • Your sister is attending a US college, they're more likely to assume she had the right high school qualification to begin the study
  • In addition, she has a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report which puts her high school education at par with that of US
So nothing to worry about regarding this.
 
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Leah Leah said:
I just want to defend NY FO =)
You guys are talking about NYC (city!!) FO. Which is known to be very slow and difficult to deal with.
From timelines in previous years it seems to me that they indeed wait and combine DV cases with the latest one.

But!
We have several FOs in NY and they are pretty competent.
I was processed in the upstate NY FO(Albany/Latham). Although it was not completely smooth, it was handled well.
Please see my timeline below:

CN: 2014EU00015XXX (AOS on F-1: Current on 02/01/14)
05/01/13: 1st NL
12/31/13: Mailed DSP-122 to KCC
01/24/14:Confirmation Email from KCC
01/17/14: DV Payment Mailed
01/31/14: Medical Exam
02/24/14: DV Payment Receipt Received
02/25/14: I-485 Mailed to Chicago LockBox
02/26/14: I-485 Received at Chicago LockBox
03/06/14: NOA Received (text+email)
03/13/14: NOA Received (mail)
03/19/14: Biometrics Notice Received
04/04/14: Biometrics
04/04/14: Interview Letter Received
04/29/14: Interview
04/30/14: CPO
04/30/14: Status went to "Post Decision Activity"
05/05/14: Welcome Letter(by mistake on USCIS part)
05/30/14: INFOPASS
[It turned out they did not request visa # from DoS. They took my first welcome letter,
told me I do not have the LPR status yet and requested visa #]
06/02/14: CPO
06/03/14: New Welcome Letter (true this time)
06/07/14: Green Card Received
Click to expand...

Leah I hope you enjoy your new status and Congratulations :)

Yes true our concerns are related to the NYC-FO. Seems like their office has halted the progress of many people who have became current months back. :s
 
Sm1smom said:
Your description of your sister's "non-formal education(al) program" is a bit ambigious and would have made it quite difficult to give useful guidance or contributions if she was doing CP IMO.

However, because she's processing AOS, I assume, it shouldn't make much of a difference because there are a couple of factors likely to work in her favor here:
  • Most IO's are not too familiar with the DV process, they therefore tend to loosely interprete the requirements and are more likely to not pay closer scrutiny to issues such as this.
  • Your sister is attending a US college, they're more likely to assume she had the right high school qualification to begin the study
  • In addition, she has a Foreign Credentials Evaluation Report which puts her high school education at par with that of US
So nothing to worry about regarding this.
Click to expand...

Thanks Mom for your help analyzing my sister's situation. Non-formal education program (for upper-secondary education) in our country is pretty much like self-directed study, and students will take tests at the end of a semester. The thing is some students might be able to finish the entire program in a year if they choose to enroll in and pass all required courses, which I believe a small percentage of US high schoolers can gradate in less than 3 years time if they choose to take more courses in chosen semesters.
 
Hi guys,

I am really sorry for bombarding you with questions but it seems like every tiny thing in this process becomes a challenge for me!
So, I thought that I had chicken pox as a child and was immune, however, I decided to take a test to make sure of this. Surprisingly, It turned out that I am not immune. And now the problem is that apparently, starting a few years ago, it has been decided that Vercilla vaccine needs to be a two-phase vaccine and I do not have enough time to take the second shot. What do you think I should do? Is it OK to only do the first shot or would the civil surgeon take my word If I tell them that I am immune?

Thanks for your help.
 
urbanite said:
Leah I hope you enjoy your new status and Congratulations :)

Yes true our concerns are related to the NYC-FO. Seems like their office has halted the progress of many people who have became current months back. :s
Click to expand...

Urbanite, thank you! I am starting to enjoy now) It took me some time to recover from feelings I got with that false welcome letter.

I believe you and all at the NYC and everyone else will pull through and get everything done on time. I keep my fingers crossed for you!
 
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Mammad said:
Hi guys,

I am really sorry for bombarding you with questions but it seems like every tiny thing in this process becomes a challenge for me!
So, I thought that I had chicken pox as a child and was immune, however, I decided to take a test to make sure of this. Surprisingly, It turned out that I am not immune. And now the problem is that apparently, starting a few years ago, it has been decided that Vercilla vaccine needs to be a two-phase vaccine and I do not have enough time to take the second shot. What do you think I should do? Is it OK to only do the first shot or would the civil surgeon take my word If I tell them that I am immune?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...
No worries. Just tell the Dr you think you had chicken pox, they usually accept your words, even if he doesn't, the first phase is enough.
 
CWH said:
Thanks Mom for your help analyzing my sister's situation. Non-formal education program (for upper-secondary education) in our country is pretty much like self-directed study, and students will take tests at the end of a semester. The thing is some students might be able to finish the entire program in a year if they choose to enroll in and pass all required courses, which I believe a small percentage of US high schoolers can gradate in less than 3 years time if they choose to take more courses in chosen semesters.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the additional clarification. Your sister's case is fine educationally, and even if she was doing CP, the Foreign Transcript Evaluation Report would have helped her a great deal.
 
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Mammad said:
Hi guys,

I am really sorry for bombarding you with questions but it seems like every tiny thing in this process becomes a challenge for me!
So, I thought that I had chicken pox as a child and was immune, however, I decided to take a test to make sure of this. Surprisingly, It turned out that I am not immune. And now the problem is that apparently, starting a few years ago, it has been decided that Vercilla vaccine needs to be a two-phase vaccine and I do not have enough time to take the second shot. What do you think I should do? Is it OK to only do the first shot or would the civil surgeon take my word If I tell them that I am immune?

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Yes, the CS will take your word for it if you claim you've already had chicken pox in the past. However I wouldn't recommend you do that as that could be termed a misrepresentation or fraudulent representation either of which could lead to a denial of your cause if found out. Plus it's in your own best interest to ensure you're immunized accordingly.

For immigration purpose, you're not required to complete the dosage prior to submitting your application or interview due to time constraint. There's a section on the form for the CS to indicate the first dosage has been taken and you can go back to complete it later.
 
Today I received Welcome letter and GC. It's a strange, but nice feeling. :DThank you everyone who answered on my questions and doubts and helped me to get where I am now! :) Good luck for those who still are in the process! We/you all can do it!:)
 
KRMA said:
Today I received Welcome letter and GC. It's a strange, but nice feeling. :DThank you everyone who answered on my questions and doubts and helped me to get where I am now! :) Good luck for those who still are in the process! We/you all can do it!:)
Click to expand...

Congratulations!
 
KRMA said:
Today I received Welcome letter and GC. It's a strange, but nice feeling. :DThank you everyone who answered on my questions and doubts and helped me to get where I am now! :) Good luck for those who still are in the process! We/you all can do it!:)
Click to expand...
Congratulations! :)
 
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