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DV 2015 AOS Only

Ivo Stoyanov said:
Wow, you guys weren't kidding when you said the Newark FO was very efficient. As I mentioned earlier, my bio appointment was last Wednesday (07/22). I got the interview letter today (07/28), and my interview is tomorrow (07/30) at 09:30 am.

I am not even current until August, but am obviously going with all my documents, including the high school diploma certified by Foreign Credits, which became ready literally hours ago (and it's a good thing I ordered a downloadable copy - the actual package only arrives tomorrow or Thursday, even with the rush shipping).
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Was, that's great news, did you make the bio in time or you walk-in ?
 
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Sm1smom said:
You were asking the wrong people the wrong questions hence the response you got. Also you need to be very careful with the words you use and the kind of questions you ask when you meet the the IOs. If you take a look at my previous response, you will notice I never said anything about the expediting request you spoke of, instead I said 'nothing wrong with doing an INFOPASS to find out the status of your application'.

I didn't use the word 'expedite' on purpose simply because I don't think you're at the stage where an expedite request is applicable to you. The people performing the biometrics have no access to the AOS files or what the AOS petition is based on, so asking them about the KCC case file or making an expedite request will no doubt result in some confusion or wrong response like you found out.

If you need to do an INFOPASS appointment with your FO, go ahead and do that. When you get there, you can ask if you've been scheduled for an interview yet, you can ask if your background check has cleared. You can even ask if your case file has been requested from KCC. You can politely explain about the need for your petition to be adjudicated before the FY ends or they run out of visas. However, I would recommend you don't go there demanding for them to expedite your case. Expediting a case is not a right, they're not required to approve the request even if it gets made.
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Actually the bio was at the same place of the FO. And after the bio done we went to the FO , it's at the same building
 
Dear all, Thanks for managing this great forum.

I submitted my i-485 package back in February 2015(case number ~Asia3500); and had my interview at Washington Field Office first week of June.
We are getting close to the end of the fiscal year and I still have not heard any result about the outcome of my interview. I feel that Washington DC Field Office has not put effort to resolve my case in a timely manner; and am afraid to lose my case by the end of September.
-KCC told me that my file has not been requested from USCIS
-I did try calling USCIS and going to an Infopass appointment, but they were not very helpful; just saying that there has not been any updates on my case case...

What do you think should be my next move? should I just wait, contact congresswoman, or directly ask a a lawyer to help me in this? (in fact I am curious to know if lawyers could be of any help at this stage?)
 
Photonist said:
Dear all, Thanks for managing this great forum.

I submitted my i-485 package back in February 2015(case number ~Asia3500); and had my interview at Washington Field Office first week of June.
We are getting close to the end of the fiscal year and I still have not heard any result about the outcome of my interview. I feel that Washington DC Field Office has not put effort to resolve my case in a timely manner; and am afraid to lose my case by the end of September.
-KCC told me that my file has not been requested from USCIS
-I did try calling USCIS and going to an Infopass appointment, but they were not very helpful; just saying that there has not been any updates on my case case...

What do you think should be my next move? should I just wait, contact congresswoman, or directly ask a a lawyer to help me in this? (in fact I am curious to know if lawyers could be of any help at this stage?)
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Make another INFOPASS visit to your FO. Phone call isn't likely to yield any desired outcome. When you get to your FO, ask them if your background check has cleared, ask them if your case KCC file has been requested and received. Politely remind them about the need to get your petition decided before the FY ends and the possibility of the applicable DV based visas running out.

If there's still no positive/encouraging news following the INFOPASS, contact your congress person. Engaging the services of a lawyer at this stage in particular is nothing but a waste of resources.
 
Ivo Stoyanov said:
Wow, you guys weren't kidding when you said the Newark FO was very efficient. As I mentioned earlier, my bio appointment was last Wednesday (07/22). I got the interview letter today (07/29), and my interview is tomorrow (07/30) at 09:30 am.

I am not even current until August, but am obviously going with all my documents, including the high school diploma certified by Foreign Credits, which became ready literally hours ago (and it's a good thing I ordered a downloadable copy - the actual package only arrives tomorrow or Thursday, even with the rush shipping).
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I went about 45 minutes early to make sure I get through the security screening and be on time. Got to the waiting room around 9, had to wait for a couple of cases and was brought to the officer's office around 10:00. The officer requested to see the originals of the payment confirmation for the DV fee, birth certificate (with a translation), all passports, high school and college diplomas, and pay stubs, which I provided. She checked/signed off on the copies she already had and gave back most of the originals - she kept the DV fee confirmation page, not sure why.

She did not ask for the high school certification for my foreign HS degree even though the interview letter had listed it as a requirement, I'm guessing because the diploma was in English and/or because the college degrees were from the US. I had the Foreign Credits certification, so I brought it up and she took it and added it to the binder.

After that she went through the yes/no questions about crime/military/communist background etc, and said she had everything she needed and she would approve my case when there's a visa number available. She did make it clear that visas could run out at any time. She added that she requested my file from KCC on July 23rd (the day after my bio appointment), so I could try to follow up with them to see if they had send it. Everything took 10-15 mins.

Thanks for all the help to everyone and @Sm1smom in particular. Some more waiting now.
 
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Sm1smom said:
Yep, could have been sent right after the applicable VB came out.
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I
Sm1smom said:
Yep, could have been sent right after the applicable VB came out.
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I'm just afraid they don't accept it early and send it back to me, I though 2 more days wont make much difference Hopefully.
the thing is I just found this forum a week ago, and I've been trying to get help about my case for a long time, thats why i went with a lawyer. supposedly he is familiar with the DV
 
Sm1smom said:
Isn't it easier to simply go online and register to get the updates rather than trying to go through an agent that will basically read exactly what you're equally able to see when you do a case status check online with your receipt number?

Anyway, you can simply go ahead and schedule an INFOPASS right away.
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Thank you Mom. Yes I did finally register for online updates.
At the INFOPASS, other than asking if Interview Letter was sent or not. What are some of the questions you suggest I should ask. Is there any order of questions maybe.
For instance, is biometric process completed? was my file from KCC requested yet?
 
khaledHasaneen said:
I

I'm just afraid they don't accept it early and send it back to me, I though 2 more days wont make much difference Hopefully.
the thing is I just found this forum a week ago, and I've been trying to get help about my case for a long time, thats why i went with a lawyer. supposedly he is familiar with the DV
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Honestly, don't count on that. This thread alone is littered with examples of immigration lawyers not only not helping DV AOS'ers but actually getting in their way, possibly costing people a green card. Mine only slowed me down by a couple of weeks, but did charge me over $500 for the privilege - not a big deal, but still annoying. Our situation is quite niche, so it's no surprise attorneys aren't too familiar with it, but the problem is they won't let you know this in order to collect your fees, and could make fatal mistakes on top of that.

I know the process seems intimidating, but it actually isn't, and this thread is a fantastic resource for you. Go to the first post of the thread and carefully read the excel spreadsheet posted in there. It has every little detail you need, and at the very least it would be a great checklist to make sure your lawyer is doing everything right if you decide to stick with him. AFTER reading it, feel free to ask questions here and I'm someone would gladly help you.

You're a bit tight on time, so you need to be quick, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful and meticulous to make sure you have every prerequisite document needed for a successful AOS procedure. Good luck!
 
Thanks4Help said:
Thank you Mom. Yes I did finally register for online updates.
At the INFOPASS, other than asking if Interview Letter was sent or not. What are some of the questions you suggest I should ask. Is there any order of questions maybe.
For instance, is biometric process completed? was my file from KCC requested yet?
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Questions do not need to be asked in any particular order, ask them in any manner or order that makes sense to you based on how the discussion seem to be going. Yes you can ask about the status of your biometric/background check. You can ask if KCC file has been requested/received. You can calmly convey your concerns and fear of visas running out, and of the need to get your case adjudicated before the end of the FY which is creeping by.
 
Hi mom,

I went to UCSIS today to see what's going on with my case but heard the same thing which is "your file is with a supervisor". The officer told me that the case was last reviewed by the supervisor on June 24th. I plan on getting another infopass today for 2 weeks from now and call the customer service line to see if I can find out more about my case.

Since we only have 60 days until the deadline, I was also thinking about contacting my congressman. The officer told me this is only going to make the process slower, but I don't really believe him. So I wanted to ask you what do you think is the best course of action at this point. Should I just wait for another 2 weeks and then contact the congressman after my next infopass visit or should I contact them right away, or maybe it's too early to even think about contacting my congressman?

I appreciate your help in advance.

Thanks,
Armin
 
ArminJason said:
Hi mom,

I went to UCSIS today to see what's going on with my case but heard the same thing which is "your file is with a supervisor". The officer told me that the case was last reviewed by the supervisor on June 24th. I plan on getting another infopass today for 2 weeks from now and call the customer service line to see if I can find out more about my case.

Since we only have 60 days until the deadline, I was also thinking about contacting my congressman. The officer told me this is only going to make the process slower, but I don't really believe him. So I wanted to ask you what do you think is the best course of action at this point. Should I just wait for another 2 weeks and then contact the congressman after my next infopass visit or should I contact them right away, or maybe it's too early to even think about contacting my congressman?

I appreciate your help in advance.

Thanks,
Armin
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You're right, the IO's response about your contacting your congress person isn't quite true - it's just an option they typically do not like. If memory serves me right though, your interview was in June, right? In that case, I would suggest another INFOPASS appointment in 2 weeks time, to be followed with the congress person option if there's still no decision by then.
 
Sm1smom said:
You're right, the IO's response about your contacting your congress person isn't quite true - it's just an option they typically do not like. If memory serves me right though, your interview was in June, right? In that case, I would suggest another INFOPASS appointment in 2 weeks time, to be followed with the congress person option if there's still no decision by then.
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Hi mom,

Thanks for the quick reply. I haven't had an interview yet. I'm still waiting for my interview letter. :/
 
ArminJason said:
Hi mom,

Thanks for the quick reply. I haven't had an interview yet. I'm still waiting for my interview letter. :/
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Oh ma bad! I thought the INFOPASS was a follow up on an interview which already took place. Anyway, it's possible your last visit could possibly have moved them into some action and the IL could show up shortly. Nevertheless, schedule another one as discussed.
 
Sm1smom said:
Questions do not need to be asked in any particular order, ask them in any manner or order that makes sense to you based on how the discussion seem to be going. Yes you can ask about the status of your biometric/background check. You can ask if KCC file has been requested/received. You can calmly convey your concerns and fear of visas running out, and of the need to get your case adjudicated before the end of the FY which is creeping by.
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Mom,
at the INFOPASS, in order to avoid confusion, and to make sure IO understands my question correctly - do I exactly ask "was our file from KCC was request and received?" or I should rather say: "was our DV lottery application requested from Kentucky Consular Center?"
 
Thanks4Help said:
Mom,
at the INFOPASS, in order to avoid confusion, and to make sure IO understands my question correctly - do I exactly ask "was our file from KCC was request and received?" or I should rather say: "was our DV lottery application requested from Kentucky Consular Center?"
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Several years ago back in Africa when I was a preteen, my mom sent me to the market to get some oranges for her. She warned me not to buy sour oranges like I did the last time. When I got there, I sternly asked the seller to pack me a bag of very sour oranges and to make sure not a single sweet one got mixed in. The orange seller angrily chased me away saying she doesn't sell sour oranges. It dawned on me that in my attempt at ensuring I made the perfect request, I had so rehearsed what I was going to say as I went to the market that when I eventually got there, I got my thoughts mixed up and ended up saying the wrong thing, then I got tongue tied and couldn't correct myself.

What am I trying to say here? Stop over-thinking the process!
 
Sm1smom said:
Several years ago back in Africa when I was a preteen, my mom sent me to the market to get some oranges for her. She warned me not to buy sour oranges like I did the last time. When I got there, I sternly asked the seller to pack me a bag of very sour oranges and to make sure not a single sweet one got mixed in. The orange seller angrily chased me away saying she doesn't sell sour oranges. It dawned on me that in my attempt at ensuring I made the perfect request, I had so rehearsed what I was going to say as I went to the market that when I eventually got there, I got my thoughts mixed up and ended up saying the wrong thing, then I got tongue tied and couldn't correct myself.

What am I trying to say here? Stop over-thinking the process!
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Omg mom hahaha .. I seriously commend your patience to answer questions -mine and everyone elses'. Cheers to you. I honestly dont know how you make the time to.
 
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