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DV 2015 Oceania winners

Permutation said:
We need to enter the States before December. Still undecided, but we may do a POE trip in late Nov for a week or two and move permanently sometime in 2016. Meanwhile our GCs would be issued probably in Dec. I am a bit confused while reading the IRS instructions:
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Residency---Green-Card-Test
During our week-long Nov POE trip are we considered LPRs? - May be not as our GCs would not have be issued. If this is so, we would be physically present as LPRs with our permanent move in 2016 and then our tax residency would starts - hence no need to file tax return for 2015 with IRS. Am I wrong?
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Your plastic GC may not have been issued, you're however regarded a LPR upon activation at the POE. Your IV once endorsed at the POE becomes an I-551 which affords you all the rights of any other LPR with a plastic GC.
 
nycsteph said:
thank you! that's what I thought.
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Got a response:

"
Your case has been updated, please log back into your account to view the details.

Date/Time Case Opened: 8/A/2015
Description: Hello,

I wish to attend my DV appointment.

Guest Reginald Gulkan
2015OC00001491

ps: I hope this is the correct contact email address.

Thanks
GG

Origin: Email
Case Reason: Interview Appointment Dates

Public Response: Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on September 8.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Consulate General, Sydney
(MR)
"
 
Permutation said:
We need to enter the States before December. Still undecided, but we may do a POE trip in late Nov for a week or two and move permanently sometime in 2016. Meanwhile our GCs would be issued probably in Dec. I am a bit confused while reading the IRS instructions:
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Residency---Green-Card-Test
During our week-long Nov POE trip are we considered LPRs? - May be not as our GCs would not have be issued. If this is so, we would be physically present as LPRs with our permanent move in 2016 and then our tax residency would starts - hence no need to file tax return for 2015 with IRS. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...
Sm1smom said:
Your plastic GC may not have been issued, you're however regarded a LPR upon activation at the POE. Your IV once endorsed at the POE becomes an I-551 which affords you all the rights of any other LPR with a plastic GC.
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So yes, you're wrong. If you activate in 2015 you will have to file a 2015 tax return.
 
Permutation said:
Thank you both @Sm1smom and @Britsimon. What does this provision mean "However, an alien who has been present in the United States at any time during a calendar year as a Lawful Permanent Resident may choose to be treated as a resident alien for the entire calendar year."?
Again extract from the same link http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Residency---Green-Card-Test
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Ok, the terminology was initially a bit confusing for me, but I think i get it - I may choose to report my entire year...
 
Permutation said:
We need to enter the States before December. Still undecided, but we may do a POE trip in late Nov for a week or two and move permanently sometime in 2016. Meanwhile our GCs would be issued probably in Dec. I am a bit confused while reading the IRS instructions:
http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Residency---Green-Card-Test
During our week-long Nov POE trip are we considered LPRs? - May be not as our GCs would not have be issued. If this is so, we would be physically present as LPRs with our permanent move in 2016 and then our tax residency would starts - hence no need to file tax return for 2015 with IRS. Am I wrong?
Click to expand...

You do have a green card as soon as you enter - a temporary one in your passport. The second you cross the border as a LPR you are a green card holder, even if you do not have a plastic green card to wave around. So... If you enter in Nov, you would need to file with the IRS, as residents from whatever date in Nov you enter till the end of 2015.
 
Permutation said:
Thank you both @Sm1smom and @Britsimon. What does this provision mean "However, an alien who has been present in the United States at any time during a calendar year as a Lawful Permanent Resident may choose to be treated as a resident alien for the entire calendar year."?
Again extract from the same link http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/International-Taxpayers/Alien-Residency---Green-Card-Test
Click to expand...

That if you want to choose to be considered a resident for the entire year (and thus potentially owe the IRS more) they will happily allow you to.
 
SusieQQQ said:
You do have a green card as soon as you enter - a temporary one in your passport. The second you cross the border as a LPR you are a green card holder, even if you do not have a plastic green card to wave around. So... If you enter in Nov, you would need to file with the IRS, as residents from whatever date in Nov you enter till the end of 2015.
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I guessed so and that would be a mess. Say from Nov to end of Dec I would still be in Oz and resident, I owe taxes here, but fin year here ends in June, hence I would report first to IRS and just then to ATO.
For the part of 2016 still in Oz a similar mess with reversed chronology of reporting obligations.
 
guestgulkan said:
Got a response:

"
Your case has been updated, please log back into your account to view the details.

Date/Time Case Opened: 8/A/2015
Description: Hello,

I wish to attend my DV appointment.

Guest Reginald Gulkan
2015OC00001491

ps: I hope this is the correct contact email address.

Thanks
GG

Origin: Email
Case Reason: Interview Appointment Dates

Public Response: Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on September 8.

Sincerely,

Immigrant Visa Unit
U.S. Consulate General, Sydney
(MR)
"
Click to expand...
Which account do you log in to see the updated details??
 
ndubbs said:
Question 1: Why do you want to live the U.S.?
Question 2: Have you lived in any country other than Australia?

That was it.
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Hey there am really happy for you only two questions asked then you go0d to go great .Am a Dv-2016 winner hope it all goes well as you !!
 
Dalia2015 said:
So happy for you, hope my experience is as easy as yours. I am a 2016 winner but I am sure my interview is gonna be in October.. not long to go :)
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Dalia
We are in the same boat but you are so close and wish luck , I was just asking if they have stated sending 2NL for winners of DV 2016
 
The first VB for the 2016 year is still just under a week away. The 2NLs for October 2015 interviews won't be sent until later this month.
 
EmilyW said:
The first VB for the 2016 year is still just under a week away. The 2NLs for October 2015 interviews won't be sent until later this month.
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Thank you that was first .Any way my case number is (2016AF00045***) I still have a long way to go but it looks so far away looking at the VB may be next yr july hope am right
 
Ham64112 said:
Thank you that was first .Any way my case number is (2016AF00045***) I still have a long way to go but it looks so far away looking at the VB may be next yr july hope am right
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More like August and perhaps even September - so yeah - buckle in for a long wait...
 
@Britsimon

Hi, Hoping you can help as I'm having a slight panic attack.

My husband and I attended our interview in London on the 24th of June and were told we were approved. We explained to the gentleman who interviewed us that we were nervous about the processing delays at the time because we had a trip booked to France 15 working days later. He suggested we take our passports with us and send them back in as soon as we're back. He said it wouldn't effect anything and we would still get our VISAs.

We sent our passports in a week ago and I followed up with the consular services today - because we have another trip booked (lots of summer holidays I know) and wanted to see if there was anyway to ensure we would have our passports back and this is the response I received:

This is a DV case, we have requested visa numbers from Washington and they are on a waiting list. I dont know if and when the visa numbers will be available. If they would like the passports returned we can do that, BUT if we get the OK to issue and we dont have the passports this could be a problem. Its their choice can they postpone the holiday? We hopefully should hear something within the next few weeks.

I'm freaking out a little - does this mean there's a chance we won't get our VISA's?

 
NZLDNNY said:
@Britsimon

Hi, Hoping you can help as I'm having a slight panic attack.

My husband and I attended our interview in London on the 24th of June and were told we were approved. We explained to the gentleman who interviewed us that we were nervous about the processing delays at the time because we had a trip booked to France 15 working days later. He suggested we take our passports with us and send them back in as soon as we're back. He said it wouldn't effect anything and we would still get our VISAs.

We sent our passports in a week ago and I followed up with the consular services today - because we have another trip booked (lots of summer holidays I know) and wanted to see if there was anyway to ensure we would have our passports back and this is the response I received:

This is a DV case, we have requested visa numbers from Washington and they are on a waiting list. I dont know if and when the visa numbers will be available. If they would like the passports returned we can do that, BUT if we get the OK to issue and we dont have the passports this could be a problem. Its their choice can they postpone the holiday? We hopefully should hear something within the next few weeks.

I'm freaking out a little - does this mean there's a chance we won't get our VISA's?
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Yeah, what happened was you lost your allocated visa numbers because they didn't have your passports over month end after your 24 June interview. If you really want your green cards I'd suggest you postpone your holidays and let the embassy have your passports.
DoS has warned that this is the type of situation that could lead to losing out on a visa this year as they are expecting to hit quota.

Read the second last point, your situation of the passport being unavailable at month end basically falls in this category : http://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Diversity-Visa/DV-Instructions-Translations/Important Notice Regarding the DV-2015 Exhaustion on DV Numbers.pdf
 
NZLDNNY said:
Thanks @SusieQQQ . Do you think there's a chance we won't get our VISAs?
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Oh man. Yes as Susie said the issue is because you lost your allocated place. Honestly, yes there is a risk. Hopefully there will be some no shows or refusals within your embassy and in that case I believe they could re-allocate those slots within the embassy. If that happened and your passport was not available, those slots would go to someone else. You are going to have a nailbiting time. This could be resolved tomorrow, or it might take weeks - there is no way to be sure.
 
@Britsimon & @SusieQQQ

Thanks both for your help explaining it. I'm so sad :( And annoyed because I asked about 3 times at our interview if he was sure that taking our passports away wouldn't effect us getting the green card and he said no/

We will have to forfeit the cost of our trip to Croatia (around £1500) :( But worth it if we get the green card.
 
Ham64112 said:
Dalia
We are in the same boat but you are so close and wish luck , I was just asking if they have stated sending 2NL for winners of DV 2016
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Hi Ham64112
Ya I am a bit nervous and excited at the same time. I guess I am lucky with my number and hope to be as lucky in the interview too.. The visa bulletin comes out on the 10th or 11th of each month, few more days to go:)
 
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