DV 2015 Winners Meet Here
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lucky person
Member
tha
thank you mom!!
lucky person
Member
Thank you very much dear utopia
FromTheDesert
New Member
We had our interview yesterday in Kuala Lumpur. I’m glad to say that our visas were APPROVED
Thank god, the endless stress and worrisome regarding whether I would make it or not has now ended. Now starts the planning and preparation for the big move.
Since there aren’t any winners interviewing in Kuala Lumpur in this forum (aside from someone back in 2006), I struggled to know what it’s like or what the process is at the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur. So, I will share my experience here in glory details hoping it will benefit others in the future.
The whole thing began in October 2013 when I registered in the lottery with my wife. May 1,2014 was the day of surprise when I found out that we won. At that point, I had ABSOLUTELY no idea about the DV visa process and how it works. Thanks to google search, it led me to this wonderful forum where I learned about the whole process and got every single question I had answered professionally and in a timely manner! Most of my learning was from watching the forum and learning from other winners’ questions and the answers addressing those questions by the forum moderators. A special thanks to @Britsimon for your continuous help. The amount of effort you put into helping others and providing support whenever needed is truly amazing. Thanks to @SusieQQQ and @Sm1smom for your valuable advises all along. You all made me better prepared without which, the journey may not have been complete. I really and truly appreciate your help.
My interview was pretty simple! Perhaps the simplest step of all ever since the selection.
Things that I thought were in my favor:
- My highest completed level of education is a Master’s degree from Malaysia, currently doing a PhD which should give a good signal that I meet the educational requirements.
- I have all documents ready and in order. I was very well prepared. I every possible document, reference, FAM rules, and anything that I thought might be needed! I even had my dad's death certificate which not sure why I took it but I did! I had a huge gigantic binder full of documents just in case I'm asked for anything. I did not want to take any chances and wanted to avoid AP as much as possible.
Things I thought that were not in my favor:
- I’m interviewing in a third country. The CO may not have knowledge of high school degrees of other countries in case they insist on checking my high school.
- The US embassy in Kuala Lumpur processes a significantly low number of DV visas (around 80 visas per year). So, they might be strict a bit which later appeared to be not true.
The US embassy in Kuala Lumpur requires submission of documents in the morning by 09:00AM then applicants need to come back at 01:30PM for their interview. So I got to the embassy at around 8AM where there was a huge line up, the vast majority were applying for non-immigrant visas which are conducted entirely in the morning. Only I and another guy applying for a family based visa were immigrant visa applicants. Security rules and procedure is the same as every other US embassy so, I won’t bother you with the details. I got inside the embassy at 8:45AM, took a “B” number and waited for my number to be called. 30 minutes later my number was called to window 10 where a local guy asked for my appointment letter, DS-260 confirmation page, and started asking for my supporting documents one by one. Education wise, he only asked for my highest completed degree which was my master’s degree along with the transcript. He also asked for a letter from my current school where I’m currently doing my PhD. Once he verified that everything was complete and in order, he collected the fees in the local currency, gave me my “B” number, and asked me to come back at 01:00pm with my wife for the interview with a consular officer.
My wife and I made it back to the embassy around 12:45pm and waited for an hour and a half which felt like the longest wait ever then our number was called to window 1 where our finger scans were taken. We then waited again for another 45 minutes as there was a family-based visa interview before us then we were called to window 6 where there was only one officer in the whole area given that there are only two immigrant visa applicants. The normal procedure started where we rose our hands and swore as usual then the interview started.
I was asked about my education and when I completed my master’s degree. For some reason the CO kept referring to my master as bachelor.
Other questions include:
- How long have you been in Malaysia?
- What are you currently doing in Malaysia?
- Are you planning to complete your PhD before going to the US?
- What were you doing in Canada and how long did you stay there?
- Aside from your home country, Canada, and Malaysia, have you lived anywhere else for over a year?
- When did you get married?
- How did you two meet?
- Did you enter the lottery as married (which we did)?
- Where did you get married?
- Do you have any children?
And not sure why, he asked me “you didn’t work illegally in Canada, did you?” which was followed by a funny laugh and my answer was NO! lol
The weird part is, he asked my wife (the derivative) more questions than he asked me. It could be due to the fact that I was the one who filled up her forms and declared so. It could also be due to the fact that my wife is in an IT profession that falls under TAL. He asked very specific questions about the type of work she does, asked about her educational background, what degrees she completed, where she lived, etc.
At the end, the CO said “looks like everything is alright, your visa is going to be approved. Good luck to you two. Just wait outside and my colleague will call you for more information”. We went back to the waiting area where our number was called again to window number 10 where I went and saw the same local guy who collected our documents in the morning. He told me “Your visa is approved, you will get your passports delivered to the address you provided in 2-3 business days. You can go home now”
It was such a relief!
I was not asked for any proof of finances (no bank statements or affidavit of support). Two weeks before the interview I emailed the embassy if I’d require an affidavit of support and their response was “you do not need to provide any financial documents” but I had my bank statements with me just in case they ask for them which they didn’t.
Thank you all for your help and support all along. Now I will finish my PhD (hopefully by May), start planning, and then make the big move
This forum along with the people in it was indeed a gift from heaven
Many congrats!!
I hope that you can help me with some information...
I have lived in malaysia for more than a year and applied for a certificate of good conduct online with the purpose being: reason: permanent residence, country requiring the certificate: USA
The certificate I received is one letter with one paragraph saying that they certify that I am a person of good conduct.
Do I have the correct certificate for my interview? Please help me with this information
Thank you and congrats on obtaining your green card.
Best,
Roaya
Our i551 is stamped on entry evidencing residence for 1 year. If we return to Uk temporarily and my wife was to return separately first does she still need to be accompanied by spouse (DV2 catergory visa) every time we go in and out of US.
Just trying to settle things in the UK
Just trying to settle things in the UK
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
Your wife's LPR status is now completely independent of yours. She can enter and exit the US on her own.
Hello fellow 2015 DV Winners,
I hope I am posting in the right place and that I am not doubling up on another post. I have read a lot and searched a lot through here but can't find what I am looking for, sorry if this is a double up!
I won the 2015 DV Lottery and was successful in my interview. My greencard was activated in April of 2015 when I flew to Los Angeles for a week. My intention was to move to the US in November 2015, however in the months preceding my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo extensive treatment, and I delayed my trip so I could support her through this.
She is now in remission, which I am over the moon about. So my new prospective date to move to the United States is beginning March of 2016. I am concerned that this will affect my DV1 Green Card status as it will have been 11 months since I activated the card. I would greatly appreciate any advice on the matter about whether the delay in my relocation to the United States will affect the validity of my status.
Thanks in advance
I hope I am posting in the right place and that I am not doubling up on another post. I have read a lot and searched a lot through here but can't find what I am looking for, sorry if this is a double up!
I won the 2015 DV Lottery and was successful in my interview. My greencard was activated in April of 2015 when I flew to Los Angeles for a week. My intention was to move to the US in November 2015, however in the months preceding my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo extensive treatment, and I delayed my trip so I could support her through this.
She is now in remission, which I am over the moon about. So my new prospective date to move to the United States is beginning March of 2016. I am concerned that this will affect my DV1 Green Card status as it will have been 11 months since I activated the card. I would greatly appreciate any advice on the matter about whether the delay in my relocation to the United States will affect the validity of my status.
Thanks in advance
usken go
Well-Known Member
You will be fine but do not stay out for more than 12 months. That is the limit.
Sorry to hear about your mom... may she get well.
I provided the same certificate for my interview and i had no problem with it. It is basically the same thing as a police report as they would have checked with all agencies of your record. Hope this helps
Sammy967
Active Member
Nope, you don't need to. The certificate of good conduct that you have in hand is the one you need.
Good luck
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
No but it does mean you will have to file a 2015 tax return with the IRS.
Hi,
Can You hepl me please in my question .
I won a DV 2015 .
I have been in USA activated Green Card for me and my family (5) . first after 3 weeks after paid, for Green Card (plastic) received it by mail in my address in USA but not for all members of my family just for me and my Wife . after that we decided to come back in my country (for some private reasons).
and we are in my Country not in USA, but in my address in USA (to some relatives ) arrived green Card (Plastic) for my young Child . and i am waiting for 2 more .
is it Ok to wait more or .....what to do ?. the date when I paid for green Card was October 24 20015.
I am worried about it ?
and somebody can tell me how long time can I stay in my Country and where is the last time to entry in USA .
THX
Can You hepl me please in my question .
I won a DV 2015 .
I have been in USA activated Green Card for me and my family (5) . first after 3 weeks after paid, for Green Card (plastic) received it by mail in my address in USA but not for all members of my family just for me and my Wife . after that we decided to come back in my country (for some private reasons).
and we are in my Country not in USA, but in my address in USA (to some relatives ) arrived green Card (Plastic) for my young Child . and i am waiting for 2 more .
is it Ok to wait more or .....what to do ?. the date when I paid for green Card was October 24 20015.
I am worried about it ?
and somebody can tell me how long time can I stay in my Country and where is the last time to entry in USA .
THX
Flori_ALB_NY
Active Member
Proof of address is required through an utility bill.
Start with a smaller bank. You need to keep lower daily balance in order not to pay the monthly fee.
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Hello,
We entered yesterday through Montreal, and the passports got stamped, but we were told that we do not need to fill in Form I-551 as we will receive
the cards automatically..is that true? I asked again that on some paper from US Embassy it says we need to fill in the Form I-551, but the immigrant
officer said that it is not done anymore and the cards will arrived at the address we mentioned .
Please let me know if you think this process was ok, or should I call USCIS or some other US department responsible for green cards.
Thank you.
Adela.
Britsimon
Super Moderator
The immigration officer advised you correctly.