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DV 2017 AOS Only

Hi everyone,
I was selected in the 2017 lottery and me and my wife decided to go for AOS. I would really appreciate any help or suggestions about a couple of issues:

1. I did not include my two toddler children on the initial DV application. They are US citizens, this should not be an issue I assume.

2. We are from Iraq and do not have birth certificates( due to the lovely conditions in the country around the time I was born). Instead, we have what is called a " family book" which is a registration document issued by the directorate of nationality and civil affairs. A lot of Iraqis are in the same situation, some do have birth certificates. The reciprocity page on the US department of State website lists the "family book" as an alternative document to a birth certificate for Iraqis. What do you guys think about this issue? Do you think USCIS would agree to that for the purposes of DV AOS? would it be of any use to show up at a local USCIS office and pose that question to them?

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.
 
Sm1smom said:
1. Better safe than sorry - get a certified translation.

2 and 3. These questions give me the impression you've not gone over the AOS spreadsheet, or if you already did, you haven't quite paid the needed attention to it. So I suggest you spend some time on that spreadsheet.
Click to expand...

Ooops!! My bad!! I just checked the spreadsheet again and everything is clear now. I got confused because we have to send the G-325, but it is only the form to process the request for doing the biometrics. I got it!

About the translations... Do they have to be certified?? I mean, somehow official?? Because I read that anybody who speaks both languages can do that and just sign it with a format like this:

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________
Date Typed Name
Address

http://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing
 
CountryGirl said:
Ooops!! My bad!! I just checked the spreadsheet again and everything is clear now. I got confused because we have to send the G-325, but it is only the form to process the request for doing the biometrics. I got it!

About the translations... Do they have to be certified?? I mean, somehow official?? Because I read that anybody who speaks both languages can do that and just sign it with a format like this:

I [typed name], certify that I am fluent (conversant) in the English and ________ languages, and that the above/attached document is an accurate translation of the document attached entitled ______________________________.

Signature_________________________________
Date Typed Name
Address

http://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-and-fees/general-tips-assembling-applications-mailing
Click to expand...

You really ought to be paying closer attention to what you read, for your own sake. The USCIS link you quoted clearly states:

  • Please submit certified translations for all foreign language documents. The translator must certify that s/he is competent to translate and that the translation is accurate.
The title of the section that needs to filled and signed which you copied and pasted says 'Certification by Translation' and you're asking "do they have to be certified??"

No one here has said the certification has to be done by some official. All I told you was your translated documents needed to be accompanied by a signed certification.
 
saso said:
Hi everyone,
I was selected in the 2017 lottery and me and my wife decided to go for AOS. I would really appreciate any help or suggestions about a couple of issues:

1. I did not include my two toddler children on the initial DV application. They are US citizens, this should not be an issue I assume.

2. We are from Iraq and do not have birth certificates( due to the lovely conditions in the country around the time I was born). Instead, we have what is called a " family book" which is a registration document issued by the directorate of nationality and civil affairs. A lot of Iraqis are in the same situation, some do have birth certificates. The reciprocity page on the US department of State website lists the "family book" as an alternative document to a birth certificate for Iraqis. What do you guys think about this issue? Do you think USCIS would agree to that for the purposes of DV AOS? would it be of any use to show up at a local USCIS office and pose that question to them?

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Both your questions are addressed in the rules and DoS pages and you seem to know that already so...are you just looking for further confirmation that you read them right, or what?
 
Hi Sm1sMom,

I married on May 17 after being selected in DV lottery 2017 which was already planned. My spouse is coming to the US by mid July as my F-2 dependent. Since I am not thinking of submitting DS-260 for my AOS so far, what are the processes I have to go through to notify that I am married after filing the initial registration for DV lottery or is there anywhere I should notify that? Can I directly process by including her in I-485 or I should notify somewhere else before doing that?

I emailed KCC and they clearly said we do not have to do anything with KCC if we are going to do AOS, other than paying the DV fee. That's why I think I will not submit DS-260 that will make me wait long (I do not know whether I will get 2NL by October if I submitted DS-260 after she arrives) and also expend some extra money. Still want to hear your valuable suggestion on it.

Thanks
 
asianravs said:
Hi Sm1sMom,

I married on May 17 after being selected in DV lottery 2017 which was already planned. My spouse is coming to the US by mid July as my F-2 dependent. Since I am not thinking of submitting DS-260 for my AOS so far, what are the processes I have to go through to notify that I am married after filing the initial registration for DV lottery or is there anywhere I should notify that? Can I directly process by including her in I-485 or I should notify somewhere else before doing that?

I emailed KCC and they clearly said we do not have to do anything with KCC if we are going to do AOS, other than paying the DV fee. That's why I think I will not submit DS-260 that will make me wait long (I do not know whether I will get 2NL by October if I submitted DS-260 after she arrives) and also expend some extra money. Still want to hear your valuable suggestion on it.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Can you clarify what you mean by expend some extra money if you were to fill out the DS-260 form?
 
asianravs said:
I was mean to say DS-260 filing fee, I guess $230.
Click to expand...

Not sure where you got that information from, there is absolutely no fee associated with submitting the DS-260 form.

If the $330 DV administrative fee is what you have in mind, everyone hoping to benefit from your selection must make that payment, whether or not you submit the DS-260 form.
 
Sm1smom said:
Not sure where you got that information from, there is absolutely no fee associated with submitting the DS-260 form.

If the $330 DV administrative fee is what you have in mind, everyone hoping to benefit from your selection must make that payment, whether or not you submit the DS-260 form.
Click to expand...
I was not confusing with DV fee but I was unknown with the free DS-260 form.

So does the submission of DS-260 including my spouse notify my marriage after being selected in DV lottery? Are there any other things I have to do other than that?

Thank You !
 
asianravs said:
I was not confusing with DV fee but I was unknown with the free DS-260 form.

So does the submission of DS-260 including my spouse notify my marriage after being selected in DV lottery? Are there any other things I have to do other than that?

Thank You !
Click to expand...

Well, you're obviously confused about something since you assumed there's a $230 filing fee required in order for one to submit the DS-260 form. Anyway, I wasn't going to address the issue of your submitting the DS-260 form since you were adamant about not submitting it initially - when all you really needed to do was ask us to confirm if there's a fee associated with it or not in the first place :rolleyes:

Yes KCC will not be processing cases going through AOS, that however does not preclude the DS-260 form submission. So the only way to inform them of your marriage and the fact that you now have a derivative is to fill out and submit the form for yourself and your spouse.

You might want to hold off on the form submission though since your spouse is coming into the US in July on a NIV until after the arrival. Because technically speaking, one isn't supposed to come into the US on a NIV with the mind of processing AOS upon arrival. That is viewed as having an immigrant intent while telling the authorities one has no immigrant intent.
 
Sm1smom said:
Well, you're obviously confused about something since you assumed there's a $230 filing fee required in order for one to submit the DS-260 form. Anyway, I wasn't going to address the issue of your submitting the DS-260 form since you were adamant about not submitting it initially - when all you really needed to do was ask us to confirm if there's a fee associated with it or not in the first place :rolleyes:

Yes KCC will not be processing cases going through AOS, that however does not preclude the DS-260 form submission. So the only way to inform them of your marriage and the fact that you now have a derivative is to fill out and submit the form for yourself and your spouse.

You might want to hold off on the form submission though since your spouse is coming into the US in July on a NIV until after the arrival. Because technically speaking, one isn't supposed to come into the US on a NIV with the mind of processing AOS upon arrival. That is viewed as having an immigrant intent while telling the authorities one has no immigrant intent.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much !
Two more queries :
-Should I submit two separate DS-260s for me and my spouse or I can mention her as my spouse inside the same form I will be filling as I am the principle applicant?
-Thanks for reminding me that I should not submit DS-260 until my spouse arrives here as she is coming on a NIV. I was also thinking so. Now, if I submitted DS-260 immediately after her arrival, will there be still problem as it seems like she was coming here with immigrant intent because of filling AOS soon after her arrival.

Thanks a lot.
 
asianravs said:
Thank you very much !
Two more queries :
-Should I submit two separate DS-260s for me and my spouse or I can mention her as my spouse inside the same form I will be filling as I am the principle applicant?
-Thanks for reminding me that I should not submit DS-260 until my spouse arrives here as she is coming on a NIV. I was also thinking so. Now, if I submitted DS-260 immediately after her arrival, will there be still problem as it seems like she was coming here with immigrant intent because of filling AOS soon after her arrival.

Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

1. Yes, you'll need to submit for both of you - one for each person.

2. It is advisable to wait at least 60 - 90 days before declaring an immigrant intent which is done either by submitting the DS-260 form or filing AOS.
 
Hello,
First of all, I would like to thank Sm1smom for putting together the very informative spreadsheets. It is so helpful and informative!

About 3 weeks ago I sent a cashier’s check to the “US Department of State” for $330. Today I received my 2NL. I am a little bit worried that I mailed the check to soon, since the 2NL says “If USCIS determines you are eligible to adjust status you must pay a non-refundable diversity-processing fee of $330.00 per person to the Department of State”. Is there a preferred time when I should have sent the check?

Also in the letter it states “Please mail a money order for the diversity-processing fee to the address below:” There is no mentioning of the option of a cashier’s check. Have the rules changed, because online it said to send either money order or cashier’s check. Do you think they will be able to process my check?

Thank you!

(My case number is 2017EU00007XXX).
 
Sm1smom said:
1. Yes, you'll need to submit for both of you - one for each person.

2. It is advisable to wait at least 60 - 90 days before declaring an immigrant intent which is done either by submitting the DS-260 form or filing AOS.
Click to expand...
Had to change account due to not saving two-step verification code.

So it seems I can submit DS-260 only after Sept 15 (she is coming around July-15). Since my CN will be current on Oct-1, I am worried whether I will be getting 2NL from KCC on time or not. How much delay it can be? I wish I will be able to file my AoS within Oct.

If we filed DS-260 earlier than 2 months of her arrival on NIV, will there be a chance of direct rejection or might face questions on interview? I think we can answer the question saying that we knew about the selection in lottery only after her arrival in the US.

Thanks
 
alab said:
Hello,
First of all, I would like to thank Sm1smom for putting together the very informative spreadsheets. It is so helpful and informative!

About 3 weeks ago I sent a cashier’s check to the “US Department of State” for $330. Today I received my 2NL. I am a little bit worried that I mailed the check to soon, since the 2NL says “If USCIS determines you are eligible to adjust status you must pay a non-refundable diversity-processing fee of $330.00 per person to the Department of State”. Is there a preferred time when I should have sent the check?

Also in the letter it states “Please mail a money order for the diversity-processing fee to the address below:” There is no mentioning of the option of a cashier’s check. Have the rules changed, because online it said to send either money order or cashier’s check. Do you think they will be able to process my check?

Thank you!

(My case number is 2017EU00007XXX).
Click to expand...
When did you submit your DS-230 form? Just curious to know how long did it take to get 2NL.
Thanks!
 
alab said:
Hello,
First of all, I would like to thank Sm1smom for putting together the very informative spreadsheets. It is so helpful and informative!

About 3 weeks ago I sent a cashier’s check to the “US Department of State” for $330. Today I received my 2NL. I am a little bit worried that I mailed the check to soon, since the 2NL says “If USCIS determines you are eligible to adjust status you must pay a non-refundable diversity-processing fee of $330.00 per person to the Department of State”. Is there a preferred time when I should have sent the check?

Also in the letter it states “Please mail a money order for the diversity-processing fee to the address below:” There is no mentioning of the option of a cashier’s check. Have the rules changed, because online it said to send either money order or cashier’s check. Do you think they will be able to process my check?

Thank you!

(My case number is 2017EU00007XXX).
Click to expand...

The assumption is that not everyone currently in the US is eligible to adjust status, and that anyone interested in doing so would have taken the right steps to confirm their eligibility before doing so. You'll notice I also caution on the spreadsheet about people rushing to make the DV payment which is none refundable.

So if you're entered the US legally, and you've always maintained status, have never gone out of status at any point in time and depending on your current visa type, you may be eligible for AOS.

The acceptable forms of payment hasn't changed.
 
physnep said:
Had to change account due to not saving two-step verification code.

So it seems I can submit DS-260 only after Sept 15 (she is coming around July-15). Since my CN will be current on Oct-1, I am worried whether I will be getting 2NL from KCC on time or not. How much delay it can be? I wish I will be able to file my AoS within Oct.

If we filed DS-260 earlier than 2 months of her arrival on NIV, will there be a chance of direct rejection or might face questions on interview? I think we can answer the question saying that we knew about the selection in lottery only after her arrival in the US.

Thanks
Click to expand...

2NL could take anywhere between 2 week to 2 months or more, it is however not a big deal for AOSers. If it isn't received prior to filing for AOS, it can always be taken along to the interview.

Number one rule of thumb in immigration matters: never ever lie! Telling them you only found out about your selection after your spouse's arrival is an outright lie, they may or may not find out it's a lie at the time of the interview, it is however a very bad idea to lie at any point in time during the process. More often than not, such lies come back to hunt!

Your CN is quite low, I don't see what the stress is all about filing in October. So what if you can't file in October, (which doesn't seem to be the case at the moment)? You'll have more than enough time to complete the process before the end of your applicable FY. You should also bear in mind the fact that you file in October or that you're current in October doesn't mean you'll be interviewed in October anyways.
 
Thanks.
It means I can submit DS-260 at the beginning of Oct and wait for few weeks to get 2NL at the same time preparing for AOS documents. And if I didn't get 2NL quick, I can file AOS at the end of October and can take the 2NL during the interview. Please correct if I didn't understand you correctly.

My CN is Asia~1000.

Sorry for many naive questions. But I don't get satisfied until everything becomes clear:rolleyes:.
Thank you so much again.
 
Sm1smom said:
The assumption is that not everyone currently in the US is eligible to adjust status, and that anyone interested in doing so would have taken the right steps to confirm their eligibility before doing so. You'll notice I also caution on the spreadsheet about people rushing to make the DV payment which is none refundable.

So if you're entered the US legally, and you've always maintained status, have never gone out of status at any point in time and depending on your current visa type, you may be eligible for AOS.

The acceptable forms of payment hasn't changed.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply!
Is there an official process that I can do to confirm my eligibility for AOS? I haven't seen anything about that, but I want to make sure that I'm not missing anything.
I would say that I am eligible. I am currently on F-1 visa, and always maintained status, and never had an J-1 that required me to return to my home country. My F-1 is expiring in August, but my I-20 has been extended until December and then I will start my OPT. Will that be a problem?!

I saw your warning about paying the DV fee too early, but based on info from last year's VB and my relatively low CN, I would expect to be current by October or November.
 
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