Shashi2017
New Member
hello. i can't see the edit button to remove my case number. what shall i do?
DV 2017 OC Selectees
- Thread starter MattWatt
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- dv 2017 dv-2017 oc selectees
hello. i can't see the edit button to remove my case number. what shall i do?
Britsimon
Super Moderator
The numbers are predictable and they are only "useful" to a fraudster if that person has other information about the selectee. However, I've edited it.
I posted my interview story to Britsimonsays. I'll post it here too to ease the nerves of DV hopefuls that will be interviewing in Sydney.
My case number was Oceania 3**, had my interview scheduled for 9.15am this morning in Sydney. The following occured:
Walked to the interview, left my electronics including watch and phone in my suitcase at the hotel, so I’m not 100% about the time, but I think we arrived at the consulate about 8.50am. We went to the building yesterday so we knew where we were going and wouldn’t get lost when it matters. Clicked this fancy TouchPad near the lifts which said “US embassy”. It thrn announces lift E. So we went into lift E, no buttons, it just goes straight up to 10. Got out, walked towards the right past a doctor and dental clinic and saw the security section, a security guard asked if we had mobile phones, we said no as we’d followed the instrucations and left them at he hotel. He seemed surprised. We went inside to the left to a table with two people. We were asked to hand over our paperwork. They did my husbands first and then mine. She took all of the paperclips off my paperwork (holding the original and copy together) and took only one of the photos and put them all into a clear sleeve each with the passport open to the photo page with one of the photos at the front. She gave me the resume (which the consulate document from the US site listed as a requirement, but it’s obviously not) and gave everything else not on the list they email you back to me. She took my bank and tax documents for proof of no public charge and put them in the slip but you could tell this wasn’t necessary paperwork. She handed us these and we walked a few metres to go through the metal detector. The security guard made a big deal about electronics and didn’t seem to believe me when I said I had none. Went through, asked to take anything I would need at the consulate from my bag and they took it and put it in a cubby and gave us a ticket with a number to collect later. Sat down and waited for the lift. A security guard told us it was here, got in and went up to the consulate floor. Got out, went to a window counter to the right, he asked for passports, they were provided and he asked what time our appointment was, I said 9.15. He said go through the door to my right, take a ticket for the visa right in front of you and sit down and wait for our number to be called.
Went inside, took ticket, sat down. Waited maybe 6 minutes and were called to a window. Handed over plastic sleeves with documents. She asked for my finger prints, four fingers together on right hand, then left, then both thumbs together. Then my husband. She tore off the slip at the bottom of the document list they email you and told us to go to the cashier at counter 8 to pay the fee and then come back to her counter. We did. She must have gone through the documents while we were gone. She handed me the not necessarily ones and said take a seat and your number will be called for your interview. Sat back down, maybe 7 minutes later we were called over the speaker to counter one.
I was expecting a sit down interview, but again it was at a counter behind glass. The guy asked us to take an oath holding up our right hand. He asks me whether I’ve applied for the DV lottery before, I said this was my fourth time from memory, he laughed and said fourth time the charm. He asked me what my highest level of education is, I said I have two bachelor’s degrees. He typed this in. He asked whether we had any children and I said no. He asked whether we have lived anywhere else aside from Australia for more than a year and I said no. He said your visa is approved, expect it via courier in the next week.
It literally took about 30 minutes. Maybe even slightly less. I brought a book with me and read maybe one page.
Very excited! My husband still isn’t sure if he’ll come with me or if we’ll live apart for a few years because of his career here (I don’t think I’ll migrate permanently… Two weeks holiday a year is a bit rubbish when I get 4 weeks in Australia) but we’ve got some time to figure it all out.
Now we just need to work out where we want to go to activate it. I’m thinking Hawaii.
One piece of advise to anyone in relation to the medical, we did it 3 weeks out from the interview, I was thinking we could do it two weeks before to get as much validity as possible before we had to activate the visa, but my husbands blood test came back false positive so he had to redo it a week after the medical date. We picked it up from Brisbane on Friday when we flew to Sydney early Monday. So we would have screwed ourselves if we didn’t do it three weeks before. Keep that in mind, tests may need to be redone and that takes time.
Good luck!
My case number was Oceania 3**, had my interview scheduled for 9.15am this morning in Sydney. The following occured:
Walked to the interview, left my electronics including watch and phone in my suitcase at the hotel, so I’m not 100% about the time, but I think we arrived at the consulate about 8.50am. We went to the building yesterday so we knew where we were going and wouldn’t get lost when it matters. Clicked this fancy TouchPad near the lifts which said “US embassy”. It thrn announces lift E. So we went into lift E, no buttons, it just goes straight up to 10. Got out, walked towards the right past a doctor and dental clinic and saw the security section, a security guard asked if we had mobile phones, we said no as we’d followed the instrucations and left them at he hotel. He seemed surprised. We went inside to the left to a table with two people. We were asked to hand over our paperwork. They did my husbands first and then mine. She took all of the paperclips off my paperwork (holding the original and copy together) and took only one of the photos and put them all into a clear sleeve each with the passport open to the photo page with one of the photos at the front. She gave me the resume (which the consulate document from the US site listed as a requirement, but it’s obviously not) and gave everything else not on the list they email you back to me. She took my bank and tax documents for proof of no public charge and put them in the slip but you could tell this wasn’t necessary paperwork. She handed us these and we walked a few metres to go through the metal detector. The security guard made a big deal about electronics and didn’t seem to believe me when I said I had none. Went through, asked to take anything I would need at the consulate from my bag and they took it and put it in a cubby and gave us a ticket with a number to collect later. Sat down and waited for the lift. A security guard told us it was here, got in and went up to the consulate floor. Got out, went to a window counter to the right, he asked for passports, they were provided and he asked what time our appointment was, I said 9.15. He said go through the door to my right, take a ticket for the visa right in front of you and sit down and wait for our number to be called.
Went inside, took ticket, sat down. Waited maybe 6 minutes and were called to a window. Handed over plastic sleeves with documents. She asked for my finger prints, four fingers together on right hand, then left, then both thumbs together. Then my husband. She tore off the slip at the bottom of the document list they email you and told us to go to the cashier at counter 8 to pay the fee and then come back to her counter. We did. She must have gone through the documents while we were gone. She handed me the not necessarily ones and said take a seat and your number will be called for your interview. Sat back down, maybe 7 minutes later we were called over the speaker to counter one.
I was expecting a sit down interview, but again it was at a counter behind glass. The guy asked us to take an oath holding up our right hand. He asks me whether I’ve applied for the DV lottery before, I said this was my fourth time from memory, he laughed and said fourth time the charm. He asked me what my highest level of education is, I said I have two bachelor’s degrees. He typed this in. He asked whether we had any children and I said no. He asked whether we have lived anywhere else aside from Australia for more than a year and I said no. He said your visa is approved, expect it via courier in the next week.
It literally took about 30 minutes. Maybe even slightly less. I brought a book with me and read maybe one page.
Very excited! My husband still isn’t sure if he’ll come with me or if we’ll live apart for a few years because of his career here (I don’t think I’ll migrate permanently… Two weeks holiday a year is a bit rubbish when I get 4 weeks in Australia) but we’ve got some time to figure it all out.
Now we just need to work out where we want to go to activate it. I’m thinking Hawaii.
One piece of advise to anyone in relation to the medical, we did it 3 weeks out from the interview, I was thinking we could do it two weeks before to get as much validity as possible before we had to activate the visa, but my husbands blood test came back false positive so he had to redo it a week after the medical date. We picked it up from Brisbane on Friday when we flew to Sydney early Monday. So we would have screwed ourselves if we didn’t do it three weeks before. Keep that in mind, tests may need to be redone and that takes time.
Good luck!
OnTheGo
Registered Users (C)
Congratulations on your visa! It would be a shame to waste it. We're in for DV 2018, but for the EU region while living in Australia.
I'd much rather be part of the Oceanic region, as chances are a lot higher to be selected.
You may want to look beyond the perceived limitations like 'holidays per year' as who knows what opportunities lie ahead of you...have you considered setting up a business that may allow you to take more time off, even if it may not be possible initially?
EmilyW
Well-Known Member
Two weeks isn't standard everywhere Alot, particularly in government, get more than that.
One big bonus is that we don't get taxed like we do in Australia. I went from the top marginal rate in Australia to half of that while still earning the same salary. It's glorious.
I would say to everyone thinking of coming to the US, it's not the same as Australia. It's not even better. It's different. Some will like it. Some will hate it. From what I've seen, where I live, if you have talent and are prepared to work hard, you'll do well. If you don't, Australia is a better option because the government will take care of you.
One big bonus is that we don't get taxed like we do in Australia. I went from the top marginal rate in Australia to half of that while still earning the same salary. It's glorious.
I would say to everyone thinking of coming to the US, it's not the same as Australia. It's not even better. It's different. Some will like it. Some will hate it. From what I've seen, where I live, if you have talent and are prepared to work hard, you'll do well. If you don't, Australia is a better option because the government will take care of you.
Which state do you work in? Ideally I'd reside in NYC, and from what I can see with the online tax calculators etc, it's pretty comparitable to what I get taxed in Australia but my income is much better here? I work in child protection, so I can theoretically work in any state where I don't need a masters degree or be a registered social worker, but nyc is the dream.... i think employment opportunities for my husband are better in nyc too. He's a cop here and the department of investigation in nyc sounds right up his alley since you need to be a citizen to be a cop in basically every state except Vermont and Colorado. But now the green card is granted and not just theoretical, we'll need to start doing serious research. Did you get practical assistance around like the cost of moving furniture, building credit history, buying a car etc from somewhere online, or just wing it? Thanks 
EmilyW
Well-Known Member
We are in Charlotte, North Carolina. Not for everyone but it suits us. Good economy, good schools, low taxes, outdoors lifestyle (if that's your thing). Here, we live completely debt free and it's a lovely feeling. When I got here, I took a pay drop. Within six months I was promoted and I now earn the same as in Australia. I just get to keep more of it than in Australia. Getting promoted was validation for us that, if you're prepared to hustle and work for it, America is the land of opportunity still.
In terms of moving, we just winged it. We brought no furniture with us. Just suitcases with valuables and that was it. We've had friends who have moved furniture across but, in hindsight, they wished they hadn't. One said her couch smelled damp for months. Unless it's an incredible family heirloom that you can't part with with, either sell your stuff or put it in storage. Besides, American furniture is pretty nice. You'll enjoy the shopping
Credit history is everything. We build our credit score before we came across with HSBC, but that only works if you are a Premier Customer. Lots of DVers have opened AMEX's while still in Oz, as AMEX will recognize your Australian credit history. One thing we did was get a secured credit card when we got here. $5000 on each card and we used those cards for everything. Between HSBC and the secured cards, we built up our score quickly and, within six months, we're close to an 800 score.
In terms of buying a car, I wouldn't buy online unless it was new. Plus, you can really haggle these guys down in price. We traded in a car for more than what we bought it for earlier in the year. Buying online removes the ability to look them in the eye and negotiate.
We had no real help settling in. We did it ourselves. Now, with quite a few Aussies moving to NC, my husband and I are acting like a welcoming committee. Helping people getting settled in and helping them through the first few weeks of being in the US (which spins your mind out, no matter how prepared you are). There are lots of Aussies in NYC and quite a few DVers who I am sure would be more than happy to help you guys settle.
In terms of moving, we just winged it. We brought no furniture with us. Just suitcases with valuables and that was it. We've had friends who have moved furniture across but, in hindsight, they wished they hadn't. One said her couch smelled damp for months. Unless it's an incredible family heirloom that you can't part with with, either sell your stuff or put it in storage. Besides, American furniture is pretty nice. You'll enjoy the shopping
Credit history is everything. We build our credit score before we came across with HSBC, but that only works if you are a Premier Customer. Lots of DVers have opened AMEX's while still in Oz, as AMEX will recognize your Australian credit history. One thing we did was get a secured credit card when we got here. $5000 on each card and we used those cards for everything. Between HSBC and the secured cards, we built up our score quickly and, within six months, we're close to an 800 score.
In terms of buying a car, I wouldn't buy online unless it was new. Plus, you can really haggle these guys down in price. We traded in a car for more than what we bought it for earlier in the year. Buying online removes the ability to look them in the eye and negotiate.
We had no real help settling in. We did it ourselves. Now, with quite a few Aussies moving to NC, my husband and I are acting like a welcoming committee. Helping people getting settled in and helping them through the first few weeks of being in the US (which spins your mind out, no matter how prepared you are). There are lots of Aussies in NYC and quite a few DVers who I am sure would be more than happy to help you guys settle.
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Wow.
As Em said there's more to life than vacation time (I know people who take as much as they want, that's CA for you) but ... yeah interesting you'd leave your spouse behind while you emigrate ... anyway good luck with whatever you decide.
I have a question about vaccines, as I just had a tetanus booster and my first round of the Measles one. I have to get a second measles shot after a month, but my interview is in less than a month!
Has anyone been in this situation or knows if it means AP until I get my second round?
Has anyone been in this situation or knows if it means AP until I get my second round?
I don't know. It really depends on my husband. I would be happy to relocate permanently, but he's my forever. So if he won't move with me, and he has agreed to us living separately for a few years, then I guess it's going to be the latter... I started applying for the green card lottery before I met him, and it's always been my dream to live in the US... I'd prefer to have my dream and my marriage, but I guess life is about compromises.... So I'll just have to see where I end up. Trump as president though... Maybe staying in Australia or moving to Canada with all of the Americans that are no doubt going to jump ship should now become the dream?
Superjazzed
New Member
Yes. I unlocked my DS260 to sort some stuff out in my personal life and I was going to resubmit it once the next round of 2NL's went out. I think I'm going to keep it unlocked for some time now, I'm not sure that I can go through with the green card now.
RejectedSpark
Member
Yes, I'm having doubts, but my interview date is likely to be a couple of months after Trump is sworn in. So, at this stage I'm still committed to the process, as I think I'll have several months to see how his presidency plays out. If I don't like what's happening, I could just not make that first activation flight. I am hopeful that everything will be ok, though (and not just for me and my plans).
Superjazzed
New Member
I'm actually in a similar boat to you, with my boyfriend not so sure about relocating (and applying for the lottery before we started dating). I'm ter It's a difficult decision to make. And even harder now to make with Trump in charge!I don't know. It really depends on my husband. I would be happy to relocate permanently, but he's my forever. So if he won't move with me, and he has agreed to us living separately for a few years, then I guess it's going to be the latter... I started applying for the green card lottery before I met him, and it's always been my dream to live in the US... I'd prefer to have my dream and my marriage, but I guess life is about compromises.... So I'll just have to see where I end up. Trump as president though... Maybe staying in Australia or moving to Canada with all of the Americans that are no doubt going to jump ship should now become the dream?
I sincerely hope it works out for the best, but I am not feeling positive, especially speaking with friends who are a minority in the U.S.
Just wondering what the long-term consequences, if any, there are if you successfully obtain a GC but don't make the activation trip? I also wonder if a Trump presidency will have any affect on the lottery, or other popular working visas (E-3 etc)
RI1985
New Member
We got approved on Tuesday and after yesterday's election results, definitely having secondthoughts. But as my husband keeps saying he is only 1 man, he needs the support of the senate to get things done. Hopefully he can't do too much damage in 4 years and it is still the dream to live in the US.