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DV 2018 AOS Only

You can send in your AOS package two months in advance of the month your CN is listed as current. However, be aware of the fact that some FOs have erroneously denied a couple of petitions due to early filing in the past. So you’ll have to decide if this is a chance you’re willing to take - I will certainly do early filing if I was in your shoes and keep my fingers crossed all goes well. You I recommend go through the AOS process spreadsheet though if you’re yet to.

Proving work experience is not straight and direct compared to proving one meets the educational requirements which is what I recommend. I can’t guide on the best way to prove work experience.



Many thanks for your advice! One last thing if we are successful do we have to make the interview appointment ourselves or will the interview date and time be given to us to us in the letter. We are in Manhattan. I have seen some documentation on the USIC website about booking an appointment through INFOPASS.....

Do we definittely have to attend an interview at all? In some cases do they just require biometrics?

Thanks :)
 
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Many thanks for your advice! One last thing if we are successful do we have to make the interview appointment ourselves or will the interview date and time be given to us to us in the letter. We are in Manhattan. I have seen some documentation on the USIC website about booking an appointment through INFOPASS.....

Do we definittely have to attend an interview at all? In some cases do they just require biometrics?

Thanks :)

I think you need to spend some time going over the AOS process spreadsheet (link below) for a clearer understanding of the steps involved:
http://goo.gl/0va2DU
 
Hello! :)
I have a qeneral question about visa availability for Europe or/and any of the other regions. Through out your years of doing this forum & the spread sheets has any of the regions ever "run out of visas" before september or the months before? I'm just starting to over think and over analyze everything during this "waiting" process. I also really regret waiting to file my application the month my number went current.. But I'm trying to stay optimistic! :)
 
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Hello! :)
I have a qeneral question about visa availability for Europe or/and any of the other regions. Through out your years of doing this forum & the spread sheets has any of the regions ever "run out of visas" before september or the months before? I'm just starting to over think and over analyze everything during this "waiting" process. I also really regret waiting to file my application the month my number went current.. But I'm trying to stay optimistic! :)

Yes. They ran out of visas for AOSers in 2017 FY. The last couple of pages on the DV2017 AOS Only Thread is a good starting point for more information on this.
 
has any of the regions ever "run out of visas" before september or the months before?

They stagger the issuance of visas so in the years they’ve run out - either overall or when particular countries have hit their 7% limit- it tends to happen in September, not earlier (I think there may have been an instance where Bangladesh ran out at the end of August but don’t recall exactly). There is a somewhat greater danger for AOS because unlike a CP interview, there is no visa number set aside for the case before the interview, it is requested afterwards and relies on numbers still being available at that stage.
However the more usual outcome for oversubscribed years is that some or all regions end the year under a cut-off rather than actually running out of visas.
 
They stagger the issuance of visas so in the years they’ve run out - either overall or when particular countries have hit their 7% limit- it tends to happen in September, not earlier (I think there may have been an instance where Bangladesh ran out at the end of August but don’t recall exactly). There is a somewhat greater danger for AOS because unlike a CP interview, there is no visa number set aside for the case before the interview, it is requested afterwards and relies on numbers still being available at that stage.
However the more usual outcome for oversubscribed years is that some or all regions end the year under a cut-off rather than actually running out of visas.

Okey, thanks for the response @Sm1smom & @SusieQQQ! Ill check out the DV2017 AOS Only thread. I just received my biometrics letter a couple of days ago and ill do a walk in tomorrow if everything goes according to my plan, fingers crossed that there will be enough visas for the Europe region by the time I get my interview.. This process is so stressfull, there is so much at stake!
 
Hi Mom, When I was filing my AOS, I sent my bank statement which had more than 15K and also my contracts with university. I bought a car after that and I do not have that money in my bank account but I have a contract for next year with enough stipend that can show I will able to afford my life. Do you think it will be a problem in my interview that my bank statement does not have the same amount of money now?

Thanks
 
Hi Mom, When I was filing my AOS, I sent my bank statement which had more than 15K and also my contracts with university. I bought a car after that and I do not have that money in my bank account but I have a contract for next year with enough stipend that can show I will able to afford my life. Do you think it will be a problem in my interview that my bank statement does not have the same amount of money now?

Thanks

I don’t know. Consider getting an I-134 as a backup financial document.
 
Our cases statuses all changed to cards sent and the postal notification system is showing as 4 packages from the USCIS arriving Friday (4 family members - two kids, with one excited and one that wants to go to Germany(???)). Not wanting to count chickens before they hatch - but it looks very promising - (except for the Germany thing - that's not so promising).

Just like to wish everyone luck who is still going through the process. With Sm1smom knowledge and the super useful spreadsheet resources, its turned what could have been a potential bureaucratic nightmare into a maze that could be navigated. I would like to thank the active members on this forum for sharing insights and helping work through the process. The spreadsheet information was such a helpful and wonderful resource in getting through this. Thanks again to the volunteer moderators of this forum for giving up their time to help others and collate data - it is truly appreciated.
 
Our cases statuses all changed to cards sent and the postal notification system is showing as 4 packages from the USCIS arriving Friday (4 family members - two kids, with one excited and one that wants to go to Germany(???)). Not wanting to count chickens before they hatch - but it looks very promising - (except for the Germany thing - that's not so promising).

Just like to wish everyone luck who is still going through the process. With Sm1smom knowledge and the super useful spreadsheet resources, its turned what could have been a potential bureaucratic nightmare into a maze that could be navigated. I would like to thank the active members on this forum for sharing insights and helping work through the process. The spreadsheet information was such a helpful and wonderful resource in getting through this. Thanks again to the volunteer moderators of this forum for giving up their time to help others and collate data - it is truly appreciated.

Congratulations.
 
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You need to re-read my previous response. The Chicago Lockbox could decide the package was incomplete and reject it - package gets returned to you after a couple of weeks. The Chicago Lockbox DOES NOT send an RFE - you loose valuable time if this happens.

Your FO on the other hand (when the AOS petition eventually gets to them) could send an RFE in place of an interview letter - the FO can and do have the right to issue an RFE for missing documents. They may decide to not schedule an interview until the missing document has been received - again you loose valuable time at this stage.

By the way, it is not impossible for your case to have been approved without an interview even with the fact that you got married post selection. This is precisely why I emphasize sending in a fully front loaded and complete package regardless of what the USCIS form or website says. This is based on years experience guiding DV based AOS selectees.

Hi Mom,

The checks from our I-485 application were cashed today by the Chicago Lockbox!! That means we should receive the NoA soon, correct?

For now, at least they did accept our early filing as well as accepted the package without the I-693!!

Thank you!
 
Hello everyone!
I am looking for a link to download the I-485 form with the right edition (6/26/17).
I downloaded the one from the USCIS website but the edition date is 12/13/17

Thanks!
 
Hi Mom,

I have already sent the completed i-134 form in my AOS package. Our sponsor is more than sufficient to sponsor for us.
Despite the i-134 form, in some of the folk's experience; I have seen that IO ask the bank statement documents.

In our case, my wife is the lottery winner and I am in F1 status and she is in F2 status. We do not have SSN and neither do any job here.
My parents send money from our home country direct in my bank account here in USA.
So all the money transaction will be seen in my bank account. There is a very nominal transaction in my wife account.
Last month, I requested my parents to send some money in my account to show some bank balance if in case we need it here.

My question:
1) How many months bank statement should we need? I mean 3 months 6 months or more?
2) Is it ok to take my bank statement instead of my wife, since all the money came from overseas is in my account?
3) Besides, my bank statement, should we take my wife bank statement also even though she doesn't have that enough money in her account?
4) How much balance should we maintain in our account until the time of interview in our bank account? Is there any certain amount that we should maintain the bank balance?

Thank you for your valuable time MOM!
 
Hello everyone!
I am looking for a link to download the I-485 form with the right edition (6/26/17).
I downloaded the one from the USCIS website but the edition date is 12/13/17

Thanks!
Hi Kadson11,
I thought the 12/13/17 is the one that you need if you are going to file i-485.
I hope MOM will clear you more about this.
But in my case we use the 12/13/17 edition i-485 form.

Thanks
 
Hi Mom,

The checks from our I-485 application were cashed today by the Chicago Lockbox!! That means we should receive the NoA soon, correct?

For now, at least they did accept our early filing as well as accepted the package without the I-693!!

Thank you!

Yes.
 
Hello everyone!
I am looking for a link to download the I-485 form with the right edition (6/26/17).
I downloaded the one from the USCIS website but the edition date is 12/13/17

Thanks!

The current edition of the I-485 that should be used for now, until a new edition gets released, is the 12/13/17 which is what is currently available on USCIS’s website.
 
Hi Mom,

I have already sent the completed i-134 form in my AOS package. Our sponsor is more than sufficient to sponsor for us.
Despite the i-134 form, in some of the folk's experience; I have seen that IO ask the bank statement documents.

In our case, my wife is the lottery winner and I am in F1 status and she is in F2 status. We do not have SSN and neither do any job here.
My parents send money from our home country direct in my bank account here in USA.
So all the money transaction will be seen in my bank account. There is a very nominal transaction in my wife account.
Last month, I requested my parents to send some money in my account to show some bank balance if in case we need it here.

My question:
1) How many months bank statement should we need? I mean 3 months 6 months or more?
2) Is it ok to take my bank statement instead of my wife, since all the money came from overseas is in my account?
3) Besides, my bank statement, should we take my wife bank statement also even though she doesn't have that enough money in her account?
4) How much balance should we maintain in our account until the time of interview in our bank account? Is there any certain amount that we should maintain the bank balance?

Thank you for your valuable time MOM!

I’m not aware of any case with an I-134 where the IO insisted on petitioner presenting personal bank statements in addition. The I-134 and it’s accompany documents fulfill the requirements of ensuring one wouldn’t become a public charge which is the purpose a substantial bank account will otherwise be fulfilling.

To answer your specific questions though:
1. 3 - 6 months should suffice.
2. Yes.
3. If you like.
4. A substantial amount - can’t give you a specific number.
 
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Hi again Mom,

1. I have received the DV fee receipt of $330 through e-mail but have not yet received the physical one and it's been a month now. What should I do?

2. I submitted the form i485 along with G1145 over a week ago, my carrier notified that the package was delivered the next day but I have not received the text message or e-mail from them about receiving it yet. Is that normal?
 
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