Sm1smom
Super Moderator
Is there any particular reason as to why you’re stressing over past “visa applications”?
DV 2018 AOS Only
- Thread starter Sm1smom
- Start date
Is there any particular reason as to why you’re stressing over past “visa applications”?
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
Why are you so worried about this? Anyway they’ll have access to all your old applications and be able to check them if they want, I suspect they probably do that routinely. You’re not expected to provide those.
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
I previously told the OP he/she is not to provide copies of the old applications, all they needed to include with their AOS package was copies of past issued visas, which is not a show spoiler if OP no longer has those. Yet he/she continues to ask about the application - makes one wonder if OP provided conflicting information in one of those applications hence this ongoing concern.
Hi Mom,
So my wife and I just attended our interview literally this morning and the interview itself went well. However, my concern is that the USCIS Officer who interviewed us probably doesn't really have a full understanding/knowledge of the Diversity Lottery.
He said that our interview process is now done and now he'll have to wait until the Visa becomes available. He said we'd have to wait until after September 30 and find out if our visa is available. He kept going back and forth and said contradicting statements - we'd have to wait until after September 30th to find out if our visa is available, and if not, we'll have to re-apply next year etc. He said, to be safe, maybe I could ask my employer to sponsor me GC through employment because he wouldn't know when the diversity visa would be available for us. I corrected him right away, nicely, that our number has become corrent last May and that means that our visa should be available already now and we're here for the Interview and AOS process. He in the end asked if we've received anything, a letter from USCIS? I then gave our 1NL and 2NL and he took a copy of them and said would follow up for us. As he was reading our 1NL and 2NL, he read the part where it says "Selection does not guarantee a visa will be issued" and re-iterated it to us. I again, mentioned that our number has become current as of last May and our visa technically should be available now. He would follow up and check the DoS website. Also, when he saw the 1NL and 2NL, he said "this is for your wife, what about your letter?" I then said I'm her dependent. So I got a strong feeling that he probably doesn't have a good understanding of DV Lottery at all.
Also, apparently the Civil Surgeon I used didn't use the latest form version. The USCIS officer said he'd look into it and we'll probably have to submit the latest version forms again.
I have scheduled an InfoPass appointment for next Monday and will follow up with USCIS then.
A couple questions I hope you can answer for me:
Thank you so much in advance, Mom!
So my wife and I just attended our interview literally this morning and the interview itself went well. However, my concern is that the USCIS Officer who interviewed us probably doesn't really have a full understanding/knowledge of the Diversity Lottery.
He said that our interview process is now done and now he'll have to wait until the Visa becomes available. He said we'd have to wait until after September 30 and find out if our visa is available. He kept going back and forth and said contradicting statements - we'd have to wait until after September 30th to find out if our visa is available, and if not, we'll have to re-apply next year etc. He said, to be safe, maybe I could ask my employer to sponsor me GC through employment because he wouldn't know when the diversity visa would be available for us. I corrected him right away, nicely, that our number has become corrent last May and that means that our visa should be available already now and we're here for the Interview and AOS process. He in the end asked if we've received anything, a letter from USCIS? I then gave our 1NL and 2NL and he took a copy of them and said would follow up for us. As he was reading our 1NL and 2NL, he read the part where it says "Selection does not guarantee a visa will be issued" and re-iterated it to us. I again, mentioned that our number has become current as of last May and our visa technically should be available now. He would follow up and check the DoS website. Also, when he saw the 1NL and 2NL, he said "this is for your wife, what about your letter?" I then said I'm her dependent. So I got a strong feeling that he probably doesn't have a good understanding of DV Lottery at all.
Also, apparently the Civil Surgeon I used didn't use the latest form version. The USCIS officer said he'd look into it and we'll probably have to submit the latest version forms again.
I have scheduled an InfoPass appointment for next Monday and will follow up with USCIS then.
A couple questions I hope you can answer for me:
- Is the answer that the USCIS officer gave me (i.e. that they will have to wait to see if a Visa is available for me) a typical response and that I won't have to worry? Also, do DV AOS applicants normally get a decision on the spot or it's more often the case that DV applicants don't get an immediate decision?
- My second question is, could we give the updated I-693s during the InfoPass Appointment or will they have to be mailed?
Thank you so much in advance, Mom!
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Hi Omar, can you tell me where you called?
Did you call the field office directly? If so, can you tell me where you found the number?
Thanks!
Sm1smom
Super Moderator
1. No that’s not a typical response unless there’s the possibility of having run out of visas. Bear in mind, even though your CN was current in May, visas don’t get reserved for AOSers like they do for CP selectees. Keeping my fingers crossed for you and hoping that’s not the case though.
2. You can try, they may or may not accept it especially since a RFE wasn’t issued to you.
But @Britsimon said the visa will not run out for this year and now is still early right ?
Hi Mom,
Thanks again, as usual, for your response.
With regard to my first question, we still have about 2 months left i.e. August and September, and logically speaking, we shouldn't run out of visa for this year, yet, right? Has there been a year, in the past, where they ran out of Visas for AOSers, 2 months prior to Sept. 30?
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
If you read the 2018 OC thread, one of the posters there has reproduced a letter they got from their consulate basically saying that all visa numbers have been allocated for the FY so yes unless numbers are reassigned in September, they’re exhausted. See DV 2018 OC Selectees (click to expand the quote in it). Another forum I’m on has had 2 separate posters - different regions, different embassies - who were on AP crossing a month end (when visa numbers get reallocated back to kcc and then new ones have to be requested when case complete) also told there are no visa numbers available and they’d have to wait till September to see if they can get a reallocated visa. So unfortunately it does look like visas have run out. Very puzzling for those of us who’ve watched this for years, I have never ever seen this happen so early in the FY.
Thank you for your reply. I just read it. They got an email said we have to get our visa before August 31? Is this means the visa run out from now ?
SusieQQQ
Well-Known Member
That mail was for CP so it was specifically aimed at those scheduled for August already. Bottom line is that if you don’t have a scheduled CP interview lined up you may not get a visa. The slightly good news (more clear from another post I saw) is that they are not rejecting remaining cases outright but are keeping them on a waitlist in the hope that reallocated visas will become available in September.
Hi Susie, thank you for the additional insights - although I'm still trying to digest them.
So you were saying that all 50,000 (give or take) available Visas have all been allocated to those who have attended their Interviews (and were approved) before me? And in the email from the embassy you were referring to, it says that we'd need to have or visa issued by Aug 31, 2018, so that means, since I've already attended my interview, I still have more or less a month to hope and see if my GC will be issued in time?
I went through Britsimon's blog again. As per my understanding he has mentioned AOS cases from some regions may be affected. In there he has pointed out visas for AOS for EU region may run out.
I belong to Asia. I am bit concerned how it would end up for me. will it run out for AS AOSers as well ?
I belong to Asia. I am bit concerned how it would end up for me. will it run out for AS AOSers as well ?
This @Britsimon response to visa run out.
Thanks for posing that - it confirms a part of their processes that I was 99.9% sure of (the return/reallocation at the end of the month). That has always been the process, but since we are so close to the quota, it is a useful reminder to clear these cases up within the original interview month.
Thanks for posing that - it confirms a part of their processes that I was 99.9% sure of (the return/reallocation at the end of the month). That has always been the process, but since we are so close to the quota, it is a useful reminder to clear these cases up within the original interview month.
Hi, could you explain/elaborate on this further? I'm still having a hard time understanding what it means.
Thank you!
Me too but I think he means Asia region has more visa because the travel ban so the reallocate it to other regions. Don’t take my words maybe I am wrong
If what you're saying is true, does that mean Asian AOSers will risk not getting a Visa as the DV is still moving toward the end of the FY and instead, they're reallocating these Visas initially allocated for Asia to Africa?
That doesn't sound very fair to me...
Hi Mom/Susie/other respected members,
Could you tell me how Visa Allocations work for those doing AOS? For those doing CPs, they have pre-allocated Visas, which is a huge benefit. But for those doing AOS, how do they get assigned a Visa? What is it based on? Apologize in advance for this rudimentary question, which probably has been posted somewhere in the forum..
From https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/diversity-visa,
"Visa Availability
For visa availability, check the latest month's DOS Visa Bulletin. Section B contains a chart showing the current month's visa availability in the Diversity Immigrant category. The chart shows when the Diversity Immigrant cut-off is met. When the cut-off is met, visas will be available in that month for the applicants with Diversity Immigrant lottery rank numbers below the specified cut-off numbers for their geographic areas.
Section C contains a chart showing the Diversity Immigrant category rank cut-offs for the following month, which represents the advance notification of Diversity Immigrant visa availability. As soon as a monthly Visa Bulletin is published, anyone with a lower rank number than the rank cut-off number shown in Section C is eligible to file for adjustment of status. This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated. This gives USCIS additional time to determine your eligibility for adjustment of status before the end of the fiscal year.
A Diversity Immigrant-based adjustment application cannot be adjudicated until a visa can be allocated, as indicated in the Visa Bulletin’s current Diversity Immigrant rank cut-offs for a particular month."
Based on my limited understanding, this still sounds like those with number below the cut-off number immediately have Visas available and can do AOS. But it also says "This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated." and "A Diversity Immigrant-based adjustment application cannot be adjudicated until a visa can be allocated." This two statements again further confuse me regarding "available vs allocated", for AOSers.
Could you tell me how Visa Allocations work for those doing AOS? For those doing CPs, they have pre-allocated Visas, which is a huge benefit. But for those doing AOS, how do they get assigned a Visa? What is it based on? Apologize in advance for this rudimentary question, which probably has been posted somewhere in the forum..
From https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/diversity-visa,
"Visa Availability
For visa availability, check the latest month's DOS Visa Bulletin. Section B contains a chart showing the current month's visa availability in the Diversity Immigrant category. The chart shows when the Diversity Immigrant cut-off is met. When the cut-off is met, visas will be available in that month for the applicants with Diversity Immigrant lottery rank numbers below the specified cut-off numbers for their geographic areas.
Section C contains a chart showing the Diversity Immigrant category rank cut-offs for the following month, which represents the advance notification of Diversity Immigrant visa availability. As soon as a monthly Visa Bulletin is published, anyone with a lower rank number than the rank cut-off number shown in Section C is eligible to file for adjustment of status. This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated. This gives USCIS additional time to determine your eligibility for adjustment of status before the end of the fiscal year.
A Diversity Immigrant-based adjustment application cannot be adjudicated until a visa can be allocated, as indicated in the Visa Bulletin’s current Diversity Immigrant rank cut-offs for a particular month."
Based on my limited understanding, this still sounds like those with number below the cut-off number immediately have Visas available and can do AOS. But it also says "This provides lottery winners the opportunity to file for adjustment of status up to six or seven weeks before a visa number can actually be allocated." and "A Diversity Immigrant-based adjustment application cannot be adjudicated until a visa can be allocated." This two statements again further confuse me regarding "available vs allocated", for AOSers.
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Hi, first of all, congrats to you for the GC approval!
Do you think you could share a little bit more about the Interview?
My spouse and I were just interviewed too this morning but the Interviewing Officer told us to check back in/after September to see if there are any available Visas for us. At first, I thought he just didn't understand well about Diversity Lottery (which might as well still be the case), and naively, I told him that our number became current last May and so technically our Visas should already be available. Little did I know that AOS is different from CP in terms of how the Visas get (pre-)allocated. For those doing CP, their visas are pre-allocated, which I think is a huge benefit. And until now, it's still a mystery to me how does Visa Allocation even work for those doing AOS. All I took away from today's interview was that the interview itself went well, but now it's again, a waiting game for me. How long should I wait, I have no idea. Was what the Interviewer told me earlier is indeed the case? Or probably he just didn't really understand about Diversity Lottery? I too, don't know if this is the case/not.
And after researching further for a couple hours, I learned that even though my number became current back in May, since I am doing AOS, I have no pre-allocated Visa Number and so in a way, my chance of getting approved for a Visa (even if my application and interview go well) is slightly less just because the fact that I have no pre-allocated Visa. So now, maybe, and maybe, after all, what the Interview said earlier about checking back in September, might be true. If this is the case, maybe all the 50,000 GCs for this year have either been all taken or we're very close to reaching that 50,000 mark.
I just wanted to hear your Interview experience earlier and if there's anything the Interviewer said (something like "we'll have to check if there's any visa available for you...") that could shed some lights on what's going on with DV as of today? or were you approved instantly on the spot?
Thank you so much in advance!