DV 2020 All Selectees

[Britsimon]

Somehow Embassy at KTM granted 8 visas during the month of April when they were closed. Not sure how. Ambassador still in Kathmandu, they are chartering another flight to US via Qatar airways next week if any US citizen wants to return. COVID cases are rising daily in Nepal. Country is locked down for another 15 days.

Embassies are generally operating, to perform a limited service for US citizens, emergencies and so on. Obviously that means they could have cleared some cases that were on AP from interviews in March. The immigrant ban was not implemented until late April. No mystery.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Embassies are generally operating, to perform a limited service for US citizens, emergencies and so on. Obviously that means they could have cleared some cases that were on AP from interviews in March. The immigrant ban was not implemented until late April. No mystery.

Yup. I may have mentioned this above but I know someone in my home country who had been on AP from earlier and got a visa issued in April before the EO ban took effect.

 

[Walt91]

That’s not a total ban as such, as it is dependent only on physical presence in schengen. It’s circumventable by being present in a non affected country for 14 days before entering US. Someone on another forum has just done exactly that after a pleasant two week vacation in Mexico.
Not sure that is what the embassy meant. The IV ban makes more sense to me in context. Perhaps Walt can tell us if they specified which ban was referred to.

In that case maybe they are waiting on the Europe ban to be lifted, June 15th. Having the embassies back open once US citizens/residents are allowed to enter Europe, would that make sense? I specifically asked for when they think to resume consular processing and since the categories under the immigration ban is only a part of consular processing I don’t think they we’re referring to the immigration ban when they mentioned they’re waiting for the travel ban to be lifted.

 

[Britsimon]

In that case maybe they are waiting on the Europe ban to be lifted, June 15th. Having the embassies back open once US citizens/residents are allowed to enter Europe, would that make sense? I specifically asked for when they think to resume consular processing and since the categories under the immigration ban is only a part of consular processing I don’t think they we’re referring to the immigration ban when they mentioned they’re waiting for the travel ban to be lifted.

I don't think we can be that precise. In embassies where the US staff left, they can *begin* to return after the 15th - but it's not like they would start work on the 16th. In other embassies they may have US staff there already, but they will need to feel like they have taken safe procedures into account and local pandemic situation. In other words - let's not pin our hopes on a certain day. The most important thing is to have embassies open by July, and for them to announce that plan before the end of this month so that KCC can schedule some appointments at least. None of that is a slam dunk - in fact I would say that is the least likely of all outcomes. And if that does not happen, once we are a few days into next month, July will be lost too. :-(

 

[benmed]

I don't think we can be that precise. In embassies where the US staff left, they can *begin* to return after the 15th - but it's not like they would start work on the 16th. In other embassies they may have US staff there already, but they will need to feel like they have taken safe procedures into account and local pandemic situation. In other words - let's not pin our hopes on a certain day. The most important thing is to have embassies open by July, and for them to announce that plan before the end of this month so that KCC can schedule some appointments at least. None of that is a slam dunk - in fact I would say that is the least likely of all outcomes. And if that does not happen, once we are a few days into next month, July will be lost too. :-(

Hi Mr. Brit
Do you think that we are going to lose July for rescheduling the canceled interviews? Or for getting new interviews? Or for both?
And what if the EO get extended. Do we still have the right to get our 2nls and pass the interviews?

 

[SusieQQQ]

I don't think we can be that precise. In embassies where the US staff left, they can *begin* to return after the 15th - but it's not like they would start work on the 16th. In other embassies they may have US staff there already, but they will need to feel like they have taken safe procedures into account and local pandemic situation. In other words - let's not pin our hopes on a certain day. The most important thing is to have embassies open by July, and for them to announce that plan before the end of this month so that KCC can schedule some appointments at least. None of that is a slam dunk - in fact I would say that is the least likely of all outcomes. And if that does not happen, once we are a few days into next month, July will be lost too. :-(

in the past, kCC have been able to schedule with less than 4 weeks notice, at least at some embassies. Perhaps this is too hopeful, but maybe under the circumstances they will try do that again?

 

[Britsimon]

in the past, kCC have been able to schedule with less than 4 weeks notice, at least at some embassies. Perhaps this is too hopeful, but maybe under the circumstances they will try do that again?

Yeah, that's why I am saying early June. The cutoff would normally be a few days before the month ends, but perhaps we can hope for a little more. But that would still need a broad reopening of embassies, or perhaps central decision from DoS.

 

[Britsimon]

Hi Mr. Brit
Do you think that we are going to lose July for rescheduling the canceled interviews? Or for getting new interviews? Or for both?
And what if the EO get extended. Do we still have the right to get our 2nls and pass the interviews?

July is covered in my post. As for your rights - you really dont have any.

 

[Avion]

Ugh, I really tried to chill but reading the latest posts make me a little nervous, too. Do we have data/reports of what range of numbers had been interviewed in the different regions (for me personally EU is relevant) before the closure?

 

[Altneudorf]

Ugh, I really tried to chill but reading the latest posts make me a little nervous, too. Do we have data/reports of what range of numbers had been interviewed in the different regions (for me personally EU is relevant) before the closure?

We are EU19xxx and our interview has been postponed.

 

[Walt91]

Ugh, I really tried to chill but reading the latest posts make me a little nervous, too. Do we have data/reports of what range of numbers had been interviewed in the different regions (for me personally EU is relevant) before the closure?

I don’t believe the case numbers are relevant anymore , but rather the amount of selectees and embassy capacity of your country.

 

[Avion]

We are EU19xxx and our interview has been postponed.

Oh no, so they really didn’t come that far with the interviews..

@Walt91 This would be a glimmer of hope because I feel like we‘re getting back to normal in my country. But still praying that there won’t be a second lock down as people are already going crazy and are forgetting about sticking to the rules/the virus in general.

 

[Ercriniera]

I'm quite nervous as in 8 days my visa will be expired too and who knows if they will renew it! Also please take note that 15 June in Europe flights will be restore just within the EU

 

[Mari Gold]

I'm quite nervous as in 8 days my visa will be expired too and who knows if they will renew it! Also please take note that 15 June in Europe flights will be restore just within the EU

Not just within EU. The flights from Belgrade (Serbia) to New York will be open from June 6th

 

[skip1]

Not just within EU. The flights from Belgrade (Serbia) to New York will be open from June 6th

Flights from Serbia were suspended when Serbia closed down its borders. Since Serbia is not part of EU, there were flights even after EU flight ban. Same from Turkey.

 

[Ercriniera]

Not just within EU. The flights from Belgrade (Serbia) to New York will be open from June 6th

Serbia it's not part of the EU, but I wonder if flights will be restored between non EU and EU countries in Europe. That's a good news anyway for those who want to go in the US and can't because of the travel ban! Such a shame my visa will be expired few days before.

 

[Ercriniera]

Flights from Serbia were suspended when Serbia closed down its borders. Since Serbia is not part of EU, there were flights even after EU flight ban. Same from Turkey.

I have been looking for flights from non EU countries to US and no, there was nothing from turkey to the US. Or at least from minsk, because belarus is the only country open right now where you can and must spend 14 days prior to attempt enter in the US ( and be sure to don't change flight in a EU country or UK ) as said by US embassy in Minsk

 

[skip1]

I have been looking for flights from non EU countries to US and no, there was nothing from turkey to the US. Or at least from minsk, because belarus is the only country open right now where you can and must spend 14 days prior to attempt enter in the US ( and be sure to don't change flight in a EU country or UK ) as said by US embassy in Minsk

To be quite honest, I'm not sure how it is right now. I was saying at the immediate period when ban was enforced. I know for sure there were direct flights from Istanbul to New York. Same as from Belgrade (Serbia). A couple of friends who were planning to come here had actual tickets.

And honestly, this whole travel ban makes less and less sense since with the current developments, EU is going to be the one that will want to ban US citzens of entering the countries

 

[Walt91]

I'm quite nervous as in 8 days my visa will be expired too and who knows if they will renew it! Also please take note that 15 June in Europe flights will be restore just within the EU

June 15th is for international Travel aka non EU citizens. there’s no such thing as a ban for EU citizens to travel in the EU that’s determined per country but overall they didn’t let people cross borders if it was not essential. From this point on European countries are opening up the borders to each other. the June 15th travelban has been set by the European Union.

 

[Peince]

I'm quite nervous as in 8 days my visa will be expired too and who knows if they will renew it! Also please take note that 15 June in Europe flights will be restore just within the EU

I believe the best thing you can do is to check with the USA in your country , there are probably flights evacuating US citizens and green card holders , you can book a with those flights and travel to the US before your visa expired ( as it is the best advice USA embassies have been telling people to about losing the immigration visa ) or you can contact the embassy to ask the possibility of visa extension .