DV 2020 AOS Only

[Sm1smom]

Hi @Sm1smom! I sent in my AOS package on 5/25 and received my NOA on 6/13. I am aware that Los Angeles FO will need to request my case file from the Sydney Embassy (as my interview was scheduled for April). Do I need to do anything/follow up to make sure this happens? Or do I wait until I have a biometrics appointment (once it reopens). I just want to make sure I don't leave it till the last minute and I have done everything I can before the September deadline.

You should probably reach out to KCC again to see if they can retrieve your file from the Sydney embassy, yours is an unusual situation. The FOs normally request KCC files directly from KCC, they’re not used to requesting the file from an embassy AFAIK.

 

[tinks1]

You should probably reach out to KCC again to see if they can retrieve your file from the Sydney embassy, yours is an unusual situation. The FOs normally request KCC files directly from KCC, they’re not used to requesting the file from an embassy AFAIK.

Thank you! I will contact them tomorrow and see what happens.

 

[americanvisa]

I was able to talk to a Tier 2 representative today who informed me that my case has been with the FO since November 1, 2019 but they are yet to schedule an interview... What can I make to make the process faster besides waiting? I reached out to the Congressman's office, but noone has gotten back to me yet.

 

[yesca]

Congratulation. When did you submit your packages ?

Jan 9

 

[Ahmedaboesawy2020]

I got a notification today that my card is being produced.
- I previously had an interview appointment for Mar 18 but it was cancelled due to COVID. I think it's safe to assume that like @Giovanna my case was approved without an interview
- Thank you @Sm1smom for all the information you have generously shared, I really appreciate all the help from the spreadsheet and your insights on the forum

Congratulations so happy for you

 

[LeMi0512]

I got a notification today that my card is being produced.
- I previously had an interview appointment for Mar 18 but it was cancelled due to COVID. I think it's safe to assume that like @Giovanna my case was approved without an interview
- Thank you @Sm1smom for all the information you have generously shared, I really appreciate all the help from the spreadsheet and your insights on the forum

Congratulations!!! What was your DV 2020 number and what was your currently visa? Thanks!

 

[yesca]

Congratulations!!! What was your DV 2020 number and what was your currently visa? Thanks!

CN: AF19***
Status: F1
The timeline and information is updated on the spreadsheet

 

[2020AS00011xxx]

I was able to talk to a Tier 2 representative today who informed me that my case has been with the FO since November 1, 2019 but they are yet to schedule an interview... What can I make to make the process faster besides waiting? I reached out to the Congressman's office, but noone has gotten back to me yet.

Did you fill out a privacy release form with Congressman's office and return it ? They cannot reach out to USCIS on your behalf if you have not signed a form to release your personal information. If they don't answer your call try visiting their office in your city.

 

[migrant7]

On June 9 I sent an e-request to get some information about my case (I did my biometrics in December last year). Today I got a response by mail from my USCIS office in Seattle. That's what they said:

You are waiting to be scheduled for an interview. We regret that we are not able to give you a time frame for when we will schedule you for an interview. Once the interview is scheduled, an interview notice will be mailed to the address of record.

I guess I will wait for the end of July and if I don't hear from them go through my state representative.

 

[AoShole]

Before I even got to that, the representative, Tammy (if you've called KCC enough times, you would have spoken to her, as there are only a few call center staff), advised that the DV program has been suspended, affecting BOTH those outside, and inside, the United States, including AoS- no interviews are being, or will be scheduled. I couldn't believe it, and I clarified a few times, as I've seen nothing in these forums, or online, to this effect, but she iterated that no DV cases will be proceeding to interview.

I am going to call the USCIS when I have a moment, and will update, but if anyone has seen or heard anything, I would encourage them to advise.

Well, she’s wrong about AOS . There have been a few cases reported approved here in the past week or so already, and likely more that aren’t on the forum. Again, staff at both uscis and KCC can and do give out incorrect information.
USCIS schedule AoS appointments (or as we have also seen, including the past few days, approve without interview).
This report you provide does however underscore the scepticism that both mom and I have about KCC scheduling any consular appointments for DV regardless of claimed exception.

Yet, we’ve had at least two AOS approvals, since the first proclamation came into effect (bearing in mind this same proclamation has impacted CPers since then), and there’s recently issued IL for another AOSer scheduled for July. Ask Tammy to about DV based AOS cases and processing to test her understanding of DV based AOS cases to start with.

She's incorrect of course, but it's not surprising that the KCC staff don't know about that. AOS is outside of their scope. And generally the understanding of staff is not great, not only at KCC. When I did my AOS interview the staff there told me I had to return to my home country to process my DV case.

There's a disconnect in information about AoS, and what KCC and USCIS call center staff definitively know about the process. I spoke to the USCIS; they said they haven't received anything specific to DV. I spoke to KCC twice again, and I'm not going to post their responses, because given the inconsistency in what each person says, I believe you are all correct in suggesting it is their general lack of knowledge about the process. I'm shocked that the official source of information can't be relied upon, in such a big life process.

 

[Jumanjied]

Package was mailed less than a week ago, that explains the non NOA receipt for now. Anyway, either of two things will happen:
1. The Chicago Lockbox rejects your package as incomplete and sends it back, in which case you’ll re-file and ensure you include the payment receipt.
2. The AOS package is accepted by the Chicago Lockbox, in which case you take the payment receipt along to your interview. The risk with this option:
a. AOS petition may be denied without an interview if the IO decides to use their discretion in following a 2018 directive that encouraged them to deny incomplete petitions without issuing a RFE (the directive asked them to treat petitions without certain pertinent documents as time wasting placeholders to enable USCIS improve on processing time).
b. If your IO was considering approving your I-485 without an interview, they will not be able to do so. They will be forced to schedule you for an interview in that case.

So keep your fingers crossed and hope in the worst case scenario, you’re given the opportunity to present the receipt at interview.

Thank you kindly for your response. It looks like we might be going down the route outlined in your second point. I have since received 3 letters dated May 29th:

1. Form I-797, notice of action, Application to register Register Permanent Residence or Adjustment of Status which says that i will be receiving biometrics appointment by mail.
2. Form I-797, notice of action for I-131, Application for travel ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)
3. Form I-797, Application for Employment Authorization ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)

At what point in time would the IO deny the application? Is no IO assigned to my case as of yet since they are not scheduling finger prints? When I check the online status it says that my fingerprint fee was received as of May 28th, to follow steps outlined in the letters mailed out to me and that national benefit center is working on my application.

After further speaking with the lawyer and going over the google sheet from this forum I realized that they did not include the following:
-the 2nd notification letter (I now have it),
-the DV 330 fee receipt (I have since paid the fee and received the receipt)
-copy of my high school diploma
-copy of my SSN
-copy of employment letter
-copies of W2s
They did send my pay stubs.

At this point, could I just send another package including all of the missing documents and pay the fees again? I was really hoping to make this work

 

[Ertyui]

Hi it’s first time to comment here. I’m really sad current situation.
I’m staying in US as F1visa right now. I was selected 2020..Case number is high. So I was thinking to take interview home country. However there is no hope anymore...
Then I come here and read everything. There is chance to take interview in US. Right?
So I wanted to make sure and called KCC this morning. But They said there’s no possible to take interview even AOS. (I didn't mention case number or my progress but they just said )
I just share my story and want to say I’m really sad.......

Hi I’m coming back. Thank you all for your replies. I submitted my DS260 in May. Do you think I have any hope of getting it changed to AOS in the future? If I have the chance, I'm going to give it a shot.

 

[asm_dv]

Thank you kindly for your response. It looks like we might be going down the route outlined in your second point. I have since received 3 letters dated May 29th:

1. Form I-797, notice of action, Application to register Register Permanent Residence or Adjustment of Status which says that i will be receiving biometrics appointment by mail.
2. Form I-797, notice of action for I-131, Application for travel ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)
3. Form I-797, Application for Employment Authorization ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)

At what point in time would the IO deny the application? Is no IO assigned to my case as of yet since they are not scheduling finger prints? When I check the online status it says that my fingerprint fee was received as of May 28th, to follow steps outlined in the letters mailed out to me and that national benefit center is working on my application.

After further speaking with the lawyer and going over the google sheet from this forum I realized that they did not include the following:
-the 2nd notification letter (I now have it),
-the DV 330 fee receipt (I have since paid the fee and received the receipt)
-copy of my high school diploma
-copy of my SSN
-copy of employment letter
-copies of W2s
They did send my pay stubs.

At this point, could I just send another package including all of the missing documents and pay the fees again? I was really hoping to make this work

I think you have to wait for RFE before you can submit documents to be added to your original filing. Maybe someone in the forum can shed light who went through similar circumstances.

One thing to note from your experience- for all those who are still getting ready for the AOS filing is that immigration lawyers are not a safe bet. This forum and its AOS Spreadsheet checklist is the most comprehensive list. @Jumanjied I feel your anxiety! The list of documents that your lawyers did not include is dumbfounded. Some of those paperwork are almost standard for most immigration filing.

Hopefully it won't be a big issue.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi I’m coming back. Thank you all for your replies. I submitted my DS260 in May. Do you think I have any hope of getting it changed to AOS in the future? If I have the chance, I'm going to give it a shot.

Read the AOS spreadsheet and follow the process. You don’t have much time left.

 

[Sm1smom]

Thank you kindly for your response. It looks like we might be going down the route outlined in your second point. I have since received 3 letters dated May 29th:

1. Form I-797, notice of action, Application to register Register Permanent Residence or Adjustment of Status which says that i will be receiving biometrics appointment by mail.
2. Form I-797, notice of action for I-131, Application for travel ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)
3. Form I-797, Application for Employment Authorization ( a letter that says that my application has been received by their office and is in process)

At what point in time would the IO deny the application? Is no IO assigned to my case as of yet since they are not scheduling finger prints? When I check the online status it says that my fingerprint fee was received as of May 28th, to follow steps outlined in the letters mailed out to me and that national benefit center is working on my application.

After further speaking with the lawyer and going over the google sheet from this forum I realized that they did not include the following:
-the 2nd notification letter (I now have it),
-the DV 330 fee receipt (I have since paid the fee and received the receipt)
-copy of my high school diploma
-copy of my SSN
-copy of employment letter
-copies of W2s
They did send my pay stubs.

At this point, could I just send another package including all of the missing documents and pay the fees again? I was really hoping to make this work

Cases are either approved or denied when they get to the adjudication stage, adjudication can happen with or without an interview. This is usually after background check has cleared. IO assignment has nothing to do with the bio scheduling. Go through the NBC_Lockbox_FO tab of the AOS process spreadsheet for more information.

I don’t recommend filing a new application while the current one is pending, it will most likely create more issues for you.

Your case will most likely not be approved without an interview or a RFE at least. So you just have to wait, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best.

 

[Sm1smom]

Hi I’m coming back. Thank you all for your replies. I submitted my DS260 in May. Do you think I have any hope of getting it changed to AOS in the future? If I have the chance, I'm going to give it a shot.

Have you done what you were asked to do in this post here?

 

[tinks1]

You should probably reach out to KCC again to see if they can retrieve your file from the Sydney embassy, yours is an unusual situation. The FOs normally request KCC files directly from KCC, they’re not used to requesting the file from an embassy AFAIK.

Hi @Sm1smom I spoke to KCC this morning. They advised that my case is with Sydney and was previously scheduled for interview etc.
I enquired on how to request my case file as I am now doing AOS. She said they have all that information there at KCC and once USCIS/FO requests it they can send it to them.
Seems too good to be true...I understand from reading previous posts KCCs information isn't always 100% so is there anything else I should do?
Thanks again.

 

[SusieQQQ]

Hi @Sm1smom I spoke to KCC this morning. They advised that my case is with Sydney and was previously scheduled for interview etc.
I enquired on how to request my case file as I am now doing AOS. She said they have all that information there at KCC and once USCIS/FO requests it they can send it to them.
Seems too good to be true...I understand from reading previous posts KCCs information isn't always 100% so is there anything else I should do?
Thanks again.

Considering everything is electronic now this is probably accurate. Sydney probably has “a copy of” the file rather than “the” file as would have been the case back in the days of paper.

 

[dsap]

On June 9 I sent an e-request to get some information about my case (I did my biometrics in December last year). Today I got a response by mail from my USCIS office in Seattle. That's what they said:


I guess I will wait for the end of July and if I don't hear from them go through my state representative.

I received the same response from Seattle FO last week. I completed my biometrics on Jan 31. So now i think i will get update on my case only after you get some update on your case.

 

[americanvisa]

Did you fill out a privacy release form with Congressman's office and return it ? They cannot reach out to USCIS on your behalf if you have not signed a form to release your personal information. If they don't answer your call try visiting their office in your city.

yes I did email them a signed USCIS authorization form. Unfortunately their offices here are closed due COVID so I can't visit.