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DV 2020 AOS Only

Hi everybody
Did anyone have background check for 7 weeks?
We had an interview on July 28th, bio on August 7th. I have already received my GC, my husband is still waiting.
Our dates:
28 July interview
07 August bio
08 September request to congressman
09 September request via a Tier 2
21 September request for expedite
Sm1smom, what else can we do?
 
Hey guys, crazy news on my end... My follow to join worked out, and my wife has interview scheduled early next week. @Sm1smom you are the best!!! Who doesn't agree with that, I'm ready to meet face to face and have a conversation :cool: All the best to everyone!!!
So happy they managed to schedule her! We’ve seen another successful last minute ftj here before but no doubt it is a stressful process to get it done. Looking forward to hearing when she has been issued her visa.
 
Here is the updated rosters of last minutes group as of noon, 9/23/2020.

Group 1; Bio and Interview completed. Awaiting approval

SAC bio and INT on 9/22 (KCC file)
NYC INT on 9/17 (KCC file)
DET Bio on 8/4, int on 9/4
PIT Bio waived, int on 9/3
DEN Bio on 8/18, int on 9/17(KCC FILE)
MWK Bio on 8/17, int on 9/15
ALB Bio on 8/13, int on 9/18(KCC File)
SJC Bio on 8/19, Int on 9/28(Scheduled)
LAS Bio on 9/18, Int on 9/18
Jkairu Unknown FO, Unknown Bio and Int date.

Group 2; bio completed and awaiting IL

BOS bio on 8/3
LAX. Bio on 8/19

Group 3; waiting for bio and IL.

HOU bio and INT TBD
LAX bio and INT TBD
Heri2020, unknown FO, BIO and INT TBD
Hello today I called KCC to check on my file they told me they already received the request and sent it to uscis
At 9 am PST
My IO sent me email stating that he already received my file from kcc and he approved it
Asked me to check my status online
And if there is no change on online status till 28
I can send him email
I checked my status many times and still there is no change yet
 
Hi everybody
Did anyone have background check for 7 weeks?
We had an interview on July 28th, bio on August 7th. I have already received my GC, my husband is still waiting.
Our dates:
28 July interview
07 August bio
08 September request to congressman
09 September request via a Tier 2
21 September request for expedite
Sm1smom, what else can we do?
I had my bio on 21
And my interview on 22
The IO state that my bio is already cleared
So technically mine took less than 24 hrs
 
Hello today I called KCC to check on my file they told me they already received the request and sent it to uscis
At 9 am PST
My IO sent me email stating that he already received my file from kcc and he approved it
Asked me to check my status online
And if there is no change on online status till 28
I can send him email
I checked my status many times and still there is no change yet
Hi, how can i obtain the IO email?
 
Hello today I called KCC to check on my file they told me they already received the request and sent it to uscis
At 9 am PST
My IO sent me email stating that he already received my file from kcc and he approved it
Asked me to check my status online
And if there is no change on online status till 28
I can send him email
I checked my status many times and still there is no change yet
In my case yesterday, when IO received KCC file from KCC, he gave me the approval very quickly. Your case will be updated anytime soon.
 
So, my Follow to Join journey. Sorry it will be long:

Some insights: I'm the principal applicant (winner of DV2020) and I was in the US when I learned about winning the lotter . Through some unfortunate events I got separated from my wife, she had to go back home. I was preparing myself to follow her and do the CP (the process is easier and shorter), but after covid and all these crazy things happened, I decided to proceed with AOS and for my wife with Follow to Join (she couldn't come back on her non immigrant visa with intention to immigrate, plus the immigration ban).

Unfortunately I got my interview too late (September 17th) plus during interview I realized that IO has very little experience with DV cases (e.g. she didn't know that she had to request my file from KCC). Because of that the decision on my case was postponed till September 22.

Now about the follow to join. We started to prepare for this process way earlier. I contacted embassy in the last week of August, gathering info about what they need and asked if it would be possible to schedule the interview... Sm1smom was the key in learning about the process, so whoever will be doing FTJ, please listen to her and follow step by step what she says. In addition to working with embassy, I scheduled an appointment for medical examination for my wife. In my home country it is just one accredited center and it is kind of monopoly. They refused to schedule appointment at first because she didn't have interview scheduled yet, so, in a such situations you must not take 'no' for an answer, fight for your chances, it is important. The fact that my wife has all the documents on hands, it helped to prove embassy that we are serious about it.

I also tried to file i-824 (form needed to show your intend for follow to join) during my interview, asking IO to accept it and once my case is approved to send it to the embassy as a proof of my change of status... She didn't accept it, and now I understand why... Normally by process FO doesn't have anything to do with follow to join. You have to file i-824, pay a fee for it and send to lockbox. From lockbox it goes to NVC were it takes 4-6 week (if not mistaken) to approve and the NVC sends information to the embassy (@Sm1smom pls correct me if I am mistaken). But, they (uscis) don't care that DV program has a hard deadline, so what I did, I contacted my congress office, my senator, talk to lawyers (total wast of time and money - useless consultation cost me $210, and they asked for $8,000 to take the case considering tight deadline). I also got in touch to Director of the Field Office (by email and mail set with FedEx overnight) who forwarded my email to IO and I started conversation with her. She insisted to file i-824 properly and pay the fee, what I did today. Though my embassy ask me for any proof or evidence that my status changed. I believe that even a simple note from my FO would work (through internal email)

I don't know what triggered the FTJ process, and who was the one who decided to help us, but obviously I did something right. @Sm1smom once again it wouldn't be possible without your guidance. Thank you.

Now fingers crossed everything goes well and my wife gets visa. Good luck everyone!!!

For non DV based FTJ, the typical process is to file the I-824 at the applicable Lockbox and make the payment, then the process runs its course from there. However a DV based FTJ doesn’t follow the standard process like @Sero1033 already explained because of the time constraints DV is faced with. Usually the IO, upon approval of the principal selectee, forwards the AOS case file to the applicable embassy for the FTJ process to begin, but most IOs do not understand this process (most don’t even understand the DV based AOS process to start with).

Most, (if not all - not quite certain) the DV based FTJ I’ve guided through in the past did not make any I-824 payment. I don’t think the form submission or the payment you made triggered the process - heck the form hadn’t even made its way to the Lockbox or processed as of when you got the interview notification:D. Exacting pressure the right ways, and writing those emails to explain your situation (as discussed) triggered the process for you. And I commend you with being proactive (though you nearly drove me crazy), and the steps you took even getting in touch with the embassy, setting up the medical exam ahead are highly commendable.
 
For non DV based FTJ, the typical process is to file the I-824 at the applicable Lockbox and make the payment, then the process runs its course from there. However a DV based FTJ doesn’t follow the standard process like @Sero1033 already explained because of the time constraints DV is faced with. Usually the IO, upon approval of the principal selectee, forwards the AOS case file to the applicable embassy for the FTJ process to begin, but most IOs do not understand this process (most don’t even understand the DV based AOS process to start with).

Most, (if not all - not quite certain) the DV based FTJ I’ve guided through in the past did not make any I-824 payment. I don’t think the form submission or the payment you made triggered the process - heck the form hadn’t even made its way to the Lockbox or processed as of when you got the interview notification:D. Exacting pressure the right ways, and writing those emails to explain your situation (as discussed) triggered the process for you. And I commend you with being proactive (though you nearly drove me crazy), and the steps you took even getting in touch with the embassy, setting up the medical exam ahead are highly commendable.
I commend you with being proactive (though you nearly drove me crazy)
Yes, I did!!! :p:p Thank you for not banning me ;)
 
So, my Follow to Join journey. Sorry it will be long:

Some insights: I'm the principal applicant (winner of DV2020) and I was in the US when I learned about winning the lotter . Through some unfortunate events I got separated from my wife, she had to go back home. I was preparing myself to follow her and do the CP (the process is easier and shorter), but after covid and all these crazy things happened, I decided to proceed with AOS and for my wife with Follow to Join (she couldn't come back on her non immigrant visa with intention to immigrate, plus the immigration ban).

Unfortunately I got my interview too late (September 17th) plus during interview I realized that IO has very little experience with DV cases (e.g. she didn't know that she had to request my file from KCC). Because of that the decision on my case was postponed till September 22.

Now about the follow to join. We started to prepare for this process way earlier. I contacted embassy in the last week of August, gathering info about what they need and asked if it would be possible to schedule the interview... Sm1smom was the key in learning about the process, so whoever will be doing FTJ, please listen to her and follow step by step what she says. In addition to working with embassy, I scheduled an appointment for medical examination for my wife. In my home country it is just one accredited center and it is kind of monopoly. They refused to schedule appointment at first because she didn't have interview scheduled yet, so, in a such situations you must not take 'no' for an answer, fight for your chances, it is important. The fact that my wife has all the documents on hands, it helped to prove embassy that we are serious about it.

I also tried to file i-824 (form needed to show your intend for follow to join) during my interview, asking IO to accept it and once my case is approved to send it to the embassy as a proof of my change of status... She didn't accept it, and now I understand why... Normally by process FO doesn't have anything to do with follow to join. You have to file i-824, pay a fee for it and send to lockbox. From lockbox it goes to NVC were it takes 4-6 week (if not mistaken) to approve and the NVC sends information to the embassy (@Sm1smom pls correct me if I am mistaken). But, they (uscis) don't care that DV program has a hard deadline, so what I did, I contacted my congress office, my senator, talk to lawyers (total wast of time and money - useless consultation cost me $210, and they asked for $8,000 to take the case considering tight deadline). I also got in touch to Director of the Field Office (by email and mail set with FedEx overnight) who forwarded my email to IO and I started conversation with her. She insisted to file i-824 properly and pay the fee, what I did today. Though my embassy ask me for any proof or evidence that my status changed. I believe that even a simple note from my FO would work (through internal email)

I don't know what triggered the FTJ process, and who was the one who decided to help us, but obviously I did something right. @Sm1smom once again it wouldn't be possible without your guidance. Thank you.

Now fingers crossed everything goes well and my wife gets visa. Good luck everyone!!!
Again, truly inspiring story man. We are all here for you at the forum and I guess someone at the consulate or within USCIS is taking the extra step for your case given the deadline.
 
I just got an update from FO. IO confirmed that she sent the info to the embassy a couple of minutes ago. So, in conclusion, is not the FO who triggered FTJ, but most probably the embassy itself. In one of the emails, they mentioned that they checked me through USCIS system (something internal I believe) and my status wasn't updated yet.

So, my advice for future AOSers who will do Follow to Join - work in parallel with embassy and FO. First, try to ask the FO to notify embassy about your approved case. The embassy needs just a confirmation to start the process from their end. Second, ask embassy to verify you through their system, they deffently have this tool, they need just to want to do it. Finally, as Sm1smom said, no need to file i-824 and pay for it. I did file, pay and I lost my money, but I don't regret because considering that the time wasn't on our side, I was pulling all the strings I could, and for some of them I had to pay (including consultations with lawyers - this one I regret)...

By the way, my status just changed to approved :)
 
Hi everybody
Did anyone have background check for 7 weeks?
We had an interview on July 28th, bio on August 7th. I have already received my GC, my husband is still waiting.
Our dates:
28 July interview
07 August bio
08 September request to congressman
09 September request via a Tier 2
21 September request for expedite
Sm1smom, what else can we do?

Waiting 7 weeks for background check to clear is not unusual, some wait for several months as a matter of fact.

Have you received any feedback/updates from any of the 3 service/case follow up requests you’ve initiated?
 
Hi everybody. I completed my biometrics on August 5th 2020 and interview on September 11th 2020. I still haven't received an update on my case. Does anyone know how to go about this during this situation?
 
Last edited:
Here is the updated rosters of last minutes group as of 8:30pm EDT, 9/24/2020.

Group 1; Bio and Interview completed. Awaiting approval

SAC bio and INT on 9/22 (KCC file)
NYC INT on 9/17 (KCC file)
DET Bio on 8/4, int on 9/4
PIT Bio waived, int on 9/3
DEN Bio on 8/18, int on 9/17(KCC FILE)
MWK Bio on 8/17, int on 9/15
ALB Bio on 8/13, int on 9/18(KCC File)
SJC Bio on 8/19, Int on 9/28(Scheduled)
LAS Bio on 9/18, Int on 9/18
HOU Bio on 8/7, Int on 7/28
Unknown FO, Bio on 8/8, Int on 9/11

Group 2; bio completed and awaiting IL

BOS bio on 8/3
LAX. Bio on 8/19

Group 3; waiting for bio and IL.

HOU bio and INT TBD
LAX bio and INT TBD
Heri2020, unknown FO, BIO and INT TBD
 
Hi everybody. I completed my biometrics on August 5th 2020 and interview on September 11th 2020. I still haven't received an update on my case. Does anyone know how to go about this during this situation?
You need to give us more info like what you have done and what your status is etc... Otherwise no one can give you good advices:)
 
You need to give us more info like what you have done and what your status is etc... Otherwise no one can give you good advices:)
I am currently on F1 status. During my interview, everything went well and the officer told me he will go ahead an approve my case as I wait for the welcome letter followed by the card. However, there is no change on the system regarding my approval. It just shows fingerprint were taken.
 
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