• Hello Members, This forums is for DV lottery visas only. For other immigration related questions, please go to our forums home page, find the related forum and post it there.

DV 2021 AOS Only

Hello,

I hope there is someone who will give me some hope/motivation here. (Do not hesitate to say "Do not be silly" or something like that):
I will describe my situation chronologically.

1) I had mentioned the correspondence with KCC earlier: I received an email from KCC on the 10th of August stating that my file has two people but the fee was paid only for one person. They asked me to explain why this is so or pay the fee for one more person.
My wife is not joining me in AOS, so I replied to the email saying that.

On this same day, 10th of August, I contacted USCIS live chat, described my situation. They were not knowledgeable about it so they placed me in the queue for a call from USCIS. They said it would be in one month. I said OK.

2) I attended the interview on the 23rd of August in Philly. The officer said my application was okay, and I would receive my card by mail. I have J1, and I had J1 waiver approval a few days before the interview. So this was good, and the officer asked about that. I showed and gave the USCIS confirmation for case approval.
In the meeting, I asked about the email that I received from KCC. The officer told me that they had nothing to do with KCC so it will not be a problem. (That the officer said this troubles me a lot as I know some other people who are having the same issue.)

3) I did biometrics on the 25th of August.

4) I got a call from USCIS yesterday, September 7. I missed the first call. I got the second one, but they hung up after three seconds. Shortly after, I got an email from USCIS saying that they tried to call me but could not reach me. This is probably the call that I mentioned above.

5) I contacted USCIS live chat yesterday, September 7. They told me that there is still no update in my case. They could see that my biometrics were received.

It has been more than two weeks, and we have three weeks to the deadline.

USCIS case status check still tells me that my "Fingerprint fee was received." This is an update from the 8th of July.

I have no idea what to do at this point. I am even not sure if there is anything that I can do but just wait. I believe FOs do not accept walk-ins.
Should I be worried? Any opinions, any ideas for me at this point are very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.
 
parametri said:
Hello,

I hope there is someone who will give me some hope/motivation here. (Do not hesitate to say "Do not be silly" or something like that):
I will describe my situation chronologically.

1) I had mentioned the correspondence with KCC earlier: I received an email from KCC on the 10th of August stating that my file has two people but the fee was paid only for one person. They asked me to explain why this is so or pay the fee for one more person.
My wife is not joining me in AOS, so I replied to the email saying that.

On this same day, 10th of August, I contacted USCIS live chat, described my situation. They were not knowledgeable about it so they placed me in the queue for a call from USCIS. They said it would be in one month. I said OK.

2) I attended the interview on the 23rd of August in Philly. The officer said my application was okay, and I would receive my card by mail. I have J1, and I had J1 waiver approval a few days before the interview. So this was good, and the officer asked about that. I showed and gave the USCIS confirmation for case approval.
In the meeting, I asked about the email that I received from KCC. The officer told me that they had nothing to do with KCC so it will not be a problem. (That the officer said this troubles me a lot as I know some other people who are having the same issue.)

3) I did biometrics on the 25th of August.

4) I got a call from USCIS yesterday, September 7. I missed the first call. I got the second one, but they hung up after three seconds. Shortly after, I got an email from USCIS saying that they tried to call me but could not reach me. This is probably the call that I mentioned above.

5) I contacted USCIS live chat yesterday, September 7. They told me that there is still no update in my case. They could see that my biometrics were received.

It has been more than two weeks, and we have three weeks to the deadline.

USCIS case status check still tells me that my "Fingerprint fee was received." This is an update from the 8th of July.

I have no idea what to do at this point. I am even not sure if there is anything that I can do but just wait. I believe FOs do not accept walk-ins.
Should I be worried? Any opinions, any ideas for me at this point are very much appreciated.

Thank you so much.
Click to expand...
Did yesterday's email state anything else apart from saying they tried to call? Did you try responding directly to the email to find out what the call was about or what they needed from you? You're wasting your time calling the general USCIS number or chatting with an agent trying to figure out the KCC payment, they are not a part of that process and therefore cannot provide you with any update on it. If you've already responded to the KCC explaining why payment was made for one person, that takes care of the KCC email issue by the way. 3 weeks is still plenty of time, so be patient. Provided your background check has cleared, you will be fine.
 
Sm1smom said:
Did yesterday's email state anything else apart from saying they tried to call? Did you try responding directly to the email to find out what the call was about or what they needed from you? You're wasting your time calling the general USCIS number or chatting with an agent trying to figure out the KCC payment, they are not a part of that process and therefore cannot provide you with any update on it. If you've already responded to the KCC explaining why payment was made for one person, that takes care of the KCC email issue by the way. 3 weeks is still plenty of time, so be patient. Provided your background check has cleared, you will be fine.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your response.

The email that I received from USCIS yesterday did not state anything specific. And, unfortunately, it was a "no-reply" email.

By the way, how do we know that my background check was cleared? I am not knowledgeable about the process. I just did biometrics, and I know it was received. Also, I did my interview and the officer did not mention that too.
 
parametri said:
Thank you for your response.

The email that I received from USCIS yesterday did not state anything specific. And, unfortunately, it was a "no-reply" email.

By the way, how do we know that my background check was cleared? I am not knowledgeable about the process. I just did biometrics, and I know it was received. Also, I did my interview and the officer did not mention that too.
Click to expand...
I see re the "no-reply" email. That is rather unfortunate.

The way to know the status of the background check is by asking the IO during the interview - for those fortunate to complete the bio prior to their interview appointment.
 
We completed interviews on 27 August, no word yet from USCIS local office. IO said was going to request KCC file and is aware that DVs must be adjudicated by 30 Sept. I am assuming all is still well, or am I being too complacent?
 
Also, one more stupid question as I don’t have experience. To cross the border and back to the US it is enough to carry passport and GC? Right?
 
Amba2021 said:
We completed interviews on 27 August, no word yet from USCIS local office. IO said was going to request KCC file and is aware that DVs must be adjudicated by 30 Sept. I am assuming all is still well, or am I being too complacent?
Click to expand...
You're not being too complacent. You're doing what you should be doing, which is patiently waiting.
 
We completed our interview today in Los Angeles.
The entire process from waiting took about 1.5 hours. Waiting took up the most time. There were lots of people.
Interview went for about 20 minutes.
IO was nice and friendly.
She asked us the standard I-485 questions. Asked about my spouse’s previous arrests. She asked to see originals and made copies of them. Didn’t ask for payslips. I submitted the DV receipt. She asked about our marriage, when we met etc and when we opened our joint bank account. At the end she handed us an interview outcome letter stating she needed to wait for the results of my background check (spouse was cleared) and also needed to review the arrest record documents we had submitted as additional. She then said she was aware of the deadline and that DV cases are prioritized. We should hear back in the next 2-3 weeks.
All in all we felt very prepared and the interview went quite smoothly with no hiccups.
Here’s hoping we receive some good news soon :) *fingers crossed*
 
Hi Everyone,
I had my interview this morning at Seattle FO.
I arrived 15 mins before the interview time and went through screening. Then I went to the waiting area. I noticed that the waiting area was busy with some people even it was very early (6:30 am). The officer then came (waited about 10-12 mins) and walked me to her office. The officer asked me to take the oath, and then asked me questions from the I-485. She asked me about my Ph.D. program and the yes/No questions. Then she updated the form and made sure that my new address is updated. Then she asked me to sign the form.
One interesting thing to mention is that she asked me about my previous passports that have US visas on them and fortunately I had them with me. The officer was very kind and friendly. She was aware of the DV deadline requirement and she said she will be able to make a decision today or tomorrow. I asked her about travel and she said she recommends waiting for the GC in the mail before travel.
I check my status about two hours later and my status was updated to "New Card is being produced".

At the end of this blessed journey, I would like to give a special thank you to @Sm1smom and @SusieQQQ for their great help and guidance. I would also like to thank the forum members who have been very helpful in sharing their experiences.
Finally, good luck to all of you and to Seattle falk as well :)
 
Sm1smom said:
Well, that is a misunderstanding on your part as to how the USCIS operates. The only “general USCIS” is the customer service support saddled with dealing with low level issues - other queries/questions they cannot deal with gets sent to the applicable FOs. For specific cases, they are assigned to IOs within the FOs with jurisdiction over the case. USCIS does not have a pool of IOs waiting to deal with general issues or case specific issues and make decisions on those.

Yes, the local office may be physically closed or closed to the general public, again it doesn’t mean the folks there are not working, cannot operate or are not already operating remotely or from some other locations. I previously provided you with DV 2020 reference and COVID-19 impact on USCIS office closures. Your case cannot be re-assigned to a new FO without the input of your currently assigned FO - there's a process in place which needs to be followed. The inquiry you sent is not a dead end IMO. Same with the congressional inquiry by the way. The way I see it, those are the needed efforts to generate the required attention to a case. A congressional inquiry is not a magic wand or some big stick being waved in front of USCIS - a congressional inquiry is basically a process for calling attention to a case, kind of like saying "can you please take a look at this case from my constituent" as against people thinking of it as a congressman/woman welding power over USCIS and forcing them to act on their case. You are making the right "noise" (so to say) with the follow-up attempts and calling the New Orleans FO's attention to your fast approaching deadline and requesting they do something to ensure you do not loose this opportunity. Trust the system and keep your fingers crossed while hoping for the best, as against adopting defeatist attitude as of now. Try and focus on your studies. And if ultimately you end up not getting approved and miss out on this opportunity, pull up your big girl's panties and move on. It will not be the end of the world for you.
Click to expand...
Spot on, actually! I assumed there was a "central" USCIS and then the field office, as a SUPER USCIS, if you may lol I think the way you explained it with the noise reference makes a lot more sense in my mind, I get it now.
Fingers crossed!!!!
 
ysss said:
Hi Everyone,
I had my interview this morning at Seattle FO.
I arrived 15 mins before the interview time and went through screening. Then I went to the waiting area. I noticed that the waiting area was busy with some people even it was very early (6:30 am). The officer then came (waited about 10-12 mins) and walked me to her office. The officer asked me to take the oath, and then asked me questions from the I-485. She asked me about my Ph.D. program and the yes/No questions. Then she updated the form and made sure that my new address is updated. Then she asked me to sign the form.
One interesting thing to mention is that she asked me about my previous passports that have US visas on them and fortunately I had them with me. The officer was very kind and friendly. She was aware of the DV deadline requirement and she said she will be able to make a decision today or tomorrow. I asked her about travel and she said she recommends waiting for the GC in the mail before travel.
I check my status about two hours later and my status was updated to "New Card is being produced".

At the end of this blessed journey, I would like to give a special thank you to @Sm1smom and @SusieQQQ for their great help and guidance. I would also like to thank the forum members who have been very helpful in sharing their experiences.
Finally, good luck to all of you and to Seattle falk as well :)
Click to expand...
Congratulations.
 
Hi everyone, sorry about the late response about my case but I have been swamped with work. My wife and I just had our interview this morning. Our officer was all business: it took a while, had a lot of trick questions and asked for a lot of documents. She also never made eye contact! In the end, she said that she would need to review a previous EB1 I had been denied in the past. She pointed to a huge pile of documents (my EB1). She gave me a letter saying my case is held for review and she said that after reviewing my EB1, if it is "approvable" then she would "request for our visas to be made". She also told us our background check was not finished yet and she would "try to get it done today". Which, I guess, is a good thing to hear. The tracking now says "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed". She also said that she was aware it needed to be approved before Sept 30. I feel very scared right now. Did any of you guys had a similar experience? Thanks so much!
 
MrBlueSky said:
Hi everyone, sorry about the late response about my case but I have been swamped with work. My wife and I just had our interview this morning. Our officer was all business: it took a while, had a lot of trick questions and asked for a lot of documents. She also never made eye contact! In the end, she said that she would need to review a previous EB1 I had been denied in the past. She pointed to a huge pile of documents (my EB1). She gave me a letter saying my case is held for review and she said that after reviewing my EB1, if it is "approvable" then she would "request for our visas to be made". She also told us our background check was not finished yet and she would "try to get it done today". Which, I guess, is a good thing to hear. The tracking now says "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed". She also said that she was aware it needed to be approved before Sept 30. I feel very scared right now. Did any of you guys had a similar experience? Thanks so much!
Click to expand...
yes my experience was very similar, except for the visa denial in the past. This sounds very much like the IO I had this morning. She said almost exactly the same thing. I was wondering what she meant by "requesting a visa.." - I wasn't sure but my spouse and I just assumed that meant the GC. She said the same thing about my background check needing to be cleared first.
Which FO did you have your interview at?
 
elisap said:
yes my experience was very similar, except for the visa denial in the past. This sounds very much like the IO I had this morning. She said almost exactly the same thing. I was wondering what she meant by "requesting a visa.." - I wasn't sure but my spouse and I just assumed that meant the GC. She said the same thing about my background check needing to be cleared first.
Which FO did you have your interview at?
Click to expand...
I believe it is in the spreadsheet too, the FO needs to request a visa number for you before you can be allocated a green card.
 
elisap said:
yes my experience was very similar, except for the visa denial in the past. This sounds very much like the IO I had this morning. She said almost exactly the same thing. I was wondering what she meant by "requesting a visa.." - I wasn't sure but my spouse and I just assumed that meant the GC. She said the same thing about my background check needing to be cleared first.
Which FO did you have your interview at?
Click to expand...
LA, just like you I think ;) We might have had the same officer. My wife and I were confused with the term "requesting a visa" too! Did you get the same letter as well? Ps: so funny we were in the same room!
 
MrBlueSky said:
Hi everyone, sorry about the late response about my case but I have been swamped with work. My wife and I just had our interview this morning. Our officer was all business: it took a while, had a lot of trick questions and asked for a lot of documents. She also never made eye contact! In the end, she said that she would need to review a previous EB1 I had been denied in the past. She pointed to a huge pile of documents (my EB1). She gave me a letter saying my case is held for review and she said that after reviewing my EB1, if it is "approvable" then she would "request for our visas to be made". She also told us our background check was not finished yet and she would "try to get it done today". Which, I guess, is a good thing to hear. The tracking now says "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed". She also said that she was aware it needed to be approved before Sept 30. I feel very scared right now. Did any of you guys had a similar experience? Thanks so much!
Click to expand...
So the two questions that come to mind are (1) what the reason for the prior denial was and (2) if you have ever been out of status. Assuming (1) was not serious (seeing as you subsequently got a visa) and that (2) is in order, you should be ok.
 
SusieQQQ said:
So the two questions that come to mind are (1) what the reason for the prior denial was and (2) if you have ever been out of status. Assuming (1) was not serious (seeing as you subsequently got a visa) and that (2) is in order, you should be ok.
Click to expand...
Thanks Susie! No, that was on an EB1 so an artist green card and the denial was just because I didn't have "enough qualifications in my field". And I've never been out of status!
 
MrBlueSky said:
LA, just like you I think ;) We might have had the same officer. My wife and I were confused with the term "requesting a visa" too! Did you get the same letter as well? Ps: so funny we were in the same room!
Click to expand...
Haha totally the same one I think! Long black hair, had something about mermaids and pictures of her dogs in her room?
I saw another two couples in the room. One with a baby, one without :)
And yes we got the same letter.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top