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DV 2022 AOS (Adjustment of Status) Only

Hey everyone just reporting my Los Angeles (LA) FO Interview Experience :):

TLDR: Interview went great at the LA Field Office but field officer mentioned he had a backlog of cases that need to be approved (he was really nice but mentioned that he isn't currently making on-the-spot decisions and that it could take up to a month so guess I have to sit tight!)

Got to the downtown field office ~25 mins before my interview time but there were long lines so by the time I checked into the reception, it was ~15 mins past my interview time so would definitely advise you get there early if you can. I was a little concerned in the reception line but the security guard assured me I'd be fine given it wasn't my fault. Interview was really straightforward – he asked me for my ID / passport / date of birth, and some basic questions about my travel / visa history. Didn't ask to see any of the original copies of documents I brought but had them all in case. He mentioned at the very beginning that interviews for diversity visa cases were pretty straightforward and that there shouldn't be any complications. Went through a lot of yes / no questions similar to the ones asked on the DS 260 application and then after he said I should get a decision within the month (or request for additional info).

Still waiting on a case update (interview was last Friday) but will update this post when it comes through!

Thanks to all the moderators for the help over the past couple months – truly blessed to have come across this forum!
 
quano said:
Hey everyone just reporting my Los Angeles (LA) FO Interview Experience :):

TLDR: Interview went great at the LA Field Office but field officer mentioned he had a backlog of cases that need to be approved (he was really nice but mentioned that he isn't currently making on-the-spot decisions and that it could take up to a month so guess I have to sit tight!)

Got to the downtown field office ~25 mins before my interview time but there were long lines so by the time I checked into the reception, it was ~15 mins past my interview time so would definitely advise you get there early if you can. I was a little concerned in the reception line but the security guard assured me I'd be fine given it wasn't my fault. Interview was really straightforward – he asked me for my ID / passport / date of birth, and some basic questions about my travel / visa history. Didn't ask to see any of the original copies of documents I brought but had them all in case. He mentioned at the very beginning that interviews for diversity visa cases were pretty straightforward and that there shouldn't be any complications. Went through a lot of yes / no questions similar to the ones asked on the DS 260 application and then after he said I should get a decision within the month (or request for additional info).

Still waiting on a case update (interview was last Friday) but will update this post when it comes through!

Thanks to all the moderators for the help over the past couple months – truly blessed to have come across this forum!
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Interesting ! Thank you for updating us. I thought DV cases were treated on priority since the deadline is end September and If DV cases are so straightforward why is there a case back log ?
 
meer38 said:
Hi, I have several questions. I could not find them in the forum.

1. My doctor did not ask me to take Varicella shot. It is one of the necessary shots listed in the list. What should I do?


Thanks for your help
Click to expand...
Have you ever had chicken pox?
 
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shikhsheru said:
Interesting ! Thank you for updating us. I thought DV cases were treated on priority since the deadline is end September and If DV cases are so straightforward why is there a case back log ?
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Yes, they are treated with priority. That means a decision is made before September and that the backlog is shorter than the other AOS applications that take many, many months. Fyi that poster was at LA field office, so you can have some context: i485s that are family based are taking 17.5 months to process, and employment based ones 14 months, at that FO. So yes, a month or two delay for DV is very much priority.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Yes, they are treated with priority. That means a decision is made before September and that the backlog is shorter than the other AOS applications that take many, many months. Fyi that poster was at LA field office, so you can have some context: i485s that are family based are taking 17.5 months to process, and employment based ones 14 months, at that FO. So yes, a month or two delay for DV is very much priority.
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Thank you Susie QQQ. A quick question once my status changes to green card is approved, Can I leave the country? Or do i need to wait for the green card ?
 
shikhsheru said:
Thank you Susie QQQ. A quick question once my status changes to green card is approved, Can I leave the country? Or do i need to wait for the green card ?
Click to expand...
You should wait for the green card, or at least get an I551 stamp in your passport from your uscis office if you don’t. Otherwise you have no way of proving you are an LPR when you return to the US.
 
shikhsheru said:
Interesting ! Thank you for updating us. I thought DV cases were treated on priority since the deadline is end September and If DV cases are so straightforward why is there a case back log ?
Click to expand...
I’m sure the case back log the IO was referring to is not DV related only. They deal with other (non DV) cases too, which were already interviewed/reviewed and are awaiting approval decisions prior to OP’s appointment.
 
meer38 said:
Yes. but I do not have any record of that
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There’s no requirement to have or present record of having had chickenpox in the past - most CS will take your word for it if you tell them you've had it in the past. That is why I asked you to check your form to see what the CS check marked for for the Varicella vaccine. If you provide us with that information, we will be able to tell you if there’s an issue with your medical report or not.
 
I showed blood test called titer ( shows that i had chicken pox) to the Doctor who was taking my USCIS medical Examination you can ask the Doctor who will take your medical for USCIS
meer38 said:
Yes. but I do not have any record of that
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Hi everyone,
Not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but I have no choice. Please bear with me.
One of my friend has been selected for diversity green card lottery. He has found a sponsor who has already sponsored another green card lottery winner last year. Can this sponsor still sponsor my friend? Do they have a limitation on how many people each person can sponsor per year? Any advice on this will be highly appreciated. Thanks in Advance. Cheers!!!
 
Sm1smom said:
I do not like spending my time responding to hypothetical questions/situations. Did you or did you not include the medical report? If you did not include it, what plan did you have in mind back then for addressing the situation? What does the lawyer you hired to help with your DV based AOS application recommend?
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Sorry if I came across as hypothetical. As you indicated in an earlier post, my lawyer is not an experienced DV lawyer. Hence, I had to guide him somehow through it with knowledge and resource from this platform which was very useful. However, I was not thorough in my study of the package content so we both missed the medical exam aspect and submitted the package without adding it. I have since sent him the link to all the resources here to guide him in the future. He was so appreciative of it. Perhaps I should have sent it to him earlier .

Now my query: I have sent in the package without the medical exam. What are my options now?

NOTE:
@Sm1smom please be a bit charitable with me/us when I/we commit such "ugly/avoidable" errors. You're doing so much for the DV community and it really hurts (me) when it appears we make you upset sometimes. It is always unintended, but by all means, keep us straight. This journey can be very frustrating and it is frustrating. The experienced lawyers are so so expensive but you do this for free and I deeply appreciate it.
 
Educatedrefugee said:
Hi everyone,
Not sure if this is the correct place to post this question, but I have no choice. Please bear with me.
One of my friend has been selected for diversity green card lottery. He has found a sponsor who has already sponsored another green card lottery winner last year. Can this sponsor still sponsor my friend? Do they have a limitation on how many people each person can sponsor per year? Any advice on this will be highly appreciated. Thanks in Advance. Cheers!!!
Click to expand...
He can sponsor as many people as his income will allow according to the published guidelines https://www.uscis.gov/i-864p
Household size = his actual household plus everyone he is sponsoring.
 
DeZion said:
Sorry if I came across as hypothetical. As you indicated in an earlier post, my lawyer is not an experienced DV lawyer. Hence, I had to guide him somehow through it with knowledge and resource from this platform which was very useful. However, I was not thorough in my study of the package content so we both missed the medical exam aspect and submitted the package without adding it. I have since sent him the link to all the resources here to guide him in the future. He was so appreciative of it. Perhaps I should have sent it to him earlier .

Now my query: I have sent in the package without the medical exam. What are my options now?

NOTE:
@Sm1smom please be a bit charitable with me/us when I/we commit such "ugly/avoidable" errors. You're doing so much for the DV community and it really hurts (me) when it appears we make you upset sometimes. It is always unintended, but by all means, keep us straight. This journey can be very frustrating and it is frustrating. The experienced lawyers are so so expensive but you do this for free and I deeply appreciate it.
Click to expand...
take a look at AOS FAQs question 32 (AOS Process Spreadsheet - moms signature)
short answer lockbox may reject your package for being incomplete and no chance to be approved without interview, as you have to bring medical exam to interview
 
DeZion said:
Sorry if I came across as hypothetical. As you indicated in an earlier post, my lawyer is not an experienced DV lawyer. Hence, I had to guide him somehow through it with knowledge and resource from this platform which was very useful. However, I was not thorough in my study of the package content so we both missed the medical exam aspect and submitted the package without adding it. I have since sent him the link to all the resources here to guide him in the future. He was so appreciative of it. Perhaps I should have sent it to him earlier .

Now my query: I have sent in the package without the medical exam. What are my options now?

NOTE:
@Sm1smom please be a bit charitable with me/us when I/we commit such "ugly/avoidable" errors. You're doing so much for the DV community and it really hurts (me) when it appears we make you upset sometimes. It is always unintended, but by all means, keep us straight. This journey can be very frustrating and it is frustrating. The experienced lawyers are so so expensive but you do this for free and I deeply appreciate it.
Click to expand...
So why did you hire the lawyer in the first place if he has no DV experience, or if you've had to be guiding him with materials which you researched. I mean you are paying someone to guide you while using the materials I make available free of charge. So what is my % cut from this lawyer?:cool:

You're right with your observation, I've been quite brusque or curt in some of my responses to you precisely because you have a lawyer whom you are already paying. When someone processing DV based AOS decides to hire a lawyer (which is their prerogative in the first place, I don't begrudge them of that) as against just following the step by step guide available free of charge, I expect them to direct all their questions/concerns to this source which they trust more; and if this lawyer is as good as they claim to be, they should be providing a far more superior service to their clients as against the simple layman support which we provide here. And to think you actually had to send links to my materials to this lawyer o_O who most likely will turn around and start professing to be an experienced DV based AOS immigration attorney. How I wish they can be like our host, a highly experienced immigration attorney who publicly tells people his firm does not handle DV based AOS cases because he has no experience with it, but instead directs people to this forum.

Anyway, to answer your question regarding the medical exam. Your options at this point are:
1) to either mail in the medical report, you will need to include a copy of your NOA with it and hope the Lockbox forwards the report to the rest of your AOS file which may either be at the NBC or the FO, depending on when the medical report is received. This is not an option I personally would utilize because of the possibility of the medical report being misplaced or getting lost in transit (however, a 2021 DV selectee (I think) successfully did it),
2) or wait for your FO to either send you a RFE for the medical report,
3) or wait for your FO to send your your IL in which they will request you bring it along to your interview.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Just, wow. Really? He’s using moms work now and charging you for his time anyway ?
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Right? I mean, I just can't with some of these lawyers who will not disclose the fact that their experience is outside the realm of DV based AOS applications. You wouldn't believe the number of download requests I get from lawyers' offices or paralegals for the AOS Process Spreadsheet, which I ignore of course. I get at least one such request every year! And I'm not sure you remember the case of the fellow who downloaded the spreadsheet a couple of years ago (when I made that option available :) which will never happen again), subsequently created a blog-site and was charging people for it's use.
 
quano said:
Hey everyone just reporting my Los Angeles (LA) FO Interview Experience :):

TLDR: Interview went great at the LA Field Office but field officer mentioned he had a backlog of cases that need to be approved (he was really nice but mentioned that he isn't currently making on-the-spot decisions and that it could take up to a month so guess I have to sit tight!)

Got to the downtown field office ~25 mins before my interview time but there were long lines so by the time I checked into the reception, it was ~15 mins past my interview time so would definitely advise you get there early if you can. I was a little concerned in the reception line but the security guard assured me I'd be fine given it wasn't my fault. Interview was really straightforward – he asked me for my ID / passport / date of birth, and some basic questions about my travel / visa history. Didn't ask to see any of the original copies of documents I brought but had them all in case. He mentioned at the very beginning that interviews for diversity visa cases were pretty straightforward and that there shouldn't be any complications. Went through a lot of yes / no questions similar to the ones asked on the DS 260 application and then after he said I should get a decision within the month (or request for additional info).

Still waiting on a case update (interview was last Friday) but will update this post when it comes through!

Thanks to all the moderators for the help over the past couple months – truly blessed to have come across this forum!
Click to expand...
We had interview on June 2nd at Norfolk Office Virginia. The interview went well and smoothy.
The officer said: everything looks good and he doesn't see anything that can prevent us getting the green cards.
However, he can not make the decision immediately.
My case status shows "Interview Was Completed And My Case Must Be Reviewed" no updates since June 2nd.
 
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