Quick update on my case. I was fortunate to speak with a field officer when I went in for my biometric collection (appointment notice dated 07/26/2024; FO denial notice dated 08/06/2024). Although the officer I spoke with doesn't handle DV AOS cases, he was very helpful and took my documents (KCC letter, denial letter, Early Filing Policy Memo PM-602-0088, and the August Visa Bulletin with the September rank cut-off of 27,500) inside to consult with someone more familiar with the situation.
Another officer inside the office insisted that since my DV rank number falls below the September rank cut-off of 27,500, I can only file the I-485 after September 1. I explained the Early Filing Memo again to the field officer, who kindly spoke with me, but he returned with the same answer: 'No.' I have no idea what else I can do.
Given the feedback from the officer, it seems the best solution is to file the I-485 again on September 1. Do you think there’s any chance I should try filing before then? Lol.
Regarding the medical exam, the officer said I can use a copy of the original exam (since I had sent the original version with my initial filing). I’m not sure if I need to go through biometric collection again, though.