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DV winners, please read this first ! General Info

C

Catseyes

Registered Users (C)
Common terms important for Diversity Visa ( DV ) winners:

If you are a DV07 winner, you cannot get a visa before Oct 1st 2006. And you couldn't get one after Sept 30th 07.
There will be 50,000 visas granted : winner ( principal applicant ) and family members are taken into account in the number of visas.


GC = Green card ( ! )

NL = Notification letter ( aka 1st package ) : the big enveloppe you received with your case number.
There are 50,000 visas, but more people receive a NL, as there are some requirements that may not be met by the applicant ( education, evidence of support, health...), and other reasons ( moved to a different address and never receives the NL, death, changed his mind and does not want to immigrate to the US anymore .... )
So, receiving a letter does not necessarily mean being granted a visa.

KCC = Kentucky Consular Center ( where the NL came from ! )
contact : kccdv@state.gov , and (606) 526-7500 ( US phone number )
You need to know your case number when you call.

CP = Consular Processing ( do the interview at a US consulate/embassy )
AOS = Adjustment of Status ( adjust your visa in the US ) if you are legally present in the US

If you have a valid visa and live in the US, you can choose between CP and AOS ( the "choice" depends on your case number: if high, AOS is risky; the costs for you to fly back if CP ...) . If you don't, then there is only CP.

Case number : that's a very important thing ! ( it starts with 2letters standing for your region : AF, EU, OC SA, AS )
It will determine your interview date if your number is called ( current ).
The bulletin gives you the information :
http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/b...letin_1360.html
In some way, the case number represents your chance to get an interview, thus to get a GC. If it's rather high for your region, you might not be called ( your number is never current, not even at the end ), or being called late ( August or Sept ). But remember that for some countries, name and background checks take a couple of weeks. So, Sept 30th can come before you get cleared...

Evidence of Support : It can be any combination of the following three :
_ Affidavit of Support : form I134 filled by a US Citizen ( USC ) or a Legal Permanent Resident ( LPR = GC holder ) http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/affsupp.htm

_ Job offer in the US : it is better to obtain a job offer on the company's letterhead and have it notarized.

_ Own funds ( bank accounts, assets....): see poverty guidelines for an idea of the amount. ( bank statement)

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1327.html
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1328.html

For the Evidence of Support, you can provide any combiantion of the 3, which means you can provide one ( any one ) of the mentioned documents, two ( any two ), or the three of them.
Remember that you better be safe than sorry. Bring as much as you can.
So, the I134 alone is good. Still, it would be better if you could show your own funds.

Also, education and english skills play a role as it will help in finding a job.
The immigration officer determines your potential to become public charge. So the more proofs you provide that you won't become one, the better for you.


POE = Port of Entry : if you were doing CP and were successful, you will enter the US with a brown enveloppe that has to remain sealed ( don't open it, it's for immigration officers ). Usually, it's an airport. There, the process to get the plastic GC will be activated.

I did an excel worksheet for the history of cutoff numbers for each region. I"ll try to update it regularly.
The countries with specific cutoffs ( Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ukraine... ) are not included.
There is a table, and then there are graphs. It can help to have an idea when your number would be current. Just rememer that it just represents what has already happened.

Statistics: I do not remember where I got this, but I had this on my computer:
Table III is DV2005 statistics.
Table VI is a sumup for all DVs.
 
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Documents

The documents listed in the 2nd package are the same that the ones in the 1st.
They are:
_ the appointment letter ( the 2nd package ) is required to enter an embassy
_ birth certificate
_ marriage certificate ( and divorce if applicable )
_ death certificate ( if applicable, for spouse or children )
_ deportation papers if applicable
_ police certificate
_ court and prison records
_ proof of High School diploma ( and higher education if any )
_ Evidence of support :
* affidavit of support ( I134 ) ( by a USC or LPR )
* job offer in the US
* money or assets on your name
_ your passport
_ US-size photos
_ medical exam : the 2nd package will indicate the list of accredited physicians.

Not required, but might be requested : US tax returns if you lived in the US
but you do not need a US police certificate .

Evidence of Support : It can be any combination of the following three :
_ Affidavit of Support : form I134 filled by a US Citizen ( USC ) or a Legal Permanent Resident ( LPR = GC holder ) http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/howdoi/affsupp.htm

_ Job offer in the US : it is better to obtain a job offer on the company's letterhead and have it notarized.

_ Own funds ( bank accounts, assets....): see poverty guidelines for an idea of the amount. ( bank statement)

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigr.../info_1327.html
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigr.../info_1328.html

For the Evidence of Support, you can provide any combiantion of the 3, which means you can provide one ( any one ) of the mentioned documents, two ( any two ), or the three of them.
Remember that you better be safe than sorry. Bring as much as you can.
So, the I134 alone is good. Still, it would be better if you could show your own funds.

Also, education and english skills play a role as it will help in finding a job.
The immigration officer determines your potential to become public charge. So the more proofs you provide that you won't become one, the better for you.

Education or training requirement:
_ education requirement( completion of a 12-year education : High School dipploma, and higher degrees )
_ training ( two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used to determine qualifying work experience )

For the police/court and prison records, special rules apply depending on how long you lived in a country and at what age.
A general rule is for every country you have lived in for more than a year after your 16th birthday.
Also, for some countries, it takes time to obtain them. So do some research!

Also, bring anything you think is applicable and relevant to your case ( better be safe than sorry... )

The principal applicant has to show the documents. Beneficiaries have to show most of them ( proof of termination of prior marraiges, birth ....). The only one that is not required for beneficiaries is the High School diploma : only the principal applicant has to prove it.

For translations, it depends on your consulate/embassy.
For CP in France ( my experience ), documents written in French or English were accepted.
Check for your location. Even if you have to pay a fee to contact the consulate, it might save you a lot of money ( certified translations are very expensive )

Some consulates require a special enveloppe so that stamped passports will be returned. This should be mentionned in the interview letter ( 2nd package ).

You can find specific info regarding documents for most countries in the reciprocity table : http://travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm
 
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CP procedure

It applies if you do not currently live in the US, or if you prefer that option to AOS.

CP procedure in short:
_ send the forms back to KCC
_ wait for your number to become current
_ call to know when your interview is scheduled= schedule an appointment for medical exam
_ interview
_ go to the US within 6m of approval


Details
You have to send the forms back to KCC. The sooner, the better. You can contact the KCC to make sure the forms were received and are being processed.

Unless you realize you made a mistake, or you change your situation ( like getting married ) you won't need to fill out other forms.

Then you wait for your number to become current.
Once it is, wait a couple of days, and call KCC to know if an interview has been scheduled for you. ( exemple : the bulletin published on May 10th 2006 gives numbers for June and advance notification for July. Call KCC around May 20th ).
If an interview is scheduled for you, you can book plane tickets.
The second package will give a list of accredited doctors for the medical exam.
But you can already check if you are up to date for vaccines ( see the uscis website for the recommendations on vaccines : http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1331.html ).
You will have to make an appointment approx 1week before your interview, so that there is time for the results to come back ( HIV, Xrays...).
( That's why for people in the US, you should take about 2weeks off : time to go there, get the medical exam done and get the results , interview, and a couple of days in case there are delays in your name check )

For translations, it depends on your consulate/embassy. Check for your location. Even if you have to pay a fee to contact the consulate, it might save you a lot of money ( certified translations are very expensive ).

If you are granted an interview ( number goes current ), and are successful, you will get a "stamp" in your passport.

Successful can be globally defined as :
_ you did not lie, or made errors in your entry
_ your medical exam is ok
_ you paid the fees
_ your name check comes clear ( and before Sept 30th )
_ you provided the required documents

Fees : total is $755 per person as of June 2006
# Immigrant visa application processing fee (per person), Form DS-230 : $335.00
# Diversity Visa Lottery surcharge for immigrant visa application (per person applying as a result of the lottery program): $375.00
# Immigrant visa security surcharge, for all IV and DV applicants: $45.00

There is also a cost for the medical exam. From my DV experience, the medical fee was 150E per adult for everything ( Xrays, bloodwork, physician consult ).

It is an immigrant visa ( IV ) which is valid for 6months : from the date you get the stamp, you have 6months to travel to the US to activate it, and then get the real GC.
After a succesful CP interview, you'll be given an enveloppe. It has to remain sealed ! This enveloppe is for the immigration officers when you arrive to the US. It's called POE = Port of Entry.
It contains paperwork which will be sent to a processing center.
You will be told that your GC can arrive in as little as 2weeks and up to 10months. That's why it says on the visa that upon validation ( entry stamp at US border ), it will serve as a temporary GC for one year.
In my case, my husband and I received a couple of Welcome Letters , and received the GCs after 4weeks.

The prinicipal applicant has to enter the US first. Spouse and kids can come at the same time, but not before the principal applicant. That's because the principal applicant will "initiate " the process to get the real GC.
 
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AOS procedure

AOS procedure :

You have to be legally present in the US ( valid visa ). In this case, you can choose between CP and AOS.
The choice is your decision. Some factors are your case number, or the cost for you to fly back for CP ( plane tickets, have to take about two weeks off to have time for medicals… )

In short :
If you choose AOS, you have to send something to KCC to let them know your intent to go with AOS so that won't deal with your case anymore. You will have to send form I485 to Chicago lockbox ( correct me if I'm wrong, I am not too familiar with AOS ) when your number appears current in the bulletin ( that's the pb with AOS : you only send your forms when number is current ). Then, you wait for your Notice of Action (NoA). You will receive an appointment for FP ( Biometrics ) and later for a real interview.

Procedure :

1. Send ALL forms back to KCC. Theoretically, you need to send back only DSP-122 indicating that you will do processing in USCIS office, but apparently some people experienced delays if they had not.
Your local office is determined by where you live. When you call USCIS, they will tell you.

2. Call the USCIS Customer Service 1-800-375-5283 to determine eligibility (based on type of visa and your I-94 expiry date) You don't need to go to your local office to find out how to proceed unless you want to. You can learn everything online. They will know you are doing AOS when they receive your I-485 plus docs. All forms and documents you send will need to have your case number on top right corner. They will know you are DV applicant, in the appropriate box click 'other' and explain.

3. After receiving your DS Forms KCC will send you an acknowledgment letter informing you that they now have finished dealing with your case and that you will have to deal with USCIS.

4. Depending on your local office you may or may NOT apply before your number becomes current ( see below ).

5.You send I-485 forms to Chicago lockbox and they send it to your local office depending on your address. ( when your number is current, or you guess it will be very soon ) ( see below )
Chicago lockbox address is: http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-485.htm

NOTE: Be aware that you will NOT be able to use your non-immigrant visa to travel. Your status is 'suspended' until adjudication. In order to travel you will need to file for Advance Parole (I-131) together with I-485. You may also apply for EAD (Employment Authorisation Document I-765) at the same time.

NOTE : AOS for DV winners is very small fraction of AOS applications. So often they are not very familiar with this process. The most important thing is to insist that DV AOS has a deadline, Sept 30th.

When to apply :

=> when you see your number is current in the bulletin.

The INS had made a memo for DV 99.

http://www.visalaw.com/99aug/39aug99.html
Quote:
The memo makes clear that winners of the DV-99 lottery may submit petitions up to three months prior to the month in which the visa number is current in rank

But you have to be medium to know for sure !To know 90days in advance, you have to guess.
That's one of the reasons that some people get denied AOS : they applied too early ( wrong guess ...), they get denied, and have to reapply => they have lost some precious time.

Also, the INS states it is for DV99 . But people considered it was still in application for later DVs.
It depends on your office, some accept, and some don't.
The thing is that if you get denied, you've lost some very precious time and money.
If you wait 30more days, you have the visa bulletin giving the advance notification, and this way, you're safe.
Remember that sending your applications earlier is at your own risk.

Winner2006 added an informative post about AOS :
http://www.immigrationportal.com/showthread.php?t=219826
 
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Special cases, additional info

Special case : getting married either after DV entry submission or after NL

It’s not a problem. It’s not considered fraud : you didn’t lie in your entry, it happened after.
Getting married with your significant other is your decision. If you were thinking about getting married, then you should marry before your interview. If you don’t, it will take years for you to sponsor your spouse.
Just be prepared to show proofs that you were together ( not just a GC marraige ). You might not be asked for them, but remember that I prefer things to be safe.
Those proofs can be:
_ emails ( date )
_ pictures ( date behind is better ) : showing both of you at family events, on vacation …
_ bills , appartment lease ….

I had chosen to wait after my marriage to send the forms back to KCC. Which means I sent my forms in OCtober : it was probably a little late, and may have caused the delay for me to get an interview ( my number was current in April , but I had my interview only in June ).
Some choose to send their forms as single asap, so that the forms start being processed. Then they get married ( thus, they had more time than me to plan the weeding ceremony ! ), and they send again their forms ( corrected : married ) along with forms for the spouse and a marriage certificate.

Anyway, if that's your decision, get married before the interview.


Special case : Spouse does not want to immigrate.

If you are the winner ( principal applicant ), and your spouse does not want to move to the US, then everything’s fine.
However, if the spouse changes his/her mind later on, it's too late. The visa has to be granted by Sept 30th. It will take years for a GC holder to sponsor his/her spouse.
If your spouse is the winner, then the spouse still has to go to the interview, pay for the visa, and go to the US to activate your visa.

Special Case : Birth of a child

_ The child is born after your entry submission, but before receiving the NL : simple, you just had the child in the forms.
_ The child is born after you sent back the forms : you print new ones, update them, and them to KCC along with a cover letter to explain ( you may want to add a birth certificate, but you would still need one for the interview )
_ Your interview is scheduled very close to the delivery date : have the interview scheduled for later, when the child is born so that he/she would get a GC too.
_ You went to the interview, the child is not yet born : that's more a problem : you should go to the US asap, so that the child is born as a USC. However, if you were not living in the US with medical insurance, that can be very expensive.

I think the child has to have a passport, and there would be the fees for him too ( visa fees of $755, and medical exam ).

US tax returns

Transcripts for federal returns can be obtained by calling (800)–829–1040 or by mailing form 4506-T (PDF), and should be received within approx two weeks . There is no charge.
But if you want a copy of the forms you sent to the IRS, then there is a fee of $39 per tax year requested.
You usually do not need a copy. A transcript is enough : it's a piece of paper that summarizes your return into a standard format so that's easy to read for an immigration officer.
Remember that the USCIS is not the IRS. Meaning that an immigration officer just wants to see if you filed ( complied with tax laws ) or not. A transcript is a true proof that you filed, as it comes from the IRS. If you bring a photocopy you made of your returns ( here, I mean a copy made by you, not a copy you would have paid for to obtain from the IRS ), it does not necessarily mean you filed a return.
Also, if you made a few mistakes ( wrong form, late filing ...), the immigration officer won't probably notice if the IRS hasn't.

Transcripts for state taxes also exist. See your State's Department of Revenue.

You may or may not be asked for them. I wasn't for CP in Paris, but maybe that's because my husband and I were students ( F1 ).
My opinion is still to be overprepared: if you do not have them, and are asked about them, what will you do ?!
Besides, there is no charge, so there is no reason not to request transcripts.
 
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Thank You

dear friend

REALLY , you are such a very very good person , although i already know all this information as i am old dv2006 visitor , but please let me thank you for your help in behave of all dv winners for your valuable time

thank you again


znaty
 
You are very welcome!

As my signature says, I'm just trying to help.
But I was beginning to be tired of constantly writing the same things over and over again as identical questions kept coming...
So I copied, pasted and modified some of my previous posts.

I asked this to be made into a "sticky" so that it stays on the 1st page. I'll hope it will be accepted.
 
Catseyes,

Thank you for the wealth of information you're providing on this forum.

Ben
 
Merci Catseyes, excellent information.... that could alomost close the forum (just kidding....).
You're very kind,
AJS
 
Catseyes said:
I asked this to be made into a "sticky" so that it stays on the 1st page. I'll hope it will be accepted.
Click to expand...


Catseyes, this post is most helpful and covers almost all the issues that any new DV winner might have.

I second her suggestion to make this article a sticky. :)
 
Special cases birth of child after NL

Hi Castseys,
thanks for your info. I have one more question about Special cases birth of child after NL, more precisely i already sent my DSP-122 and Ds-233 forms, and few days ago was born my baby.
What i should do?
 
Same that marriage after NL.
Print new forms in which you include your child. Send them again to KCC with a cover letter explaining the correction ( birth of a child ).
 
Well done, Catseyes! :)
Your sticky will save a lot of space on this forum, and a lot of our time repeating the same things over and over.
Thanks for your efforts to collect all the valuable info for DV winners.
 
Thanks for the information provided here. It is awesome. I have one question though. I heard that if you apply with lawyer, then USCIS puts blue stamp on your application, which makes the process faster. Is this true?
 
Hi Anahit,
I do not understand either. I already sent two messages to the administrator ( there is no moderator for DV ). I can't do more, otherwise, I'm gonna get sued for harassment :p .

Hi Funlu,
I payed for lawyer. To be honest, I did it to buy my peace of mind which is priceless to me. However, I admit that he didn't do much. If I had discovered this board earlier, it's likely I wouldn't have hired him.
I do not think it's true that a lawyer makes it faster. You hire a lawyer to make sure things are done the right way. That's all.

Update after having read Rpar003 's post :
The first consultation was free in my case, and then it was 1500$ for a DV couple ( it would have been 1000 if single ).
If you have a pretty straightforward case ( not out of status, no criminal record ...), you do not need to pay for a lawyer, or you could just take advantage of a first consultation ( free or not ) to be given some advice.
 
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Catseyes, this really is great information!

I'd also like to second what Catseyes said about a lawyer. I hired one for my piece of mind also and paid an awful lot of money to do so. They took many tries to get my forms right - I could have filled them myself a lot easier (they just kept making mistakes on name spellings and other such trivial things that required us to have the forms corrected before we could mail them in). Had I discovered this forum sooner I would have known what to do and could have done it myself. The lawyer did give some good advice as to where to start off and a good place to get the medical exams done. I think many lawyers will offer you a consulation (our lawyer gave us the initial consultation for $100) which should be all you need (thanks to the great advice on this forum!). Of course if you have any special circumstances or reasons it would be difficult for you then you probably want to get a lawyer ASAP!
 
Catseyes you're a saint - thanks for putting all this info on here - it is much appreciated. Merci beaucoup.
 
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