welcome
to wikas’ dv2005 experience – POSTED
|
DATE |
ACTIVITY |
|
December,
2003 |
We each enter DV-2005, our 6th attempt |
|
April
19, 2004 |
NL dated March 23, 2004 arrives at home address
in USA with case number 2005OC120X. Called KCC. |
|
April
23, 2004 |
Sent all documentation back to KCC via UPS |
|
November,
2004 |
Employer initiates extension of H1B work visa (expires
early 2005) |
|
December,
2004 |
We each enter DV-2006 |
|
February,
2005 |
H1B renewal is approved |
|
April,
2005 |
We get married |
|
April
26, 2005 |
Sent updated documentation to include my Prince
Charming, to KCC via UPS |
|
April
27, 2005 |
We receive 1st vaccinations of TD, MMR, Varicella |
|
May 2,
2005 |
Called KCC who confirmed my Prince Charming was
added to my case number today. |
|
May 14,
2005 |
Prince Charming sends off request for German Police
Certificate |
|
May 28,
2005 |
Prince Charming receives German Police Certificate.
Record is clean |
|
June
13, 2005 |
Visa Bulletin Volume 83 released and OC cutoff for
August is 1275… we have finally made it!!! |
|
June
18, 2005 |
We send off requests for Australian Police Certificates |
|
June
20, 2005 |
Called KCC and found out interview date |
|
June
20, 2005 |
Booked flights back to Australia |
|
June
20, 2005 |
Scheduled H1B visa interview online after GC interview
in case the latter was unsuccessful |
|
June
20, 2005 |
Called Dr Anthony Millar to schedule Medical Exams
in Australia |
|
June
22, 2005 |
We receive 2nd vaccinations of TD, MMR, Varicella |
|
June
24, 2005 |
Friend in Australia includes money order and sends
off Police Certificate request to Australian Federal Police |
|
June
29, 2005 |
Called KCC and found out 2nd package was sent today |
|
July
6, 2005 |
2nd package dated June 20, 2005 arrives at address
in USA |
|
July
11, 2005 |
Received letter from US Consulate in Sydney advising
that we need to submit form DS-2001 showing we are documentarily qualified
for the interview |
|
July
12, 2005 |
Australian Police Certificates have arrived at friends
address in Australia. Records are both clean |
|
July
12, 2005 |
Called US Consulate in Syd asking them about the
inability to find a government issued version of form DS-2001. Gave
them my name, address, telephone and was told I'd hear from them soon |
|
July
12, 2005 |
Received an apologetic call from US Consulate in
Sydney saying the document was sent in error and to ignore it |
|
July
29, 2005 |
Depart USA for Australia |
|
August
1, 2005 |
Attend Medical Examinations |
|
August
3, 2005 |
Dr calls to advise that we have passed our medical
exams. Prefers we pick up the results |
|
August
9, 2005 |
Picked up medical results. |
|
August
10, 2005 |
Successful GC Interview |
|
August
12, 2005 |
Passports arrive in the post with immigrant visa |
|
August
20, 2005 |
Successful POE at Los Angeles Airport |
|
August
26, 2005 |
Received welcome letter from the Department of Homeland
Security |
|
August
30, 2005 |
Received plastic Green Card |
I am an Australian who moved to the USA in 2001 after being sponsored for a H1B work visa. My Prince Charming is German and moved to the USA in 2000 after being sponsored for a H1B work visa. We entered the Diversity Visa Lottery via instructions found at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/
When the Notification Letter arrived in April 2004, we thought it was a hoax. We had known from previous years that NLs are sent between May and August. As it looked official, we were excited yet skeptical.
I called the KCC and was greeted with a “Congratulations”.
After 6 years of entering, I had finally won. The KCC rep urged me to return
the completed docs as soon as possible.
I honestly had no idea of the existence of “regions” and
the relevance of the case number. I thought that because my number was so low
of the 100,000 that were notified, my interview would be soon. How wrong I
was!!!
To complete the documents, I made 2 photocopies of DSP122
and DS230. I had not discovered the message board at this stage so any concerns
I had with any of the questions were directed to the KCC via many phone calls.
They helped me out immensely. The first copy I completed in pencil and had
someone check it. The next I completed in pen and had someone else check that.
Finally, I completed the original in pen and had a different person check that.
I made sure that during the checking process, my friends had the necessary
documents, eg. birth certificate, academic records
etc... at hand, so they could cross check the information. I also photocopied
the final copy for my personal records.
After sending the completed docs and photos, I was concerned
that I’d have my CP interview during scheduled holidays in September 2004.
I called the KCC and discussed my concerns when the rep informed that I may
not be granted an interview until August/September 2005. I was SHOCKED!! I
asked for an explanation. The rep pointed me to the Visa Bulletin website
at http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/frvi/bulletin/bulletin_1360.html and walked me the through the Current Bulletin and
explained the significance of “cutoffs”. Basically, for a given bulletin,
the cutoff listed is the number the KCC will process upto for the respective
region. By understanding this and going through all the Archived Bulletins,
I put together a little table with Oceania cutoffs. Although the OC region
had reached CURRENT for the 3 years prior, I honestly felt my chances to get
the GC vanished into thin air cause my number was
so high. In addition, would there be visa numbers still available at the end
of the DV fiscal year? And could I honestly be expected to wait 16 to 17 months
for my interview?
Today, there's a much better source of cutoffs at http://www.clalar.dk/dv-lottery/dv-lottery-faq.php.
Here you can analyse cutoffs for each region since 1995 and get an idea when
your interview will be. This method is assuming cutoffs move at the same pace
as they did for previous years.
As I was living in the USA, I had the choice to pursue my DV win via CP or AOS.
I
didn't even give AOS a second thought. I was familiar with the bureaucratic
crap that you have to go through dealing with the USCIS and how long everything
takes. This is thanks to two H1B extensions and an employment based GC
sponsorship. My first H1B extension should have only taken 45 days; instead it
took 7 months and caused me to stay in the USA on an expired H1B which meant I
couldn't leave. This was extremely stressful. My employment based GC was a
joke!!! It's been 2.5yrs since it was lodged and it's still going through its
1st phase (Labour Certification). There's no end in sight even with my case
moving to the backlog reduction centre and as of my POE, there’s still no sign
of the 45 day letter. Obviously that has now been cancelled.
Having
been on the messageboard for so long, I'm glad I chose CP, HANDS DOWN!!! With
so many people on the board constantly posting about how they're waiting for
the different phases of AOS to complete and how they have to engage their local
politicians to push the USCIS offices etc... I could NOT deal with that kind of
stress again, ESPECIALLY with such a high cutoff number for my region.
With
CP, you're given a date and your fate is decided that day. I preferred the
predictable nature of CP very much.
In
addition due to choosing CP, I would be able to see my family/friends and claim
all my expenses on my tax return the following year. Getting a GC allows me to
continue working in the USA so it's definitely a "work expense" which
I confirmed with our accountant.
The photos we submitted for our NL were as they were
requested.
All other photos required for the interview and medical exam
were as per http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/guide/composition/composition_874.html
I discovered the messageboard at http://www.eskimo.com/~parents/
in May 2004 and was amazed at the wealth of information. For days on end,
I kept hitting the “Next 20 threads” button and read and cataloged relevant
information in a word document. I remember my first post was “what does current
mean?” Checking the board on a daily basis became essential. Continuing to
log relevant information, especially those relating to the OC region became
addictive as I had to learn as much as possible.
One of the most crucial posts I read on the board was in December 2004. It was posted by Steven (info@greencards.com.au) and described how important it is to marry before the interview. To me it seemed like the most unbelievable legal loophole. Basically, if you want your partner of the opposite sex to join you in the USA, you should get married before the interview so that they can ride on your application as a dependant. Otherwise, if you come to the USA and try to sponsor your partner, you need to become a citizen first which can take 5-6 years. Who wants to wait that long for their loved one to join them? We discussed this and as we had been together for so long, made the decision to marry. As we had time on our hands due to my high case number, we had the luxury of planning a special day.
When it came time to add my Prince Charming to my case, I
wrote up a cover letter stating a change to my family circumstance, made
reference to my case number, pointed out that I was not changing my family name
and resubmitted DS230 Part I for myself and DS230 PartI&II and photos for
my Prince Charming. I also included an unnotarised photocopy of our marriage
license.
We concluded from 2005 OC experiences in Australia, that 3 weeks would be required for CP. At the time, we had to factor in the Medical Exams, fingerprints for our Australian Police Certificates and Interview. As you’ll read later, this was narrowed down to the Medical Exam and Interview only.
Week 1 – Attend medical exam and
obtain results
Week 2 – Attend interview
Week 3 – Buffer week to deal with any issues arising from
interview.
By knowing this time frame, I knew exactly what dates to book
our flights to Australia when I found out my interview date.
As we were living in the USA, it was imperative that we get as much done in the USA for our medical examination in Australia.
Once again, we concluded from 2005 OC experiences in Australia, that we’d need to be vaccinated for Tetanus
Diptheria, Measles Mumps Rubella and Varicella (Chicken Pox). As 2 shots were
required of each - 8 weeks apart - we commenced our first round of vaccinations
April 2005. The second round of vaccinations were done
June 2005. Getting this done ahead of time meant that we would eliminate delays
in getting our medical results. Also, it’s wise to get any required
vaccinations where you currently have access to health insurance. That’s
another reason why we got our vaccinations in the USA.
The medical examination in Sydney was very easy, fun and
efficient. We chose Dr Anthony Millar and both he and his secretary had us in
fits of laughter. They were both so funny!!
Our appointment was at 11am. We turned up at 10:40am and
were asked for our passports, 3 photos, vaccination records and the medical
forms from the 2nd package. We paid the Doctors fee of AU$121 each
with our Credit Cards.
I was asked to provide a urine sample via a visit to the
ladies toilets. Prince Charming had to pee in a bowl in the Dr’s office.
The exam was straight forward. He went through a Q&A
of the questions in the medical forms. I then undressed to my underwear, where
he checked flexibility, height, weight, skin and vision. I then dressed and my
Prince Charming went in for his exam.
Once done, we were sent to Level 1 for our chest X-rays to
check for tuberculosis. This cost AU$60.50 each which we paid via CCs. While
waiting for the X-rays to process, we went to Level 2 for our blood test for
HIV and Syphilis. This cost AU$43.20 each which we paid via CCs. Back down to
Level 1 to pick up our X-rays and then our final stop at the Doctors. We passed
our X-rays and were told to pack them into our check-in luggage upon our return
to the USA.
Finally, as our interview was the following week, the
secretary requested that we pick up our results. I received a call 2 days later
that our results were a success and ready for pick up.
The day before our interview, I popped into the Doctors
and the secretary went through and described the paperwork and results. She
then inserted them into individual envelopes and sealed them. She was kind
enough to provide copies of the vaccination records and blood test results for
our personal records.
As I was residing outside of Australia, we had to request
our PCs via the Australian Federal Police. The biggest obstacle was supplying
fingerprints. For the longest time, I thought we could only have the fingerprints
done in Australia. As some 2005 OCers had delays in receiving their PCs, I
became concerned and made enquiries to the AFP about whether I could supply
the fingerprints from the USA. In my opinion, I had to get the check started
and have the certificates returned before we flew back to Australia. After
several emails and phone calls to the AFP, I explained my dilemma about time
constraints and they happily confirmed that it was perfectly fine to send
the fingerprints along with the completed form found at http://www.afp.gov.au/afp/raw/Forms/Crimhistory/Crim01.pdf
My local police in the USA were able to help with the ink
fingerprints. Each finger was fingerpinted and then four fingers (index to
pinky) on left and right were taken simultaneously. It was filled out on a very
official looking form.
I attached this to the above completed form and the AFP
voluntarily suggested the following answers for 2 of the questions;
On the Consent to Obtain Personal Information page of the form for Question iii) Consent to - you write 'SELF' and Question iv)Specify Entitlement - you write 'OVERSEAS VISA - UNITED STATES'.
I then sent off the completed paperwork, fingerprints and
photocopies of our passports to my friend in Australia. They then inserted the
Money Order for AU$103 (NAME & FINGERPRINT where fingerprints are
supplied), stamped self addressed envelopes and sent it off to the AFP. The AFP
gave you the option to choose where you’d want your PCs to be returned.
Naturally, I wanted them to stay in Australia and had them returned to my
friend. They arrived with a clean record a month before our interview. That was
one less thing to worry about when we actually got to Australia.
My Prince Charming required a German Police Certificate.
We followed details on how to obtain this at
http://www.germany-info.org/relaunch/info/consular_services/otherconsularservices/conduct.html
It was straightforward and the PC could only return to our current address in the USA. It did so 2 weeks after posting.
Prince Charming's birth/police certificates were in German. So we had to have them professionally translated. We consulted our local German Consulate and they provided references to recognised translating services in our area.
Receiving the 2nd package finally brought home the reality of our DV win. There were two lists, one by the KCC and another specifically from the Sydney Consulate. I chose to use the latter and although the following isn't the entire list, this is what I submitted at our interview;
1 2 photos
(Primary & Dependant)
2 Valid
passport (P&D)
3 Education or
Employment Records (P. Only the primary winner has to meet this requirement)
4 Original
Birth Cert & Translations (P&D)
5 Original
Marriage Cert (P)
6 Original
Police Certs & Translations (P&D)
7 Evidence of
financial support
- 12 months of
bank statements (P&D)
8 Medical
Results (P&D)
9 All expired
passports (P&D)
As stated in the 2nd package, I created
individual piles and photocopies were placed directly beneath originals.
As we had 16 months to prepare for the interview, we
decided it was feasible to ensure we had at least US$16K each in savings. We
consulted the 2005 Poverty Guidelines at http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/files/I-864p.pdf
and concluded that if a 2 person household required US$16037, then we would
have that amount EACH as we both work and are not dependant on each other. This
was a personal decision to have this amount each as we had the time to save it.
The following were not requested by the consulate but I
chose to bring them due to the many CP experiences I had read on the board. For
me, it was imperative that I bring along as much as possible in order to
maximise chances for a successful interview;
10 Asset
- house deed + market analysis showing current value +
mortgage owing
11 Employment
- letter of employment (P&D)
- 12 months of
payslips (P&D)
- all W2s (tax returns) (P&D)
12 Evidence of
Relationship
- Printed log
of email correspondence
- Photo album
of our relationship & wedding
All documents from 1 through 11 were photocopied. Make
sure you know where everything is in the pile you submit at the interview. I
had put little pieces of sticky notes on the originals pointing out what
everything was. In the end, this really helped finding the specific docs the
interviewers asked for.
A week before the interview, an overwhelming calm settled in. I became so confident with our case and the paperwork, that I felt success was the only option on the big day.
We awoke on a crisp Sydney morning and arrived at the MLC
centre at 7am. For those future OCers who want to find budget accommodation in
Sydney, we stayed at a fantastic youth hostel http://www.wakeup.com.au/. We ate
breakfast downstairs at the MLC and by 7:20am, were the first ones waiting to
go up to the US consulate. A few people started to gather and I kept trying
Level 10 but it wouldn’t light up. At 7:45am we finally got up to the 10th
floor. We made sure we were the last ones in, to be the first ones out. We went
through a security check and had to take a seat. The guard then informed us and
a guy to return to the lifts. Up we went to the 59th floor and again, we were
the first ones out. Another security check, where I had to check in my digital
camera and a mobile phone with a built in camera. Mobile phones that don’t have
a camera are permitted through provided they’re turned off.
Once through the glass doors, we selected “Immigrant
Visas” and received ticket number 001 at 7:55am.
At 8:05am, we were called up to window 2. I was so amazed
to see the DSP122 and DS230 docs in a folder with my name on it. It was such an
unbelievable sight to see my hand written documents travel across the globe to
the consulate. The interviewer asked for my documents and we submitted our
individual piles. She then started going through all the documents and returned
what was not required, eg. old passports. She then
created two piles again and bound them with an elastic band. She confirmed the
address we wanted to have our GC sent to. She then told us to head to the
cashier’s window and pay our fee.
At 8:15am, the cashier explained the breakdown in cost. Our
combined cost was US$1510 (on the receipt it says AU$1963) and we paid with via
Credit Card. We were given the receipt and told to hang onto it. We then took a
seat and waited for our number to come up.
At 8:35am, we were called up to window 1. A different interviewer
had all our docs and asked for the cashiers receipt. First question was when
we intend to enter the USA. I said Saturday August 20th, 2005 and
she looked straight up stunned by how soon it was. I then said we had to return
to our jobs in the USA on the 22nd. She then asked if I was a part
of a known terrorist organisation? No. She then noticed
my expired H1B work visa and asked if I have a valid one. I replied that the
interviewer at window 2 had given back the Notice of Approval to extend the
H1B visa and asked if she would like to see it. I nearly had my head bitten
off as she said sternly, “Maam, all I wanted was a yes or no answer. Do you
have valid H1B?” Technically, although I didn’t have a valid one in my passport,
I had the notice of approval and so answered, “Yes”. She then asked for confirmation
of the US address where we wanted our GCs sent to. She then turned her attention
to my Prince Charming and asked if he was part of a known terrorist organisation?
No. Then she asked for an employment letter and a payslip. (See how important
it is to read the board, take notes, be prepared and simply take as many relevant
documents as you can?) As it was in our “additional material” folder, I had
to bend down and pull out all the additional paperwork, unclip it and extract
a copy of the employment letter and latest payslip. She thanked us for having
all our paperwork available and in order. We were then asked to take a seat.
About 5secs later, I got called up to window 1 and was questioned about the
Express Post satchel. I indicated that I did not wish to fill it out just
yet. She replied that I could discuss it with the Consulate Officer. About
5secs after that, the same lady called out for my Prince Charming and asked
where his passport was issued. It was clearly written in the passport but
in any case he replied, Germany.
At 8:50am we were called upto window 5. This time we were
faced with an American male who had all our docs. We started off by swearing an
oath to tell the truth. He then took digital fingerprints of our index fingers.
He noticed that we already live in the USA and asked for our annual salaries. Asked my Prince Charming if he had ever lived in Australia.
Yes. He then asked how long we had been married. My Prince Charming replied 4
months and it sounded so short that my heart started racing, although I had
nothing to fear. He looked up and asked how long we had known each other. 8
years. He then asked why we married. As we knew this was going to come up, we
had rehearsed our answer so as not to fumble over each other and we simply said
that it was already planned. The consulate officer was flicking through our
docs back and forth and we sensed he was not satisfied with the answer. I was
bursting at the seams to pull out our photo album and copies of emails dating
back 8 years that I had meticulously prepared, when I restrained myself and
remembered all the other CP experiences to never offer up more information than
they ask for. But my Prince Charming bravely jumped in and indicated that we had
bought a house 2.5 years ago. The officer then asked to see any evidence of
this and I handed over the house deed which ironically, I had taken to show as
an asset. We handed this over and suddenly he was relaxed. He then asked for my
employment letter. (Again, this was not on their list but was taken due to
other CP experiences.) Following this, it was smooth sailing and he struck up a
great conversation with my Prince Charming. I completed the Express Post
satchel and the officer made us realise that our H1B work visas would be
cancelled. We said this was a fair swap for an immigrant visa. With that, the
officer thanked us for our time and that the visas would be printed and sent
the following day.
Finally, I told the officer that I had a non-immigrant H1B
visa interview scheduled and wanted to know how to cancel that. He asked for
the appointment letter which I happened to bring and he promised to take care
of it.
By 9:10am, we were done. We returned to our seats where we
had left our winter coats, asked the crowd whether anyone needed an Express
Post satchel (I had bought 4 to help out others), sold two of them, collected
our belongings from security, went down to the ground floor where I proceeded
to run out and yell at the top of my lungs with happiness. We embraced with
feelings of sheer relief and couldn’t believe it was all over. Wikas had
finally made it to the other side J
Our Point of Entry was Los Angeles International Airport. So many times before, we had stood in the “Visitors” line and what a great feeling it was to stand in the much shorter line for “Citizens and Permanent Residents”. At 10:00am we got called over to the next Immigration Officer and handed over our passports and sealed yellow envelopes. He opened both up, examined them, scanned our passports and told us to go ahead, collect our check-in luggage and return to an area off to the side with chairs. He indicated he had some documentation to sort and complete. We did as he said, and he called us up where we took fingerprints of our right index finger on a form for the request for the plastic Green Card. We then signed it.
He was an extremely friendly officer and wished us all the
best and at 10:25am, we were done.
The DV experience tested my patience and sanity. Having to wait 16 months for my interview only to have our fate decided in 1 hour seemed unfair but very fair. But that’s how it happened. In those 16 months, I learnt an enormous amount from the message board and have made life long friends with some of the other OCers. Together with their help, an OC report was created of the 2005 winners detailing medical, police and CP experiences. This report can be found at http://www.clalar.dk/dv-lottery/oc-region-lottery/index.php
Winning the DV is truly an emotional rollercoaster.
My advice to all of those who have won and will face the experience, is to simply be prepared. Read as many posts on
the board as you can. Make sure you start collecting all the required paperwork
in reasonable time ahead of the interview AND if you find documentation that
you think may be beneficial to your interview but is not included on the list,
make a copy and put it into a folder titled as “additional material”. There are
so many of you who come onto the board and ask whether you should include
document X or Y. These questions are pointless. If you have the document,
translate it if required, photocopy it and take it. There’s no harm in taking
additional paperwork.
Thank you to Steven, my fellow OCers and all of you from
around the world who helped contribute to my success.
Thank YOU for following my DV saga and taking the time to
read my DV experience.
Cheers,
Wikas