Ilsogno

Hi everyone! I really need some help here!!! I am a student In US on F-1 visa. Came to US on J-1 and then changed my status to F-1. Thank God I won Green card lottery DV Diversity -2003, but the problem is that because I am IN US I can apply for adjustment of status.All these interviwes take forever. I have only 11 months for this process to be completed, otherwise visa that I won will be expired.How can I make INS work faster? HOw van I tell them? And what should I say?Kentucky consulate office suggested me to inform INS if everything is OK with my application to be adjusted within a year. Did anyone have the same experince? I really need some help!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks!!!!!!!!!

Ingo Pakleppa

On Sun, 20 Oct 2002 18:45:06 -0700, Ilsogno wrote:


    > Hi everyone! I really need some help here!!! I am a student In US on F-1
    > visa. Came to US on J-1 and then changed my status to F-1. Thank God I
    > won Green card lottery DV Diversity -2003, but the problem is that
    > because I am IN US I can apply for adjustment of status.All these
    > interviwes take forever. I have only 11 months for this process to be
    > completed, otherwise visa that I won will be expired.How can I make INS
    > work faster? HOw van I tell them? And what should I say?Kentucky
    > consulate office suggested me to inform INS if everything is OK with my
    > application to be adjusted within a year. Did anyone have the same
    > experince? I really need some help!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!!!!!
    >

If you haven't submitted your paperwork yet, consider not using INS at
all. Even if you are in the US, you are still allowed to process your
lottery winning at a consulate as if you were in your home country.

If you already submitted your paperwork, be sure to call INS regularly,
and also contact your Congressperson to ensure that they process the case
quickly. Also, when submitting the I-485 to INS, make sure to write in
red on the first page "Diversity Application. Must be processed by 9/30".

Incidentally, since you say you came on J-1, make sure that the two-year
home residency requirement does not apply to you. If it does, hire an
attorney and/or consult your local Congressperson to get the requirement
waived.

Chris Parker

    > Hi everyone! I really need some help here!!! I am a student In US on F-1
    > visa. Came to US on J-1 and then changed my status to F-1. Thank God I
    > won Green card lottery DV Diversity -2003, but the problem is that
    > because I am IN US I can apply for adjustment of status.All these
    > interviwes take forever. I have only 11 months for this process to be
    > completed, otherwise visa that I won will be expired.How can I make INS
    > work faster? HOw van I tell them? And what should I say?Kentucky
    > consulate office suggested me to inform INS if everything is OK with my
    > application to be adjusted within a year. Did anyone have the same
    > experince? I really need some help!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't have any experience in this matter, but I agree that adjusting
status based on winning the green card lottery is not advisable unless
no other option exists. And further, I've in fact advocated to my
congressman that green card lottery winners should not be allowed to
adjust status.

At any rate, you have valid status in the U.S. You should apply for
an immigrant visa abroad (perhaps Canada). Make sure you bring
evidence of your valid F-1 status to the immigrant visa interview.
You will re-enter the U.S. with your immigrant visa and obtain your
green card.


CP

Maggie

Ilsogno,
If you haven't submitted your paperwork to INS, you may do so at your home country and this will be much faster. Winning the Dv lottery is the best thing that could happen to anybody.

Chris,
AOS based on the DV-lottery is an easy option. I have seen people do it and it is much easier than marriage based or any other form out there.

on-the-go

Ilsogno: when did you find out that you had won? I am asking because I did only a few days ago which VERY strange (not that I complain). I take it, the mailing period was some time back in June-July or something... Anyways, my congratulations!

abalbale

abalbale

on-the-go

Hi there!

Here is a little smth you guys can find useful (well, if you don't already know it):

http://travel.state.gov/visa_bulletin.html

There you can find the current cut-off numbers.

My number is EU38821 so it seems to be a long wait ;-(

I am somewhat nervous about the quote. I take it, after those 50 or 55 thousands are taken, the game is over...

abalbale

on-the-go

I don't know... Does anybody know whether there is a difference between rank number and case number? The number I mentioned is the one from my notification letter, that is, the very (and so far the only) first letter from KCC. I also don't know if the numbering is common, that is, if it has anything to do with the region.

abalbale, what did you mean by "last rank number in august 2002 was way below 38,000" ?

One more thing: what the heck is "don't send us anything but contact the nearest INS office" supposed to mean? When should I contact this office? Right away or after my number is considered??

Damn it, why not make the procedure as easy as the application to the lotto!

Ilsogno

hey guys! thanks for your answers!!!!!!!
Well I called INS office and they told me that a number like EU38564 or EU35746 is a winning number from all numbers(550000if u remember. For The EUROPE they only have 14000, so we must do it right away.
I got my winning letter on 10 of october.
I am from Latvia and the post they gave me is Poland, they said U can not choose your post. It deppends where R u originally from.
Is anyone from U guys who replied IN USA right now? Is any of U in New York?
thanks alot again1
Congratulations to all!!!!!!!!!!
Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God help Us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ilsogno

dear Ingo, thanks a lot for your answers!!!!!!!!!They really helped,By the way did u have the same experience? did u win the final game? Did u also apply to your local INS office? How did they proceed?
Thanks a lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

guest

Hello...I was notified in early October as well and my number is EU 367XX.

As a matter of fact I've noticed that EU region normally has 30,000 people that win. (summed up all the winners in EU region in the last 3 editions). However, I think that the winners don't go from 00001 to 30000. So, good luck to you all! I'm here on an F1 visa but I'm not doing Adjustment of status. I'll simply go for consular interview (if they call me) in Rome, Italy (I'm italian.)

Ciao.

Ingo Pakleppa

On Tue, 22 Oct 2002 14:16:10 -0700, Ilsogno wrote:


    > hey guys! thanks for your answers!!!!!!! Well I called INS office and
    > they told me that a number like EU38564 or EU35746 is a winning number
    > from all numbers(550000if u remember. For The EUROPE they only have
    > 14000, so we must do it right away. I got my winning letter on 10 of
    > october.
    > I am from Latvia and the post they gave me is Poland, they said U can
    > not choose your post. It deppends where R u originally from.

More accurately, it depends on your citizenship (not your place of birth
as the lottery entry itself).

If you are in the USA, you do have one choice: you can choose to use
either the consulate in your home country (in this case, Warsaw), or you
can adjust status through the INS without ever leaving the USA. I do NOT
recommend the second option, just wanted to mention that it exists.

    > Is anyone from U guys who replied IN USA right now? Is any of U in New
    > York?
    > thanks alot again1
    > Congratulations to all!!!!!!!!!!
    > Good luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    > God help Us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    > --

Ingo Pakleppa

On Tue, 22 Oct 2002 14:24:44 -0700, Ilsogno wrote:


    > dear Ingo, thanks a lot for your answers!!!!!!!!!They really helped,By
    > the way did u have the same experience? did u win the final game? Did u
    > also apply to your local INS office? How did they proceed? Thanks a
    > lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    > --

No, I got my Green Card through employment. So I do not have first-hand
experience.