tariqbutt

Hi My friend (Australian) just checked the GC lottery results and its turns out she won (So lucky!)
I have a couple of questions:

• Is there any urgent deadlines she should be aware of?
• She is currently in the middle of a number of family issues she would like to resolve before making the move. What would be the best steps to take if she wanted to delay the move as long as possible?

vespucci

She should get her visa and go to the US within 6 months to get her green card. Then she can leave the US for up to one year to sort out her affairs.

Olly_

I'm pretty sure that the last thing you want to do with the DV process is slow it down - if you are selected you have to have your visa issued before the end of the fiscal year (September 30th) or you're out of luck.

Obviously after the visa has been issued you can enter the USA and leave again as long as you don't abandon your status.

tariqbutt

When you say before the end of the fiscal year (September 30th), you mean next year right? Im just trying to figure out if there is anything immediate that needs to be done.

Pollyana

Given the indefinite border closure, assuming she is in Australia, she needs to start working out how to get an exemption to leave, and if she plans to return remember seats are few and far between now with reducing caps.

tariqbutt

I see, thank you for the advice.

Actually she is an AUS citizen but based in the UK. Will that complicate things more? Should she speak to an immigration lawyer? Or should she just send the application in immediately?

vespucci

She can apply herself- no need for a lawyer. She will get an appointment date based on her number to attend at the US embassy in London to get her visa. She will need to go to the US within 6 months of getting her visa.

Noorah101

Six months from the date of the medical exam, which loosely translates to 4.5 - 5 months from date of interview.

Rene

tariqbutt

But if she wants to move as late as possible should she delay any of the steps herself? Or is that risky?

Noorah101

It is risky. Don't delay any steps. Once she enters the USA using her immigrant visa she becomes a US PR immediately. She can then go back to the UK for a few months to tie up any loose ends.

Rene

tariqbutt

Ok thank you for the advice

Pollyana

If shes based in the UK thats fine, she doesn't have to deal with the australian border exemption fiasco

LegalEagleTX

It sounds like this is for the 2022 Diversity Visa, in other words she applied last year, so her deadline for getting the visa is 30 September 2022.

tariqbutt

That is correct. Am I right in saying that that means there is less of a rush in that case?

LegalEagleTX

Yes, for 2022 Diversity Visas processing won't begin until October 2021. Her selectee number will dictate the month she can book her interview. This can be estimated by looking at past Visa bulletins - https://travel.state.gov/content/tra...-bulletin.html. She is urged not to leave it until the last minute, just because she is selected doesn't not mean she is guaranteed a visa. There is a hard limit on the number of visas issued, and not all selectees get one.