US Greencard Through Diversity Lotto

biddywiddy · 03-10-2011 4:45pm

Hi everyone,

I have a question about the medical exam required for the Green Card interview.

My boyfriend was selected in the Diversity Lottery this year and, as the number assigned to him is low, his embassy interview is coming up this month (October). His letter confirming the interview date arrived in the post this morning. There was no info on where to go for the medical so after some googling he rang a place in Dublin which is the only doctor in the country registered to carry out the medical exam (it seems the Cork and Galway options aren't available any more). The earliest appointment he can get is the day after the embassy interview. The receptionist said that she has heard of the embassy allowing results to be sent in late, i.e. after the interview but that it doesn't happen "that often". He has asked to be contacted if there is a cancellation, but it may be unlikely.

Does anyone have any experience of this? Is it worth going to the interview anyway, even if the medical hasn't taken place? The first notification about the interview was via email (which directed to an online login on the embassy website), but there was no info about where to go for the medical exam there either. Hence this all happening a bit late, as we thought the info would come in the letter from the embassy.

Also, there's no time given for the interview in the letter, just a date. Is this normal?

All replies appreciated, thanks.

thenobody · 03-10-2011 4:54pm

you should ring the embassy and ask them.
firstly, you should have been given a time for the interview. thats really bad they didnt give that. so ring them for that.
generally the letters are received 6 weeks before the interview so it seems this is closer to the interview date.

When you knew the low case number you should have researched online for the doctors and booked with them. the results of the medical can take over a week to come back after the date with the doctor for the medical.
The main doctor in Dublin is Gleeson in Blackrock Clinic - well it used to be, probably still is.
I wouldnt go to the interview without the sealed medical results.

Try get the date changed for the interview when you ring the embassy.

You should also have gone a requested your police certificate a while ago by now. That can take a long time to be received. If you havent applied for it may be to late for the interview for that too. Do it immediately.

Get all your documentation together too, bank statements history showing you have enough money etc, education certs and transcripts from the universities, etc etc.

Good luck

edit: BTW there are only certain times you can ring the embassy about the DV lottery i believe. like 11am to 12pm or something like that. make sure to check that out first.

biddywiddy · 04-10-2011 1:13pm

Thanks for the reply. He actually has the Garda clearance done as we thought it would take ages (it only took 2 days). He has asked to be contacted if there is a cancellation with the doctor in Blackrock, so there is a slim chance it might be done in time, but along with waiting for the results, the chances aren't great.

In any case, he is going to contact the embassy today so maybe the interview can be rescheduled. Thanks again.

Sitec · 04-10-2011 1:54pm

Where do I go to actually apply for the lottery, can't find it anywhere!

Sitec · 04-10-2011 2:05pm

sugarman wrote: »

https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/

First page of the thread & first thing that pops up in google:rolleyes:

Opens in 2hrs time.

I was on that page, didn't notice it wasn't open for two hours. Cheers for that

Sitec · 04-10-2011 4:22pm

that's still not working?

EDIT: working now

darrenz21 · 06-10-2011 2:08am

Sitec wrote: »

that's still not working?

EDIT: working now

Still not working

silja · 06-10-2011 11:28am

darrenz21 wrote: »

Still not working

Works for me here: https://www.dvlottery.state.gov/application.aspx what error are you getting?

catonkey · 09-10-2011 12:04pm

Does anyone know if having education qualifications beyond a high school level (i.e. a bachelors/masters degree) makes any difference if you don't have the leaving or are you still excluded because you didn't finish high school level?

BuffyBot · 09-10-2011 5:00pm

No difference it's a "or greater" situation

Geekness1234 · 09-10-2011 6:07pm

So the timeline goes like so:
Apply in October/November
Results come out May/June
Interview dates start in September and continue until everyone has been processed.
Quick question-how do they notify you?

emeraldstar · 09-10-2011 6:17pm

They don't notify you when the results come out; it's up to you to follow it up. Return to the DV Lottery website on results day, type in the application number you received when your application went through, et voila, it'll give you a yay or a nay.

catonkey · 09-10-2011 6:20pm

BuffyBot wrote: »

No difference it's a "or greater" situation

That's why I thought the degrees might count in place of the leaving as they're a higher qualification? I guess that's not the case.

emeraldstar · 09-10-2011 6:25pm

I think a degree does count. It is 'greater' than the LC, after all.

silja · 09-10-2011 10:32pm

catonkey wrote: »

That's why I thought the degrees might count in place of the leaving as they're a higher qualification? I guess that's not the case.

No, you and Buffy Bot are both correct. If you have a degree, this is "greater" than the Leaving, so you don't need to worry about not having the Leaving as you have something better.

Geekness1234 · 10-10-2011 8:02pm

emeraldstar wrote: »

They don't notify you when the results come out; it's up to you to follow it up. Return to the DV Lottery website on results day, type in the application number you received when your application went through, et voila, it'll give you a yay or a nay.

So I was right about the timeline then?

Amber Lamps · 10-10-2011 9:47pm

Hey, just a couple of questions about the visa application.

1. In the education section. I passed my leaving cert and I also have a 1 year PLC cert. should i put option (3) High school degree, or (4) Vocational school?

2. I don't have a camera. I have a webcam. What is the best way of getting a photo considering they need a digital copy?

3. I'm not too clear on the length of the visa. I read somewhere that it is only for 1 year. Is this correct? I was under the impression the lottery was for a permanent green card.

Thanks

Geekness1234 · 10-10-2011 10:09pm

1.It requires a high school degree or it's equivalent-so option 3.
2.You can get it done at the same place you would a passport,just tell them it's a green card photo.(theres a whole load of info in this thread).
3.Indefinite,but spend too long away from the U.S and they'll take it away.

thecommander · 11-10-2011 2:35pm

I'm getting married on the 29th October.

Is it better for both of us to apply as single people, as opposed to married?

Would it stand against us if we apply as single, but if chosen we'd be married?

Geekness1234 · 11-10-2011 9:32pm

thecommander wrote: »

I'm getting married on the 29th October.

Is it better for both of us to apply as single people, as opposed to married?

Would it stand against us if we apply as single, but if chosen we'd be married?

Nearly 100% sure you both can double your chances by entering individually.

CaliforniaDream · 13-10-2011 2:13am

Geekness1234 wrote: »

3.Indefinite,but spend too long away from the U.S and they'll take it away.

It's actually for 10 years. You can apply for citizenship after 5 years though. But if you don't and only want to stay on the GC then it's 10years.

lonestargirl · 13-10-2011 8:48pm

CaliforniaDream wrote: »

It's actually for 10 years. You can apply for citizenship after 5 years though. But if you don't and only want to stay on the GC then it's 10years.

The card is valid for 10 years but it can be renewed indefinetly once you fulfill the residency conditions.

bearnabeauty · 14-10-2011 5:29am

Hopefully someone could help me...I have my passport photo on mem stick but when i try to test my photo the size is too big(240kb is the max) and then when I reduce the size they require 600x600 pixels, anyone got any websites that could solve this problem for me or even explain how to update the photo using MS photo manager or even MS Paint

thanks

Geekness1234 · 14-10-2011 6:29pm

bearnabeauty wrote: »

Hopefully someone could help me...I have my passport photo on mem stick but when i try to test my photo the size is too big(240kb is the max) and then when I reduce the size they require 600x600 pixels, anyone got any websites that could solve this problem for me or even explain how to update the photo using MS photo manager or even MS Paint thanks

You might as well go to a place that will burn it onto a CD for you,heard there was a place on grafton street that did it.Check old posts.

bearnabeauty · 15-10-2011 6:44am

Geekness1234 wrote: »

You might as well go to a place that will burn it onto a CD for you,heard there was a place on grafton street that did it.Check old posts.

I have the picture but when I check to see does it work I am told file is too large then if I try to change the size they require 600x600pixels....Help anyone ...

Faolchu · 17-10-2011 1:17pm

you can download Infraview for free onto your PC that allows you to resize your pictures, you just open the picture and then select Image - Resize

in the pop up window that opens you can set your new size in pixles, just make sure the largest dimension is 600. then click file save as to create a new version of you picture so you dont mess up the original. you then upload this new version.

if that doesnt work go back in to the resize option and deselct the preserve aspect ration and set both sizes to 600 x 600 pixles

there's also some sites that might be able to help like

http://picresize.com/
http://snipshot.com/

zerozay · 30-10-2011 2:01am

bearnabeauty wrote: »

I have the picture but when I check to see does it work I am told file is too large then if I try to change the size they require 600x600pixels....Help anyone ...

Don't know if this is too late for you now, but the photo you submit needs to be 600x600 pixels and no larger than 240KB in size. When I prepared my photo, I found the easiest way of meeting these requirements was to crop the photo first so the width and height were the same amount of pixels. Then I re-sized it down to the 600x600 pixels.

Also make sure you have the photo composed properly as well ie it's not too dark / light, no shadows etc.

cena · 02-11-2011 1:39pm

sO THE PHOTO they ask for isn't passport size. What time on sat does this close. My mother is away for a few days and she wants to enter this.

silja · 02-11-2011 3:05pm

It closes at 12pm EST on the 5th, that is 5pm GMT.

cena · 02-11-2011 8:12pm

silja wrote: »

It closes at 12pm EST on the 5th, that is 5pm GMT.

Is there a way I can take my mother out of a photo from my brothers grad and use that. I have one of her but either with a blue sky or the sun going down

US Greencard Through Diversity Lotto

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