US Greencard Through Diversity Lotto

davymc31

i just cheked and was picked number 2600 when will i get interview we are family of 4 ,do i fill out form and photos certs etc and send asap what are the steps we need to do

thenobody

you need 2" x 2" photos for the application. not many places do them.
send the forms back as soon as possible.

The forms and information you got should tell you everything you need to do. you shouldnt need extra information from anywhere else.

Jager Man

Hi All, FYI the Emerald Isle Immigration Center will help you if you run into any trouble - I just talked to them to make sure I was doing the process right. http://www.eiic.org/

For the files for the Kentucky Office we just need:
Photos
Form DSP-122
Form DS-230, Part I and II

Is that correct? Leaving Cert and Birth Cert etc don't need to be sent? I'm number 1500 so hope to be called in Oct, is that realistic?

thenobody

Yep. Oct sounds right.

For the application you just need to send those forms plus two 2" x 2" photos. Not normal passport photos. You need to go to a specialist place to get them.
The forms explain it all. There is nothing hidden and nothing that is not explained so there is no need to go anywhere for any further information. Be very careful with that if you do.

You will need all the other documentation for your interview.
If you have a degree you dont need any leaving cert stuff.
Best to pay in cash (dollars) at the interview. Have exact amount.
Make sure to allow enough time to get all your police certificates for all the countries necessary - they can take a long time - but also make sure they are dated within around 3 months of the interview.
And make sure the medical is no longer than 4 to 6 weeks of the interview. It can take over a week to get the results back so factor that in too. Do not open the result envelope.
And important to show that you have a history of enough money in your bank account - if choosing that option. Four to six months of it in your account. It cant be money dumped into your account for the interview and then plan to send back after. I know someone who didnt get it because of that. For one person it is over $10,890. For 2 persons it is over $14,710. See Here - you need to have at least 125% of these figures given though.

Or that the job offer is recent to the interview - if you can get that (may need the money as well depending on the job type and how it relates to your degree).
Or affidavit of support from a US citizen - if you chose that. That may take a while too and is a huge huge as of someone as it is very very personal.

baltazar

Does anyone know where in Dublin you can get the 2" x 2" photos to submit with the DSP-122 and DS-230 forms?

thenobody

I got them in the camera shop in blanchardstown.
There is a place on henry street and grafton street. - I presume they are still there!

Try calling Boots and ask. They are sometimes called visa photos.
The camera shops mostly do them.

They are very expensive too. I think i paid 15 euro

Suppose you could do them yourself - just make sure you get the head and shoulders to fill the right amount. You should have the guidelines with the forms.
Or look here

newbeginnings

Hi all,

I hope someone can give me solid advice on the educational requirement for the DV Lottery.
The requirement is that you must have a Leaving Cert. I was in the same secondary School from 1st year to 6th, done my Junior Cert but left just Before my Leaving to persue a career in Construction.

When the Boom ended i went back to college and Completed a Level 6 BTEC-EDEXCEL Higher National Diploma in Business Studies with great results.

I have this education, but will this be enough as, technically ive no Leaving Certificate as such, but have a Higher award than the Leaving Cert. Will this be enough???

Any advice will be greatly appreciated,

Warm regards.

thenobody

The requirement is

The law and regulations require that every entrant must have at least a high school education or its equivalent or have, within the past five years, two years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two years’ training or experience. A ―high school education or equivalent‖ is defined as successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or successful completion in another country of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a high school education in the United States. Only formal courses of study meet this requirement; correspondence programs or equivalency certificates (such as the G.E.D.) are not acceptable. Documentary proof of education or work experience must be presented to the consular officer at the time of the visa interview.

So you have to have the leaving cert. But sounds like your job may give you the experience.
Just go through with it and bring your diploma and ignore the leaving cert and not mention it. Should be ok - if you have everything else ok.
But you need to decide if you want to risk that and spend about 1200 euro to see - thats what the process will about cost.

davymc31

i have property if i get them valued and show the small morgage left would this do as means

newbeginnings

Thats an option going through the process not saying anything, but id like a definite answer because if i do apply and get refused, ill have to mention this everytime i go for a holiday.
Im going to apply anyways and if need be ill sit the leaving cert next June and get the results in August, cutting it short for the September 30th deadline, id prefare a stress-free option lol
were you successful in the lottery

thenobody

davymc31 wrote: »

i have property if i get them valued and show the small morgage left would this do as means

Nope. I thought the same and had my place valuated. They said that that was not necessary and not taken into account.
I guess if anything it will be more of a problem if you have loans cos that will eat into any money you have when you get over and have no job or place to live.

thenobody

newbeginnings wrote: »

Thats an option going through the process not saying anything, but id like a definite answer because if i do apply and get refused, ill have to mention this everytime i go for a holiday.
Im going to apply anyways and if need be ill sit the leaving cert next June and get the results in August, cutting it short for the September 30th deadline, id prefare a stress-free option lol
were you successful in the lottery

Call the embassy and see what they say. No one else can tell you otherwise.

You dont strictly have until Sept 30th 2012 to get everything sorted. At your interview you will been given a certain amount of time to correct the things missing (usually a few weeks) - which would be mostly getting missing documents or further proof. Not really going and getting an education.
All the visas for europe will most likely be gone well before sept comes around.

davymc31

so if i have a house with only 80000 morgage and valued at 200000 would that not mean i have 120000 when i sell it was it the interviewer that told you it was no good

thenobody

Yep. you dont have the money at the time of interview or moving. You actually have a significant debt.
If you sold it before the interview would be ok or if you had a sale in progress at the time would be ok I believe (just need supporting documentation on that).
Crazy I know.

I had everything else so it wasnt an issue. I just thought Id get everything done that might help.

Holsten

Any way to get the confirmation number re-sent?

Cannot find it!

baltazar

I have started filling in the forms and I was hoping somebody could shed a little light on section 35 of DS-230. It asks you to list dates of all previous visits to or residence in the united states. I have been to the states probably close on 20 times in total and would find it very difficult to try and list each visit. Do I really need to list every visit?

thenobody

Yep. You need to list them all.
I had to use an additional blank page as I too had something like 30 trips to list.
I think i just put down the months and not the exact days for going and coming back.
For trips where i traveled around the country i just picked the first city.

baltazar

Wow, time to get out the current passport and expired passport and start listing my trips so from the faded stamps. As always 'thenobody' thanks for the help.

thenobody

Oh, btw I think you have to bring your old passports too.
I am not sure but I remember having to bring current and old ones for something. Not sure if it was this though - just make sure to look into.
Or maybe i just brought it along in case.
Just bring everything you think of and keep the definite stuff in a main separate folder.
Be very organised as if you dump a load of crap at them and have to spend time searching through all your stuff for a birth cert etc, it wont do you any favors.

Some more advise. Get more 2" x 2" photos to have handy at the interview and at the airport when you leave and process the greencard at US immigration.
I was never told about needing these photos at the US immigration and she asked for one and I just by chance had a spare in my carry on bag. Who knows what delays it would have caused if i didnt have a photo with me. Some may ask for a photo, some may not.

Greencard aint green by the way. Looks pretty cool though. But i think they may be pink nowadays, glad i didnt get one of those.
Dont look it up. Wait for the surprise!!

little lady

Just wondering oif anyone knows how much savings you have to have or an approximate amount??

I read somewhere (could have been on this thread) that you have to be at least 100% over the poverty line as per this link

http://liheap.ncat.org/profiles/povertytables/FY2010/popstate.htm

I will have enough saved if this is correct but just wondering if anyone has first had experience.

Thanks
LL

thenobody

I've told that multiple times already. Read the thread.
You do need it and have to show a history of it.
If you don't it's highly probable to be turned down. This would be the biggest thing to make sure you have right.
Actually you need to have 125% of the poverty line amount. The 100% is requirement is only for military people in the US sponsoring their family members.

little lady

thenobody wrote: »

I've told that multiple times already. Read the thread.

I did read the thread but couldn't find what I was looking for.

thenobody wrote: »

Actually you need to have 125% of the poverty line amount. The 100% is requirement is only for military people in the US sponsoring their family members.

That was the bit I wasn't sure about. Thanks for the clarification.:)

Jager Man

Is there anywhere it says that to obtain a green card you must have that amount of money? Surely somebody from Somalia couldn't be expected to have that amount of cash on hand (that's a generalisation of course).

I met somebody yesterday and he said the Embassy in Dublin requested to see at least 5k euro in a bank account but not the equivalent of $11k.

I sent the forms to the Kentucky Consulate today. Also rang the assigned doctor in Dublin and was told to call back in august as they don't take appointments for Oct : /

thenobody

This describes the affdavit of support and the income requirements.
If you dont have a sponsor or someone to support you, you have to meet the income requirements - you are your sponsor.
And yeah, they need it too.

I know someone who was turned down for it with 7.6k euro in their account - and it was cited that over the poverty line is needed.
But if you have a degree and masters etc this maybe looked upon you having better chances of getting a good well paying job when you get over than someone with none skilled experience or just a leaving cert.

Oh, and the statements apparently cant be internet printed - have to actually from the bank so make sure to save them each month from now on, or order some.

Anyway, you are gonna need a hell of a lot more than that when coming over here.

Ha. I see here that they will be changing it to green.

silja

Does anyone have an official site that links the 125% poverty level/ Affidavit of Support form to the DV lottery?

I am actually having a discussion about the DV and Affidavit of Support on another site, because all we can find is from travel.state.gov/pdf/T1026V-DV-2010bulletin(3).pdf:
"If you are selected to apply for a DV visa, you will be required, before you are issued a visa, to provide evidence that you will not become a public charge in the United States. This evidence may be in the form of a combination of your personal assets, an Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) from a relative or friend residing in the United States, and/or an offer of employment from an employer in the United States."

which seems to indicate you must show that you are not pennyless, but not that you need a certain amount.

thenobody

Forget the DV lottery. Once you are selected you are now on the greencard application process. Lottery bit is over and there is nothing special in the process for dv selected people.

So, the links in my previous posts give you that information and how the poverty guidelines is specified.

This isnt something new this year and is the same every year.
All the information is there and been discussed many times and many years on many forums. I've been through it all too - as have many.

I guess it's your first taste of the bullsh!t processes and forms you'll experience for everything in the US.

silja

Actually thenobody, I went through the IR-1 spousal visa process so am very familiar with the I-864. I, too thought the 125% was required but like I say, this was discussed on another forum and cannot find any actual mention- and the I-134 mentioned in the quote above only requires 100%, not 125%.

Aprilmay

Actually we only did the DV Lottery for 2010 - And at our interview they didn't want to see any of my qualifications for college (I was the the DV1)My husbands qualifications weren't looked at either and he'd be more qualified than myself - They just said can we have a copy of your Leaving Cert and that's all you need on the qualifications end for that visa,but I was a bit surprised as I had spent time trying to get certs etc together and I didn't need them.We brought evidence of savings etc.
Other types of visa I can't say what the qualifications are but I met someone else there and they were on a different type visa and they were getting grilled about work at their interview.

thenobody

Well I guess do what you want. Just trying to best prepare people not to be caught out at the interview and when come over.

But it's best to just everything you can and bring it and get everything that helps.
They do seems to be inconsistent and as I said I know people who were turned for various reasons - not enough money, not completed leaving cert etc.

Its just best to be really prepared. And you will need all that stuff for when you get over looking for a job anyway - you need transcripts of your results rather than just your degree and for te interview and over here you need a translation of all docs to English eg. Trinity degree is in Latin and you need then to provide a translation letter.



Oh and it is 125% - read the official guidelines. 100% is military families only.

baltazar

well I got the forms and photos sent off today. Registered post with good old 'An Post' so it's up to them now.

When I got my photos taken the guy in the camera shop didn't cut them, he said that embassies in general prefer the photos that way. I posted them off like that but my fiancé (who was selected on the lottey also) had the photos cut to size to send with her forms. Will this matter?