US Greencard Through Diversity Lotto

thenobody

No.
Its probably better to cut them. I couldnt think why they would want them not cut.
I am not sure if you had to sign them too. Hope you did.

I presume you sent it to the consular center and not the embassy. Embassy has nothing to do with it at this stage.

BTW. registered post from an post is useless. The tracking only tracks it until it leaves ireland and then nothing.
I rang them up and the guy could tell me when it was delivered at KCC but online it doesnt tell you anything - unless it has been overhauled since. Took about 3 weeks though.

Aprilmay

baltazar wrote: »

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?

I don't know whether it will matter or not - we had ours cut, you guys were very lucky to be both picked.Did you guys put each other on your forms??? it will be interesting to see who gets their interview assignment first. Congrats
We sent ours by An Post it has changed I have sent parcels to the U.S and always tracked them -they have come on a bit in last couple of years

shadowcomplex

Do you only have to pay the $775 and do the medical once you know you have been selected for a green card, I can't imagine having to pay $775 and the cost of the medical and then its just pot luck whether you'll actually be picked after that

Aprilmay

shadowcomplex wrote: »

Do you only have to pay the $775 and do the medical once you know you have been selected for a green card, I can't imagine having to pay $775 and the cost of the medical and then its just pot luck whether you'll actually be picked after that

You pay the fee the day of the interview in the embassy- you get a copy of the medical results for your own records - so no worries about failing the medical you will know beforehand.To be honest once you have everything with you with regard to your paperwork its pretty straight forward - we were a family of four and I was expecting a grilling and in the end the embassy officer told my husband we got the greencard and that we'd have all our passports in x amount of days.

thenobody

Really?
we never got a copy of the medical results. I dont think you are meant to. You are meant to get a sealed envelope to give to the embassy. You dont get to see the results. the instructions from the embassy when your interview is scheduled is explicit about that. You get the x-rays and need to bring them to the interview (we were never asked for them).

But it is pot luck whether you will be picked after you pay.
The medical (in 2009) is 390euro.
You pay $775 dollars before you have your interview on the day of the interview. Then you have the interview. If you get it its money well spent. If you dont you dont get the money back.
It is all like a bank with teller windows and that is how it all happens. You arent brought into a room or anything.
You wait outside for a while. They let a group in at a time, go through security checks and check in your phone and other stuff. Go up to another room. Get a number. Get called to the window. Pay the money. Get another number. Get called to a window to give your documents and stuff to a person. Wait a while longer. Get called to a window for the interview. Takes 10 - 15 minutes. You know then when over whether you will get it or not. They keep your passport and send it out with the temp visa within a month.

Aprilmay

thenobody wrote: »

Really?
we never got a copy of the medical results. I dont think you are meant to. You are meant to get a sealed envelope to give to the embassy. You dont get to see the results. the instructions from the embassy when your interview is scheduled is explicit about that. You get the x-rays and need to bring them to the interview (we were never asked for them).

But it is pot luck whether you will be picked after you pay.
The medical (in 2009) is 390euro.
You pay $775 dollars before you have your interview on the day of the interview. Then you have the interview. If you get it its money well spent. If you dont you dont get the money back.
It is all like a bank with teller windows and that is how it all happens. You arent brought into a room or anything.
You wait outside for a while. They let a group in at a time, go through security checks and check in your phone and other stuff. Go up to another room. Get a number. Get called to the window. Pay the money. Get another number. Get called to a window to give your documents and stuff to a person. Wait a while longer. Get called to a window for the interview. Takes 10 - 15 minutes. You know then when over whether you will get it or not. They keep your passport and send it out with the temp visa within a month.

Yes you do get a copy of your results for your records - I asked the doctor what if you failed the medical and he said we'd know because we get the copy - you don't get the copy of the x-ray thats in the sealed ones for the embassy.They don't even do the HIV test as part of the medical anymore -they test for syphillis only. I don't think its pot luck if your picked after you pay with the DV -I think if you have everything that they ask for its seems its given, to us it was anyway and we had four times the paperwork and the expense.

thenobody

Well it seems to have changed in the last year cos it was strict that the medical results were only to be opened and seen by the embassy. And they just tell you you failed the medical and nothing more.
X-rays were given to use to give to the embassy - which they never asked for.
Maybe depends on the doctor. Anyway its nothing to worry about.

Oh, i think the vaccinations may cost more. Some are included i think.

Aprilmay

thenobody wrote: »

Well it seems to have changed in the last year cos it was strict that the medical results were only to be opened and seen by the embassy. And they just tell you you failed the medical and nothing more.
X-rays were given to use to give to the embassy - which they never asked for.
Maybe depends on the doctor. Anyway its nothing to worry about.

Oh, i think the vaccinations may cost more. Some are included i think.

Yes our vaccinations where included but I think there were certain vaccines that would have cost more if we needed to have them -one of them was chicken pox (if I remember correctly ) but we had all had them so it was ok.The embassy gave us back our X-rays. We had our medicals last year. I mean they could change their criteria whenever they want as I said the HIV was one test but they have stopped doing that, but who knows they may include it again down the line.

baltazar

Aprilmay wrote: »

I don't know whether it will matter or not - we had ours cut, you guys were very lucky to be both picked.Did you guys put each other on your forms???

We have been submitting separate applications since 2004. Submitting two applications each year doubled our chances I suppose but we never thought that we'd both get selected in the same year. For now we are submitting separate forms but we are getting married this summer so once married I think we will cancel one application and add a spouse to the other.

Im presuming not cutting my photos to size won't rule me out but I'm going to make sure my Fiance's photos are cut to size and signed at the back just in case!!

Jager Man

Submitted my docs today too! The photos were cut out, didn't really have much say in it as I asked for passport photo's and that's what they gave me. Didn't sign the back of them, can't find any direction saying that must be done. Used Fed-x for the post, so I will know when it has been received.

I'll ring in 2-3 weeks to confirm they got the forms and everything is ok. The doctor is 320euro. I rang yesterday to book an appointment in Oct and was told to call back in August....they don't take reservation that far in advance. There's only one doctor per country as far as I can see. Interestingly enough I checked the price for the doctor in Amsterdam and Brussels - both below 100 euro....

In terms of the poverty line issue, I think I'll get my cousin and girlfriend (both in NYC, as am I at present) to fill one out to cover the threshold.

snowy2011

hi guys,

my case number is in the 4000's. does anyone have an idea of what month i may get called?


cheers

Aprilmay

Jager Man wrote: »

Submitted my docs today too! The photos were cut out, didn't really have much say in it as I asked for passport photo's and that's what they gave me. Didn't sign the back of them, can't find any direction saying that must be done. Used Fed-x for the post, so I will know when it has been received.

I'll ring in 2-3 weeks to confirm they got the forms and everything is ok. The doctor is 320euro. I rang yesterday to book an appointment in Oct and was told to call back in August....they don't take reservation that far in advance. There's only one doctor per country as far as I can see. Interestingly enough I checked the price for the doctor in Amsterdam and Brussels - both below 100 euro....

In terms of the poverty line issue, I think I'll get my cousin and girlfriend (both in NYC, as am I at present) to fill one out to cover the threshold.

There's more than one doctor we did our medicals last year the are four or five on the list we got with our instructions-2 in Dublin one in Blackrock Clinic and one in another clinic elsewhere in Dublin- One in Cork -one in Galway.We got the list with our interview assignment date.
I remember on our instructions that we had to sign the back of the photos and put our case number on them.

baltazar

Aprilmay wrote: »

I remember on our instructions that we had to sign the back of the photos and put our case number on them.

I've read through the instructions again and there is definitely no mention of signing the back of the photos. It could be the case that you end up bringing more photos to the embassy for the interview and if so these could possibly be the one's that need to be signed with the case number on the back?

Is it worth following up in a few weeks to ensure that they have received the forms in Kentucky? or is it a case of waiting until they contact me?

Aprilmay

baltazar wrote: »

I've read through the instructions again and there is definitely no mention of signing the back of the photos. It could be the case that you end up bringing more photos to the embassy for the interview and if so these could possibly be the one's that need to be signed with the case number on the back?

Is it worth following up in a few weeks to ensure that they have received the forms in Kentucky? or is it a case of waiting until they contact me?

The photos for the Embassy are different size to the ones you sent to Kentucky. You will need them for your Medicals too- we got ours done in the Frascati Centre the day we had our medicals as the Doctor told us they were the wrong size for our forms- 2X2 inches so slightly bigger than your passport ones.We never followed up with Kentucky we just checked online to see the docs arrived. You will get you instructions for the next stage once its processed and you allotted an Interview.

Jager Man

Forms were received at 2.55 local time today in KY! I'll ring in two/three weeks to make sure all the paper work/ photos are ok.

When should we expect to hear from the Embassy in Dublin?

thenobody

4-6 weeks before interview date.

But now you have to wait for the case number to become current. Watch the monthly visa bulletins. Usually it's for interviews in two months time.

Aprilmay

It was a few weeks before we heard when our interview was - to be honest we weren't sure would would get past that stage because there are 55,000 visa's and 100,000 people are drawn from the lottery -now obviously not everyone who is drawn will send back the forms, but it was a while before we heard and our interview wasn't until the following April.

thenobody

It all depends on your case number. Generally below 27000 for the EU you will get an interview. Above that it will be doubtful.

If your case number is around 20000 expect interview around April or March. Look for the January of Feb bulletins.
If it is in low thousands it will be this side of christmas.

Your case doesnt involve the embassy until your visa place becomes available and they schedule the interview and pass the paperwork to the embassy for them to take over.
There is only certain days and times they do the interviews as well.

baltazar

Anybody know whats up with the State Dept wesbite in teh Entry Status Check part, it's been showing as "we are currently experiencing technical difficulties" for the last few days?

Jager Man

baltazar wrote: »

Anybody know whats up with the State Dept wesbite in teh Entry Status Check part, it's been showing as "we are currently experiencing technical difficulties" for the last few days?

Ughh don't like the look of that! Hope it wasn't hacked or anything, I'm sure it'll be back up in a few days.

Hope I can get some clarification on the time a bit further out, I finish my job in the US mid Sep 2011 so if they want to interview me Oct 1st it'll be a strain to get the doctors cert etc.

I met a person here in NY two weeks ago who told me that he got his Garda cert 3 months before the interview and they made him get another one because it wasn't close enough to the date of the interview!

thenobody

And seen as you are living in the US you will need to get a police cert from there also - and any other country you have lived in.

syd barrett

and i take it the reason the site is down for 2013 is cos its not up til october right? went onto the site to find out last year the final day of entries at 8pm, was absolutely devastated as no where i could have got the photo done in time

thenobody

A camera phone picture would have done! Just upload and cut to sized right.
Its what i did.

syd barrett

thenobody wrote: »

A camera phone picture would have done! Just upload and cut to sized right.
Its what i did.

NOOOOOOOOO, dont tell me that, fair play to ya, i hope it all works out for ya, headin over on the j1 meself in 3 weeks

thenobody

No way I was paying money to get photos done for a free application!!!

Yeah i won it (got "selected") a few years ago and have been in the states since 2009.

syd barrett

what put me off was some fella said in some forum that it would take a while and the server could have been down, all that jazz, bullin i just missed it, sure theres always this october, thats when its on right?

thenobody

Why would that put you off?? thats mad. Only takes 3 minutes to go through it and never heard of any server issues. And its free.
Two months to do it - could be one month now.

syd barrett

well now i know, cheers for the heads up, where does one find the link to the site now? or is it a dead site til october?>

thenobody

http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/

syd barrett

cheers, its down at the moment but i imagine it will be back up closer to the date