U.S visa status

The DS-260 form, also known as the Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, is a crucial document that must be completed accurately for your Diversity Visa (DV) interview. This guide is on how to fill out the DS-260 form correctly. The principal applicant and all family members applying for a diversity visa program must complete Form DS-260. You will need to enter your DV case number into the online DS-260 form to access and update the information about yourself and your family that you included in your DV entry.

If your family circumstances have changed after you entered the Diversity Visa program, for example, if you have gotten married or had a child, you will need to add your new family members to your case. (“Family member” refers to a spouse and/or unmarried children who had not reached age 21 before you entered the DV program.) When adding family members to your case, you will need to upload a document to prove your relationship to the family member being added.

How to Fill Out the DS-260 Form Correctly

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to fill out the DS-260 form correctly:

• Step 1: Access the DS-260 Form

Go to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website. Select the option for “DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application“ and enter your Case Number.

• Step 2: Personal Information

Provide your personal information, including your full name, date of birth, place of birth, and nationality. Enter your passport information, including the passport number, issuing country, and expiration date.

• Step 3: Address and Phone Number

Enter your current address and phone number. If your address changes before your interview, update this information in the DS-260 form.

• Step 4: Marital Status and Family Information

Indicate your marital status and provide information about your spouse and children (if applicable). Include their full names, dates of birth, and passport information.

• Step 5: Previous U.S. Travel Information

Provide details about any previous travel to the United States, including the purpose of your visit, dates of travel, and locations visited.

• Step 6: Work/Education/Training Information

Provide details about your work, education, and training history. Include your current employer or school, as well as any previous employers or schools.

• Step 7: Security and Background Information

Answer questions about your background, including criminal history, immigration violations, and other relevant information.

• Step 8: Medical and Health Information

Answer questions about your medical history, including any physical or mental health conditions that may require treatment in the United States.

• Step 9: Miscellaneous Information

Provide any additional information that may be relevant to your visa application, such as previous visa denials or other immigration issues.

• Step 10: Review and Submit

Review all the information you have entered on the DS-260 form carefully to ensure it is accurate and complete.

Click the “Sign and Submit Application” button to submit your DS-260 form. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation page with a barcode. Print this page and bring it to your DV interview.

Be aware that KCC can only tell you if your form has been processed. KCC cannot tell you whether or not you or your family members are eligible for diversity visas. Only the consular officer who interviews you can make that decision.

Note: On the Sign and Submit page of the DS-260, you will need to re-enter your DV case number without the zeros (e.g. if the case number is 2023AF0000012345, enter ‘2023AF12345’). Entering the full case number with zeros will generate a validation error.

In Conclusion:

Filling out the DS-260 form correctly is essential for your DV interview. By following these steps and providing accurate information, you can increase your chances of a successful visa application process. Once you’ve submitted the DS-260 online, you must print the confirmation page so you can bring it to your visa interview at the U.S. consulate in your country.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

If you have checked the DV-2025 Diversity Visa Lottery results and discovered that you have been selected, congratulations! This is just the first step in the process. After checking for your DV-2025 lottery result, below are what you need to do next:

Step 1: Checking Your Diversity Visa Lottery Results

After checking the DV-2025 Lottery results online, and discovered that you have been selected, you will need to proceed for further processing.

Step 2: Complete the DS-260 Form

If you have been selected, you will need to complete the DS-260 form (Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application). This form collects information about you and your eligibility for the Diversity Visa program.

Read: How to Fill Out the DS-260 Form Correctly for Your DV Interview

Step 3: Gather Required Documents

You will need to gather various documents to support your application, including:

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Marriage certificate (if applicable)
• Police certificates
• Medical examination records
• Other supporting documents as requested

Step 4: Attend the Visa Interview

Once you have submitted the DS-260 form and gathered all required documents, you will be scheduled for a visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate in your country. During the interview, a consular officer will determine if you are eligible for a visa.

Step 5: Receive Your Visa

If your visa application is approved, you will receive your visa, along with a sealed packet containing your documents. Do not open the sealed packet. You will need to present it to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer when you arrive in the United States.

Step 6: Travel to the United States

Once you have received your visa, you can make travel arrangements to the United States. You must travel and enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa.

Step 7: Adjust Your Status

After arriving in the United States, you will need to adjust your status to become a lawful permanent resident. This process involves submitting additional forms and documents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

These are steps to follow after checking for your DV-2025 lottery result.

In Summary

Diversity Visa Program involves:

• Submit an Entry.
• Selection of Applicants.
• If You Are Selected.
• Confirm Your Qualifications.
• Submit Your Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application.
• Submit Supporting Documents.
• Interview.
• Prepare for the Interview.

In Conclusion:

Winning the DV-2025 Lottery is an exciting opportunity, but it also comes with several important steps and requirements. By following the instructions provided and preparing thoroughly, you can navigate the process successfully and start your new life in the United States. It is important to remember that selection does not guarantee you will receive a visa. In order to receive a DV to immigrate to the United States, selectees must still meet all eligibility requirements under U.S. law.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. Please ignore any sites, organization or anyone asking or demanding any form of payment from you, for jobs or visa preparations. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

There are documents that you need as the principal applicant and documents that are needed by the derivatives for DV Interview. Some are needed by the principal applicants and will not be needed by the derivatives. Read this guide to the end and understand this.

Specific Proof Documents For Principal Applicant For DV Interview

Below are those documents needed by the principal applicant for DV interview:

Birth certificate: The original birth certificate, and the notarized one.

Passport: This passport should be valid, it should be valid beyond six months after the interview.

Marriage Certificate: This document is for those married principal applicants, they need the marriage certificate, both the original and the notarized. Some few consulates will not request of the notarized, but you need the notarized marriage certificate as a requirement.

Police Clarence Certificate: The principal applicant will need the Police Clarence Certificate. Read this guide on the Police Clarence Certificate.

There are four places from where you will need the Police Clarence Certificate.

1. The first place is the country of your birth. If you have lived in the country and you are above the 16 years of age in the country of your birth, then you need a police clearance certificate from that country, even if at the moment you’re not living in your country of birth.
2. The second place is all the past countries that you’ve lived for more than 12 months, if you are above the age of 16.
3. The third one is the country of current residence, the country in which you are living at the moment and you have lived for more than six. If you have lived for more than six months in the current country of residence, you need the police clearance certificate. This is the country in which you are not born.
4. The fourth one, this one does not depend on the time you’ve lived there. If you have ever been convicted in a country, regardless of the time that you’ve lived there, even if it is one week or one day or two weeks or one month or three months, you need to get a police clearance certificate from that country.

Academic Documents

The other document needed by the principal applicant are the academic documents. For the high school diploma, you have to notarize it. Any other academic document above high school, it’s not a must that you notarize, but for the high school, it is a must.

Second Notification Letter

The other document that the principal applicant need is the second notification letter printed in hard copy.

Confirmation Page of the DS-260 form

The other document is the confirmation page of the DS-260 form printed in hard copy. Read more on Confirmation Page of the DS-260 form here.

Court Records: The other document is the court records. If you have ever been convicted, you need the court records, notarized.

Military Document: If you’ve ever served in a military, you need those notarized documents.

There are other documents that are needed by the principal applicant, but they are not listed in the checklist, and they are very important documents.

• Translated Documents

The first one is a notarized copy of the translated documents. If the embassy you are attending your interview is in a different language from the language in your country, the language in which your documents are printed, then you need to translate the documents and they should be notarized. That applies to the principal applicants that are doing their interviews on different country that has different language system from what their documents are printed in.

• Affidavit of Support

The other one that you would need is the Affidavit of Support. The Affidavit of Support needed for the diversity visa is the Form I-134, not Form I-864.

Yes the diversity visa is an immigrant visa, but for this, the document needed is Form I-134. It is Form I-134, not I-864. The accompanying documents to the Form I-134 are:

• the tax transcript,
• form of identification for the sponsor (either the passport, the naturalization document, the driver’s license, etc) and
• the recent pay slips.

Form DS-5535

The other document required for some few embassies is the form DS-5535. This form is not a must because it is a form for additional information that you could have left when filling the DS-260 form, like the social media account, the relative information and everything. But it’s not a must in some embassies. You are free to go with it, just to be safe, if your embassy has that habit of requesting for that.

Then some few embassies in Africa as well, we require an affidavit to show that you are single, if you’re not a married main applicant. If you are a single, they require some certificate from the government registry to prove that you are single.

For the principal applicant, those were the main documents that are needed for their DV interview.

Specific Proof Documents For The Derivatives For DV Interview

On the side of the derivatives, there are documents that the principal should have, but the derivatives should not. Below is outline of what they will need:

• They will need the birth certificate, original and notarized.
• They will need the passports.
• They will need the police clearance certificate, if they are above the age of 16, and they will follow all the instructions about the police clearance certificate.
• They will have their confirmation pages printed in hard copy. As the principal applicant, you also need to print the confirmation pages for the derivatives because they will need those documents.

In Conclusion

Emphasizing on the affidavit of support, the affidavit of support is only needed by the principal applicant. The derivatives, they don’t need to have that document. Because the affidavit of support, as filled by the sponsor, it has the principal applicant and the derivatives listed in there. So only one affidavit of support for the principal applicant, and it will stand for the derivatives.

I hope you’ve gotten what is needed as per the document.

Question: My parents name are misspelled on my birth certificate, should i get a new one?

Answer: Yes if possible.

Question: Do I still need to fill affidavit of support form I-134 for the interview if I am sponsoring myself as a dv winner?

Answer: No, just get the bank statements to show your savings.

Question: If someone goes to the dv interview with the transcripts, meaning he’s still at the university, is he still required to present the notary certificate for the transcripts at the university?

Answer: No, just use your high school certificate, just simply. No difference.

Question: What if your host is one of your family members, do you need that I-134 form??

Answer: Yes, you need it and rest of documents required.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

Passport for DV: After the DV lottery results are out, and you are among the selectee (i.e you won), the next thing is filling the DS-260 form.

Individual that are selected in the DV lottery and are waiting for their interviews, yet they don’t have this document, i.e the passport, this article will discuss about the passport for those that are waiting for the DV results and the passport throughout the whole process.

• Those waiting for the DV results

The concern around the passport, famously known as the travel document, is brought about by the fact that majority of you that are waiting for the results don’t have their passports ready. That’s what raises the anxiety.

Can you be able to fill the DS-260 form, even without the passport? That is the travel document.

The answer is yes, you can fill the DS-260 form even without the passport. Answering this question professionally or technically is that you need the travel document for you to successfully and can fully fill the DS-260 form and submit it. You need the travel document. There is that section where you’re supposed to fill the travel documents. You as the principal applicant and also in the DS-260s of the derivatives, there is a section that you’re supposed to fill in that information.

Therefore, a solid or the best answer to the question, Must you have the travel document in order to fill the DS-260 form? Yes, you need that document.

Immediately after filling the application, the DV Lottery application, if you are hopeful for the results to be positive, that is, you get selected, it is good that you start preparing or applying for the passport immediately. The reason is because, in some countries, there might be delays in getting the passport.

You would have ample time to apply and get it before the results are out. The passport in many countries, they don’t expire within a short time. They go up to 10 years of expiry. Even if you apply and you’re not successful during this DV Lottery, then apply the next DV Lottery and you get successful, then your passport will still be there with you. It is not a must that you have it for you to fill the DS-260 form.

What are you supposed to do? How do you go around the passport?

You might be knowing that you can use other travel documents if they are availed in your country. But if you don’t have the alternatives, what you’re supposed to do in that slot where you place your passport number, you can use any other document identifying you. For example, your national identification number, you can use maybe your baptism number or you can use whichever number that identifies you. Then you submit your DS-260 form.

This is important for those that have derivatives as well. If your derivatives are the ones without the passport, then you can use whichever documents that identify them in that regard, and then submit the document, the DS-260 form.

If it is your child and is not yet up to the age that he or she can obtain your national ID, then you can use your national ID as the principal applicant in their place, and then submit the DS-260 form. Because the point is to submit the DS-260 form early enough because the DS-260 forms are always processed in the order of their submission. So submitting early, that is the point.

Even if you don’t have the passport document, fill it using whichever identification number and then apply for the passport. Then afterwards, after you’ve gotten your travel documents, then you come back, request for the unlock from KCC, and then update the DS-260 forms.

• The second concern, the passport

This is for those that are already scheduled for the interviews and they don’t have the passport. The concern is, can they attend the interview even without the passport? The absolute answer is no. You can’t attend the interview without the passport. Why?

Because if you go through the interview you successfully and you get your visa approved, the visa itself is stamped onto the pages of the passport. If you don’t have a passport, where will they stamp that visa? It is a must that you go to the interview with your passport. If you don’t have the passport, you don’t have an option but to reschedule your interview to a later date when you will have your passport documents.

Even if you attend the interview, it won’t be successful without the passport. You will have to present the passport.

Having your passports ready with you, has a great deal of advantages.

1. You won’t be required to unlock your DS-260 forms for any update around the travel document section.
2. Having your passport gives you an upper end over those without, when it comes to opportunities. When you get an opportunity, then you are easier to relocate than those without.

Remember, there are many avenues to the United States, various visa to the United States. Even moving to other countries where you would like to, you need the passport. You have an advantage.

3. It does not expire soon, you can just apply, be with it and be trying those opportunities. Once you get it, you are just ready because you have the passport.

Question: What if the passport number I used for dv application expired and I got a new one, can I use the old passport number or the renewed passport number?

Answer: Change to the new one. You have to do it.

Question: WHEN YOU UNLOCK THE DS-260, AFTER GETTING THE PASSPORT, WILL IT NOT DELAY THE PROCESS TO GET 2NL??

Answer: No

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

The Visa Bulletin for May 2024 that should be released in this month of April was released few days ago. This article will focus on details/analysis concerning the June 2024 cut-off numbers in the DV-2024 program.

Before you proceed, read this: Visa Bulletin For May 2024 and Cut-Off Numbers for June 2024 Published

Though the cut-off numbers in this year’s program is on a low, generally. The reason why, for those who are not aware of that reason, it stems from caution being applied by the visa office as a result of the unfortunate experience that they had at the end of the DV-2023 program.

Just to recall, last year, around the month of July, we saw a close to reaching the total number of visas that should have been issued out in the DV-2023 program. Unfortunately, those who should have been monitoring the statistics of the DV-2023 program were not doing their work as it were.

It happened that the program issued out nearly all of the 55,000 visas very early in the month of September, whereas KCC had already served so any interview notifications for the remaining three weeks in that month. So only one week into the month of September, the DV-2023 program came to an abrupt end, and all of the interviews that that had been scheduled for the rest of the month of September were canceled.

For DV-2024 applicants, it’s very likely that the Visa Office would apply caution when it comes to moving the cut-off numbers related to the DV-2024 program. On the overall, that is what we have experienced, and that’s the primary reason why we have the low movements in the cut-up numbers in the just released visa bulletin.

There are other reasons which concern specific regions like the Asia and the Europe regions. But when it comes to the overall slow movements or low movements in the cut-up numbers in the DV-2024 program, including what we just experienced, then it is due to the caution that is being applied by the visa office as a result of their bad experience with the DV-2023 program.

It is true that some people would like to see the cut-off numbers in the visa bulletin increase at a faster pace. But you should also understand that the diversity visa program operates in a specific context. There is a limited number of visas to be issued out every year, and those running the program take that into consideration, when it comes to moving the cut-off numbers.

Then, in addition to that, their bad experience with the DV-2023 program has also caused them to ensure that that mistake from the DV-2023 program is not repeated in the DV-2024 program.

So it is true that you would like to see the cut-off number move at a faster pace, but you should also take this into consideration. The big question which some people will be asking, based on the caution being applied by the visa office based on their experience with the DV-2023 program, is what to expect, will this continue? Will the low movements in the cut-off numbers continue up to the end of the DV-2024 program?

Those questions will be answered in upcoming articles.

Concerning the first of those four cut-up numbers, we have already experienced what we expected. When it comes to the remaining three, in the next Visa Bulletin, the low cut-off number of movements may continue. It is in the final two Visa Bulletins that the change actually occur.

Those are thoughts concerning the just-released Visa Bulletin, as well as upcoming Visa Bulletins in the DV-2024 program.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

The much-awaited Visa Bulletin For May 2024 has now been released with the cut-off numbers that have been established for the month of June 2024 as part of the DV-2024 program.

Let’s now go over to the advanced notification section of the bulletin and consider the June cut-off numbers. Below are the June 2024 cut-off numbers:

The Africa region was previously established at 52,000. For the month of June, it has been increased to 57,000. This means that case numbers from the Africa region that have just become current are case numbers from 52,000 to 56,999.

In the case of the Asia region, the cut-off number for the month of May was 8,000. For the month of June, it has been increased to 9,000. So the case numbers from the Asia region that have just become current are case numbers going from case number 8,000 to 8,999.

In the case of the Europe region, for the month of May, the cut-off number established was 18,000, and for the month of June, it has been increased to 21,000. This means that the case numbers from the Europe region that have just become current are case numbers going from case number 18,000 to case number 20,999.

In the case of the North America region, the cut-off number for the month of May has been maintained for the month of June, and that cut-off number is 15. So the case numbers that were previously current from the North America region are the case numbers that remain current for the month of June.

To Oceania region, the previous cut-off number for the Oceania region was 1,650. For the month of June, it has been increased to 1,850, which means that the case numbers that have just become current are case numbers from case number 1,650 to case number 1,849.

Then in the case of the South America region, the total number that was previously established was 2,600, which was for the month of May. For the month of June, it has been increased to 2,750, making the case numbers that have just become current from the sub-American region to be case numbers from case number 2,600 to 2,749.

Then in the case of the exception countries, Algeria was previously at 51,000. It has been increased to 56,950. Egypt was previously at 32,000, that is for the month of May. It has been maintained at 32,000 for the month of June. Morocco was previously at 35,000. That is for the month of May, and it has been increased to 41,500 for the month of June.

Then to the exception countries from the Asia region, that is Iran and Nepal, both of those exception countries were previously at 7,100. That’s their cut-off number for the month of May, and that cut-off number has been increased to 8,500 for each one of those exception countries from the Asia region for the month of June.

Finally to the Europe region where previously, that is for the month of May the cut-off number established for Russia was 17,750, and for the month of June, it has been increased to 20,240. Then the final exception country from the Europe region, Uzbekistan, made cut-off number was at 8,000, and that cut-off number has been increased to 9,000 for the month of June.

Those are the cut-off numbers to apply during the month of June 2024, as well as the case numbers that just became current in the DV-2024 program. In an upcoming article, we will have the time to take a closer look at those numbers.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

What happens if you fail the medical exams or one of your derivatives fails the medical exams? This is what we are going to learn in this guide.

Note: United States government is very strict and very serious when it comes to immigration. They have to put every individual, every person that wants to immigrate to the United States through several exams, several checks. You have to pass these tests for you to be allowed entry into the United States.

For you to become admissible to the U.S, you have to pass through these tests and be approved:

• You will be put to thorough security check

They will scrutinize the form that you submitted, for the diversity visa, it is the DS-260 form. They will have to go through every information presented in there and do a background check about every information that you have put there to ensure that you are approved security wise, you are not a threat, you don’t pose any harm.

• You have to be put through social examination

You have to be socially clean. They will check through your media, everything that you present online. What kind of content do you create? Is it harmful? Does it cause any interference socially? You have to pass that.

• You have to pass the veracity check

You have to provide all the information voraciously. Truthfulness is what is required. By this, you are supposed not to lie about nothing. Talk truthfully about your marital status. Talk truthfully about your kids and your children’s, your dependents. Talk truthfully about your academic background. Talk truthfully about your travel history. It is very important, you have to be truthful, and you have to pass that.

You have to be clean when it comes to legal issues, the civil issues, you should have not committed certain crimes. You should be clean with no criminal record that will make you inadmissible to the United States.

• You have to pass the medical exam

You have to be medically clean or medically approved. Everything that is listed by the center for Disease Control in the United States regarding the health of all immigrants, you have to pass that. You have to be medically approved.

What happens if you yourself as the principal applicant, the main applicant or one of your derivatives fails to pass the medical examination?

First of all, after you receive the 2NL, the famous second verification letter, there are several things that you are supposed to do, i.e Pre-Interview.

• You need to register your interview online if your embassy requires you to.
• You’re supposed to verify your academic documents.
• You are supposed to book a medical examination appointment for you and all your derivatives.

You attend the medical examination with all the members of your family. That is the nuclear family, the immediate family, the spouse and the kids that qualify.

When you attend the medical examination, you as the main applicant, together with the derivatives, will have to go through the medical examination. This medical facility that you are supposed to attend for your medical examination has to be the one approved by the United States government. You have to go to that.

What that facility is mandated to do, is to ensure that everyone that is applying for immigration passes all the medical tests, all the medical examinations, as listed by the CDC. They will examine you and also the derivatives.

You as the principal applicant, you have to pass all the medical examination. You should not be having any communicable diseases, for example, the tuberculosis and also the gonorrhea, etc. You have not to have those diseases that are of public harm as listed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).

You also have to be mentally fit. You should not have a mental condition that has a record of you causing harm to the public. You should not be a drug addict. You should not be taking these drugs that are not required. If you pass those tests, then your examination is successful.

Your derivatives will have to pass through the medical check and also pass all those checks. Then they will give you or administer to you and all your beneficiaries, all the required vaccinations that you might not be having.

Having passed all those checks, everyone of you will be eligible to go for the interview.

What If You Or Your Derivative Fail Medical Exams? What happens if one of you fails the medical exam? Will it affect the entire case?

• For Principal applicant

If the principal applicant is found with these communicable diseases and therefore not qualified, he will not be qualified for a visa. You will be inadmissible into the United States.

Therefore, since he is or she is the principal applicant, he fails the entire family of getting the visa because he is the one that was selected. He’s the one that is the principal applicant. So every other person cannot get a visa because the principal applicant has failed the medical exam.

• When it comes to the derivatives

If one of the derivatives fails the medical exam, maybe he or she is found with the communicable disease or those other diseases that makes you inadmissible into United States. If one of your derivatives face the medical exam, the principal applicant passes, together with the rest of the family members, the one that failed the medical exam is the one that will get the visa refused. But the rest, the principal applicant plus the rest that have passed the medical check will get their visas approved on a successful interview.

If a beneficiary fails the medical exam, then the principal applicant, together with the others that have passed, will continue to the interview and their visas will be approved. Whereas the one who failed the medical exam will have his or her visa not approved.

That mean the principal plus those who qualified will proceed into the United States, minus this one that did not qualify. If a beneficiary fails the medical exam, it does not affect the whole family. But if the principal applicant fails the medical exam, then he or she affects the entire family in this regard.

Bonus Tip

If you check your Diversity visa lottery result and you are selected, ensure that you together with your family, go for early diagnostic check to know whether you have all these diseases that can render you inadmissible to United States.

Get diagnosed early, so that you may start treatment early enough, such that when the interview comes or the medical examination comes, you might have been through with the treatment or you might be almost through with the treatment, and by so doing, you make your case safe.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

This is yet another crucial document in the DV process, the DS-260 confirmation page. It is officially known as the Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Confirmation page.

DS-260 Confirmation Page

What is DS-260 Confirmation Page? That document is the page that you get once you have completed filling the DS-260 form and you’ve clicked on “submit”, after submitting, then that page comes.

Question: When you complete and submit your DS-260 form, do you receive an email to confirm that you have submitted that DS-260 form?

Answer: Many people receives an email to affirm that, but also many people claim they do not receive that email. The confirmation page, as seen above, comes to confirm that you have successfully submitted the DS-260 form to the KCC.

DS-260 Confirmation Page Sample

Below is the DS-260 Confirmation Page sample:

It’s a two pager, as can see, it have immigrant visa and alien registration application confirmation. So it confirms that you have submitted the DS-260 form. Its states:

“You have successfully submitted an immigrant visa and alien registration application form, i.e from DS-260. This is a confirmation approved that you have submitted your DS-260 form to KCC.”

Still on the DS-260 Confirmation Page

As you can see above, it has a barcode with unique number to you as the applicant, and all the beneficiaries will have the DS-260 forms and will have their unique number.

Having said that, remember that you are supposed to fill the DS-260 form yourself as the principal applicant together with each member of your family. So you fill your DS-260 form and then add another DS-260 form for each member of the family.

What this mean is that, if you have a spouse, you add DS-260 form for the spouse. Fill up all the details that are needed and then click “submit” and you will have a “confirmation page” for that spouse. The same case applies to the kids. Each one should have his or her own DS-260 form and eventually their own “DS-260 conformation page”.

If you are a family of three, you will have three DS-260 confirmation pages. Only the principal applicants will not fill the DS-260 form.

Where does this DS-260 confirmation page apply?

As you can see above, they tell you to print out this confirmation page. Every DS-260 confirmation page for each and every person of your family should be printed out. You should print it in several copies because of the several areas you will have to use this confirmation page.

On the same note, remember that you will need the confirmation page, most importantly, during these two places:

First place: The DS-260 confirmation page together with other documents will be needed during the medical examination. Once you receive your second notification letter and you have booked a medical appointment, you will need to carry with you the requested documents (among those requested documents is the confirmation page of the DS-260 form).

So you will carry your confirmation page together with those of your family members. Make sure you print several copies for each one of them because you need them during the medical examination.

Second place: You will this confirmation pages during the DV lottery interview itself. You will need all the confirmation pages for the DS-260 form during the interview. This is a confirmation that you indeed submitted the year DS-260 form, and you will be requested for it during the interview, so carry with you alongside other documents while going to the DV lottery interview.

In conclusion

DS-260 Confirmation Page/document is very important. It is highly advisable that you print this page, once you have submitted the DS-260 form, you print it immediately. However, it is not that it is a must that you do that, because when you visit this page and key in your details, you can access the page. So any time you want to print it, you can access it. But. It is highly advisable that you print it immediately.

This guide have explained important things regarding the DS-260 confirmation page, which have you know now, all the days DS-260 forms that you need and you know everything regarding that.

Thank you for reading this guide.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

DV Interview scheduling reports: This guide will explain what the interview scheduling reports are all about, and using examples, you will know how you can use these interview scheduling reports.

Note: Concerning the different case number ranges that are reported in the various interview scheduling reports. The case number ranges in the interview scheduling reports are actually case numbers that appear or that are shown the CEAC data. Most of you are aware that at the end of the working week, Xarthisius extracts the data from the CEAC website, and posts on their website. It is the case number ranges that are shown in the CEAC data that Xarthisius extracts that are present in the interview scheduling reports.

One reality that you should be aware of is that, all of that data is imported into this CEAC system by data entry workers at the U.S State Department. At the end of the working week, their staff enters the data. It is possible for the interview scheduling range that is reported for an embassy to not reflect the reality.

In other words, in the DV interview scheduling report, you may have a case number range that is lower than the actual case number range where interviews are being scheduled.

Over the weekend, those who enter the data in the CEAC system do not work, but when they resume work the following week, they continue from where they start. And so, generally, if at the end of one week, the exact situation or the reality is not presented in the interview scheduling report, the following week, the update will have been done and what you will get at the end of that second week will be the reality.

The CEAC data that Xarthisius extracts and posts on their website contains data related to interview scheduling. The importance of that data for you, a diversity visa applicant, is to give you an idea of how far or how close interview scheduling is from your case number.

For example, in the interview scheduling report, if Nairobi is currently at the 42,000 case number range, it tells applicants who are with case numbers just above 42,000 case number range that interview scheduling has come close to their case number range and that soon they can expect to be scheduled for interview.

It also indicates to those applicants assigned to the embassy in Nairobi with much higher case numbers, e.g 80,000 case number range, for example, that interview scheduling is still far from their case number, and so they cannot expect to be scheduled for interview soon.

That is how you should understand or interpret the various case number ranges that are present in the interview scheduling reports every weekend.

It doesn’t only concern your case number, the Interview scheduling reports also reflect the performance and the prospects of the embassy where you are assigned. How does that work? The time that interview scheduling takes at a certain case number range at an embassy, is an indication of the performance and the prospects for interview at that embassy.

For example, for Accra embassy, since the first CEAC data were released at the beginning of this year, Accra has been at 3,704, that’s the highest case number that have so far been at the Accra Embassy. And for the last three months, Accra has remained at that same position. That is an indication that the Accra Embassy is not performing well.

In addition to that, that is also an indication that prospects for interview at the Accra Embassy are bad. That’s another way you can use interview scheduling at your embassy as a diversity visa applicant.

With that, there should be no need why applicants should continue to ask concerning their chances of interview at this embassy or at the other embassy. Both the interview scheduling reports and the embassy prospects report should indicate to you as a diversity visa applicant, your chances of being scheduled for interview or the prospects of you being scheduled for interview, at each one of the various embassies represent in these reports.

That is how you should use DV interview scheduling as a diversity visa applicant.

In case you are in the position to access the CEAC data and see how far interview scheduling is at your embassy on a regular basis, say on a weekly basis, then it’s okay. But in case you cannot do that for yourself, perhaps you do not have the time, then the easier option will be to follow the interview scheduling report here because just by reading for a few minutes, you will have an idea of whether interview scheduling has taken a step closer to your case number range.

You will have an idea of your prospects or your chances for interview being assigned at your embassy.

Also, this concerns all regions, not just the Africa region, using Nairobi and Accra as examples, if you are not assigned at that embassy, all you need to do is to apply the concept to your own case. That is how it works.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

Don’t do the following things, it will harm you when it comes to the Diversity Visa interview because you will get your visa refused and some of them will block you from ever entering the United States.

Are you a DV winner or are you waiting for the DV results, and you are hoping to become a selectee? Are you waiting for the 2NL? Are you waiting for the visa? Therefore the following things, if you intend to do them, they will utterly harm you.

Things That Will Deny You The Diversity Visa During the Interview

• Don’t overstay your United States visa or don’t overstay any other countries visa

If you are on a visit visa and that visa has given you a step period of maybe two months, don’t exceed. The date was supposed to be out of the United States and ensure you are out of the United States. If you are there on a business visa and there are terms and conditions of up to when, if you are on any other visa, visit visa, tour visa or any other visa, and there is a time period because it is a nonimmigrant visa, just stay within that time period and be out of the United States once the time expires.

By so doing, you will be safe, if you dare overstay, that will ruin your chances, and it will most likely prevent you from ever being to the United States. So don’t overstay your visa.

• Never force a marriage

This might affect a majority of the selectees or the DV winners, never forced a marriage. This applies to all those who applied a single. If you applied a single, and definitely life must continue as usual, if the relationship that you are taking yourself into will end up being fraud, don’t involve yourself in that.

If you applied a single, you end up getting engaged and you want to add this as your spouse after you’ve married, it is very much subjective, meaning that you have to really prove to the consulate or the embassy that it is not fraud, though it’s not an easy thing.

The only way it can successful, based from the previous experiences, is when the affected parties had documents to prove the existing relationship that can lead to marriage even before they were selected, even before they won DV lottery. If they can provide that, then they will approve for their visas. That is the only way that you can prove that this is not fraud, you are not forcing a marriage.

Let no one tell you to get married because they want to go to the United States, you will ruin your chance. Don’t get into that trap. If you applied a single, just continuous single, even if you end up in the United States, you can still come back and arrange for that marriage, but not within that period if you know it can affect you.

If you don’t have the proof documents, printed documents to show that there was a legit relationship, even before that, then don’t try to force a marriage. Also, if you applied as married because you are living together and you have kids, and according to your customs, you were married, only that you don’t have any legal documents like a marriage certificate to prove that, then that is a different one.

You can just obtain the marriage certificate because you have enough evidence to prove that, then go ahead with that process as married, because you are married locally within your customs, only that you need to legalize it using a formal document.

• Don’t commit crimes

Remember there are three categories of crimes that are really detrimental or can really be detrimental to your visa process. These three crimes, they include,

1. Aggravated felonies.
2. Crime involving moral turpitude.
3. Crime involving illegal drugs.

The aggravated felonies, according to the United States, is when you try to do something that will harm people, for example, murder or drug trafficking, that also falls under aggravated felony. Maybe trying to force a fraud, you want to con someone, you want to harm that person. Don’t commit that type of crime.

Also that the crimes involving the moral turpitude, they also are those illegal intentions that you have upon someone. Maybe you are planning to murder someone. You are planning to steal from someone, you are planning to maybe commit a sexual offense against someone, you are planning or intending to cause harm to the public. Don’t do that, it will affect your visa.

Then we also have those crimes around the drug trafficking, drug abuse. If you are found or if you commit a crime that involves drug trafficking, illegal drug trafficking, then you will have no chances. So don’t commit these crimes if you want to get a successful interview. Just protect yourself against these crimes. Play it safe, be a good person, that is all it requires.

• Social media

Remember, when filling the DS-260 form, you are supposed to list all the social media accounts that you have, if you don’t list, you are risking your chance. You cannot hide. Just list everything that you have on the internet.

When you have this account, don’t dare post any harmful content, either to a minor or any harmful content to any person in the public, or any harmful content towards the United States. Don’t post any criminal content in that social media. Don’t post any content that causes terrorism. Anything that puts or poses a threat on the United States, don’t dare do that. Anything that you post that causes or poses harm on the United States will cost you your visa, so don’t dare do that.

Those are just some of the things that we’re not supposed to do, though, there are also others.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice. If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.

DV 2024 cut-off numbers Issue: We are now aware of the cut-off number that have been established in the DV 2024 program for the month of May 2024, as published in the Diversity Visa Bulletin For April 2024.

What those cut-off numbers have done is, they have established fear in the minds of so many diversity visa applicants, and that is the case because of two reasons.

The first reason is that most applicants expected the cut-off number for their region to go beyond where they were actually established for the month of May. And then in addition to that, some people has already established what they believe will be the final cut-off numbers in the DV 2024 program. Accordingly, that was based on the DV 2024 CEAC data.

Note: The CEAC data or the data of a DV program is not the only factor that determines the final cut-off numbers of that program. There are other factors that could override the data, and that have been seen different times. So anyone who limits himself to the data of the program to determine what the final cut-off numbers will have one of these three problems.

The first problem that such a person could have is that they may be new to the diversity visa program. The second problem that such a person may have, is that they base their reasoning more on theory than on what happens in practice. If that is not the case, then such a person does not learn from past experience. So it is either one of those three problems that such a person, a person who bases their reasoning only on the data has.

There are other factors that could play a part in determining the final cut-off numbers in the Diversity Visa Program:

The first of those factors that could influence the final cut of numbers in the diversity visa program is the approach that is taken by those who are in charge of running the program. What does this mean? Data in the diversity visa program is important. In case those who are running the program have a certain approach, that approach is going to override what the data is suggesting.

A notable instance was the end of the DV 2023 program. When the data was showing that they had reached the 55,000 visas to be issued out, those who were running the program were still sending out interview notifications to applicants. Was it the right thing to do? No, it was not the right thing to do, but it was what was done. So not always what the data suggests, not always what should happen ends up happening.

Sometimes, the approach that is being applied by those who are running the program could overrun what should happen, could overrun what the data are suggesting. That is one thing that you must get clear as a diversity visa applicant.

Another factor that could influence the final cut-off numbers in the diversity visa program is policy. The movements in the diversity visa cut-off numbers are a very effective way of implementing policy. Let’s take this example, In case the State Department wants a certain number of applicants to be interviewed at a certain time during the fiscal year. They don’t have to go through any difficulty. They will simply play with the numbers, play with the number of the region concerned, and they get what they want.

If, for example, they want to reduce the number of applicants from a specific region, all they need to do will be to keep the number of that region low. At the end of the day, many applicants from that region will not be interviewed, and that policy will be implemented. Their goal will be achieved.

On the other hand, in case they want a high number of applicants from a certain region, all they need to do is to push the numbers further. They are going to get so many applicants current, and those applicants will end up being interviewed, and they get what they want.

So, considering only the data to draw conclusions as it relates to the final cut-off numbers in the diversity visa program is not an effective way of getting to know the final cut-off numbers. Any of those other factors above could overrun what the data is saying, and what will happen will not be in line with what the data suggests it originally.

Based on past experience, in case you have been following a diversity visa program, you will realize that the data is not the only factor that affects the determination of the final cut-off number.

There is another reason why you cannot wholly rely on the data in the current context of the diversity visa program, when it comes to determining the final cut-off number in this year’s program. Next post will expose other reasons to you.

But this was just to say to you that data in the current context of the diversity visa program is not the only factor that could influence the determination of the final cut-off number. Look out for that other post which exposes the next reason why you cannot wholly rely on data in the current context of the diversity visa program.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

The Diversity Visa Bulletin For April 2024, which should be published in this month of March 2024, has been published. This Diversity Visa Bulletin For April 2024 shows the cut-off numbers to apply in the diversity visa program during the month of May 2024, as well as the case numbers that have just become “Current” as a result of the release of this bulletin.

Diversity Visa Bulletin For April 2024 and Cut-Off Numbers for May 2024 Analysis

Below is the Diversity Visa advanced notification section of the just released visa bulletin and the details:

As you can see from the above image, the cut-off number that has been established for the Africa region for the month of May is 52,000. It was previously at 45,000. This means that case numbers from the Africa region that have just become “Current” are case numbers from 45,000 to 51,999.

In the case of the Asia region, the cut-off number that has been established is 8,000. Previously, it was 7,000. The case numbers that have just become “Current” are case numbers from 7,200 to 7,999.

In the case of the Europe region, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of May is 18,000. Previously, it was 17,500. The case numbers that have just become “Current” from the Europe region are case numbers from 17,500 to 17,999.

In the case of the North America region, the new cut-off number to apply in the month of May is 15. Previously, it was 13.

In the case of Oceania, the new cut-off number that has been established for the month of May is 1,650. Previously, it was 250, and so the case numbers from Oceania that just became “Current” are case numbers from case number 1,250 to case number 1,649.

In the case of the South America region, the cut-off number to apply in the month of May is 2,600. Previously, it was 2,400, and that means that the case numbers from that region that just became “Current” are case numbers going from case number 2,400 to 2,599.

Then in the final column of the table, we have the new cut-off numbers to apply in the exception countries. For Alger, it is 51,000. Previously, it was at 42,000. For Egypt, it is now 32,000, it was previously at 30,000. For Morocco, it was 35,000 for the month of April, and it has been maintained at 35,000 for the month of May.

Then in the Asia region, in the case of both exceptional countries, the new cut-off number to apply is 7,100. Previously, in the case of Iran, it was 7,000, and in the case of Nepal, it was 6,000. Both have been increased to 7,100.

Finally, in the Europe region, the cut-off number that has been established for Russia for the month of May is 17,750. Previously, it was 17,400, and it has been increased to 17,750. And for Uzbekistan, the cut-off number to apply in the month of May is 8,000. Previously, it was at 7,000.

Those are the cut-off numbers to apply during the month of May 2024 as part of the DV 2024 program, as well as the case numbers that have just become “Current” in the different regions.

With those new cut-off numbers, interview scheduling at your different embassies and councilors will now have the possibility of going beyond their current limit.

Next post will take a closer look at the details of this visa bulletin. Thanks for reading it.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

We have only few days remaining before the DV-2025 lottery results are out, the exact date is May 4, 2024, and that will be 12 noon the eastern time (EDT), the New York time, that’s when the results will be out. You can convert that to your local time and see when that will be.

When the result is out there will be no form of communication to you notifying you of the results, or there will not be any communication to tell you that the results are out. Neither will there be a message telling you that you have won, that you need to do such and such a thing for you to proceed. You are the one to do that. You are the one to go ahead and visit that website, Dvprogram.state.gov.

When opened, you’ll see a page there on the entrant status check, that’s where you’ll find a place to enter your confirmation number, year of birth, your last name (that is the surname) and then you get access to the result. You are the one to go and check for yourself.

Let no one come with fake emails or fake messages telling you that you have won. That is lies. You’re the one to visit the site and check for yourself. There have been many speculations out there about this selection process and people have tried to figure out how the process happens. But this guide below fully explained that.

Read: DV Lottery Program Selection Process | How DV winners are selected

The DV lottery is a free and fair program, you apply for free, you pay no charges and you also check the result yourself, for free. After checking, that’s when you get the response whether you’ve won or you’ve not won. It is very random, that’s why it’s called the diversity visa lottery.

It deals with the diverse, the diversity of the immigrants in the United States. They are just providing a free opportunity or a free avenue of immigrants to go to the United States and try their life there. It is free and the selection is very random indeed.

By random, that also means that everyone has equal chances in that program. Everyone who applied and applied correctly have equal chances of getting selected, it is not based on any achievement. Even if you had a very good profession and another person had no profession, but had qualified, once you enter into the program, the program is completely random. You have equal chances, it is not based on any achievement in life. You just meet the basic qualification, the minimum qualification, and all of you have the equal chances of getting selected.

Remember, this program is run by computer program, all the entries, they are put in a computer program that randomly selects when it runs to pick the successful selectees. Then after that, all the selected will be subjected to further screening. That is to mean the information there will be checked and especially the quality of the photo.

If the photo passes the qualifications, then you remain in the selection. But if you have some errors and especially in your photo or with your photo, then you are eliminated. That is to mean you are removed from those that were selected, leaving behind a space that is called a hole. So that’s how it does happen.

DV Selection Process

These are some of the factors that are not considered in the DV selection process:

The first factor they will not consider is the country of birth. It will not matter which country you come from. Whether you from the east, from Africa, from the Oceania, etc, that will not matter. Everyone has equal chances.

Another thing that will not matter is how many times you entered. In fact, if you entered more than once, that is considered fraud and you are instantly eliminated. You will not even enter into the first phase of selection. Once you place multiple entries, you are disqualified outrightly. So it does not depend on the number of times you applied.

Another thing is the gadget that you used. People have applied using computers and they have not been selected. Others have applied using the mobile phones, the pcs, the Mac. They have applied using different gadgets. They have not been selected. Whereas others have used the same mobile, the same laptop, the same computer and they have gotten selected. So it’s not based on the gadget that you used when it comes to selection.

Another thing is, it will not matter how many times you visited the United States. The frequency of you visiting the United States, that will not matter. It will not matter how long you have stayed in the United States. Even if you have stayed maybe doing business for like ten years or three years. If you have been there for a visit visa for about three months, it will not matter the length. It is completely not based on those facts. It is random.

It’s good that we get to know such things.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

We saw in the previous guide that the visa bulletin for the month of March 2024, which shows the cut-off numbers to apply during the month of April 2024 as part of the DV-2024 program was released. There are some major questions that comes up every month about the new released visa bulletin. In this guide, we will look at the March 2024 Visa Bulletin and APRIL Cut-Off Numbers Analysis and answers to some of those questions about Visa Bulletin and APRIL Cut-Off Numbers.

Diversity Visa Bulletin for March 2024 and APRIL Cut-Off Numbers Analysis

Many people are disappointed because they expected to see the cut-off number of their region move further than it has actually moved, and that why they ask some of these questions, whenever the visa bulletin is published.

For example, why did the Africa region increase from 40,000 to 45,000 and not beyond? Because that was the wish of many applicants. Or why the Asia region moved from 7000 to 7200, etc.

The expression that usually comes up in such a case is analysis. For the coming days, applicants will be demanding analysis concerning the various movements in the regional and exceptional countries cut-off numbers. Below is the analysis or explanation as to why the cut-off number of your region or your exceptional country moved to a small extent, as it has done in this visa bulletin:

The visa bulletin cut-off numbers that we see on a monthly basis do not just come about anyhow. There is a principle behind the movement or as non-movement in some cases, in the visa bulletin. The visa office moves the cut-off numbers or decide not to move them based on necessity.

If it is necessary to move, it moves them, if it is not necessary to move them, they remain as they were. What does this necessary or not necessary mean? All depends on what is expected concerning interviews for the month under discussion or the month concerned. In this case, the month of April.

The principle is that, moving the visa bulletin cut-off number is meant to make new cases current because in order for cases to be scheduled for interview, the first must be current. When the visa bulletin cut-off number moves, it moves because the visa office wants more cases to become current so that they can be interviewed.

If the embassies inform the visa office that there is no need to take new cases, the visa office will not move the cut-off numbers for the region or the exceptional country concerned.

If they say that they need only a few cases, the visa office will move the cut-off number to a small extent to allow only a few cases to be made current, because it’s only a few cases that are needed to be interviewed or added to the ones that are already waiting to be interviewed during the month concerned. So that is the principle.

Why is it that, for the Africa region, for example, the movement was from 40,000 to only 45,000? Why in the case of the Asia region, the movement was from 7000 to only 7200? In Oceania, for example, from 1200 to 1250 because of the same reason.

For the month of April, there are many cases already waiting to be interviewed, as a result of that it was not necessary to give any region a leap. That’s the reason why on the overall in this visa bulletin, we observe that there is not much of a leap in the various cut-off numbers.

If you should observe the situation one month ago, you will realize that for most regions, perhaps all regions, there was a leap or a high increase in the various cut-off numbers. Take Africa, for example, it left from 26,500 to 40,000. In the case of Asia, the cut-off number left from 5500 to 7000, which is a relatively high increase. Oceania, for example, left from 875 to 1200. What that did is that it made many cases current waiting to be interviewed.

With the low increases that we have observed in this visa bulletin, we can then expect leaps or higher increases in the visa bulletin cut-off numbers after now, even if it is not for all of the regions. But after now, we can look forward to leaps taking place or higher increases happening because the many cases will now be reduced.

That is how you should take the movements that occur in the visa bulletin cut-off numbers, which will allow you to understand every time the visa bulletin is published, why this happened and why that happened. It will also give you an insight into what you should expect concerning upcoming visa bulletins. That is the analysis.

Thanks for reading.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

We are in the month of February 2024 and what is expected around this time of the month is the release of the visa bulletin. The visa bulletin for the month of March 2024, which was expected to be released in this month of February, has now been released. And as expected, that visa bulletin contains the new cut-off numbers, the ones to apply in the month of April 2024 as part of the DV-2024 program.

This guide will inform you concerning the publication of the visa bulletin, the latest movements that have occurred in the Regional Cut-off Numbers as a result of the release of this visa bulletin.

Visa Bulletin for March 2024 and APRIL Cut-Off Numbers

Below are the new cut-off numbers that will apply in the DV-2024 program during the month of April 2024.

For the Africa region, the cut-off number has been established at 45,000. For the Asia region, it has been established at 7200. For the Europe region, it has been established at 17,500. For the North American region, it has been maintained at 13. For the Oceania region, it has been established at 1,250. For the South America region, it has been established at 2,400.

Moving over to the exceptional countries and beginning once again in the Africa region, the cut-off number that has been established for Algeria is 42,000. For Egypt, it is 30,000. For Morocco it is 35,000.

Then we continue with the exception countries of the Asia region. In the case of Iran, it is 7000. For Nepal it is 6000.

Then to the exceptional countries of the Europe region and for Russia it is 17,400. And finally for Uzbekistan it is 7000.

If we should compare these with the cut-off numbers for the month of March 2024, in the case of the Africa region, the cut-off number for March 2024 is 40,000, but it has been increased to 45,000 for the month of April 2024.

In the case of the Asia region, for the month of March, the cut-off number is 7000, and for the month of April it has been increased to 7200.

For Europe, for the month of March, the cut-off number is 16,000, and for April it has moved to 17,500.

Concerning the North American region, it was maintained at 13. In the case of the Oceania region for the month of March, it is 1200, and for the month of April it has increased to 1,250 for the South American region. For the month of March it was 2200, and for the month of April it has increased to 2400.

Then over to the exceptional countries and beginning in the Africa region for the month of March. The cut-off number established for Algeria was 35,000, it has increased to 42,000 for the month of April. For Egypt, for the month of March, it is 25,000 and it has increased to 30,000 for the month of April.

In the case of Morocco, for the month of March, it is 27,500, and for the month of April it has moved to 35,000.

For the exception countries from the Asia region, in the case of Iran, for the month of March, the code of number established is 6750, and it has moved to 7000 for the month of April. In the case of Nepal, for the month of March, it is 5000 and it has moved to 6000 for the month of April.

Finally, the movement for the exceptional countries in the Europe region. In the case of Russia, for the month of March, the cut-off number established is 15,500, and it has moved for the month of April to 17,400. For Uzbekistan, where for the month of March the cutoff number established is 5750, and for the month of April it has moved to 7000.

Those are the cut-off numbers that will apply in the DV-2024 program during the month of April 2024, as well as the latest movements that occurred across the various regions and exceptional countries.

In upcoming guides, we will learn other aspects of the new cut-off numbers, and in addition, in case you would like to access this information from the official webpage, then this is the link leading to that page.

Thanks for reading.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

As the DV 2024 program progresses, this is the statistics of the program at the end of the January 15 to January 19 working week. Before we go into the statistics, we are all aware that this data is extracted by Xarthisius and posted to their website. This guide will break in details, the information that features in the DV 2024 CEAC data table.

2024 Diversity Visa Interview Statistics

Below is the current status of interviews and visas in the DV 2024 Program, as at January 20th, 2024.

What makes this above presentation interesting is that it shows you how cases progress after the current for interview scheduling stage of the diversity visa application process. In other words, this presentation shows you the stages that cases go through after they get scheduled for interview.

As shown in the table, they first appear is “In Transit”. That is, they are shown being transferred from KCC to their respective embassies and consulates.

Next is the “Ready Stage”, which shows cases registered at the different embassies and consulates ready for interview.

Then after that, come the interview outcome stages. That is, what happens to the cases after they are interviewed. And as you can see from the table, either they are placed on ordinary “Administrative Processing”, placed on “221G Administrative Processing”, “Permanently Refused”, or they get “Issued”.

There is another important aspect of this presentation that you will discover as to get closer to the end of interview scheduling in this year’s program, it will be shared soon.

Going into details of the data above, there are a couple of things to note on.

Firstly, the number of visas that have so far been issued out. That is found in the final column in the data. As you can see for the Africa region, so far, a total of 3,158 diversity visas have been issued out. For Asia, 1,117. For Europe, 3,536. For North America, 5, for Oceania, 181, and for South America, 290, bringing the total number of visas issued out so far in the DV 2024 program to 8,287.

Knowing that there are a total of about 55,000 visas allocated to the DV 2024 program, it means that there are still around 47,000 visas left to be issued out. But some of those visas have already been booked by the cases that are currently awaiting interview.

The second item at the bottom of the third column, the number of applicants who are currently ready for interview. From the data, there are 15,399 applicants currently awaiting interview in the DV 2024 program, and as most of them will be issued visa at the end of the day, we can say that if you have not yet received your interview notification, then the total number of visas left for you to be issued is actually far less than 47,000.

The 15,399 applicants currently ready for Interview include those that are still to be interviewed during what is left of this month of January, all of those that are to be interviewed during the month of February, and most of those that are to be interviewed during the month of March.

Interview notifications continue to be sent out for the month of March, so in case your case number falls within the range that are indicated for your region as being concerned by interviews to be conducted during that month of March, after the last visa bulletin was released, then continue to look out for your interview notification because at any time it could show up, provided your case has reached the end of your embassy queue.

Those are the statistics of the DV 2024 program at the end of the January 15 to January 19 working week. This is an exercise that is going to be presented on a weekly basis, and so look out for the next statistics for this year’s program on subsequent weeks.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

A lot of attention has been on the CEAC data and DV-2024 interview scheduling at different embassies and consulates. But now, the visa bulletin for the month of February 2024, for MARCH Cut-Off Numbers, has now been released

This post will show you what the Visa Office has decided concerning the month of March as it relates to cut-off numbers in the diversity visa program.

Without further ado, let’s go over to the advanced notification section of the just-released Visa Bulletin and consider the March cut-off numbers.

DV 2024: MARCH Cut-Off Numbers Published

For March, immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number:

Below is a well detailed description of the Diversity (DV) Immigrant category rank Cut-Off Numbers, as published at U.S Department of State official webpage, which will be apply in March 2024.

• For South America Region

Beginning at the bottom of the table in the South America region, the cut-off number to apply in the month of March is 2,200. For the month of February, it was 1,600, and it has been increased to 2,200 for the month of March.

• For Oceania Region

Moving just above to Oceania, where the cut-off number has been established for the month of March at 1,200. For the month of February, it was 875, and it has been established at 1,200 for the month of March.

• For North America Region

Next is the North America region, where the cut-off number for the month of March is 13. It was 5 for the month of February, and it has been increased to 13 for the month of March.

• For Europe Region

Then to the Europe region, where the cut-off number for the larger Europe region has been established at 16,000. For the month of February, it was 13,500, and it has been increased to 16,000 for the month of March.

Europe Exception Countries

Europe has two exception countries. The first is Russia, and the cut-off number to apply in the case of Russia for the month of March is 15,500. For the month of February, it was 13,250, and it has been increased to 15,500 for the month of March.

For Uzbekistan

Next is Uzbekistan, where the cut-off number for the month of March has been increased to 5,750. For the month of February, it was 5,500, and it has been increased to 5,750 for the month of March.

• For Asia Region

Then to the Asia region, where the cut-off number for the larger Asia region for the month of March has been established at 7,000. For the month of February, it was 5,500, and it has been increased to 7,000 for the month of March.

ASIA Exception Countries

Asia also has two exception countries. In the case of Iran, the cut-off number to apply in the month of March is 6,750. For the month of February, it was 5,450. And for the month of March, it has been increased to 6,750.

For Nepal

Next is Nepal, where the cut-off number to apply in the month of March is 5,000. For the month of February, it was 4,500, and it has been increased to 5,000 for the month of March.

• For Africa Region

Then to the Africa region, where the cut-off number to apply in the larger Africa region for the month of March is 40,000. A leap occurred from 26,500 for the month of February to 40,000 for the month of March.

The Africa region has three exception countries. In the case of Algeria, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of March is 35,000. For the month of February, it was 26,000, and it has been increased to 35,000 for the month of March.

For Egypt

Next is Egypt, the only region and exception country where the February cut-off number has been maintained in this visa bulletin. For the month of February, as well as the month of March, to apply in the case of Egypt is 25,000.

For Morocco

And to the final exception country from the Africa region, Morocco, where the cut-off number to apply in the month of March is 27,500. For the month of February, it was 25,000, and it has increased to 27,500 for the month of March.

That’s to inform you that the new Visa Bulletin For February 2024 has now been released and to acquaint you with the new cut-off numbers, which will be apply in March 2024. To access Visa Bulletin for February 2024 and MARCH 2024 Cut-Off Numbers, visit the official webpage, and once on the page, scroll down to the Diversity Visa section of the Bulletin.

In the upcoming post/guide, we will have the opportunity to take a closer look at issues relating to this visa bulletin.

Thanks for reading.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

CEAC website for DV 2024 is now open, the database is open for every DV 2024 winner to check their status and the Highest Case Numbers in DV2024 for each Region have been Revealed. That means you can now visit the CEAC website, put your case number information and gauge the status of your DV progress. The data was released by the U.S State Department.

The exact website where you can check for your case information is here. The CEAC information for DV2024 lottery comes out from the beginning of January 2024. When you open the site, put your information, and check your status. There are lot of information about the DV lottery 2024 from this website.

Another link to open is https://dvcharts.xarthisius.xyz/ceacFY24.html, it’s going to take you to the DV 2024 CEAC data page. This is the first DV 2024 CEAC data as presented by xarthisius website.

On this guide, we are going to consider three items, beginning with the table below, that table shows the statistics for the cases that have so far been scheduled for interview in the DV 2024 program, the issued visas, those under AP administration, those under 221G refusal, those refused ready transit and the totals for all the regions.

In the first column, as you can see above, we have the various regions. We are going to concern ourselves to only two columns in this table. The first is the second column where we have the statistics for issuances, that is the number of visas that have so far been issued to DV 2024 applicants.

We see that at the bottom of that column, a total of 6,110 visas were issued during the months of October, November, and December. Another comment to make concerning this table is that the numbers you see outside of the parentheses represent the number of applicants, and what you have in parentheses represents the number of cases that those applicants belong to.

For example, the 6,110 that we see at the bottom of the issued column are the total number of applicants that have been issued visas from 3,074 cases. And that is why you have 3,074 in parentheses representing the number of cases and 6,110 outside of parentheses representing the number of applicants.

The next column to draw your attention to is the sixth column, which is the ready column. That’s the number of applicants that are currently scheduled for interview at the different U.S embassies and consulates. At the bottom of that column, we see that 6,792 cases are currently scheduled at the various embassies and consulates, and that amount to 14,721 applicants.

The next item on this page that to consider is the DV 2024 CEAC data for embassies. That’s the next section on that page. If you scroll down a bit to where you have DV 2024 CEAC data for embassies, in the table that is presented there, we have the same information, but this time for individual embassies and consulate.

In case you would like to have details concerning interviews that have so far been scheduled at your embassy, then enter the name of your embassy in the space where you have choose an embassy.

The final item of interest to us is found at the top of this page. Just above the first table, there is a link that reads FY 2024 CEAC current CSV. Clicking that link will allow you to download the spreadsheet file that shows the current status of individual cases.

In addition to the current status of individual cases, that file also tells us how far interview scheduling has gone at your various embassies and councilors. For more explanations on downloaded file, continue to follow this site as you will learn the situation of interview scheduling at your various embassies and consulate in those weekly Embassy Performance Reports.

Highest Case Numbers In DV2024 For Each Region Revealed

The final thing concerning this first downloadable spreadsheet file for the DV 2024 program is that it reveals to us the highest case number in each region. And so for this year’s program, the highest case numbers are as follows:

For the Africa region, 122,907

For the Asia region, 42,876

For the Europe region, 66,932

For the North America region, 19

For Oceania, it is 4,999

For the South America region, it is 5,574.

Those are the highest case numbers in the DV 2024 program and that concerns the first CEAC data for the DV 2024 program. Those are just the first data. From now on, the data will be released regularly by the State Department. Xarthisius posts them to their website every weekend, and that is going to continue up to the end of the DV 2024 program.

As the data is made available by xarthisius, we will have the opportunity on this site to consider them.

How many cases there are before and after me?

If you’re a DV selectee you can check how many cases are in front of you by filling out the form in the box there, e.g Case number (e.g. 2024AF123)

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.

The U.S Department of State announced major changes to the Visa interview waiver policy in 2024. If you plan to study or work in the U.S or just visit, you need to hear this.

In this guide, you will learn what the announcement means and how it may affect you. This informative guide simplifies the recent changes to the 2024 Visa Interview Waiver Program, a crucial update for those looking to study, work, or reside in the USA.

This guide breaks down the new eligibility criteria, the application process, and what these changes mean for applicants. Whether renewing your visa or applying for the first time under this program, this comprehensive guide simplifies the process, ensuring you’re fully informed and prepared.

USA Visa Interview Waiver Policy Updates for 2024

After consulting the Department of Homeland Security, the Secretary of State has determined that select categories of interview waivers are in the national interest. The policy applies to U.S non-immigrant visas.

These are visas issued to temporary visitors to the USA. The most common non-immigrant visas are:

• B1 and V2 visas for business, visitors, and tourists,
• F and M visas for students, and
• H visas for various workers.

There are many non-immigrant categories, but it won’t be listed to keep this guide short. Remember, the policy applies to all non-immigrant categories, unless noted.

Let’s review the rules quickly and break them down for different visa categories.

The changes are implemented by the consular officers, who now have the authority and discretion to waive the in-person interview. This means that the visa officers are deciding whether to waive your visa interview based on the guidelines we’re about to review.

However, the key takeaway is that they can still request an applicant who meets the visa waiver category to come in for an in-person interview.

• Criteria 1: Apply in your country of nationality or residence.

This means you’re applying in your country of citizenship or where you currently reside. For example, someone could be a citizen of India but work and live in Frankfurt, Germany. They can apply in India or Germany to qualify.

• Criteria 2: You’ve never been refused a visa unless such refusal was overcome or waived.

This means you’ve never been refused a visa or were initially rejected, but then approved later. For example, someone may have been denied on their first attempt, but have got their visa on their second attempt.

• Criteria 3: You have no apparent or potential eligibility.

This sounds vague, but what it really means is you don’t fall into select categories for which the U.S government doesn’t issue visas. These include individuals who may have criminal charges and may be a security risk or have violated immigration policies previously amongst others. This doesn’t apply to most cases.

On top of these three criteria, there are additional ones. Let’s review those in detail.

Remaining Criteria

• H-2 visa applicants.

You’re eligible for a visa waiver as long as you meet the first three criteria. For all other non-immigrant visa applicants, you must meet two additional criteria. They are:

You must have any U.S non-immigrant visa except a B visa. For example, you’ll qualify if you’re applying for an H-1B and have an F visa.

On the other hand, if you just have a B visa, you won’t qualify. For example, if you’re applying for an F1 visa and have a previous B1/B2 visa, you won’t be eligible for the interview waiver.

There is one slight nuance to it. Your last non-immigrant visa should be current or have expired no more than four years ago. This can get confusing, let’s take a look at three scenarios:

• If your last non-immigrant visa is active or has expired in 2021 or later, great news, you qualify.
• If your last non-immigrant visa has expired in 2019 or before, you don’t qualify.
• If your last non-immigrant visa expired in 2020, your expiration date should be after your potential visa appointment date.

For example, if your potential visa appointment date is on July first, 2024, your previous visa should not have expired before July first, 2020.

This cut-off date can get tricky, so if you fall into this category, you should put in your application immediately to improve your chances of qualifying for the interview waiver.

Also, it’s important to remember that the visa officers can still require you to come in. Finally, the US government can change this policy at any time. It’s likely to stick through the end of 2024.

That wraps up about the updates on the U.S visa interview waiver policy changes for 2024.

Some frequently asked questions about Visa Interview Waiver Policy Updates for 2024 and answers.

Question: Do you know if L1B (blanket petition) is also eligible for visa interview waiver in 2024?

Answer: It is a non-immigrant visa, so as long as applicants meet the criteria, they should qualify for an interview waiver.

Question: Is 352 days ban news true for refused f1 candidates?

Answer: This news is not official, check official website.

Disclaimer: This site is not owned by any U.S Government Agency or an Immigration attorney. The contents in the site is for informational purpose only, collected from various public domains. You may need to contact an Immigration Attorney for your specific immigration needs.

I hope this guide has been helpful to you. Thanks.

As the year draws to a close, the eagerly anticipated 2024 Diversity Visa (DV-2024) Bulletin for January 2024 has been released by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), opening new doors for aspiring immigrants. That’s a big deal if you’re waiting for your priority date to be current so that your green card application can move forward.

The December Visa Bulletin, which is officially referred to as the Visa Bulletin for January 2024 has been released. In this guide, we will learn the cut-off numbers that will apply in the DV-2024 Program during the month of February 2024.

Also, this comprehensive guide, we will explore the insights provided by the January 2024 Diversity Immigrant Visa Bulletin, shedding light on the current state of visa availability and what it means for those seeking to embark on the journey to the United States.

For the previous cut-off numbers from the previous visa bulletin i.e the visa bulletin for the month of December 2023, check this post.

About Visa Bulletin

Department of State (DOS) publishes current immigrant visa availability information in a monthly Visa Bulletin. The Visa Bulletin indicates when statutorily limited visas are available for issuance to prospective immigrants based on their individual priority date.

On Nov. 20, 2014, the Secretary of Homeland Security directed USCIS to work with DOS to:

• Ensure that all immigrant visas authorized by Congress are issued to eligible individuals when there is sufficient demand for such visas, and
• Improve the Visa Bulletin system for determining when immigrant visas are available to applicants during the fiscal year.

Diversity Visa Program | Diversity Visa Bulletin for January 2024

This bulletin summarizes the availability of immigrant numbers during January for: “Final Action Dates” and “Dates for Filing Applications,” indicating when immigrant visa applicants should be notified to assemble and submit required documentation to the National Visa Center.

Immigrant numbers in the DV category are available to qualified DV-2024 applicants chargeable to all regions/eligible countries as follows. When an allocation cut-off number is shown, visas are available only for applicants with DV regional lottery rank numbers BELOW the specified allocation cut-off number.

Looking at the Diversity Visa Advanced Notifications section of the Visa Bulletin and consider the February 2024 cut-off numbers. Below is the Diversity Visa Advanced Notification section of the Visa Bulletin for the month of January 2024, and here are the various cut-off numbers that will apply during the month of February 2024.

DV 2024: February Cut-Off Numbers Explained

• Africa Region

For Africa region, where the 22,000 cut-off number for the month of January has been increased to 26,500 for the month of February. Obviously, that does not apply to applicants chargeable to the three exception countries from the Africa region.

In the case of the first exception country, Algeria, the February 2024 cut-off number has been established at 26,000. It was 15,000 for the month of January 2024, and it has been increased to 26,000 for the month of February 2024.

In the case of Egypt, the cut-off number to apply during the month of February 2024 is 25,000. It is 15,000 for the month of January, and it has been increased to 25,000 for the month of February.

Finally to Morocco, where the cut-off number for the month of February has been established at 25,000. For January, it is 20,000 and it has been increased to 25,000 for the month of February 2024.

• Asia Region

For Asia region where the 5,500 cut-off number for the month of January 2024 has been maintained for the month of February 2024.

The 5,500 cutoff number applies to applicants that are not chargeable to the two exception countries from the Asia region.

In the case of the exception countries, the January 2024 cut-off number of 5,450 for Iran has also been maintained for the month of February 2024. For Nepal, the 3,000 cut-off number for the month of January has been increased to 4,500 for the month of February 2024.

• Europe Region

For Europe Region where the cut-off number to apply during the month of February 2024 as part of the DV-2024 Program has been established at 13,500. For the month of January 2024, it was established at 12,000, and now it has increased to 13,500 for the month of February, and that does not concern applicants chargeable to the two exception countries from the Europe region.

To the two exception countries, in the case of Russia, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 13,250. For the month of January, it is 11,500 and it has been increased to 13,250 for the month of February.

In the case of Uzbekistan, the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 5,500. For January 2024, it was 4,750 and it has increased to 5,500 for the month of February 2024.

• North America (Bahamas)

For North America region, where the cut-off number for the months of December 2023 and January 2024 has been maintained for the month of February 2024, making the cut-off number to apply during that month in the North America Region to remain 5.

• Oceania Region

We have 875, that’s the cut-off number to apply in the Oceania region during the month of February 2024. The January 2024 cut-off number for Oceania was 650, and it has been increased to 875 for the month of February 2024.

• South America Region

For South America region, where the cut-off number that has been established for the month of February 2024 is 1,600. It is 1,000 for the month of January, and it has been increased to 1,600 for the month of February, and that concerns the South America region.

Those are the cut-off numbers to apply across all regions and exception countries during the month of February 2024 as part of the DV 2024 Program.

For those who would like to have more explanation concerning visa bulletin and possibly know what the visa bulletin is all about, click the article that is just below and you will be taken to the article.

READ: ALL VISA BULLETIN UPDATES

Determining Visa Availability

USCIS considers several factors to determine if there is a greater supply of visas than the demand for those visas. To determine visa availability, USCIS will compare the number of visas available for the remainder of the fiscal year with:

• Documentarily qualified visa applications reported by DOS;
• Pending adjustment of status applications reported by USCIS; and
• Historical drop off rate of applicants for adjustment of status (for example, denials, withdrawals and abandonments)

In Conclusion:

The Diversity Visa Bulletin for January 2024 serves as a roadmap for those embarking on the journey to secure a place in the United States through the DV Program.

By understanding the nuances outlined in the bulletin, applicants can make informed decisions, navigate the immigration process effectively, and increase their chances of success in the pursuit of diversity and opportunity in the U.S.

Thanks for reading this guide. See you very soon in the next guide.

DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.