The DV lottery instructions seem to confuse people about the main requirements for the DV lottery process. The first requirement is about country of eligibility which I will address in another post. The second requirement is education/work experience. So I would like to address some common misconceptions. The rules say this.
Requirement #2: In addition, to meet the education/work experience requirement of the DV program,
you must have either:
a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of
elementary and secondary education;
OR
two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two
years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net Online
database will be used to determine qualifying work experience.
I highlight the either/OR because that is the first misconception – You only need to qualify by one or the other, not both. If you meet the education requirement you do not have to worry about proving work experience.
The second misconception is that each adult (husband and wife) needs to meet the requirement #2. That is normally not the case (the exception being to do with cross charging which I will explain in another post). The principal selectee only needs to meet the requirement.
OK so let’s look at the two options. The first is the simplest and best way to qualify.
Education requirement
The intent of this requirement is to take in immigrants that have achieved an education equivalent to a USA High School education. Note the “USA” part. They are dealing with immigrants from all over the world and needed to establish some “level” in USA terms that can be compared to other countries. So – the level they chose is High school. This is the point at which an American child has graduated high school and is qualified to enter s US University (college).
The term High school is confusing. For instance, in the UK where I was educated, “High school” ended at 16 years old – and that would NOT be sufficient to meet the DV requirement. In UK terms a child would have to attend 2 further years of education beyond 16 years old (receiving “A levels”) to be qualified to enter a University – and that is the level required therefore. Other countries will have other standards – and each embassy is able to set the level required based on their understanding. This has led to some changes over the years that has caught people out. Some embassies publish specific and quite detailed information such as this information for DV2015 from the Kenyan US embassy or the information from the embassy in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka by the way was a recent example of changing their standards and there are some sad stories about that on the internet.
There is a page which offers a listing for many countries here. However, be very careful with the information as it is not 100% accurate or up to date and some countries will have varied their requirements (again Sri Lanka is an example).
So – hopefully by now you have understood that there is a minimum requirement for your country. The various embassy websites are a good place to get information on the level required.
Does a higher education satisfy the education requirement???
Another common question I get asked is “I have a Bachelors degree/masters or whatever, surely I don’t have to show my High school A levels/High school diploma”. The answer is a bit of a grey area. It makes sense that someone having gained their masters or whatever must have met the requirements BUT there are some exceptions to that logic. For example, it is possible to obtain a Masters degree without having finished 12 years of elementary and secondary education and for that reason some Consular Officers will be “picky” about seeing the HIgh School level proof. There have been many reported cases where COs have insisted on this and I am sure there have been cases of denials based on this.
Vocational education
The rules specifically exclude vocational education as being used to qualify on education grounds. For example, if a selectee were to leave school at 16 and then immediately or later go into a vocational program such as teaching or nursing, the time spent in that vocational training/education could not be used to satisfy the educational requirement. In cases such as this, the selectee may need to consider whether their work experience is sufficient to meet the requirement #2.
Work Experience requirement
Ok let’s say you cannot qualify on education grounds. It is possible to base your eligibility on your work experience – although doing so is harder than education so you would only use this as a fallback method. Why is it harder, well with education you either do or you don’t meet the requirement. You present your proof and as long as you understood the standard correctly you are done. Work experience cases are “judged” by the CO based on the proof you can supply at the interview. They are subjective therefore – it is a matter of how well you can convince the CO that you meet the requirement.
So ok – what is the requirement? The instructions say it is 2 years experience, gained in the previous 5 years, in a job that meets the standard described in the O*Net database. The standard to be met is a job that is classified in job zone 4 or 5 with a SVP (Specific Vocational Preparation) rating of 7.0 or higher. Not all jobs will meet that criteria – it is generally jobs which require a higher level of education, or skills.
How do you check your job? Well you navigate to the O*Net database and enter your approximate job title in the Occupation Search field. You will get a list of similar jobs and you should find the one that is closest to your work by title. For example I typed in “teachers” and from there I chose “Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education“. Scroll down the page and find the section “Job Zone” as shown here:-
You can see that Kindergarten teachers is a job at the correct qualifying level. However if you look at a Teachers Assistant – then you can see that is NOT a qualifying job.
Sometimes of course your exact job title will not appear. You can choose a similar job that explains what you do and if necessary you might want to detail your job duties to show they align well with the skills, tasks and so on of the job you wish to use as proof.
How to present the case…
OK – you believe you have found the right job description in the O*Net database. You are soon to attend the interview – how do you prepare.
Well first of all, you have to understand that your credibility will come in to play. The CO has some latitude about how they approve these work experience cases, your task is to give them a good case to be able to approve you.
I would suggest preparing a well organized and professional looking file to include as much as possible of the following:-
- The print out from of the job to which you are aligning your experience.
- Employment letters such as job offers, promotion letters and so on.
- Letters (preferably notarized) from current and former managers, colleagues and so on.
- A description of your day to day duties in the roles covering a minimum of 2 years.
- Details of any vocational training or education that supports you in your job.
- Examples of work product if possible/applicable.
Make this as complete as possible. As I said your credibility counts, so look professional, have a professional demeanor and make sure what you present is well presented, free of typos etc. You generally should not need professional help in preparing this file – and if you think about it the use of a professional could cause the CO to question whether yuou are really at the level you are claiming.
It is worth spending some time on this point, if you fail to convince the CO and have not qualified on education you will be denied and there is no appeal process (if processing outside of the USA).
OK hope that helps. Feel free to comment or ask questions below, I will come back to you as fast as possible.
I recently created a video on this same subject – so feel free to look at that too.
January 11, 2017 at 20:04
Hi Simon,is it true that some refusal visas dependent on type of our undergraduate degree,I mean for example :Science and technology degrees have more chance than others .
January 12, 2017 at 00:01
No. You either meet the requirement or you don’t. If you do, they don’t care what you studied.
January 11, 2017 at 21:15
Hello , I have a question my high school diploma is expiremental science , when I filled ds260 I put natural science ,do you advise me to unlocked my ds260 and fix it or I can fix it the day of interview or it is not matter because in my country is the same thing natural/expiremental science
Thank you sir
January 12, 2017 at 00:00
No need to unlock.
January 12, 2017 at 16:15
Good morning Brit;
When I have filled DS266 Form,I remember that question in Educational background section:
Have you attended any educational institution at a secondary level or above ,so my response was yes,but at the second question (Highest level of education completed ,I chosen University degree.My question is:Since I haven’t mentioned my Baccalaureate diploma and this is the first requirement ,can be a problem?
Thanks a lot .
January 12, 2017 at 16:35
It isn’t a problem. Present what you have at interview.
January 12, 2017 at 16:38
I’m so relieved…thank you
January 13, 2017 at 06:38
Hello Brit I am a Cameroonian I don’t know if I should do a police clearance or a non conviction or both the police clearance and non conviction for the interview
January 13, 2017 at 06:55
What do the instructions say?
January 13, 2017 at 07:28
What instructions???
January 13, 2017 at 07:54
Wow. You NEED to read the instructions. The link was given to you in the selected letter.
https://britsimonsays.com/prepare-dv-lottery-interview-2/
January 13, 2017 at 08:31
Hi simon.
Since we cant get dv lottery entry form.my friend think that she make a misteke .she put is qualification in education bachelors degree.and put yes in this job requirement 2years of working experience.
Question is 1:as she is confuse now the way she play .can she only put educationel qualification in ds 260form and leave work experience?
2:as only the consulat officier is the one how can see the form ;can she be disqualify for that?.
3.a long is the police clereance validity.6 or 12month?
Thx.
January 13, 2017 at 14:53
1. That is OK.
2. She can be disqualified for not telling the truth
3. Varies by country. But more recent is better.
January 16, 2017 at 11:21
Hi Brits, good work. Pls could you explain this more, 1. The print out form of the job to which you are aligning your experience. Thanks.
January 16, 2017 at 16:38
Print the O*net webpage for >your> job.
January 16, 2017 at 21:20
Hi, If I’m selected in the 2018 dv lottery, whose results are to be out in May 2017,
-when shall I have the interview?
-Is it enough to prove the financial part by documents of the property of my family in Morocco, or will I need a bank account to prove that?
-When should I leave for usa if I’m selected? I need to know this because I will finish a bachelor course by July 2018
thanks
January 17, 2017 at 04:10
*IF* you are selected there is time for questions and planning.
January 17, 2017 at 12:51
Thank you
January 18, 2017 at 15:45
A police officer is rated at 3 but still svp is 7 and requires two years training. Will a police officer still scrape by or absolutely not?
January 18, 2017 at 15:56
A police officer will not pass on work experience alone. But education is the simpler option.
January 20, 2017 at 09:14
Dear Britsimon,
I am from Nepal and having an interview in February.
I humbly request you to furnish me a piece of information.
I had completed my 10 years of schooling after which I did the Proficiency Certificate Level (PCL) in Nursing which is a two-year program.
PCL is equivalent to high school education in Nepal.
In this context, do I require evidence of my work experience?
January 20, 2017 at 18:31
I weould suggest you prepare a work experience case if you are concerned about your education qualifications.
February 11, 2017 at 16:03
Hi Brits ,good day to you i won dv lottery and having interview in march, my education level is midwifery with 1year and 1month work exprience. Do i qualify ? Please help me dear
February 11, 2017 at 17:39
Not on work experience. Perhaps you have education to college level prior to the midwifery?
February 12, 2017 at 12:54
yes,sir i have diploma (Midwifery) so can i qaulify?
February 12, 2017 at 14:15
Vocational training does not qualify you. Again, my questions was about school education BEFORE the midwifery course.
February 13, 2017 at 17:31
Sir concerning about work experience,if you are self employed and receive contract would you need to receive contract letters from your client. 2.I don’t understand , print out form of the job to which you are aligning your experience. 3. Is it necessary to provide your business certificate and tax clearance certificate in the interview day
February 14, 2017 at 03:02
Hi Brit ,in working experience you had stated the winner should write a description of day to day duties in the roles covering a minimum of 2 years. My question is shall I write and present it on the interview day or I should submit it in the 260 registration , thanks for your help.
February 14, 2017 at 03:23
You present your case at the interview – not before.
February 14, 2017 at 15:49
Hi Brit, thanks for your response
February 15, 2017 at 10:29
Hi Brit, about employment letters such as job offers promotion letters and so on, if you are self employed what would you do.
February 15, 2017 at 13:58
Show business records, accounts, contracts and so on.
February 16, 2017 at 15:19
Hi Brit, thank very much for your support my question is if someone has ordinary level without A level but have university degree will that person qualify, the reason of asking this question is onless you have successful O’ and A’ level before you qualify.
February 16, 2017 at 18:51
It varies by country/embassy. Check the requirements at your embassy web site.
February 16, 2017 at 17:12
what is the maximum case number for iranian this year (estimation I mean)? and how much longer (on average) than other countries does it take that an iranian case to be processed?
February 16, 2017 at 18:50
I don’t know the max Iranian number. Iranian cases are much more likely to get AP and when an Iranian case has AP for background checks, that tends to last around 5 months.
February 17, 2017 at 11:52
Ok. when you say “AP for backgroud checks takes nearly 5 months”, you mean the time after the interview can be about 5 months, right?
do you think in my case that I have been living out of Iran for 8 years and having a PhD and 2 Msc degrees from good universities at northern European countries and worked a few years in Europe, and have travelled to 18 countries for research and conferences and with no bad reputation, still takes 5 months, considering that I apply for DV visa from US embassy in northern Europe?
February 17, 2017 at 14:16
Two obvious risk factors.
Did you do military service/government work for Iran.
Is your education/work something weapon related.
February 17, 2017 at 13:37
Can 3 years of apprenticeship with a 5 years working experience in a particular occupation without formal education in an institution qualify under working experience. Sir I need your help thanks
February 17, 2017 at 14:13
It depends on the work. That is fully explained in the article above. Check O*Net.
February 17, 2017 at 14:23
Hi BritSimon,
1. I am a 33 year old girl who never did a military service/government work.
2. My education and work is biology related major and nothing related to weapon. I also did some research for 4 months in one of the universities in USA in 2015. At that time I had J1 visa.
February 17, 2017 at 14:32
OK. Then you have lower risk than some, but that’s about all you can say.
February 17, 2017 at 14:36
Thank you.
February 17, 2017 at 15:09
My work is landscape design
March 9, 2017 at 07:34
Hello Simon, I was dropped out in my final year in high school due to injury in my leg. After I recover then my collegues has completed so I didn’t go back to the school again but I wrote private high school exams called novDec. Please can I use this qualification for my interview.
March 9, 2017 at 14:29
Typically that would be accepted.
March 9, 2017 at 15:43
So what school should I use as my high school in the ds260 forms since there is no school on my private high school certificate
March 9, 2017 at 15:46
Use your judgement.
March 9, 2017 at 15:50
Please Simon in my case what is my judgement
March 9, 2017 at 15:52
I don’t know. I mean you have to decide for yourself.
March 15, 2017 at 05:46
Hi Brits
Just wanna ask about my Education qualification Level
I live in South Africa and have completed my High school education which is called here ( Matric or National Senior Certificate) which i meet the minimum requirement of Diploma.
Then after finish with my High school i decided to go to a College which I completed my
( 3 year Diploma in information Technology) since i was late to register to the university
1. Am i qualified for education level with the minimum requirement of Diploma after completed the 12 years secondary school in my High school Certificate?
2. Is my Diploma from the College going to be accepted?
3. I have lost my Diploma Certificate, can i bring the academic transcripts and maybe the proof of my Pictures showing that i have graduated ?
4. Now i’m doing my internship since last year June, Can i also bring to the interview the proof of letter of Employment from the company which i’m working on?
Thanks
March 15, 2017 at 13:51
1. I don’t keep up with the (possibly changing) requirements for each embassy, nor the educational systems in each country. So – I don’t know. Check the requirements in your country.
2. See 1
3. Yes, but it would be better to obtain a copy of the Diploma
4. There is no harm in bringing that.
March 15, 2017 at 14:39
I have a 4 month old Certified copy of it which was kept in my Email
March 15, 2017 at 15:06
1. I have a 4 month old Certified copy of it which was kept in my Email
2.Do i also have to bring the Certificate of Primary school which shows i have completed the primary school and qualified to enter to Secondary School ?
March 15, 2017 at 15:56
1. Ok
2. Not usually asked for, but no harm in taking it to the interview.
March 17, 2017 at 10:39
Hello Brit
my husband is a college diploma graduate and he have a 5 years working experience from his home country and a 3 years work experience from where he is now, but he couldn’t get the letter of recommendation from his home country but he have the 3 year work recommendation from the current work
1. does he must have the high school certificate or is the college diploma is enough
2. what if he can show the work experience only
what is better can you suggest me
March 17, 2017 at 14:24
1. Both documents ideally
2. Education is safer/easier.
March 20, 2017 at 15:13
Hi Brit, if you have lost your senior high certificate longtime since completed 1994 but have university certificate can this creates problem in the interview.
March 20, 2017 at 17:14
Sometimes COs ask for HS documentation even when higher degrees are presented. So – the best idea would be get replacement documents.
March 20, 2017 at 18:32
I have 12 years high schools qualification, 3years diploma teacher training (but I didn’t include on the ds 260) and 4,years degree from university.
* do I qualify on education.
* is it necessary to get introductory letter from my employer
March 20, 2017 at 19:41
I cannot advise whether you meet the qualification or not. Check your embassy to see requirements.
March 30, 2017 at 11:38
My name is samuel and a Ghanaian national but works in Togo and my WIFE lives in ghana but she won the 2017 dv Lottery and we went to have our interview here in togo due to my work. Please is there going to be any harm if we ask to have our interview here. If possible what will the document we should present to the Togo embers. Thank you.
March 30, 2017 at 14:43
No harm. For the documents follow the instructions.
https://britsimonsays.com/faq/how-to-prepare-for-the-interview-2
April 4, 2017 at 07:00
Hello brit.l, thanks a lot for this blog is very helpful to all dv winners. Brit, I want to find out this from you. There is one agency in Ghana who has my information for about 3 years now till I get to know how to submit, edv so during the 2016 I submitted the entry myself and I won but confused because my fear is that may be the agent submitted it and I also did that and for that matter I will be disqualify if I continue the process. Thank you
April 4, 2017 at 12:36
There is only one way to find out – to proceed with the case.
April 20, 2017 at 12:47
hi simon, am suppose to go for interview in May. my case here is that, when dealing with the Ds 260 i issued a command that am done with high school and university as well. Right now i have with me my High school certificate with a better grades but failed in my university Exam so i wasn’t given a certificate. Am asking are they going to consider my high school certificate or i should still provide the degree
April 20, 2017 at 14:58
Take everything to the interview.
April 20, 2017 at 15:54
ohk i understand you by saying i should take everything but i dont have the university certificate with me.the only certificate i have is the high school certificate because the university didn’t give me a certificate because i failed that one. am i still qualified if i present the high school certificate
April 20, 2017 at 16:19
I don’t know specifically – it varies by embassy.
April 20, 2017 at 16:26
ohk. thanks very much
April 21, 2017 at 01:10
Hi Simon,
I didn’t finish year 12 at high school. I completely an equivalent at TAFE in Australia. I am now enrolled in, and have almost completed 2 under graduate degrees (including a law degree). Will this satisfy the education requirements? I don’t meet the work experience requirement 🙁 I have applied am waiting for the results in May but don’t want to waste money paying for the visa only then be rejected
April 21, 2017 at 01:16
Sorry I meant I have completed an equivalent at TAFE in Australia. Apologies for the incoherency… the result of typing on a train!
April 21, 2017 at 02:39
That would normally be acceptable to most COs – although some might technically object. However – first, you need to get selected.
April 30, 2017 at 16:37
Hi Simon, I am in US in F1 visa and am a college student. Am I eligible to apply for the lottery?
April 30, 2017 at 21:55
Yes – if you are from a country eligible to apply.
May 1, 2017 at 11:20
Hi Simon,
I’m from Australia and I completed high school. After that I studied to get a Diploma which since then I have been working for over 6+ years and while studying. My only worrying issue that the 0*net database job zone is a 6.0<7.0 and I don't know if this is enough. I'm unsure if I should apply though work experience or education. How do I know if going through education is acceptable in my case? Many thanks for your help…it's much appreciated.
May 1, 2017 at 12:52
Well your work experience doesn’t meet the requirement – so you only have education. Your education should have been the level that would allow you to enter University, normally completed about age 18.
May 2, 2017 at 11:59
Hi Simon,
i’m a certified translator since 2011. i had a office for a few months but since then, i worked as a freelancer for other firms. my job zone and svp does qualify. how do i prove that i qualify. i mean being a freelancer. does it count as full time job. do i need to show invoices for every work day?
im a bit confused. does it suffice if i show my notarial certificates that i acquired in 2011. , could show my first invoice and the last one i recently got. would that be enough. or do i need a tax documentation. because that would be hard to get for me. i usually worked for foreign companies outside of my country.
May 2, 2017 at 13:47
You would need to show that this work was your full time work for at least two years – so yes – as a freelancer that typically means showing invoices/tax records, client contracts, work product and so on.
May 2, 2017 at 13:56
thanks for the reply.
do i really need all invoices. hundreds of them? i mean i worked with so many companies just once.
on the other side: is it true that if i don’t win this year, your chances go up for next year and so on?
or if you get rejected visa application. can you apply next year again even if they rejected during the application or talks after you correct the issue?
May 2, 2017 at 14:50
You decide what proof you want to provide. If it isn’t enough they will tell you they want more proof (or they could just refuse you.
No your chances don’t go up each year.
You can re-apply in subsequent years – but if denied – you get no benefit from that win.
No more questions unless you are a winner please.
May 2, 2017 at 15:26
hmm weird. i heard from multiple sources that your chances get better each year if you dont win lottery. nevermind. thanks for the help.
May 2, 2017 at 15:29
Those multiple sources are idiots.
May 2, 2017 at 15:31
???
May 3, 2017 at 00:43
Hello brit!
I currently working as secretary as well as a translator in Singaporean company.(I’m Indonesian btw). I checked on O*net that a translator and interpreter has a “bright outlook” which i understand it’s a good sign right ? So, do you have any idea how to prove it ? Maybe should i present some work that i did ? Im afraid if i bring too much prove it will complicate things.
And do you know when is the best time to check diversity visa’s status? Been trying the whole day and i cannot access the site. Seems that it overload.
Thanks ?
May 3, 2017 at 04:27
Translators can qualify. Education is easier.
Check tomorrow.
May 4, 2017 at 18:48
Hey Mate
I have a job fitting the employment requirements. I also do very occasional coaching/Tutor type work for (and paid directly by) a US based company. I’ve been contracted to them for over 2 years.
Is it worth getting something from the US too or do you think showing multiple eligible jobs, particularly a US company, is too much?
Thanks again for all your help.
May 4, 2017 at 19:03
Get something if you want. Over preparing always helps
May 5, 2017 at 23:09
Hi Simon!
Thanks for this resource. Super helpful. 🙂
My husband got selected for DV-2018. He has NOT FINISHED high school, and cannot satisfy the educational requirement. However, he’s got extensive experience “climbing the ladder” in his field and ultimately running our own business for the last 3+ years. His duties coincide very well with the ONET General Manager job description, which we’re prepared to detail thoroughly, provide letters from colleagues, etc. but, ultimately, he’s still self employed.
It may be important to note: His career path doesn’t align with ONET (for example, he isn’t an Accountant or something which would be more black and white) but his General Management role within the company lines up well.
My question is merely should we be concerned that his current role is managing our OWN business? His day to day responsibilities line up with the ONET description perfectly – he just doesn’t have pay stubs or a boss.
Thoughts? Should we be concerned?
Thanks!
– J
May 6, 2017 at 04:21
It should be OK if you prepare well.
May 6, 2017 at 06:15
Thanks kindly! We can even present his personal tax documents to demonstrate that income is commensurate with the average income for the role as per the ONET description. Our plan is to replicate the business in the US, so hopefully that will reflect well on our case.
– J
May 30, 2019 at 03:14
Hi Jennifer. I hope this message reaches you. How did it go for you guys? Did you guys get your green card? How was the interview?
May 7, 2017 at 14:13
If I am going ONLY for my educational level I have to select NOT EMPLOYED in DS-260 at the work/educational/training field?
May 7, 2017 at 14:26
No – you select the truth. If you are working, you list that job and other work history.
May 7, 2017 at 15:08
Thanks. What I exactly mean in my case is:
1) currently I am not working
2)in the last ten years I only have an employer for ten days and I resigned because the job did not match with my academic background.
The questions are:
1) At the section 9 work/educational/training I will select NOT EMPLOYED.
2) Must declare my ten days worked at that job I above mentioned? Or it is better not declare any job at all.
Of course I will develop my educational level that meet the DV asking without problems
Forgive me for not being so clear before
Thanks
May 7, 2017 at 15:21
1. Yes
2. It isn’t a must – but really if you have not had a job for 10 years don’t you think the CO is going to wonder how you will make a living in the USA???
May 7, 2017 at 16:34
Well really this is for my wife case who is the applicant winner. She has not worked formally and make her live from my support and administration of our investments. But difficult to gather formal invoices
May 7, 2017 at 17:24
And a last question is this number high 2018EU00001xxx
May 7, 2017 at 17:32
No
May 7, 2017 at 17:56
What do you think of the case of my wife must answer at previous work?
May 7, 2017 at 17:59
The truth. Time to use your own judgement on this!
May 8, 2017 at 13:58
Hi Brit, about the letter of employment, recommendation letters and so on if you left the company since 2010 and now running your own business would you still have to show your previous letter of appointment, recommendation etc
May 8, 2017 at 16:55
No. They care about the last 5 years (IF you are qualifying through work experience)
May 11, 2017 at 08:15
You will see many questions from my side and you are so helpful
My wife has a bachelor degree in Biology but she doesn’t speak English and she speaks Arabic only.. How she can process and pursued the CO that she can work in the US?. I am accompanying her and I have Master degree and speak English well. But I think they are focusing on main applicant and not the derivative. Right.
Your comment please
May 11, 2017 at 13:47
It won’t matter
May 15, 2017 at 05:59
Hi Simon,
I am a DV winner for 2018. My question is partly answered above, It would be great if you could add some more. I am considering doing AOS and I have been following the google doc you have prepared and also that thread..
I am doing my Masters in the US now. In the DS-260, I have added my Bachelors degree and my A-level certificate both of which I have completed back in my country. I have not added my education before that and I have already submitted my DS-260. Do you think I should unlock my DS-260 and state my education before A-level too?
Thank you so much .
May 15, 2017 at 13:21
You should list education from about age 12 and up.
May 15, 2017 at 18:46
Hi Simon!
I am filling my ds-260 form and stuck at present work question – “Does this job require at least 2 years of training or experience?”. Well, I work as a simple computer engineer, I am not sure my job requires 2+ years of training. However this job requires higher education and some technical skills and I didn’t find anythong like that in O*net database. I have a high school diploma and want to proceed with this education requirement. Will saying “yes” result in qualifying by work expirience instead of school diploma? I don’t want to qualify this way… So that’s why I am not sure and want to answer “no”, should I worry about this question? Thank you
May 15, 2017 at 22:00
Don’t overthink this question – just pick yes or no – it won’t make any difference.
May 17, 2017 at 11:24
Hey Sir, i have a question: should i obtain Apostilles for any or all of my documents for the greencard interview? Is there a general rule (for European Embassies)? I know the safest would be to get it for all of my documents (high school diploma, etc) but is it necessary?
Thanks for your help.
May 18, 2017 at 04:13
It varies by embassy.
May 17, 2017 at 14:34
Hi Brit, I’m from Honduras and here are my questions
1. My highest level of education is Masters degree which I studied in Taiwan. Should I take certified copies starting since High school or just my Masters degree?(only my MS is Taiwanese. The rest are Honduran). 2. I have a certified copy of my Masters degree with the respective Taiwanese authority but it’s from 2016 since I did it before coming back to Honduras. Will this date be valid?
3. I don’t think I can get my police records from Taiwan since its so far away and I don’t know anyone who’s there anymore. What can I do here?
Thanks.
May 18, 2017 at 04:11
1. High school as well
2. That should be OK
3. Check the reciprocity page for Taiwan.
May 17, 2017 at 18:22
Hi Brit.
I’m a Liberian by nationality but graduated from High School in the U.S. as an international student. I recently found out that I was selected for further processing in the 2018 dv lottery. Will I be required to submit a WAEC certificate as other Liberian graduates?
May 18, 2017 at 04:04
No – you will show your US High school graduation.
May 18, 2017 at 13:25
Hi Brit,
Do I need to actually already obtained my high school graduation certificate before I join the DV lottery .Because now I have not graduate but will soon in DECEMBER which is when the participation already ended . I’ve heard people saying that u need to actually finished your high school edu before entering or else they will disqualify u if they find out u took part before meeting the requirement
May 18, 2017 at 13:26
I mean I still will graduate and have my certificate but it’s after the online participation period
May 18, 2017 at 15:06
You have to meet the requirement by the time of the INTERVIEW.
May 21, 2017 at 10:51
Hi Brits, just wanna ask about my education l live in Fiji have completed my high school 12 grade in final test I fail do I qualify for dv lottery
May 21, 2017 at 17:50
I don’t know the requirements for each and every country.
May 22, 2017 at 15:53
Hello
Im the principle candidate with my husband and daugther i dont have the high school certificate but my husband do. Can he replace me as a principle submitter?
May 22, 2017 at 16:31
No. You must meet,and if you don’t, you will all be denied the visas.
May 23, 2017 at 15:10
Hi Simon,
Thanks for all the great advice you’re providing on your website!
I’ve got a question on the high school education terminology. In DS-260, in the “Name of Institution” section, the field label reads “Degree or Diploma”. We specified “High School Diploma” for completion of Elementary and Secondary school in Ukraine. I think it may be called “Certificate of Completed Secondary Education” based on the http://www.wes.org/required/index.asp website for Ukraine. Does it make a principal difference as far as unlocking the DS-260 and correcting it?
Regards.
May 23, 2017 at 23:02
No.
May 24, 2017 at 17:03
Hello brit
I worked for 3 months as an IT and i mentioned it, on the previous Work experience does that make any trouble and should i bring the documentation for it.Btw i chose the high school diploma to meet the requirement.Thank you so much and does this job require 2 years of training or experience i pressed no its that correct?
May 24, 2017 at 20:13
None of that is a problem.
May 25, 2017 at 21:06
Hi Brit,
I am selected for further processing for 2018 visa. I have two questions:
1. During the previous entry i made a mistake while converting my birthday from local calendar to international calendar. it has one day difference from my birth certificate. Shall i correct it in the in the DS 260 form or shall i fill the previous day?
2. My birth certificate is very old, taken 25 years ago, and birth day in local calendar is not clearly visible but the converted one is visible. Should i take new certificate for my interview? is there a risk of taking a new certificate?
May 25, 2017 at 22:56
1. Correct it in the DS260.
2. As mentioned in another reply – take both new and old to the interview.