OK – a few days ago I posted an article about a new document procedure that is happening. At the time I did not know that much about the new procedure – I think some people get the impression that the government explain things to me before they make changes. They don’t. Whatever I know, I know by getting information from you all and applying a little logical reasoning.

So anyway. Here is what we know so far:

1. The new procedure seems to be in effect for all cases in all regions.
2. Although the email has not gone out to all cases so far, it HAS gone out to people in all number ranges – so the fact that you get the email does not mean your case will be current next month.
3. Principal selectees will get the email and submit the documents for themselves and all derivatives.
4. The list of documents needed is clearly stated in the email. There is no reason to send documents they haven’t asked for. There are also clear instructions in the email, so you don’t need to ask me if you just read the email carefully.
5. There are some cases where police certs cannot be sent ahead of time (like Albania where the police cert is sent to the embassy). Also, some countries do not have reliable police certs so they are not required.  In those cases make sure you carefully follow the instructions in the reciprocity page and attach an explanation to the email response about why you are not sending the police cert.
6. Police certificates are in the list of documents to be included. Since those documents expire, I believe you should not submit these police certs too early. Therefore a person with a high case number could sensibly wait and not respond to the email too soon. However, you should later respond to the email once your case number is getting closer. In other words, if your case is close to being current (in the next 2 or 3 VBs, then go ahead and submit these documents asap. If on the other hand you know you won’t be current until August, then wait a couple of months before you submit. Please use some common sense about this. Don’t ask me when to send – use some logic!
7. People that have not received the email but expect to interview soon could choose to send these documents anyway.
8. People already scheduled do not need to send these documents unless requested.
9. The official instructions have been updated to reflect this new procedure. It seems to have been decided to be implemented in time to affect the January 2019 interviews.

Why are they doing this and is it a good thing?

They are probably trying to improve processing of DV cases. By KCC having the documents early, KCC and the embassy have some extra time to screen the cases and perform additional checks before the interview. That might help reduce AP waiting times after the interview. Maybe. Not certain – but maybe.

Additionally it will reduce the number of people that get scheduled for interview but don’t show up. That is because some people would have sent in their DS260s because no proof of documents is required for that, but now have to show valid documents. Some people won’t be able to provide valid documents, so rather than scheduling those people and wasting an interview appointment, the embassy will be more certain the selectee will show up.

Amazingly, there are people that show up to the interviews without some of the required documents. That is just a waste of time, so this process will reduce the chances of that happening.

Those reasons seem positive to me – so this should be seen as a positive improvement.

How will this impact processing and the VB this year?

Because some people who have submitted DS260s won’t respond to this email in a timely manner, those cases will not be able to be scheduled. That will possibly create a “backlog” effect as we used to see. To explain that, let me give some illustration with made up numbers.

Let’s say KCC decide they need 500 cases to be interviewed in a given region in the next month. Before this new procedure they would look at the cases and see how many cases had submitted their DS260 and were ready for scheduling. That might have meant they needed to increase the VB by 1000 cases to yield the 500 cases they needed for interviews.

With the new procedure they now have to see if the documents have been submitted. So now, they might need to increase the VB by 1200 case numbers to yield the 500 cases. That creates a backlog of cases that will be scheduled in later months once they have submitted their documents.

So – this change in process might temporarily lead to  2 or 3 months of higher VB movement, and then a later slowdown. This is not certain – just a guess of what might happen – just speculation. In fact, it may end up not changing things by enough to be noticeable.  So – just remain patient and wait and see what happens.

Here is the email again for those that might not have seen it.

>>>>>>>>>>

from KCC DV
subject: Further DV Documents Required
Date: XX/XX/2018
“…
Case Number: 2019XX000XXXXX

Dear ************:

The Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) has completed processing of your DS-260 Diversity Visa application form and the DS-260s of all accompanying family members.

In order to continue processing your case, you must submit electronic copies of the documents below in .jpeg or.pdf format to kccdvdocuments@state.gov. Use your case number as the subject of the email. The maximum email size is 30MB. If the total size of your attachments is larger than 30MB, send multiple emails using your case number as the subject of each email. Please send your documents for KCC review only after you have collected all of the required documents for yourself and all accompanying family members. Send documents only to the kccdvdocuments@state.gov email address; for any document processing questions use the kccdv@state.gov email address.

Documents photographed or scanned with a mobile phone are acceptable, but every document must be fully legible. Illegible or incomplete documents must be re-submitted and will delay processing of your case.

All documents not in English, or in the official language of the country in which application for a visa is being made, must be accompanied by certified translations. The translation must include a statement signed by the translator that states that the translation is accurate and the translator is competent to translate.

You will take original or certified copies of all documents you submit to KCC to your visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate. Submit the same documents to KCC that you will take to your visa interview. Any differences between the documents you submit electronically to KCC and the originals you present at your visa interview could cause delays in processing or refusal of your visa application.

Do not mail paper documents to KCC. Any paper documents sent to KCC will be destroyed.

For more information on required documents, refer to the Department of State’s Diversity Visa webpage.

Documents Required for All Applicants:
• Copy of passport biodata page (no translation required)
• Birth certificate
• Military records for any applicant who has previously served in the military
• Police certificates for applicants 16 years of age or older from all required countries
• If you have been convicted of a crime, a certified copy of each court record and any prison record

Collect and submit your documents promptly. Your case will not be scheduled for a visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate until KCC has received and processed all required documents. Missing or illegible documents will delay processing of your case. Diversity visas are numerically limited and there is no guarantee a visa will be available. Only a consular officer can determine, at the time of the visa interview, if you are qualified to receive a Diversity Visa.

If you have questions about document submission, you may contact KCC at kccdv@state.gov. The KCC telephone number is 606-526-7500 (7:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. EST).