Suggest new FAQ entry

Advise or experiences of people who do not have friends or family in USA or know anyone,
1. Where do i get the address to fill in my DS260 where my GC will be mailed.
2. Can i add a hotel or rental address?

hello brit, really thanks a lot for your prompt reply and helpful information for my request about case numbers. it really helped me a lot to clear out the confusions i had. Earlier, i was just reviewing the printed copies of my DS 260 application and i suddenly found out about the error i made in the middle name section. In my passport, in the given name section, it says Samuel Dibabu. however, i just filled in Samuel in the given name section of the DS260. however i filled my sur name right. and fortunately, i filled in my given name correctly in my native language in the section where it asks “full name in native language”. so what is better for me to do? can i unlock my ds260 and edit it or is it not a big deal or anyother advice you could give me. i really don’t know what to do. thanks in advance for the helpful information you will offer!

Thanks Walt I appreciate your reply.

Hi Brit, I have an FAQ suggestion to do with activation.

1. Once the DV has been issued, can it be activated in any port of entry (i.e. does the port of entry have to be a state or can it be a territory, such as Guam)?

2. The Department of State website says the visa is “usually” activated at an airport. Does this mean it could be activated by driving over the border, say from Canada?

3. If intending to do an “activation trip” but not move to the US straight away (and having organised a friend’s address for GC and SSN to be posted to) how long do you have to stay in the country? Can you literally activate the visa at the port of entry, then turn around and get straight back on a plane, or is there a minimum period you’re expected to be in the country when activating the visa?

Thank you!

Hi Dear Simon,
I appreciate your efforts to help people. All the videos and information in the FAQ are too valuable. I am a DV-2022 winner with 2022AF00045XXX and have two burning questions.
1. I am married and currently have one under-five child and expecting the second baby girl in the coming few weeks. During the initial application, we were three (Me, my wife and my son) whereas after a few weeks we will be four. How should I proceed with DS-260? Should I wait (for submission)until the baby is born and include her details? I am a little bit curious about how to approach such cases (pregnancy-related)?
2. I am living in Europe (for a PhD study, I am a principal applicant) and my families are in Africa. During the initial application form, I used my European address (not yet started filling DS-260). But, for a family reason, I want to attend the interview in Africa. My concern is while filling DS-260, should I enter the European address as previous and African as a present address or should I keep silent about the European address? Please say something here?

Hi Simom, The US troops are leaving Afghanistan and they are taking around 20,000 Afghans who have worked with them through (SIV). Do u think that affect the DV cases of Afghanistan?

Good morning Brit, i am DV2020 Winner from Africa Region that was affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic because i did received my 2NL from the Embassy and date was scheduled for my interview but it did not hold.So i kindly want to know the following informations mentioned below:

1. I have all the required documents for interview which are in 2019 except my police clearance which i have to renew and then fixed date for my medicals when the Embassy would have reschedule a date for my interview.
2. Do i need a new i-134 from my sponsor other than the previous one he had filled because a financial year had roll over ?
3.I have all the following years of 1040 forms (2017,2018 & 2019) from my sponsor, so do i need to ask him for 2020 or 2021 as the case may be?
4. I have several payment slips for various months from my sponsor but they are all in the year 2019, so do i need to ask him for some 2020 or 2021 payment slips?
5. The covering medical insurance and DS 5540 filled forms to be shown on the day of the interview are they still applicable as part of the required documents?
6. Finally when the court and the government would have agreed on the terms on how to issue the DV2020 Visas am i obliged to request my Embassy to get interview date from them?

Dear Simon,
First of all an immenseTHANK YOU for all that u do. May the almighty bless and guide you. We had our interview on Thursday and got our visas this week. I have been reading your blog since last June and was ‘over prepared’ for our interview in Doha. Although I took financials and work experience, the CO didn’t ask for them and just looked at only the qualifications.

Some advice for families:
* Collate all BC together, PCC together, etc (cause I had arranged documents under each person’s name and then had to rearrange)

It would be a great help Simon, if you could start a new section under FAQ on how to sell your house and transfer the proceeds to USA to purchase a house/apartment. Cause I remember you/other readers of your blog had commented to first sell the house before entering USA to avoid Capital Gains Tax.
I want to buy the house in my daughter’s name, who is a green card holder and already in the States.
1) Will there be any other tax involved?
2) How best to move the money to USA? I would be grateful for advice and helpful tips from anyone who has done this before.

Thanks a million!

Hello Mr Simon, In pre-interview check list from U.S embassy Kabul it is written:
“Surname for derivatives must have the same spelling in all their documents as the surname appears on the principal applicant’s passport.”
My wife and one of my daughter’s Surname is different from mine. Do u think that will affect my case?