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December 9, 2025 at 16:05
Hi Brit Simon,
For the upcoming DV-2027 process, will I have to put number of children as 1 because my wife is expecting sometime in july 2026 or would I be ok putting 0?
Thanks,
December 9, 2025 at 16:20
You only list the child once the child is born.
December 9, 2025 at 11:29
Hello Brit,
I am a DV winner and currently waiting for my case number to become current so I can attend my visa interview and move to the United States.
I am trying to plan responsibly and avoid becoming a burden on my sponsor.
I would like to ask if there is any safe and realistic way to secure short-term housing (1–2 months) from abroad, before arriving in the US, such as furnished rentals, Airbnb, or extended stay options, until I can obtain my SSN and credit history.
My goal is to arrive with accommodation already arranged and then search for long-term housing after settling in.
Thank you very much for your guidance.
December 9, 2025 at 12:31
Yes the options you mention are all possible – and can be arranged in advance. You have the right idea – you just now need to decide what a good choice would be in your case. Do be careful to not be scammed – which generally means going with recognized agencies etc such as airbnb, or an extended stay hotel. These options will cost a little more, but the flexibility is valuable to you.
December 9, 2025 at 09:51
Hello Simon, I won the dv2026 lottery. When I registered for the lottery my wife was pregnant and by the time we were selected we have a new baby. I submitted DS260 also for her, but it says I should upload her birth certificate. I didn’t see anywhere I can upload documents. Do you know if I should email or upload anywhere the birth certificate? Thanks!
December 9, 2025 at 10:15
You don’t need to upload the birth cert.
December 9, 2025 at 08:35
Hallo Simon, Am Evaristo from Uganda, i would like to know if there are companies or a group of individuals in US who may accommodate someone for a pay who has been selected for dv lottery in case he has no one he knows in US to host him. Am asking because I want to apply for dv lottery 2027, but my worry is about who can guarantee me as my host since I know no one there. Thanks!
December 9, 2025 at 10:14
It’s completely pointless to be worrying about that before even entering the lottery. Your chance of selection is 1 in 100 years. Enter. If you win, you will figure out where to live later.
December 9, 2025 at 04:18
Hi BritSimon, i have seen two people here talking about receiving emails from KCC about issue of interview location. I also received a similar email yesterday. Im from Zimbabwe and a resident of Harare Zim so initially our interview location was set to Harare on submission of DS260 in May. In August US embassy in harare paused processing of all routine visas. On 1 November, DOS announced that all Zimbabwe residents will begin to process for US visas in Johannesburg.
The email said your request to have your case reassigned to US embassy In Harare for interview is declined and i must send proof that i am a resident of Zimbabwe.
I never sent any email to kcc to request any reassignment to Harare.
The email went on to say if i don’t respond to the email or if i dont send proof that i qualify for interview location change, the case will remain in Johannesburg which their records shows.
1. I guess if i don’t respond to the email, that’s the right thing to do?
December 9, 2025 at 10:13
As long as you are OK with JHB, you do nothing.
December 9, 2025 at 03:40
Hi brit,
I have collected some information from an institution that 2nls for around 4.5k case no are received for january so isthere a chance that the coming visa bulletin for nepal will increase or will it stay as it is for the coming months.
December 9, 2025 at 10:12
I don’t know.
December 9, 2025 at 02:33
Hi Simon, is a 4 year technical high school diploma equivalent to US high school diploma? Thanks
December 9, 2025 at 10:11
Possibly. It must be general education, not vocational.
December 9, 2025 at 02:15
Hi Brit
Good morning,Trust you’re doin well.Thanks for your good work done.
Pls I email KCC to inquire about my case that was sent in May.I suggested by now they should have finished processing,but they replied I have to allow several weeks for processing,pls in your point of view what does that several weeks will be up to,if you estimate.
Thank you.
December 9, 2025 at 10:11
Processing times can vary greatly by case – so it isn’t predictable.
December 8, 2025 at 19:55
Hi Simon,
Sorry to bother again, but I am getting mixed signals 😂
One of my questions were
b) Now, after filing the ds-260 are we allowed to leave the US?
And you answered: NO! You haven’t filed yet.
I assume filing for AOS is when we put in the I485. But shouldn’t the answer then be: yes! You may still leave the USA since you haven’t filed yet?
Or no, don’t leave since you are here on a nonimmigrant visa and declared that you want to immigrate by putting in the DS260?
Thank you!
Robert
December 8, 2025 at 22:51
Well you are sending mixed signals… hence the answers.
If you leave the USA, you aren’t adjusting status. You have to wait to file until you are back, and even then you might need to wait depending oon your situation.
Anyway, AOS = Sm1smom.
December 8, 2025 at 16:26
Hi Simon,
I hope you’re well. I’m writing to let you know that our DV2025 applications (mine and my husband’s) were approved in September and that we safely arrived in the U.S. about a month ago! We chose Los Angeles as our new home since I did my undergraduate studies here years ago and I still have many close friends who live here. We’re very excited to be here and we cannot thank you enough for answering our questions and guiding us throughout the whole process with your videos and other resources.
I have one final question for you that I hope you can help me with. We haven’t received our green cards in the mail yet and now we might have to travel unexpectedly to see family over Christmas and New Years for a couple of weeks, and my husband and I might have to book different return flights to the United States. Since I was a dependent on my husband’s application, I wanted to double-check that if I return to the U.S. by myself, my passport with U.S. visa (and oval-shaped “ADMITTED” stamp with the date we first entered the U.S.) is the only document I will need to re-enter?
Thank you again for everything!
December 8, 2025 at 19:01
Yes you simply show your endorsed visa to prove your status – and you don’t have to travel with your husband as your status is now completely independent from him.
December 8, 2025 at 20:38
Thank you!!
December 8, 2025 at 15:07
Hi, Brit. It’s Timothy, again, from Nigeria/Oceania.
There are a couple of things I need to clarify:
– I am not Australian. I am Nigerian but was born in Australia, that does means Australia is my state of chargeability, right?
– While filing out the form, I chose the embassy in LAGOS (the only suitable location in Nigeria) as the venue for my interview, potentially.
In response , I got this mail from KCC a few weeks ago.
Permit me to share a copy:
Greetings,
We are unable to process your request to reassign your case to the U.S. Embassy Consulate General in LAGOS without more information. To reassign your case, you must establish that you are legally resident in the requested country by providing evidence that could include:
-Copy of a legal permanent resident card, landing paper, or similar document
-Other document(s) that establish your legal residency
Failure to respond or to establish you qualify for a change of interview location will result in your case remaining at SYDNEY, which our records show is your country of nationality.
In order for the Kentucky Consular Center to assist with inquiries regarding a specific Diversity Visa (DV) case, you must provide the Principal Applicant’s full name, complete case number, and date of birth in the following format (MMDDYYYY) as entered on the original entry. Please remember that the Kentucky Consular Center does not have the authority to tell you whether or not your specific case will be disqualified. Only a consular officer can do that at the time of your visa interview. Do not send any paper documents to the Kentucky Consular Center.
For additional information, please refer to the following websites:
So sorry. That was a long read.
What does that mean?
I selected LAGOS not SYDNEY, yet it shows me that. What do I do?
December 8, 2025 at 19:00
Yes you are chargeable to Australia, based on your country of birth.
Regarding Lagos. They haven’t taken a single DV interview is several years. If you get your interview assigned there, you will most likely lose your chance. You would be better off leaving it as Sydney, and then once you are scheduled, travel there or transfer the case to a nearby embassy (but you will need to be legally resident in that other country).
December 8, 2025 at 08:22
Hi Simon
I hope you are doing well. I wanted to ask you directly about something that has been on my mind regarding the global situation and how it might affect the year 2027, especially since that is the year when visas will be issued for the DV-2027 selectees.
As you know, international tensions have been rising. Many analysts have suggested that China may be preparing for a potential military operation against Taiwan around 2027. Several senior U.S. military and intelligence officials have mentioned this timeframe:
Admiral Phil Davidson (2021) warned about a potential threat window by 2027.
Admiral John Aquilino (2024) said that many indicators point to China preparing to meet Xi Jinping’s readiness goals by 2027.
*CIA Director Bill Burns (2023) stated that Xi wants the military to be capable by 2027, although he may be hesitant due to lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse (2025) noted that China is moving toward its goals, but it is still unclear whether Beijing actually intends to launch a long-term invasion.
Congressman Jim Himes (2025) argued that an invasion in 2027 would be “very unwise” because of the enormous economic and military consequences.
Amid all this, there are also many rumors and fears about wider geopolitical escalation, which makes many people wonder how such developments might affect global travel and civilian life.
My question to you is: based on your experience and understanding of how the DV process works, do you think there is any realistic possibility that airports or international travel could be disrupted in early 2027?
From my perspective, it still seems too early and too uncertain to assume anything. Even during major crises, most countries try to keep air travel open unless there is a direct threat to civilian safety. Closing airports is usually a last resort because of the massive economic and logistical consequences.
However, since 2027 is the year when DV-2027 selectees will receive their visas, this uncertainty naturally worries many people.
So again, do you think these global tensions could actually affect international travel in 2027, or is this mostly unnecessary fear?
I would really appreciate hearing your opinion on this.
Thank you
December 8, 2025 at 11:36
You are asking me to use a crystal ball. Unfortunately my crystal ball is in for repair at the moment.
Could global tensions become something more concrete – yes. Could that have impacts on DV cases – yes. Will any of that happen – I don’t know.
December 7, 2025 at 23:35
1. Hi Simon, I’m writing from Cameroon. My case number is AF30000, submitted my ds260 in June and my embassy is in Yaounde. Please when do you think I can be expecting my 2nl, I know you don’t like speculating but just what you think will be of help.
2. Will Cameroon be among the new list of banned countries?? I’m kind of scared at this point
December 8, 2025 at 00:32
1. Cameroon is backlogged already, and I have no information about what capacity they will have over the coming months. So I cannot give any prediction.
2. Again, I cannot see into the future.
December 7, 2025 at 18:26
Good evening Simon,
we were selected with case no. 2026EU00011xxx currently residing in the USA with a valid E2 Visa.
I did read a lot about the process, including the AOS but I am not sure, if I got everything right. Please excuse potentially dumb questions:
a) We filed the DS-260 and got a letter back, acknowledging that we want to file for AOS with USCIS. That is the 2NL letter, correct?
b) Now, after filing the ds-260 are we allowed to leave the US?
c) Our oldest child turns 21 in August. Is he safe because we started the process? Or just upon receiving the GC?
d) Let’s say, the upcoming Visa Bulletin January 2026 will show for February the number 12000 or higher. If I understand correctly, then we pay the fees and send the AOS package to the Lockbox in February. Can I also send it right away? Is that the early filing if I send it before February?
Thanks so much for all your help!
Robert
December 7, 2025 at 22:22
a. Yes, but it is somewhat meaningless. Filing the DS260 is an optional, non binding, step for AOS cases.
b. NO! You have not filed yet!
c. You haven’t started the process, and no that isn’t what makes him safe.
d. Early filing is filing the I-485 package when you see the VB that makes you current.
I suggest you read the link below, particularly the links from the first post in that thread. Sm1smom is THE expert on DV related AOS. Once you have THOROUGHLY studied the links she provided, if you still have questions you can ask her.
https://forums.immigration.com/threads/dv-2026-aos-adjustment-of-status-process-only.352867/
December 7, 2025 at 16:26
Hello Simon, I am the main applicant. I went to the interview with my wife and my 19-year-old son. As an Iranian-Canadian family, the officer wrote my name on the 221(g) form and asked me to fill out the DS-5535 online. My question is: should my wife and my son, as my derivatives, also complete the DS-5535 for themselves? The officer did not give them a form their names on it. Thank you
December 7, 2025 at 17:42
Not unless they instructed you to each fill it in. You can email them to check.
December 7, 2025 at 16:15
Hello,
For dv2026, should we make our instagram and social media “public” not private?
December 7, 2025 at 16:20
That is not strictly required, but your option.
December 7, 2025 at 15:26
Hi Simon,
I’m a lucky dv26 winner with a high case number EU47*** and embassy initially selected for the interview was Montreal as I live in Canada. The ds 260 was submitted mid May. Last week I received a letter from KCC requesting proof of legal residence in Canada. After I provided the documents they replied with confirmation that the interview will be in Montreal. The ds 260 was submitted mid May. I am wondering does that mean that KCC has just processed my ds 260 last week? Or it’s absolutely unrelated separate process?
December 7, 2025 at 16:20
Seems like a pointless question. Your case number won’t be current for months if ever, so it doesn’t matter whether it is processed or not at this time.
December 7, 2025 at 11:37
Hi Simon, I made a mistake when submitting my DS-260. I wrote the wrong month of the start of my high school studies. Would it be advisable to request a reopening of my DS-260? I already received my appointment with the US Embassy and I need to bring the DS-260 to my medical appointment on December 15th. Please, I hope you can help me.
December 7, 2025 at 14:31
No need to unlock for that – it is a trivial mistake.
December 7, 2025 at 07:23
Hello brit,
Amman, jordan US embassy
If my number for Dv2026 will become current in Feb 2026, when will I get my 2nl? Should I move my embassy to abu dhabi if it is faster?
December 7, 2025 at 09:05
I don’t know any data to answer either question…
December 7, 2025 at 06:59
Hi Simon. How do country bans help those with very high case numbers? Even if countries are banned, KCC will still go ahead and schedule interviews for the banned countries whether they show up or not at the interviews. This will still cause a delay for those with very high case numbers whose case numbers will not become current in time. The only way country bans can help those with very high case numbers is if KCC does not schedule interviews for banned countries and only schedule for unbanned countries
December 7, 2025 at 09:04
Well don’t forget that the ban was in place early enough that some would have not even submitted their DS260 knowing they were banned. But because the bans are in place so early in the year, there is also time for at least some of the interviews to result in no shows, refusals and so on. So, the government will have the confirmation that despite arranging x number of interviews they are still short on issuances. That will help higher case numbers, *IF* the government chooses to make the effort to try and issue as many visas as possible.