Ask questions here
To ask me questions you can obviously post on any blog post, but you can also post here. When you ask a question it may remain “invisible” until I approve the message. So no need to keep repeating the question – I can see the questions even if you can’t.
Do subscribe so that you can be notified for replies to your question.
PLEASE make sure you read the FAQ (linked at the menu at the top of this page), as most questions are already answered there.
Please note I periodically have to archive posts from this page to attempt to keep the performance acceptable. That means comments over about 3 months old could be deleted at any time.
July 1, 2024 at 17:57
Hello Sir,
I hope you are doing well. I think I made a big mistake and I am a little bit stressed. I filled out on my US DV lottery entry form that my country of eligibility is France Thinking we had to put our country’s nationality and not where I was born. Nevertheless, the other country is eligible, too, and I also have the citizenship of this country (Tunisia). If I understood with this mistake, I would be automatically disqualified. Is it correct? There is no chance to be called by the embassy if my case number becomes current i’am 2025 dv? Thanks for your help.
July 1, 2024 at 19:06
As you now know chargeability is based on country of birth. Since Tunisia is in a different region you can expect to be disqualified, except if one of two exceptions is true. Read about that below.
If you cannot use either exception, then you should forget this win, as disqualification would be certain.
https://britsimonsays.com/country-of-chargeability-for-dv-lottery/
July 1, 2024 at 19:19
Thank you, sir. The article is clear. Unfortunately i’am disqualified. I want to thank you very much for your help. You make a great job.
July 1, 2024 at 15:15
Good evening Simon, my family won DV and appeared for interview in mid june 2024, at the US Embassy Nairobi , unfortunately the consular Officer offered us a refusal claiming we had not added our children in the initial entry made in 2022. the truth is this is not true cause we added our two children in the initial entry cause at least we know the rules and we couldn’t make such stupid mistakes. we strongly believe that may be it was a mistake on his side or he must have logged onto someone else’s account during our interview. we have written appealing towards the Consular Officers decision for now two weeks we have not received any reply from the embassy neither do they receive any calls. Wondering after the consular officers decision doesn’t the supervisory verify cause am sure his human and he can also make mistakes or even be unfair. kindly guide us cause we want our case to be review. Thank you
July 1, 2024 at 16:09
So a couple of questions.
When you completed the DS260 the first time, were the children already there, or did you have to use the “add applicant” button.
Did CEAC always show the additional derivatives (if you are not sure, list the exact case number here and I will check).
July 1, 2024 at 14:45
Hi Simon,
Thanks again for all your efforts.
My case number is AS1882x
I am DV 2024 winner from Beirut Lebanon, as you know Beirut embassy has taken only one case this year so I decided to move to Jordan. I unlocked my DS260 and changed my address to Amman Jordan. After changing the address my post is still showing as Beirut. Shouldn’t the interview location be based on current address which is now in Jordan?
I emailed KCC to ask them to change my interview location, you think they’ll do it?
Thank you
July 1, 2024 at 15:03
I don’t know for certain if they will have processed the change. You can ask them.
July 1, 2024 at 11:28
Hi Brit,
I hope you are well!
I have a question regarding work experience.
I’m a freelancer marketer and I had a client for 8 months from Finland. It was a company. We had a contract and I was a freelancer worker according to this contract.
What should I say about it in DS260? I still doo freelance work and added it in the current occupation. I’m not sure if I should list this company in my previous employment? They are located in Finland, I’ve never been there, I was just working as a freelancer remotely from France. I’ve listed them on my Linkedin as a work experience, there is indicated that it was a freelance job.
Thanks so much!
July 1, 2024 at 11:35
No need to list them. It was just a contract you did while running your business as a freelancer.
July 1, 2024 at 11:45
Thanks Brit!
So, as I understand:
– In primary occupation I will indicate other and explain that I’m a freelancer marketing specialist
– In the past experience, Can I do the same? Add my details in the address and in the job title indicate freelance marketing specialist?
Sorry, I’m a bit lost and panicking. Thank you for your hard work!
July 1, 2024 at 12:05
Periods of time when you are freelancing, you are “self employed” and working from your own home/office location. If 2 such periods are joined without an intervening period of employment elsewhere, then iot is one longer period of self employment.
July 1, 2024 at 13:24
Thank you!
July 1, 2024 at 11:21
Hi Brit,
Once we faced the interview with CO and if visa is approved and get white paper, does that means we’ll get the visa definitely?
July 1, 2024 at 11:35
No. You are sure once the visa is in your hand.
July 1, 2024 at 10:47
Hello Britsimon I have someone who attended the medicals and has been called to come back. They told that person not to eat or brush while he comes and very early in the morning. The interview is July 09.
Is there any cause for alarm?
July 1, 2024 at 10:57
No.
July 1, 2024 at 10:42
Greetings Britsimon.
We I am a selectee of the 2024 program 6 of us in my case and due to financial issues I left out a derivative to file for him in future.
I also assumed that I may not be called up for interview because my CN was in the 55k range so I played again and was selected again.
Now, the results came out when we were current.
Q) Since the derivative is still in my 2025 case, can we fill the DS where he will be the only one to attend the interview?
July 1, 2024 at 10:56
No, but you may have time to contact the embassy and see if you can add him to the case now, even if that means a separate interview.
July 1, 2024 at 10:21
Dear Mr. Simon,
My wife has selected for DV2024 and we submitted to DS260 form on 10 May 2023 when we were in Turkey.Our case number is 7xxx and due to my master education in Canada we indicated Montreal as an interview embassy in DS260 form. Currently, we are living in Canada and we are still waiting for the interview invitation. Recently, I sent an email to KCC and you can find their response below;
“ Thank you for your inquiry.
Your case number is now current for interview processing. If you are scheduled for an interview date, you will receive notification via email to check https://dvprogram.state.gov. If you need to make changes to your DS-260 you should contact the consular section where you will be interviewed, or bring the information about your changes to your interview appointment. Because your case is ready to be scheduled, KCC can no longer unlock your application.”
I kindly need your valuable comment on our case. Do you think that we still have chance or Do I need to do something to get 2nl?
Thanks in advance.
Best Regards
July 1, 2024 at 10:54
I’m guessing you were allocated to Ankara based on your address. You should confirm with KCC about which embassy you are allocated to – making it clear that you now live in Canada. Hopefully you unlocked at some point to update your address to Canada.
July 1, 2024 at 09:43
I have won DV 2025, I had included my family details in DV entry so now my wife and 2 children are eligible to immigrate. When I enter my case number, I find we 4 family members’ names are there too as derivatives. But my family do not want to go with me right now, they will be joining me later. In this case should I fill DS260 only for me? Or should I fill DS260 for all of us? Kindly reply fast.
July 1, 2024 at 10:13
The term “later” needs to be more precise. If you mean a few months after you, then you should create their DS260s and process them along with your case. If you mean YEARS later, then you could use a family based strategy – but that will force you into years of waiting, additional cost and complexity.
July 1, 2024 at 09:38
Hello Simon,
I have a question regarding the medical examination. I know that they will be doing a physical check of the whole body and I heard from several people that at my embassy (FRA, germany) they’re doing this check really precisely. I have some self harm scars on my arm from when I was 13 years old (I am 28 now). That was some stupid behaviour as a young teenager.. I never self harmed myself ever again and also havent had any mental issues since then. The scars are not big and I even had them covered with a tattoo over 10 years ago. Nevertheless since you can still recognize them if you check really precisely and since I wont try to hide anything I’m a little bit concernced if this could lead to a denial of my visa. Some people online advice on getting a confirmation from a doctor that I am doing better now. But I dont know where I should go to get that since back then I never saw a doc and nothing of this was being recorded. Do you think this is necessary or this could cause me a denial? And if so, any suggestions on what to do in this situation?
Thanks a lot in advance
July 1, 2024 at 10:11
Really – I would not be concerned about it. It will be obvious the scars are not recent.
July 1, 2024 at 00:03
Hi Brit,
For future DV entries, can my dad claim his spouse’s (my mom’s) country of birth in the AF region as his country of eligibility for better chances even though he was born in an eligible country in the AS region?
Or he must born in an eligible country to claim his spouse’s? He previously claimed his country of birth as his country of eligibility for the last 3 entries. If he’s allowed to claim his spouse’s, would he be disqualified for switching up? Thanks.
July 1, 2024 at 00:05
**Or he must born in an ineligible country to claim his spouse’s?***
July 1, 2024 at 07:53
https://britsimonsays.com/country-of-chargeability-for-dv-lottery/
July 1, 2024 at 14:35
Awesome! Love the cross changeability. It’s amazing how low-key and direct this exemption is.
Would you say that AF has more chances than AS?
I want to do that for my parents. Is it better to diversify their regions for their individual entries (one AS and one AF) or have them both go for AF? The point is to maximize their chances.
July 1, 2024 at 15:00
The chances are not that different unless you are comparing limited country with a non limited country (Iran for instance is limited) – then yes, it would make sense to use that option, otherwise no- not worth the extra complication.
July 1, 2024 at 15:35
Gotcha. If that’s the case then I’m matching their chargeability states with their countries of birth.
June 30, 2024 at 23:20
Hi Simon.
Is it to late to send ds260 in August?
I’m waiting for my residence to change, so I want to wait until it does and put the newest information in ds260, so I wouldn’t have to complicate and unlock it later?
July 1, 2024 at 00:09
That’s not too late.
June 30, 2024 at 22:13
Dear Simon , is there some extra fee to pay arriving to the us after doing all the dv process? if I’m correct… the only payments are the interview , the medical exam and the inmigrant fee, am i right?
June 30, 2024 at 23:28
Just those three.
June 30, 2024 at 14:00
hi brit,
my case number is 6283x ,lus, since my number became current they sent 2nls twice, and i haven’t received one yet,
i told you before they said my case is ready and you told i have to wait, i wait and still,
what should i do?
i can wait, but it’s just really stressful and i’m starting to worry.
thank you
June 30, 2024 at 23:26
There is nothing you can do except wait.
June 30, 2024 at 12:11
Hi Simon. I saw the historical inclusion of the UK for DV2025 (unfortunately saw it too late to enter!) but I can’t see any visas issued for the UK on the CEAC charts? Do you know if any visas were actually awarded to England citizens? Am quite new to this so apologies if I’ve just been looking at the data incorrectly!
Thanks.
June 30, 2024 at 23:10
The data you are seeing is for DV2024 when the UK was not eligible. We do have UK winners, but we will only see how many in July/August.
June 30, 2024 at 10:57
Dear Simon
I have asked a question before, now as per the current visa issue rate can we expect following issued visas for each regions?
AF 19500 ( already with ready they are nearing 18000, and already reached the maximum case number)
EU 21000
SA 2300
OC 1500
So For Asia is it 9,900 issued visa possible ? And if that issued rate reach, is 22000 cutoff number possible?
Please correct me
June 30, 2024 at 23:09
So you are just ignoring the mandated visa quotas then. Basically you just want something to be true, and are bending logic to suggest what you want.
In a few days time you will see the final VB and the guessing will end.
June 30, 2024 at 09:09
Dear Simon
If Asia gets the full quota, is it possible to reach case number 2024AS220** ??
June 30, 2024 at 23:07
We will see in a few days time, but my guess would be no.
June 30, 2024 at 06:04
Dear Brit
I have a question about DV DS-260 form. Can I change/edit some information after DS-260 form signed/completed?
June 30, 2024 at 23:07
For that you have to email KCC to unlock the DS260.
June 30, 2024 at 04:55
Hi Brit,
I had my interview on June 7th and received a white paper stating that “Your immigrant visa has been tentatively approved.”
However, my visa status has been updated as follows:
June 7th to June 24th: AP (Administrative Processing)
June 24th to today: Ready
The specific update dates are:
June 7th: AP
June 24th: Ready
June 25th: Ready
June 27th: Ready
Do you know why my visa status still hasn’t changed to “Issued”?
P.S. Everyone who had interviews at the Colombo Embassy in June (including those with 221g after submitting relevant documents) has already received their passports and visas.
June 30, 2024 at 23:05
Stop obsessing and be patient.
June 30, 2024 at 03:45
Hi Brit.
1. Can you let me know the tentative date on which we are expected to receive the data about the number of selectees in DV 2025.
2. I was analyzing the data of xarthisius, where most of the selectees started receiveing the 2nl from the begining of January of particular calendar year. You mentioned the KCC starts the work for particular year from October, then why does it take 3 months to send 2nls?
3. Is the visa processing rate and 2nl dates compartively slow or late in 2024?
Thanks in advance.
June 30, 2024 at 23:05
1. Either the VB published in July or the one published in August.
2. It doesn’t. But the CEAC data is not available until January 1, so all the *data* starts on Jan 1.
3. Normal.
June 29, 2024 at 22:44
Hi Simon, kindly help me I received my 2NL on June 20th and my interview is scheduled for 16th August in Nairobi I’ve been attempting to register my interview with the Nairobi embassy but the system keeps telling me that my case number is not ready to be scheduled for an interview it’s been more than five days now and I continue receiving the same message what would you suggest that I should do because I wanted to start doing my medicals as early as possible.
June 29, 2024 at 23:49
Stop worrying, this is trivial. Try again ina week.
June 29, 2024 at 20:39
hello the last 2NL the USA embassy in Dakar sent AF2024 33945 on the 12th of this month think by September 30 the embassy will be able to reach my number AF2024 47549 according to CEAC it is 31xxx visas which were issued first
June 29, 2024 at 23:48
That embassy is not consistent, so there is no way to anticipate their future decisions.
June 29, 2024 at 15:06
Hi adv2024 from Ghana and my case has been giving an attorney in USA to help with the scheduled and he is saying he is going to help to get my case expedited do you think it will work?
June 29, 2024 at 18:24
Depends on your case number.
June 29, 2024 at 18:26
You have said before you are 2024AF23XXX. If your lawyer is planning to try and expedite an interview in Accra, then you wasted your money.
June 30, 2024 at 16:13
So what do you think is the best way for me to get my case expedited?
June 30, 2024 at 23:28
What makes you think getting expedited is an option? Why wouldn’t everyone just press the magic expedite button?
June 29, 2024 at 10:23
Hi Brit,
CLM has not got any 2NL for this month. Embassy has almost completed the interviews. Done up to AS10200
1.Will they issue 2NLs for next?
2.If they do, will the visa available for next month? My case No 2024As121xx
June 29, 2024 at 13:43
1. I don’t know.
2. Wait and see.
June 30, 2024 at 05:59
Greatings Mr Brit and thanks for your wonderful efforts, one question
1, sir if the VB for September is released without those in August having 2nl yet does it mean it’s over for them?? Or they can still receive it with those of September. Thanks
June 30, 2024 at 23:06
The final DV2024 2NLs will be sent in late July or very early August. That will be the end.