At the time of writing it is a few days after the DV2020 results were made available. People have noticed that I am suggesting people don’t rush to submit their DS260. I would even say that the majority of cases should NOT be submitting their DS260 – and I want to explain that advice.
As I have mentioned in a couple of other articles, we are seeing some VERY high case numbers in all regions, and that could mean this is a very over selected year. There are 50,000 visas available. It is “normal” to select more than that as winners (because some cases won’t continue the process), but a good number would be less than 90k or 100k at most. In some previous years we have seen KCC select 125k and even 140k. If they have done that again this year it will be INEVITABLE that some cases will not become current (i.e. will not get an interview).
So – we will see selectee numbers (by country and region) in one of the next 3 Visa Bulletins. There is one to be released this week, then about the same time in the coming months. So – one of those VBs will give us an important number – the selectee number. From that we can determine whether this is a normal selection year with a lot more holes than usual (because of some new procedure). OR this is an over selected year.
Until then people should hold back their DS260 unless their case number is very low. Why? Well several reasons.
- Submitting the DS260 early does not speed up your case. You cannot be interviewed before your case number is ready. Not under any circumstances.
- Most people haven’t bothered to read and understand the procedure so they will rush and later realize they made mistakes, some of which will cause problems.
- Submitting a DS260 is a serious thing. It is an immigrant application, and once that has been submitted you forever have to declare you have made an application to emigrate to the USA. If you do not get a GC through the lottery will will have declared “immigrant intent” which can make future NON immigrant visa applications harder to get approved. Not impossible, but harder.
So – unless your number is LOW, I would recommend you wait a couple of months at least. It won’t harm you by waiting, this is not first come first served, and it could save you some pain later.
By “low” I mean the following by region.
EU and AF region Under 15,000.
AS region under 5000
SA and OC under 500.
Numbers higher than that will probably not even be current (eligible for interview) in 2019. They would get interviews in 2020 only. So why rush???
July 15, 2020 at 03:50
Hi Simon,
Considering the current immigration ban, and the possibility of a new immigration executive order in the next while which may cancel the DV-lottery, I’m planning to hold off on sending my DS-260 to not show immigrant intent. I hold a Canadian passport and do not require a visa, in case i send the DS-260 and do not end up getting a GC, do you think I may be questioned more thoroughly in the future at the border?
Also, my case number is AS10XXX, when do you think would be a safe time to consider filing it? sometime in Jan/2021?
Btw, thank you for the informative website!
July 15, 2020 at 21:19
The filing of a DS260 can cause more questions and concerns during a visa application, not so much during the border entry.
Jan would be fine.
June 9, 2020 at 21:07
I submitted my DS260 maybe too early, since my case number is a little high SA406X (DV2021). Based on waht I’m reading on your post, the fact I submitted this application, could somehow affect me and my wife for entering and/or renews visas?
I normally go to USA (about 5-6 times a year) with my visa B1/B2, and my wife uses ESTA (as she has German passport).
1. Since we send already the DS260 2 days ago, should we do something different next time we enter USA? (we might travel en 3 months to Miami)
2. At the ESTA online form there is a section asking if you have got rejected previously (which it won be her case since we are waiting just for interview now), but I don’t see anything about declaring you have/had intentions sometime before for immigration with some process.
3. If we never got a reply back from KCC since our number is high, should the fact that we submit the DS260 be a problem somehow?
Thanks a lot for your time and feedback
June 9, 2020 at 22:07
1. Nothing different.
2. If she has the ESTA she is not answering those questions now – she already did. Don’t overthink it. Just be honest if asked anything.
3. Yes, it could affect future NIV applications.
June 5, 2020 at 23:38
hello brit I hope you are fine. I have already called Kcc several times and have a month send ds260 and they only tell me that it is being processed, and nothing of the documents if they are fine or not .. in theory we should be OK by the end of June but What else can we do? this is frustrating … should i send everything again? 4 weeks of sending translated documents and 1 month of ds260
June 5, 2020 at 18:34
hey simon , may i ask please , i won 2020 dv loterry , but i was in village so that i couyld not complet my ds 260 form
1. did i delay too much to fill ds260 form?
2. can i complete it from now?
3. is there any chance that i will get interview? if yes when ?
good thanks
June 5, 2020 at 23:29
1. Probably
2. You could try.
3. It is uncertain whether there is time now.