Interview experience stories

Time to giveback and contribute to Simon’s blog and to the community, because this man was a tremendous help ❤️

Case number : 2026AS43XX
Embassy : Cairo
Date : 1st of December 2026
Family of 3

1- Arrived at the embassy 6:45 a.m
2- Around 7, the checked our appointment and passports and let us in
3- we stood in a line where they checked the ds-260 confirmation and the courier service for the passports delivery
4- entered the embassy, passed the security check, took our phones and gave us numbers
5- they checked our photos and asked my wife to retake the photo inside the embassy as she had an exaggerated smile in the photo we took with us, and we took a number
6- called for our number and the staff checked the paper with us and asked short questions like (do you have any other children? Have you lived abroad before, did you visit Gaza.. etc)
7- we waited for the officer to interview us
8- The officer interview was very simple (5-6 questions max), about the state we were going to, what am I going to do there, where I was born, my graduation year.. and then he congratulated us and that’s it..

What I was afraid of :
1- my daughter’s photo had a grey background
2- I has some discrepancies in some papers related to work between the DS and the papers I had (but they didn’t take it)
3- I was registered in a master’s degree and wrote that in the ds but couldn’t prove it (they didn’t ask for it)
4- I couldn’t get a PCC from saudi arabia as I leaved there, they just confirmed with me verbally that I left there, and didn’t ask for paper proof although I had it, as saudi Arabia doesn’t provide it for non residents.
5- I had waaaaay too much papers prepared and took me alot of time and money to prepare them but not needed after all, stick to what’s legally required from your embassy, don’t go overboard.
6- I used my phone to photograph all of us in the first application and used picsart to edit it and it went through, but if I had simon’s application I would’ve used it

Follow simon, subscribe to his youtube channel, attend his lives and ask him, get into his telegram group, participate in his
Poll. This man is the best. He will set your mind at ease and give you bull’s eye advice

Than you big man

Signature : The odd case 😂✌🏻

DV2025 Interview Experience – Montreal, Canada (with newborn dependent case)

Case Number: AF202500006XXX
Principal Applicant: Myself
Derivative: Husband
Original Embassy: Dakar, Senegal
Changed Embassy: Montreal, Canada
Interview Date: November 5, 2024, 7:30 AM

1. Selection & Embassy Change

We were selected for the DV2025 lottery, with me as the principal applicant. This was our second time playing. We immediately began researching, and thankfully discovered Brit Simon’s YouTube channel and joined the DV2025 Telegram group. His guidance made every step easier.

I had moved to Canada in late 2023, so we requested a transfer of our interview location from Dakar, Senegal to Montreal, Canada. KCC responded within three days confirming the change. On September 25, 2024, we received our 2NL with an interview date of November 5, 2024 at 7:30 AM.

2. Medical Examination

We booked our medicals at the Telus Clinic in Montreal for October 23, 2024. At that time, I was almost 7 months pregnant.

The fee was CAD 630 each.

We submitted vaccine records and medication history.

My medical cleared quickly and was sent to the embassy.

My husband’s chest X-ray was flagged, and he was referred to the Montreal Chest Institute for a follow-up sputum test.

It was difficult to schedule since we lived in another province, requiring a 1.5-hour flight to Montreal. The Chest Institute informed us the sputum test would take 6 weeks for results plus another week for reporting.

3. Interview Day – November 5, 2024

We arrived at the Montreal Embassy early in the morning.

Security: No storage for bags, so we paid a nearby café to hold them.

Document Review: At the first window, an officer checked and rearranged our documents, then directed us to the cashier.

Payment: We paid $330 each for the visa fee and returned to the waiting area.

At the interview window, the consular officer had us raise our hands and make an oath of affirmation. He was polite and conversational, asking:

How many times have you played the lottery? (This was our 2nd)

What are your qualifications?

When did you marry?

Are you excited about the baby? (he congratulated us)

What type of work will your husband do in the U.S.?

Which state will you live in, and can you confirm your DS-260 address?

He also noticed that I had a new Gambian biometric passport while my husband had the older version. I explained the difference and produced copies of my old passport to prove consistency. He was satisfied.

We were told we were approved, but my husband was given a 221(g) refusal letter until his medical clearance was received.

4. Medical Clearance & Visa Issuance

Six weeks later, my husband returned to Montreal to provide his sputum samples. Results took another 6 weeks to complete. In January 2025, the doctor called confirming the results were negative, and paperwork was mailed to the Telus Clinic for forwarding to the embassy.

Our CEAC status did not update until March 7, 2025. The next day, our visas were mailed to us by express shipping.

On March 12, 2025, we paid the USCIS immigrant fee for Green Card processing. The next day, March 13, 2025, we traveled from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Ohio, USA.

5. Newborn Dependent Case

By this time, I had given birth to our baby at the end of January 2025. As a Canadian citizen, the baby traveled with a Canadian passport. At Halifax International Airport, U.S. Homeland Security stamped the passport with DV2 I-551 temporary Green Card status, just like ours.

However, when we arrived in the U.S., USCIS had no record of the baby’s case, and no Green Card was issued.

We contacted USCIS multiple times without success. Finally, we reached out to CBP Cincinnati Deferred Inspection Office. They asked us to email supporting documents, then scheduled us for an in-person appointment.

At the appointment, CBP:

Verified the baby’s birth certificate and passport

Collected passport photos

Issued an A-Number

Personally walked the file over to USCIS

That same day, CBP called to confirm USCIS had accepted the case and that the Green Card was now in processing.

6. Social Security Numbers

Exactly one week after arrival, my husband and I received our SSN cards in the mail.
A few days later, after CBP resolved our baby’s case, we attended an SSA appointment. Using the I-551 stamp and new A-Number, SSA processed the SSN application. The card arrived two weeks later.

7. Green Card Arrivals

On August 27, 2025, my husband and I received our 10-year Green Cards.

Our baby’s case is now active with USCIS, and according to the CBP processing officer, we should expect the Green Card within 6–8 weeks.

8. Settling in the U.S. – Resources & Financial Decisions

As newcomers, there are resources available that can help ease financial burdens. Here are a few things we did and the resources we qualified for:

💳 Credit & Banking

Opened an account with DayAir Credit Union.

Started with a secured credit card ($500 deposit) to build credit.

Used less than 30% of the balance and paid in full before the due date.

📱 Phones & Communication

Bought refurbished phones from BackMarket — affordable and like new.

Chose Visible (Verizon partner) for unlimited calls, texts, and data at $20/month (with BackMarket discount).

🚗 Transportation

Bought a used car from Facebook Marketplace (100,000 miles, <$4,000, paid cash).

This avoided loans and was essential since Ohio has poor public transportation.

🏥 Healthcare & Support Programs

Applied for Medicaid/SNAP but were denied due to the 5-year LPR rule.

Qualified for emergency Medicaid in urgent situations.

Approved immediately for WIC, which provides baby formula, food, and nutrition support each month.

Finding a pediatrician was difficult — it took 4 months. We used the baby’s Medicaid billing number for emergencies, then asked about financial assistance programs during the first hospital visit. This led to approval for temporary coverage of medical visits.

🏠 Housing

Researched low-income housing programs, which set rent at 25–30% of monthly income and often include utilities (except electric).

9. Lessons & Advice for Other DV Winners

Prepare documents well — bring originals, translations, and even old passports.

Pregnancy/Newborns: If a child is born after the interview but before entering the U.S., CBP can admit them as DV2 at POE.

Medical Delays: Chest X-ray issues can add months to the process.

Persistence: If USCIS doesn’t show your dependent’s case, contact CBP Deferred Inspection.

Credit & Finances: Start small with secured credit cards, avoid unnecessary loans, and research affordable phone/internet options.

Community Resources: WIC, libraries, and local centers can ease the first year.

10. Gratitude

We are extremely grateful to Brit Simon for his YouTube guidance, Telegram group, and website resources. Without this knowledge, we would not have been as well prepared, nor would we have had the confidence to persist through our challenges.

We hope our story helps future DV winners, especially families with newborns, to know that while obstacles may come, there is always a solution.

My DV-2025 Experience – Frankfurt, Germany

I was selected for DV-2025. Like most of you, I found out in May 2024—and I couldn’t believe it, especially since it was my first time applying. My case number was 2025EU17XXX. I live in Germany but I’m a national of another EU country.
Initially, I expected my case to become current in spring 2025. However, as we all know, progression was much slower than usual, and it wasn’t until July that I was called.

Medical Examination – July 7, 2025
The appointment was in Frankfurt, and I was the first patient of the day. The process was quick—less than one hour.
Cost at practice: €440
Additional: €15.42 for the syphilis test (paid directly to the laboratory after the interview)
Other expenses: €41 for a varicella antibody test done prior to the medical examination at my usual general practitioner (I had the infection but never the vaccine)
The next day, my CEAC case was updated—likely because the medical was sent to the consulate.

Interview Day – July 21, 2025
Arrival: My appointment was at 7:30 a.m. I arrived at 7:05am to find a long queue of both immigrant and non-immigrant applicants. I was the 8th immigrant visa applicant.
Security: Airport-style screening. Phones and small electronics are allowed inside but must be surrendered and stored in a small box until the end.

Inside the Consulate:
Step 1 – Document Check
An officer confirmed I had all required documents and took my fingerprints. I had everything except for a copy of my German police certificate. The lady was very friendly and told me she would make a copy on the spot, reassuring me not to worry about it.

Step 2 – Payment
I paid the Diversity Visa fee of $330 at another window, then returned to the waiting area.

Step 3 – The Interview
At 9:15, I was called to the consular officer’s window. After swearing the oath and re-taking my fingerprints, the officer asked: “Are you single?”; “Were you ever married?”; “Do you have any kids?”; “Where do you intend to live?”

The Unexpected Turn
The officer then asked about my educational background. I said I studied aerospace engineering and was asked whether I had good grades. This led to follow-up questions about my curriculum, including knowledge related to ballistic technology.
I was then told my visa could not be approved that day. At 9:30 a.m., I left the building and found an email in my inbox requesting:
A detailed CV listing all professional and academic experience

I submitted it the next morning. A few hours later, another email arrived requesting:
Short CV
List of publications
List of all countries visited in the past 10 years, with dates

I submitted everything the same day. The next day, CEAC was updated but still showed “Refused.”

Waiting and Final Approval
August 7: CEAC updated—still “Refused”
August 8: Status changed to “Administrative Processing”
August 11: Status changed to “Issued”
In total, it took 3 weeks from the interview to issuance.

On August 12, I received a notification from the delivery service that my passport was ready. I collected it on August 13.

Final Notes & Tips
The envelope you receive (at least in my case) is surprisingly small—don’t expect a large package.
Avoid relying too heavily on past Visa Bulletins. It can make you fixate on a specific month, and the delay will be frustrating if things change.
Trust the system and be honest. There is no need to lie—honesty is key. My aerospace background included a “red flag” touchpoint in China, yet my case was still approved.

Thank you Simon for all the vabluable knowledge.

Good morning everyone!
I want to share my experience on the day of my interview at the Naples embassy.
CN 2025EU18xxx

Appointment on July 8th (I contacted KCC early June few days after the VB was released and they answered back saying that an appointment was arranged for my CN on July 8th at NPL embassy)

June 16th I received an email with instructions for the online appointment registration

June 16th I received a mail by the embassy where were listed all the required documents (also the AFFIDAVIT!)

July 7th the medical visit (in Naples, it’s always done the day before the interview)

The official 2NL was sent on June 20th because there was a system issue

On the day of the interview, I arrived on time. At the entrance control, they kept my phone and checked my bag on scanner and asked me to show the glasses that were inside the bag 😂 (I believe due to meta glasses)

Then, they gave me directions to the visa office.

It was a medium-sized room, at the 2nd floor, where there were waiting other people but I believe I was the only DV applicant; the others had different types of immigration visas.

As soon as I entered, a security officer gave me a number, and an employee called the numbers in order, checked and organized the documents. In my case, they kept the originals.

Then I was asked to wait in the lounge again.

After about 20-30 minutes, I was called to the counter, where a second check of the documents was done. The officer explicitly asked for the affidavit (I handed over the I-134 form, copies of the taxes, and a copy of my brother-in-law’s ID).

She also took my fingerprints and then told me to go pay the fee ($330) and after wait in the lounge.

After another half hour, I was called by another officer. I barely remember what happened!

He asked me to raise my right hand and swear that what I was about to say was the truth. Then he asked a few general questions: if I was married, if I had children, where I was planing to go, and what my highest educational qualification was.
Finally, he told me that my visa had been approved and that I would pick up my passport in 5-7 days at the designated pickup point I selected during the appointment registration.

I received my passport exactly after 5 days.

A big good luck to everyone! It’s a long and stressful process, but I hope it will be worth it 😊

Let me share our interview experience at a consulate which does not process that many DV applications.

CN: 2025AF43K
Consulate: Johannesburg (JHN)
Date: Early July 2025

There was a couple of steps before the interview which I will highlight as some of them are new and unique.

We just missed being current in the April visa bulletin and went current in May, our interview was scheduled early in July, quite quickly. We did not receive a 2NL as there was a bug with the system. However, we were able to get our interview date by emailing KCC and finalizing the time by emailing the consulate. We also had to confirm the appointment time on the consulate booking site and confirm our collection/courier option.

We booked our medical on the Johannesburg medical provider’s site. They confirmed all the requirements by email and scheduled us exactly 2 weeks before our interview date. The medical was straightforward, my only tip would be to arrive early. Although they open at 08:00, we were there by 07:00 and was first in line. It is FIFO, so we were done with xrays which is offsite before 11:00.

The consulate also scheduled an electronic information session on the documents required for immigration visa applications. This was nice, as you could ask questions in the chat. It was all the documents mentioned on the various government sites.

A new requirement was a document check which the consulate started scheduling for immigration visas from July 2025. This is not an official appointment, only an email. It is mandatory and only 1 person from the application needs to attend. Both me and my wife attended, we had all our docs. They combined our 4 different folders (1 for each person) into one and changed the order of the docs.

On the day of the interview we arrived early and was able to enter around 30 min before our appointment time. We went through the different processes of paying first, document check then interview. I ensured we had 2 credit cards with a sufficient limit for the payment, there were no issues. We had to arrange the documents between originals and copies. The only original they kept was our police clearance. The interview was very comfortable with the officer trying to make us at ease. Most questions was to confirm the information completed in the DS-260. The only two questions not related to the information provided was where we are planning to settle and what we are planning to do. All of this was captured on the PC.

At this point the officer told us that we were approved and he cancelled our kids’s old B1/B2 visas on the spot which were in their old passports, their visas will go into their new passports. These new passport numbers were also updated at the counter.

Overall the experience was very good.
JHN consulate is friendly and efficient.

The courier service delivered our visas exactly a week after the interview and we are planning to travel to the US early October.

Thanks to Simon, Xarthisius and Filip for all the assistance and encouragement.

Hi Simon,

I am a DV 2005 winner, and I received my visa and am planning to travel in July 2025 to the USA.

Should I apply for an SSN when I arrive in the USA, as I already paid for the green card process?

Thank you very much for your support.

🗂️ My DV Process Timeline

Case number: 2025AF13k
Embassy: ABU DHABI
Interview date: April 28th 2025

I submitted my DS-260 on May 15, 2024.
Later, I unlocked it for updates on October 24, 2024.
Then, on February 14, 2025, I received my long-awaited Second Notification Letter (2NL) with the appointment date.

I booked my medical exam for March 28th.
However, the hospital called me back on April 2nd to take another blood sample, as the initial results for tuberculosis were unclear.
A week later, I was called again to collect my results.
There, they explained to me that the result was “indeterminate” but I am fine there is nothing to worry — I became very anxious, fearing disqualification.
Still, I remained hopeful and moved forward.
Then came the day of the interview…

⸻

📝 My U.S. Embassy DV Visa Interview Story

That day, I woke up early with a mix of nervousness and excitement. By 7:00 AM, I was fully ready, even though my visa interview appointment was scheduled for 11:45 AM. I waited until 8:30 AM before leaving the house, and I reached the U.S. Embassy around 9:00 AM.

Outside the embassy, I noticed that only those applying for non-immigrant visas were allowed to go inside immediately. As DV selectees, we had to wait outside until 10:30 AM. Once the time came, we lined up, passed through security screening, and entered a waiting area where fingerprinting and interviews were taking place.

⸻

📄 Document Submission

Shortly after entering the embassy, I was called to window 6, where the officer collected my documents:
• My birth certificate
• My high school diploma
• My bachelor’s degree
• Police clearance certificates from the three countries where I had lived

After that, they took my fingerprints.

Then I went to window 2 to pay the $330 visa fee.
I received a ticket with number 115, and I sat down to wait for my interview.

About 30 minutes later, my number was called to window 13.

⸻

👔 The Interview with the Consular Officer (CO)

CO: Hello, good morning.
Me: Good morning, sir.

CO: Raise your right hand.
Me: (I raised my hand)

CO: Do you testify that all the information and documents you provided are true?
Me: Yes.

CO: What is your level of education?
Me: Bachelor’s degree.

CO: Where and when did you obtain it?
Me: (I responded with the name of my university and dates)

CO: How many countries have you visited?
CO: Are you currently working in the UAE?
CO: Can I see your Emirates ID?
CO: Why did you choose to work in the UAE?

Then he continued:

CO: How many years did you stay in India?
CO: How much was your tuition fee?
CO: Who paid for your education?
CO: What is your father’s profession?

After all the questions, he said:

CO: Can you sit down for a few minutes? I will be back.

He left for about 10 minutes and returned — but without my degree. Then he called me again:

CO: Do you have any of your Indian visas with you?
Me: (I gave him all the visas and even offered him to take my rent agreement and electricity bill for my apartment there but he said no need this you can keep them)

CO: Okay, thank you. Please wait again, sir.

⸻

⏳ Long Waiting… and Administrative Processing

I waited again… and waited… until 4:00 PM, when the officer finally called me one last time:

CO: “Your case will be put on Administrative Processing (AP). We will contact you once the process is completed.”

And just like that, I left the embassy with no final answer yet — only patience and hope.

⸻

📅 What Happened Next
• May 2: I checked my case on CEAC, and saw it was still marked as “Ready”, though the last update date had changed.
• May 7: I received an email from the embassy asking me to send in my passport. I mailed it that same day.
• May 8: The tracking system confirmed the embassy had received my passport.
• May 19: Another case update appeared, but the status still showed “Ready”.
• May 20: The status changed to “Administrative Processing”.
• May 22: At last… the status changed to “Issued”! My visa was approved. 🎉

⸻

🎉 Final Thoughts

This journey had no real downsides, but it was filled with moments of anxiety, waiting, and uncertainty. From submitting my DS-260 to the medical re-check, from lining up in front of the embassy to facing in-depth questions at the interview window, every step demanded patience and resilience.

Checking CEAC every day became a habit. Every status update made my heart skip a beat.

But finally, on May 22, 2025 I had it: my visa was issued, and the dream began to feel real. A new life awaits — and this was my first major step toward it.

Thank Simon for your work and support. (I used to play piano by ear, but now I use my hands.)

Hi guys! I wanted to do a post now that my immigration process is completed and that the new winners have been selected, explaining my timeline with the DV Lottery.

Premise: I know I got extremely lucky, from being selected in the first place to how easygoing the process was.

October 2023: Applied to the lottery together with my parents. (19yo at the time)

May 2024: Found out my father got selected. I was under 21 which means I could go through the process with him (20yo)

At this point, you get a case number. You need to fill out the DS-260 Formular (we did as soon as we could), and then wait. You kinda need to forget about it until September. In September, the fiscal year starts which means they are gonna start processing the Lottery cases from that year. You can check how that is going on the Visa Bulletin.

November 2024: We had a fairly low number, from EU. At the beginning of the month our case became current and we got the interview invite, for January. We then started to collect the documents that were gonna be needed for the interview and to have them translated to English. We also scheduled and did the mandatory medical examination. Also, we had to pay 330 $ per person in Visa Fees.

January 2025: We had our interview. Everything went smoothly, we got approved that same day and were told to come back for our visa 2 weeks later. Important: For every document you bring, have both a copy and original. No, only a copy is not enough, and that counts for every document.

After two weeks, we went to the embassy to pick up the visa, but it wasn’t ready. The change of administration happened which probably delayed things. We were told there weren’t any problems and to be patient.

Mid February 2025: Got the visa and a sealed envelope to hand to Border Patrol. You also get other papers and documents, one of which is another fee you need to pay online (per person) before entering the US on visa for the first time.

March 2nd 2025: Travelled to the US to activate the Visa. We only did a 4 days long trip to get things going. At the airport, immigration was fast and we didn’t have any issues. They stamped our visa and we got welcomed to the United States. We then travelled back. Important: The stamp acts as your green card until you get it delivered.

March 5th 2025: Social Security number got delivered at the address we provided. You have multiple chances to change the address if needed. We had to provide one during the DS-260 but ended up changing it during the interview in January 2025. It’s possible, just ask! I have an American partner so we were lucky to be able to use his address.

March 19th 2025: Physical Green card got delivered.

March 27th 2025: Travelled back to the US, this time for good. Didn’t have any issues, going through customs was probably a 50 seconds process. We were still using the stamps since we didn’t have the physical green card on us.

I hope this can be useful to someone. Good luck to all!

My name is Franklin, am a DV selectee with case number 2025AF 28142, am a Nigerian but married to an Equatorial Guinea woman. So I cross charged to my wife’s nationality since Nigeria is not a qualifying nation.
Ds260 submitted on 9th may 2024, reopened to add a Cotonou address as advised by Simon and resubmitted in July 2024.
I got my 2NL on 14th February for an interview for the 2nd of march. I booked my medical at the medical d haivive in Cotonou for 2nd march 2025 at 9am.
On 2nd of April my family and I arrived at the United States embassy in cotonou at 6:45, we waited for security to come check which started by 8am. We were screened in and we went to the waiting hall. We were called to counter 1 to make payment which we did. After 10mins we were called to counter 2 to verify our documents. 30mins later we were called to counter 3 for bio metrics. At exactly 11:55 we were called to counter 4 by the consular officer where he asked us to raise our right hand and swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth which we did.
Question 1: is this Ur first marriage?
Answer: yes
Question 2: how many kids do you have?
Answer :2
Question 3: why are all the subjects not captured in your high school certificate?
Answer : An F does not get captured in the certificate.
Consular officer nodded.
He spoke in Spanish to my wife who in turn responded in Spanish and they smiled since my wife’s nationality speak Spanish.
Question 5: Do you have a diploma?
Answer: yes I presented my degree certificate.
He took and scanned for authenticity and gave documents back .
He said he can’t come up with a decision at the moment but insisted on keeping our passports. He issued a white sheet and thicker the last column on the 221g form. He asked us to go which we did.
12 days later I checked my ceac page and found that my status have changed to Administrative processing that’s on 15th April, on 16th April it changed to issued. Will be proceeding from Nigeria to Cotonou in a week to pick up all passports and visa package. Thanks Simon for all the assistance.
On a lighter note I forgot to state that we got selected twice in a row. 2024 with case number AF15116 but got stucked to the Lagos Nigeria embassy that never interviewed a single case, hence we had to move our case to Cotonou in the 2025 selection.
My advice to all is not to give up on the process,am a testimony to that effect.