Green Card's Sample 1940 - Source: www.ins.usdoj.gov

Our Green Card Lottery DV-99 Happy Story

Liuda (my wife and DV-99 lottery winner) and Tali (my daughter) are here (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, May 1999)

At first please let me explain what is it "Diversity Immigrant Visa"
I quote US Dept of State "Visa Bulletin"

"B. DIVERSITY IMMIGRANT (DV) CATEGORY
Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act provides 55,000 immigrant visas each fiscal year to permit immigration opportunities for persons from countries other than the principal sources of current immigration to the United States.
DV visas are divided among six geographic regions. Not more than 3,850 visas (7% of the 55,000 visa limit) may be provided to immigrants from any one country."
"Entitlement to immigrant status in the DV category lasts only through the end of the fiscal (visa) year for which the applicant is selected in the lottery.
The year of entitlement for all applicants registered for the DV-99 program ends as of September 30, 1999.
DV visas may not be issued to DV-99 applicants after that date. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-99 principals are only entitled to derivative DV status until September 30, 1999.
DV visa availability through the very end of FY-1999 cannot be taken for granted.
Numbers could be exhausted prior to September 30. Once all numbers provided by law for the DV-99 program have been used, no further issuances will be possible."

If you want to read more information about DV-lotteries then go to http://foia.state.gov/referfam9.htm and find "42.33"

Below I describe our DV-99 story which lasted between June 1998 and September 1999.

April 28, 1998:
Notification letter for my wife Liuda with case # 99-EU-19194-Lithuania came to our Israeli address while we were already in the USA (H1B/H4).
We were not aware that got such gift.

I quote these letters:

Letter 1. CONGRATULATIONS!
You are among those randomly selected and registered for further consideration in the DV immigrant visa program.
Selection does NOT guarantee that you will receive a visa because the number of entrants selected is greater than the number of visas available.
IMPORTANT BASIC DV REQUIREMENTS The law creating the Diversity Visa Lottery Program states that you must have EITHER a high school education, normally consisting of 12 years of full time education, OR two years of work experience.
If you are qualifying with work experience, you must have two years of experience in the last five years in an occupation which (by U.S. Department of Labor definitions) requires at least two years of training or experience. Either will make you eligible to apply for a DV visa.
If you cannot meet one of these requirements, you CANNOT be issued a visa.
You and only you must meet this requirement. Your spouse and children do NOT have to meet this requirement.
DO NOT CONTINUE WITH THIS APPLICATION IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE EDUCATION OR WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT.
Other requirments for the DV visa are the same as those for other immigrant visas. This is why, for example, at the time of your visa interview, officers evaluate medical exam results, financial evidence, and police certificates so you must bring the original and ONE COPY of these documents to your interview. If you do NOT have all the required original documents, your visa will not be issued.
THE DECISION ABOUT WHETHER YOU MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS WILL BE MADE AT THE TIME OF YOUR VISA INTERVIEW.
First, complete the enclosed forms: Supplemental Registration Form (DSP-1 22) - Principal Applicant Biographic Date Sheet (Form OF-230 Part 1) - For all family members traveling Sworn Statement (OF-230 Part 11, Do NOT sign this form) - For all family members traveling NEXT, using the return address label, send all the completed forms for yourself and family members accompanying you to:
NATIONAL VISA CENTER (NVC)
32 Rochester Avenue Portsmouth, NH 03801-2909, USA

Letter 2. ADJUSTMENTS OF STATUS
IF YOU ARE IN THE UNITED STATES, you may apply to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for adjustment of status.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO RETURN COMPLETED FORMS TO NVC.
Take this packet of documents to your local INS office to apply for adjustment of status.
INS will provide instructions on how to proceed. It will NOT be necessary for you to contact the NVC for any further instructions if you apply to adjust status in the United States, and the NVC will NOT contact you again.
YOU MUST ADVISE INS OF ANY IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS RESIDING ABROAD WHO WISH TO APPLY FOR THEIR IMMIGRANT VISAS AT A U.S. EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.
One final note: This letter only concerns processing for the DV visa.
If you are also registered under another immigrant category, you should continue to process the other visa case using the instructions sent to you separately under that visa category.

June 17, 1998:
Notified by e-mail about this fact. Decided to go thru INS (AOS - Adjustment of Status).
Did not hired a lawyer.

September 1998:
Paid $225 ($75 * 3 persons) to US Dept of State.
Without this payment US Dept of State will not issue for us Immigrant Visas.

Dec 18, 1998:
Filed I-485 to Miami INS office by certified mail.
(2 adults + 1 baby) with $650 money order ($220 + $220 + $160 I-485 fees + $50 for fingerprinting).
The I-485 Package returned.
The reason: our DV-case number is not current.

April 14, 1999:
Visa Bulletin announces DV-99 cut-off numbers in advance (the first time) and our # is current for June.

April 26, 1999:
We apply our DV-99 I-485 again being aware of INS Memo about early DV-99 filing (90 days in advance).
We don't apply for Employment Authorization and Advance Parole.

May 26, 1999:
Got INS receipt notice which states that our DV-case will be completed by May 18, 2000 (at that moment DV-99 program must be dead and we cannot get green cards based on DV-99).
Call to our INS office. INS information officer explains that our DV-99 case will be valid and after deadline Sept 30, 1999, because if we filed AOS when our IV (immigration visa) # was available, then it must available forever and ever. All my attempts to explain this lady the essence of DV lotteries (that DV is launched for a particular fiscal year only) cause her irritation and very low estimation of my intellect and English knowledge.
Contact with offices (immigration casework) of US Senator Bob Graham of Florida and our US Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Ballart (you can locate your US Congresspersons via www.house.gov and www.senate.gov). We got also appointment letters for fingerprinting on the INS FngPrint facility.

June 1st, 1999:
We got our fingerprints taken.

July 13, 1999:
Call to FBI (West Virginia) 304-625-5590. My wife's fingerprints have been cleared on June 26, mine - July 8.
Reports promptly have been sent from FBI headquarter to the INS TX center (TSC).

July 20-30, 1999:
Got letters from the Congresspersons offices.
Miami INS office responded them:
1) Our case got Congressional Control Number (5 digits);
2) INS is ready to complete our adjudication process immediately upon receiving our FBI clearance reports (my FingerPrints clearance report has not been received Miami INS by July 22)
Call to National Visa Center (NVC) 603-334-0700 DV-99 line: our NVC file has been transfered to Miami INS office on May 27, 1999.

August 2-4:
Got medical check-up done.
Doctor visit: $105 - adult, $45 - kid. Sub-total $255
Miami-Dade County's Health Dept, shots: MMR - $35, Tetanus - $10. Sub-total: $90.
Our daughter already got all vaccinations for free. Total for medical $345.
6 photos (2 * 3 persons) : Nov 98 - $35, Sept 99 - $45.
US Dept of State AOS fee - $225 So our DV-99 AOS costs total $1300 (one thousand three hundred).
I cannot calculate costs of 15 months of limbo.
By the way: we never got from INS doctors list for Miami. One nice person from WWW.VISALAW.COM discussion forum sent me some addresses from 1998 list.

August 3, 1999.
Suddenly got a call. One lady introduced herself as our INS adjudication officer (with a name and phone #).
She asks me to bring photocopies of all basic originals (Russian and Hebrew), e.g. certificates of birth, marriage , education ....

August 9, 1999
I visit her office with all requested papers and our medical results (in sealed envelopes).
She tells that our adjudication process has been done and approved and we must receive an approval notice within 2-3 weeks. Moreover, she told that US Dept of State (Immigrant Visas Control office) sent already our Immigration Visas numbers.

August 26, 1999.
Got 3 letters.
"August 23, 1999
We are hereby advising you that your status has been adjusted to that of a lawful permanent resident.
This letter is not proof of your legal status in the United States.
Please appear at this office for processing of your alien registration every applicant must appear in person.
Office location: Miami INS Office (room 240) Date: September 8, 1999. Time 8:45 AM
Please bring the following: your passport, I-94, picture identification and
employment authorization document (Form I-688B) or any form of employment authorization that you may have.
Noone will be admitted more than 15 minutes before the scheduled appointment time.
If you arrive late you may have to be rescheduled.
This appointment is mandatory for the processing of your alien registration card.
Please bring two identical photos."

September 8, 1999.
Came 15 minutes before appointment time.
After 2 hours waiting have again taken our fingerprints, signatures.
The officer was not very friendly and requested from my wife her Florida's ID (my wife never had any driver license and brought her old Michigan's ID).
So we got a little hard time. They took away our I-94 and wanted to take also our EAD that we never had.
However we got our passports stamped
"Processed for I-551.
Temporary evidence of lawful admission for permanent residence.
Valid until receipt I-551. Employment authorized"
Alien # .... DV7 as of 8/9/99"

For more information about Green Card see INS web-site www.ins.usdoj.gov

Good luck to all current and future DV-participants !!!

Liuda, Michael and Tali

September 12, 1999

September 15-16, 1999

Very unpleasant news: all 55,000 DV-99 visas ran out two weeks before
Sept 30. (http://www.ilw.com/pederson/dv99.htm)