Can you please help me with the Interview Documents? I have a few problems (DV2014)

[arrachion 0]

Hello forum members,

i am a DV2014 winner from Europe with CN EU40k hoping to live the dream!

I still don’t know if i’ll get an interview or not (some say yes, some say no), but the worst thing that can happen, is actually get an interview and fail because of lack of preparation.

So i’m trying to get ready for that, and i after doing my research, i still have a few questions about the documents needed for the interview:

1. Bank Statement

I read that about $10.000 / person is considered is ok. Is that the case?

Also, does the bank have to be a US bank (eg. like Citibank), or it can be an International Bank? I don’t have an account at a US bank (i can create one), but i read somewhere that creating an account a few weeks before the interview might be a cause of visa denial.

So what should I do? Receive a bank statement from my own bank and translate it to English, OR create an account at a US bank and transfer $10.000 there?

2. Medicals

I hear most people do their medicals a few days or weeks before the interview.

However I was stupid enough, not to search these forums back then, and I followed KCC’s orders (“hurry up” etc), and did the medicals last autumn, which means that at the time of a possible interview, the medicals will be 10 months old.

Do I have to take them again?

3. Police Records & Court Records

The strange thing that happens where I live, is that you can’t get any criminal records from the police but only from the court house.

However, when I went to the court house, they said that the criminal records are considered a “judicial document”, and can’t be given to citizens. So they insisted that THEY would transfer the document where I wanted (eg. the US Embassy).

Does the whole procedure sound normal? Because, I won’t have any criminal records with me at the time of the interview, but the Embassy is supposed to have received that earlier from the authorities.

4. USA address

When I sent my documents to KCC last year, I put my USA address as “Not Determined yet” (questions 10,11 of form DS-230), after some research i did online.

Meanwhile, I started using some mail forwarding services, like MyUS, Shipito, Virtual Post Mail, Earth Class Mail etc that give you a USA address for your mail.

I wonder if it would be a good idea to change my USA address to anything of those. Is the absence of a US address cause of visa denial?

5. Bachelor’s / Master’s Degree

They are officially not needed, but should I bring those just in case?

6. Apostilization

Should I have all the non-english documents apostilled (we call it Hague Stamp in EU), before being translated, or it doesn’t matter?

7. Age of the documents

How old should the documents (and/or the translations) be?

For example, it makes sense for documents like medicals or police records to be as recent as possible, but couldn’t documents like high school diploma be older than 6 months?

Thanks a lot

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

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1. Bank Statement

I read that about $10.000 / person is considered is ok. Is that the case?

Also, does the bank have to be a US bank (eg. like Citibank), or it can be an International Bank? I dont have an account at a US bank (i can create one), but i read somewhere that creating an account a few weeks before the interview might be a cause of visa denial.

So what should I do? Receive a bank statement from my own bank and translate it to English, OR create an account at a US bank and transfer $10.000 there?

It doesn't have to be a US bank. They may not even ask for bank statements if your age, qualifications, work etc are enough to satisfy the officer that you'll be able to find a job.

2. Medicals

I hear most people do their medicals a few days or weeks before the interview.

However I was stupid enough, not to search these forums back then, and I followed KCCs orders (hurry up etc), and did the medicals last autumn, which means that at the time of a possible interview, the medicals will be 10 months old.

Do I have to take them again?

Where did you get them done??? Most panel doctors that I have heard of will only do the medicals once you have an interview appointment. Yes, you will have to do them again.

3. Police Records & Court Records

The strange thing that happens where I live, is that you cant get any criminal records from the police but only from the court house.

However, when I went to the court house, they said that the criminal records are considered a judicial document, and cant be given to citizens. So they insisted that THEY would transfer the document where I wanted (eg. the US Embassy).

Does the whole procedure sound normal? Because, I wont have any criminal records with me at the time of the interview, but the Embassy is supposed to have received that earlier from the authorities.

I have heard of countries where this process happens, it's unusual but not unheard of. You may want to double check with the embassy about how they have to send them, alternatively there may be instructions on the country page on the dvselectee site for your country.

4. USA address

When I sent my documents to KCC last year, I put my USA address as Not Determined yet (questions 10,11 of form DS-230), after some research i did online.

Meanwhile, I started using some mail forwarding services, like MyUS, Shipito, Virtual Post Mail, Earth Class Mail etc that give you a USA address for your mail.

I wonder if it would be a good idea to change my USA address to anything of those. Is the absence of a US address cause of visa denial?

They won't deny you a visa because of it, they will want a valid address for the GC to be mailed to. By the way: If there is anything that is not a disqualification factor but that they need before they can issue a visa, they will just put you on administrative processing - waiting for the document etc to be delivered before they will print the visa.

5. Bachelors / Masters Degree

They are officially not needed, but should I bring those just in case?

Always a good idea. See first point - will help show that you can support yourself in the US.

6. Apostilization

Should I have all the non-english documents apostilled (we call it Hague Stamp in EU), before being translated, or it doesnt matter?

Sorry don't know

7. Age of the documents

How old should the documents (and/or the translations) be?

For example, it makes sense for documents like medicals or police records to be as recent as possible, but couldnt documents like high school diploma be older than 6 months?

Thanks a lot

Medicals and police records must be unexpired, doesn't matter how old or recent the other docs are.

Good luck, hope you get current!

Edited May 13, 2014 by SusieQQQ

[arrachion 0]

Wow, Suzie... fast response.

Thanks, a lot!

So what do you think i should do about the US address issue? I have no relatives in the US, so my only option for an address there is to rent a mailbox.

You think it's important, at least, get a mailing address BEFORE the interview? And if yes should i send the ds230 form to KCC again?

Administrative processing sounds scary because september 30th is not that far away... maybe these small details make a difference

[SusieQQQ 11,587]

Wow, Suzie... fast response.

Thanks, a lot!

So what do you think i should do about the US address issue? I have no relatives in the US, so my only option for an address there is to rent a mailbox.

You think it's important, at least, get a mailing address BEFORE the interview? And if yes should i send the ds230 form to KCC again?

Administrative processing sounds scary because september 30th is not that far away... maybe these small details make a difference

I have heard of officers refusing to issue a visa without an address for the GC, so yes, just get something. You can always change it at port of entry. And no you don't need to resubmit the DS - remember you didn't sign this form yet,any updates can be made at the interview and then you sign.