Is DOS number and 'control number' the same thing?

[TriloByte 1,818]

Hello, folks. Trilobyte's wife here. 

 

I'm trying to create a USCIS account online. I have my 'A' number but what is DOS number? 

 

I see this page: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/immigrant-fee-payment-tips-finding-your-a-number-and-dos-case-id#:~:text=You can find your A,(for example%2C XYZ0123456789).

 

Where you scroll down to a picture of a Visa. My visa doesn't even look like that. My right hand corner does not look like this image - my top right is a blank/empty space other than a 'control number' much higher up.

 

My passport is British if that makes any difference to anything. 

 

I'm so sick of dealing with USCIS 😤 - it seems like so many aspects are made as unclear/obfuscated as possible. Why can't they just be clear?!

 

I've looked through my entire K1 folder where I've kept every single piece of paper USCIS have ever given me and I don't see a 'DOS' ANYWHERE. 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

It is not the control number.  The DOS number is the case number assigned at NVC.

[TriloByte 1,818]

Thanks for replying. I still can't find it anywhere. Not on my visa or passport, not on my green card or employment authorization card, or on any paperwork anywhere.

 

MSC number I have. Is that it?!

 

This stuff makes me feel utterly blehhhh. 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

2 minutes ago, TriloByte said:

Thanks for replying. I still can't find it anywhere. Not on my visa or passport, not on my green card or employment authorization card, or on any paperwork anywhere.

 

MSC number I have. Is that it?!

 

This stuff makes me feel utterly blehhhh. 

 

 

The MSC number is it........that is the Department Of State (DOS) case number

Edited June 29, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[TriloByte 1,818]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

The MSC number is it........

So it's the same thing.

 

Thank you.

 

Why on earth don't they say that then?! 'Your DOS / MSC number'. It's not as if they even sound similar! 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

Wait.......DOS numbers are not MSC...my mistake.........  It would begin with letters for your consulate.......

Edited June 29, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[TriloByte 1,818]

3 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

Wait.......DOS numbers are not MSC...my mistake.........  It would begin with letters for your consulate.......

OK.

 

And I have no idea what you mean by your second statement.

 

I'm UK, so the consulate was London. I will look again though I don't really know what I'm even looking for...

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

Just now, TriloByte said:

OK.

 

I have no idea what you mean by your second statement. 

For example...my wife's DOS case number was "TAI2016793XXX" .   Yours might be "LNDXXXXXXXX".

[TriloByte 1,818]

Alright. I see on my 'NVC letter for medical' a string beginning LND with 10 numbers after.

 

No wonder I couldn't find it, I was looking for DOS when I should have been looking for LND. 

 

I bet now when I go to input it, it won't be the right amount of digits. But I'll give it a whirl. 😐

 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

[TriloByte 1,818]

It didn't work. I had a feeling it wouldn't. I can't be bothered with it, it stresses me out too much.

 

I only wanted to create an online USCIS account as I thought it would be an easier way to give them my new address. 

 

It's for the 'verify your identity' bit, btw. 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[TriloByte 1,818]

PS - I don't want to try getting it wrong too many times in case I get locked out.

 

I just need to phone them about my new address and get the I-751 done. I don't care about the online account.

 

Funny how the last hurdle can be the worst. I feel like I'm wading through treacle and absolutely hating every second of it. 

 

Anyways, thanks for helping me. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[TriloByte 1,818]

Finally got my address changed after hours of trying. Why is it that simple transactions are epic dramas in the U.S.?!

 

You go online to find out how to change your address. It tells you to ring a number. You ring the number and it has an option for changing your address, I do as requested: 'press 6 to change my address'. Get through to someone after being on hold for well over 40 mins, they cut me off. Try again, on hold for ages, they cut me off again. Third time I finally get through to someone. They say I need to change my address online and can't do it with them on the phone. So why give numerical dialling options for changes of address if you can't do it by phone?!

 

Also, last time I changed my address a simple phone call did it. This time they were insistent that it has to be done online and can't be done on the phone. 

 

Go online to fill in the form and it's not working properly. Keeps saying 'enter zipcode' over and over when the zip code was entered! Husband and I both checking it carefully over and over. Nope. We are not stupid people! Quit the tab, try again, fill it in again in exactly the same way and suddenly it works.

 

God, they're enough to make you want to throw in the towel, just give up and say 'to hell with it, just deport me, I don't care anymore'. 4 hours messing about to do something that should take less than 5 minutes.

 

*and breathe* 😤 😤 😤

 

 

Edited June 29, 2020 by TriloByte

[bobjennyhitched 99]

19 hours ago, TriloByte said:

Hello, folks. Trilobyte's wife here. 

 

I'm trying to create a USCIS account online. I have my 'A' number but what is DOS number? 

 

I see this page: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/immigrant-fee-payment-tips-finding-your-a-number-and-dos-case-id#:~:text=You can find your A,(for example%2C XYZ0123456789).

 

Where you scroll down to a picture of a Visa. My visa doesn't even look like that. My right hand corner does not look like this image - my top right is a blank/empty space other than a 'control number' much higher up.

 

My passport is British if that makes any difference to anything. 

 

I'm so sick of dealing with USCIS 😤 - it seems like so many aspects are made as unclear/obfuscated as possible. Why can't they just be clear?!

 

I've looked through my entire K1 folder where I've kept every single piece of paper USCIS have ever given me and I don't see a 'DOS' ANYWHERE. 

 

 

Did you find it? I believe it starts with LND. For UK People

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by jennywhite421
Removing link

[TriloByte 1,818]

2 hours ago, jennywhite421 said:

Did you find it? I believe it starts with LND. For UK People

 

I did find it. But I wanted it for the purposes of verifying my identity on my USCIS online account, and I entered it very carefully twice and it just doesn't work. A person I got through to on the phone at USCIS said it 'might be a glitch in the system and to try again another time'. I just find it all so annoying and I wasted hours on it yesterday, so I've given up now.

 

All I have left to do is file my I-751 and I can do that without an online account. After that my husband and I are planning to move back to the UK (within the next 5-8 years). I'm homesick and he prefers the UK anyway. I'm not going to bother with US citizenship. I have my own business and if I become a US citizen and move back to the UK I would have to pay both US and UK taxes on my business and I don't want to do that. Still, I'm grateful I had the chance to try living in another country for a while. So the I-751 will probably be the last time I ever have to deal with USCIS.

 

Anyways - thanks for asking. You and Lucky Cat were correct - it is the string beginning with consulate letters. 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2020 by TriloByte

[HRQX 4,145]

2 hours ago, TriloByte said:

But I wanted it for the purposes of verifying my identity on my USCIS online account

I also can't use that "Confirm Your Identity" page*. But without it, I haven't encountered issues when using the USCIS account.

 

*Looks like that page is for those who entered with Immigrant Visas: