DS -260 (ceac.state.gov website)

[Se&Se 8]

Won the 2023 Dv-lotery visa,tryint to start the process but the site keep saying "Your request cannot be processed at this time." 

Any idea what happening?

Is there a specific time it is open?

[Crazy Cat 41,887]

Looks like their server is either down or too busy to process at the moment.....just try later.

[Se&Se 8]

36 minutes ago, Crazy Cat said:

Looks like their server is either down or too busy to process at the moment.....just try later.

yeah been trying since 7th,..

That just the next thing to do after you are selected right? ds-260?

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

A gazillion people trying to access it at the same time.  No urgent rush, try again in a few days, a week , a month.

[S9471 60]

1 hour ago, Se&Se said:

yeah been trying since 7th,..

That just the next thing to do after you are selected right? ds-260?

try using a different browser than you do now (Safari, Firefox, Chrome

[solomanii 0]

Ditto, and the one time it actually progressed it said my case/confirmation didn't match (I assume, based on google, I need to drop the zeros).

 

So can I confirm there isn't a rush to do this? Its not first in first served or you really have until Sep/October before they start booking interviews (my understanding is they book interviews in order of case number, skipping people who have not completed registration).

 

Thanks in advance.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

40 minutes ago, solomanii said:

Ditto, and the one time it actually progressed it said my case/confirmation didn't match (I assume, based on google, I need to drop the zeros).

 

So can I confirm there isn't a rush to do this? Its not first in first served or you really have until Sep/October before they start booking interviews (my understanding is they book interviews in order of case number, skipping people who have not completed registration).

 

Thanks in advance.

Yep 

basically the earliest case numbers will be scheduled for interview during August (maybe late July), for October interviews. Getting the DS260 done sometime in June should be fine for being ready in time for that. 

[solomanii 0]

Thanks Susie, that's good to know.

[Se&Se 8]

10 hours ago, solomanii said:

Ditto, and the one time it actually progressed it said my case/confirmation didn't match (I assume, based on google, I need to drop the zeros).

 

So can I confirm there isn't a rush to do this? Its not first in first served or you really have until Sep/October before they start booking interviews (my understanding is they book interviews in order of case number, skipping people who have not completed registration).

 

Thanks in advance.

Does that mean you are having the same problems too? the page wont open?

[solomanii 0]

Yep, same issue, even today.

[Minsk_2_San_Diego 28]

18 hours ago, solomanii said:

Yep, same issue, even today.

If you just try and try and try... sometimes you hit a gap and you're able to log in and start your form... but then you get to the bottom of that page and click "next" and you're kicked out again, only to be unable to log back in... and when you do at last get back in, you find your last page of work was lost anyway (personal experience).  If we had it to do over, we'd just take a week or a month away from it and try again without the aggravation.

Edited May 11, 2022 by Minsk_2_San_Diego

[Dickimaps 0]

I just found out that I made an error on the date of birth, that's why I could not get through. I played for my sister and brother inlaw. My brother inlaw won, however I mistakenly put 27 Nov instead of 25 Nov, probably because his wife's birthday is the 27 Nov. They now have access to the form after I said there was a possibility I made an error as I often swap their date of birth. I am reeling. So maybe think again if you might have made any mistake. Keep trying though goodluck. 

Edited May 11, 2022 by Dickimaps

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

3 hours ago, Dickimaps said:

I just found out that I made an error on the date of birth, that's why I could not get through. I played for my sister and brother inlaw. My brother inlaw won, however I mistakenly put 27 Nov instead of 25 Nov, probably because his wife's birthday is the 27 Nov. They now have access to the form after I said there was a possibility I made an error as I often swap their date of birth. I am reeling. So maybe think again if you might have made any mistake. Keep trying though goodluck. 

Hope this doesn’t come back to bite them. “Accidentally” putting in slightly wrong date of birth or “typo” on name has been used by people to circumvent the one entry per person rule. Some consulates are consequently extremely strict about these errors, if the entry does not exactly match what is on the passport as per the rules.

[solomanii 0]

6 hours ago, Minsk_2_San_Diego said:

If you just try and try and try... sometimes you hit a gap and you're able to log in and start your form... but then you get to the bottom of that page and click "next" and you're kicked out again, only to be unable to log back in... and when you do at last get back in, you find your last page of work was lost anyway (personal experience).  If we had it to do over, we'd just take a week or a month away from it and try again without the aggravation.

That's even more painful.  You can save progress I hope (maybe page by page)?

[Dickimaps 0]

2 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Hope this doesn’t come back to bite them. “Accidentally” putting in slightly wrong date of birth or “typo” on name has been used by people to circumvent the one entry per person rule. Some consulates are consequently extremely strict about these errors, if the entry does not exactly match what is on the passport as per the rules.

We can only hope.