What Next DV Lottery - Interview Support and Change of Marital Status

[Wizzo 0]

Hi Everyone,

 

I have been married for 19 and half years and it seems that our marriage came to an end - we are in the process of getting divorced. I was selected as the primary applicant for the DV Lottery and I have my interview scheduled in May. My husband and kids are on the application - can I edit my application now since we are getting divorced or is this something that I discuss during the interview and provide supporting documents.

 

From the date of the interview, if I submit all the supporting docs needed, how long would it be until we get the visa to land? How much time do I have to land? Do I have to land with all members of the family? What kind of support do I receive in order to find decent corporate jobs? from Who?

 

How did you all select the state to go to? what were your drivers / criteria? Do I get any financial support because I have 3 kids until I get a job? 

 

I have chosen the mailing address of a friend that I trust in the US for our social security numbers? Can I change that once I land and how?

 

Many thanks!

[milimelo 4,205]

You’re on your own to get a job, find a place to live and support your family. US government will only issue you a dv visa - everything else is on you. 

 

 

[Roel 7,191]

Ha. You are not entitled for any financial support. It's on you to find enough money to be able to support yourself and your kids, rent apartment, etc. Be ready to have few thousands dollars available. Apartment alone will be few thousands to pay deposit plus rents. Plus health insurance and bills. Government won't help you. 

 

Since you're a primary winner then of course your ex husband won't go with you. Especially since he won't be allowed to be added to your application after the divorce. 

 

You're suppose to do all this research on your own - find job offers and decide which State has best opportunities for you. I believe you have 6 months to leave once you have visa in hand. 

[Wizzo 0]

Thanks guys! I wasn't intending to ask for support ... it is only the precautions in my head asking for what will happen if I do not get a decent job in a span of 3 months. Was that easy for you?

[milimelo 4,205]

My sister had a job offer by the time she went to the interview (people she worked with when she was a graduate assistant). I helped out by buying her plane ticket and paying for first couple of months of rent. After that she was on her own. 

[Going through 5,668]

3 hours ago, Wizzo said:

What kind of support do I receive in order to find decent corporate jobs? from Who?

No support is given in this.  Its on you to find a decent corporate job if that is your wish.  I would start putting out feelers now, ask any American friends/family to help you get your "foot in the door" with some places, etc.

 

3 hours ago, Wizzo said:

Do I get any financial support because I have 3 kids until I get a job? 

No support is given in this.  If you are really in a bind and have no means of putting food on the table for your family, I would suggest contacting local community support centers, churches, synagogues, and such in the area you will be living in and asking what resources (if any) they can point you towards that you are eligible for.

 

 

 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

9 hours ago, Wizzo said:

Hi Everyone,

 

I have been married for 19 and half years and it seems that our marriage came to an end - we are in the process of getting divorced. I was selected as the primary applicant for the DV Lottery and I have my interview scheduled in May. My husband and kids are on the application - can I edit my application now since we are getting divorced or is this something that I discuss during the interview and provide supporting documents.

 

From the date of the interview, if I submit all the supporting docs needed, how long would it be until we get the visa to land? How much time do I have to land? Do I have to land with all members of the family? What kind of support do I receive in order to find decent corporate jobs? from Who?

 

How did you all select the state to go to? what were your drivers / criteria? Do I get any financial support because I have 3 kids until I get a job? 

 

I have chosen the mailing address of a friend that I trust in the US for our social security numbers? Can I change that once I land and how?

 

Many thanks!

If you already have your interview scheduled you can’t edit your application. Simply, your soon to be ex-husband won’t fill in a DS260 or come to the interview, and won’t get a visa. Bring copies of divorce papers so they can update your file if you have them by then, You will probably need a copy of custody or other legal arrangements with your husband to allow you to get visas for the children and take them to the US.

 

as others have said and as the entry form specifies, there is no financial etc assistance. The most you may find are free local English as a second language classes, but judging from your post you won’t need those. You don’t say what age your kids are, bear in mind if they are too young for school daycare can be expensive too. From length of marriage though I’m guessing all in school, so your priority should be to find a home/address so you can get them registered and in school (incidentally unlike some other countries, public schools are free in the US, so you do get that).

 

With a visa interview coming in a couple of months, I suggest you start doing some proper research on what kind of states will suit you (different people value different things...job opportunities, weather, politics, networks of “old country” immigrants, cost of living, etc).  Within that you can decide bigger or smaller cities, look at school districts (greatschools is a good site for this), check out the citydata forums to ask questions on the cities you shortlist, etc. 

 

jobs - look at indeed, Glassdoor, get on LinkedIn if you’re not already.

 

Immigrant visas are issued for a maximum validity of 6 months from date of issue but expiry dates are usually a bit shorter than this as it has to be within 6 months of your medical exam. So if you are trying yo stretch it, do your medical as late as you can. Don’t try be “cute” and make your travel arrangements to land on the last day or two allowed by the visa though, as any flight cancellations etc and you’ve lost your chance to enter if delays go beyond your visa date. To be safe travel by a week before expiry. You as principal have to land with or before your derivatives but everyone has to enter by the expiry date on their visas.

 

mailing address - you can change when you land by asking the officer processing you at your port of entry to update it.

Edited March 18, 2018 by SusieQQQ

[milimelo 4,205]

Google the lowest unemployment rates in the States and go there - I just read about Portland Maine, a place in Iowa and Marietta Georgia having difficulties to find qualified workers and having to raise minimum wages to attract workers. Some companies even went the 100% employer paid health insurance route (that’s a rarity in this year and age). 

[Boiler 43,438]

Does your Employer have an operation in the US? Could you get a job that way.

 

What are your qualifications?

[Wizzo 0]

1 hour ago, Boiler said:

Does your Employer have an operation in the US? Could you get a job that way.

 

What are your qualifications?

Unfortunately no ... I have an Master degree in business, BA in English literature and 22 years of work in Human Resources and corporate communications. 

[Wizzo 0]

11 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

If you already have your interview scheduled you can’t edit your application. Simply, your soon to be ex-husband won’t fill in a DS260 or come to the interview, and won’t get a visa. Bring copies of divorce papers so they can update your file if you have them by then, You will probably need a copy of custody or other legal arrangements with your husband to allow you to get visas for the children and take them to the US.

 

as others have said and as the entry form specifies, there is no financial etc assistance. The most you may find are free local English as a second language classes, but judging from your post you won’t need those. You don’t say what age your kids are, bear in mind if they are too young for school daycare can be expensive too. From length of marriage though I’m guessing all in school, so your priority should be to find a home/address so you can get them registered and in school (incidentally unlike some other countries, public schools are free in the US, so you do get that).

 

With a visa interview coming in a couple of months, I suggest you start doing some proper research on what kind of states will suit you (different people value different things...job opportunities, weather, politics, networks of “old country” immigrants, cost of living, etc).  Within that you can decide bigger or smaller cities, look at school districts (greatschools is a good site for this), check out the citydata forums to ask questions on the cities you shortlist, etc. 

 

jobs - look at indeed, Glassdoor, get on LinkedIn if you’re not already.

 

Immigrant visas are issued for a maximum validity of 6 months from date of issue but expiry dates are usually a bit shorter than this as it has to be within 6 months of your medical exam. So if you are trying yo stretch it, do your medical as late as you can. Don’t try be “cute” and make your travel arrangements to land on the last day or two allowed by the visa though, as any flight cancellations etc and you’ve lost your chance to enter if delays go beyond your visa date. To be safe travel by a week before expiry. You as principal have to land with or before your derivatives but everyone has to enter by the expiry date on their visas.

 

mailing address - you can change when you land by asking the officer processing you at your port of entry to update it.

Thank you SuzieQQQ! You seem very knowledgeable .... kids are 18 and 12 so we’re good. The war for talent is hard in the US. I’m trying to apply for jobs now writing in my cover letter that I will have a DV visa soon so I hope that works. I have researched a lot of states and so far I have been applying but I always get the “are you eligible to work in the US” question. Fingers crossed! 

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

25 minutes ago, Wizzo said:

Thank you SuzieQQQ! You seem very knowledgeable .... kids are 18 and 12 so we’re good. The war for talent is hard in the US. I’m trying to apply for jobs now writing in my cover letter that I will have a DV visa soon so I hope that works. I have researched a lot of states and so far I have been applying but I always get the “are you eligible to work in the US” question. Fingers crossed! 

Yup, don’t get too discouraged, it’s really difficult to get anyone interested until you’re actually on US soil. Even if you tell them you are or will be eligible to work, they’re always a little suspicious if you apply from outside the country! 

 

Your qualifications/experience are pretty portable geography wise so you have many options to choose what suits you as a place to live. The US is far from homogeneous, be sure to try do as much research as you can on as many factors as you can. Some people for example get attracted by a low cost of living somewhere to find they don’t like much else about the place, another example is people going places where jobs are plentiful and well paid but find that cost of living might still be too high, some people don’t care about politics and others find it really difficult living somewhere that the political environment is too conservative/liberal for them, some think they won’t mind the weather and then can’t bear the winter/summer...  I used citydata quite a lot in researching cities (also DV so also had totally open choice as to where to go) and found it very helpful.

[Wizzo 0]

21 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Yup, don’t get too discouraged, it’s really difficult to get anyone interested until you’re actually on US soil. Even if you tell them you are or will be eligible to work, they’re always a little suspicious if you apply from outside the country! 

 

Your qualifications/experience are pretty portable geography wise so you have many options to choose what suits you as a place to live. The US is far from homogeneous, be sure to try do as much research as you can on as many factors as you can. Some people for example get attracted by a low cost of living somewhere to find they don’t like much else about the place, another example is people going places where jobs are plentiful and well paid but find that cost of living might still be too high, some people don’t care about politics and others find it really difficult living somewhere that the political environment is too conservative/liberal for them, some think they won’t mind the weather and then can’t bear the winter/summer...  I used citydata quite a lot in researching cities (also DV so also had totally open choice as to where to go) and found it very helpful.

Thank you for everything! You have been very helpful! For me, it’s definitely the fear of too many changes at the same time and you can imagine what it’s like being a single mother of 3. So I shouldn’t apply now and I should wait until I get my visa? Hmmm ... maybe that’s the way to go 

[Boiler 43,438]

Are your qualifications and experience related to the US, obviously laws, etc  are different here to many other places.

 

A friend of mines wife was the HR Director in the UK and now I think of it was asked to move to the US, she turned it down but obviously here UK based qualifications were not a hindrance.

[Wizzo 0]

17 hours ago, Boiler said:

Are your qualifications and experience related to the US, obviously laws, etc  are different here to many other places.

 

A friend of mines wife was the HR Director in the UK and now I think of it was asked to move to the US, she turned it down but obviously here UK based qualifications were not a hindrance.

Out of curiosity, why leave Europe to the US? 

 

As for me, I am thinking, a better option maybe going on my own first and landing the job and then bringing in my kids when things are stable. I do not want them to suffer. I have a lot of talents and qualifications .... HR is one of them but also corporate comms and life and executive coaching. If I were traveling on my own, it would have been easy, but a family of 3 kids is a big responsibility! 

 

When do we become actual citizens? how long does it take? I know that we are not supposed to be out of the US for more than a year, but what is the actual number of days mandatory for us to spend in order to get the citizenship?

 

Thanks for the advice!