So what now for DV 2020 selectees.
OK – there are FIVE groups:
1. People that had been issued visas but those visas expired.
2. People on AP since having interviews earlier this year
3. People who had interviews scheduled by KCC, but the interviews were cancelled
4. People who got the ready for scheduling email.
5. People that did not get the ready for scheduling email.
Group 1. You can get your visa re-issued, even if you are in the Schengen area. Contact your embassy and quote the judges order. You probably will need a new medical and will need to pay fees again. Don’t delay – you need to act fast. You should not need an interview so this should be easy for the embassy.
Group 2. If your case is now resolved (meaning whatever caused the AP delay is resolved) your case can now be approved. You will probably need a new medical to ensure the maximum visa validity. Contact the embassy asap and discuss the case with them. Do not waste time – now is the time to fight for your chance.
Group 3. Contact the embassy and see if they will schedule your case as an “emergency” or “mission critical” appointment. That is what Judge Mehta has ordered. You should make sure your medical is new.
Group 4 and 5. Other than cases where you are named, your chances of interview before the September 30th deadline is low. If there is an extension granted, it may only be covering the plaintiffs named on the various lawsuits. However, we will need to wait and see what Judge Mehta decides on the 25th.
About entry to the USA. The judges order explains that people will be subject to a ban on entry until January – so you could have the visa issued in September but could not travel until January. That is why you need a new medical to ensure the longest possible validity. HOWEVER, DoS might implement that differently because normally a valid visa means entry is allowed – so we will see if they choose to annotate these visas in a special way to control the entry period.
About closed embassies. For groups 1 and 2 no interview is needed. But for group 3, interviews should be possible even if the embassy is not fully open. Push the embassy for a mission critical/emergency interview as ordered by Judge Mehta.
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