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DV-2006
Visa Lottery Instructions Issued
The U.S. Department of State (DOS) issued the 2006 Diversity
Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2006) instructions at the end
of September 2004. The DV program is commonly referred to
as the visa lottery.
Overview of the Program
This program allows for the issuance of 50,000
immigrant visas to eligible persons from countries with
low rates of immigration to the United States. The detailed
instructions(http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants_types_diversity3.html)
for submitting an application are available on the DOS
WebSite(http://www.travel.state.gov/). Applicants must be
from a list of accepted countries.
Countries Not Eligible to Participate
Ineligible for participation in this program are
natives of countries with high rates of immigration to the
United States over past years. These excluded countries
are: Canada, China (mainland born), Colombia, Dominican
Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan,
Philippines, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except
Northern Ireland), and Vietnam.
When and How to File
The entries have to be submitted electronically
within a narrow window of time; between Friday, November
5, 2004 and Friday, January 7, 2005. It is no longer possible
to submit paper filings. Persons are advised not to wait
until the last minute, as the electronic system may make
it impossible to file last minute. For DV-2005, the first
year in which electronic filing for DV entries was used,
the system was overloaded and unable to accept some of the
last-minute entry efforts. The application form and instructions
for electronic submission will be available online (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/)
during the registration period once it begins on November
5, 2004. [Note : This link will be activated ONLY once the
registration period begins.]
eFiling Controversy
The use of eFiling created controversy last year
for DV-2005, the first year for eFiling, and continues to
be of concern for DV-2006. Obviously, eFiling capability
is not available to all. The DOS says it studied this matter
last time and determined that they had very similar percentages
of applicants from the various countries and regions last
year despite the use of eFiling. They state that they continue
to receive applications in the same proportions as before
from developing and disadvantaged areas. The DOS finds the
eFiling more secure, convenient, and efficient.
Beware of Imposters
Last year there were imposter websites that took
money from individuals, supposedly to file applications
for them to participate in the DV lottery program. The DOS
WebSite is the one and only legitimate lottery application
website. There is no filing fee for submitting an entry.
Using an unauthorized website will cause applicants to lose
their money and will not guarantee them a chance to participate,
as the application may not actually be submitted to the
DOS.
Follow Specific Filing Directions
There are detailed directions and explanations
of requirements on the DOS WebSite. These should be reviewed
carefully. Applications that are not properly filled out
will not be accepted. There are specific requirements for
photographs, listing and including family members, only
filing one entry, and other important aspects of the program.
There are also FAQs explaining the process and other common
concerns.
Lottery Selection No Guarantee of Green Card
Selection as a lottery winner assures one neither
immigration to the United States nor the green card. It
is necessary to undergo consular processing for an immigrant
visa or an adjustment of status to permanent residence in
order to obtain a green card under this program. To benefit,
one must be eligible for consular processing or adjustment
of status under current immigration laws. Thus, anyone who
has violated immigration laws may wish to consult with an
attorney to determine whether s/he would be eligible for
benefits even if selected. One must also be able to complete
the process
before the end of the 2006 fiscal year (September 30, 2006)
and be able to show that all education / employment requirements
are met. There are more persons selected than there are
available visas. The ability to obtain one of the visas
depends upon published numbers by region. Each randomly
selected case is assigned a number that determines a place
in line for one of the limited lottery visas.
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