In this guide, we will learn who qualifies to be added as your derivative when applying for the diversity visa lottery. What is the spouse Diversity Visa lottery?
First of all, we know that if you are a family man or woman, you are required to add the members of your family as your derivatives when applying for the diversity visa lottery without leaving anyone out.
Speaking of the family, here it is referring to the immediate family, that is the nuclear family, the spouse together with the children. But who qualifies to be your spouse? Or who qualifies to be your children when applying the diversity visa lottery?
The answer to this question will be divided into two parts.
In the first part, we are going to discuss on the qualifications of a person to be your spouse and as a derivative in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. In the second part of this answer, we are going to discuss on the qualification of the children that are supposed to be added as your derivatives.
Therefore, read this guide to the end to avoid jumping into conclusions that are not valid.
Who is your spouse that qualifies to be added as a derivative?
A spouse is your legally married husband or wife. This means that you have a certifying document issued by the government showing that this is your wife or this is your husband. To be more precise, you should be having a marriage certificate issued by the Registrar of Marriages in your country.
Having known that, who does not qualify to become your spouse that you should add as a derivative when applying in the diversity visa lottery?
- Your girlfriend or your boyfriend does not qualify as a spouse to be added as the derivative when entering the diversity visa lottery program.
- Partnering is not allowed. That means if you are residing with a man or a woman or cohabiting with a lady or a gentleman, that lady or gentleman is not your spouse. He or she does not qualify to be added as a derivative in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program.
- Your fiancé is not a spouse or your fiancée is not a spouse. You are not yet married, meaning you don’t have the marriage certificate. Therefore, during application and you have a fiancée, you are supposed to apply a single and not as married.
But you will continue with your plans and get married and then add him or her as your spouse in the DS-260 form, after marriage.
- Your second wife, your third wife, or any other wife apart from your first wife, is not considered as your spouse. So if you are married to several wives, then they are not all qualified as your spouse. Only the first wife is your spouse and is the only one that you will add as the derivative when applying in the Diversity Visa lottery Program.
What if I’m married, but I don’t have that certifying document or the marriage certificate?
If you were customarily married, that means you took your wife or your husband and you went to your parents and you were given a go ahead to go and marry, and therefore you don’t have any certifying document.
Then you will be required to follow the legal procedures for you to obtain the marriage certificate before you enter the diversity visa lottery. Or in some cases, you might apply as married because you’re married, only that you don’t have the certificate. Then you follow the legal procedures and obtain a marriage certificate before you are interview date.
You apply as married because you’re married, yes. Then file for the marriage certificate and make sure you obtain the marriage certificate before you attend your diversity visa interview.
There are many cases where people who are married customarily and did not have the marriage certificate, but after entering the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, they were selected, and what they did, they went ahead and obtained the marriage certificate because without the marriage certificate, you wouldn’t be given visa. Only the marriage certificate will you prove that you are married.
If you are engaged to marry each other and you have applied as a single person because that is what is required, and then you are selected, and in the process you get married and you have your marriage certificate. You will go ahead and add your spouse in the DS-260 form.
But you must note that you must have evidence or proofs of your existing relationship or engagement before entering the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. You’ll have to provide documentation of your engagement or any proof of relationship prior your entry into the Diversity Visa Lottery.
You must have the proofs to prove that you were engaged, you had previous relationship.
Therefore, when applying in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, ensure you don’t make these mistakes. Ensure that the spouse that you are adding is really your spouse, as we have discussed above.
I hope this information has been useful.
For the next part on the qualification of the children who are supposed to be added as derivatives in the diversity visa lottery application, check here.
DISCLAIMER: This post and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. This site is not offering any Diversity Visa and is not the official site for DV Lottery program. The information presented in this post should not be construed to be formal legal advice.