Financial Proof In Diversity Visa Interview | Green Card Interview

Today, we will learn about the Form I-134 and Form I-864. What are they used for and which one do we require for the diversity visa lottery?

These two forms are both the Affidavit of Support. It is very important to understand the differences between these two terms and which one you are going to use for the diversity visa lottery.

Ways in which you can migrate to the United States

There are two modes or two ways in which you can go to the United States.

  • The first way or the first mode is the temporary stay.

This means that you are going to the United States for just a short period of time, maybe to visit a friend or a family or maybe to tour. It’s just a short time. In this case, you use a temporary visa, which is called non Immigrant Visa.

  • Another mode in which you are going to the United States is for a permanent residence.

You are immigrating to the United States and you’re intending to live in the United States as long as you want, or permanently. For this instance, you have to obtain the immigrant visa.

In both of these two ways, you will need to provide or to assure the United States government that you are able to sustain yourself within that time. In both this case, you’ll need to provide the Affidavit of Support.

So which of the form do you use in which situation?

For the temporary visit or the short term visit, you will require to provide the Affidavit of Support, the Form I-134.

This is a smaller version of the Form I-864, and it’s not legally bound, though it is recommended by the United States government.

When you are going for a permanent stay or a long stay, you require to provide the Affidavit of Support, form I-864. This is a form that legally bounds your sponsor that he or she will provide full financial support for you as you stay over there in the United States.

For the temporary or the short visit, you require Form I-134 as the Affidavit of Support, and for a long stay, permanent residence, you require the Form I-864.

Which of these two forms (Form I-134 and Form I-864) do you require for Diversity Visa Lottery?

Note: When you are moving for a permanent stay, where you are required to have form I-864, it means that someone has petitioned for your green card visa and that person is willing to support you.

For example, a spouse may want to petition for his or her spouse to come to the United States, or a parent may petition for the Green card for their children, or some job employer would petition for a Green card visa for you to go and work with them in the United States.

When we come to the diversity visa lottery, it is unique and it is different from the other visas. It is a permanent residence status visa, it is different from the other immigrant visa.

In this case, no one is petitioning for your green card. It is a lottery by the United States government.

In other words, it is the United States that is supposed to sponsor you to petition for your green card. But you are not required to provide any financial support document or any affidavit of support. It is not a recommendation in the diversity visa lottery.

But most embassies request for the affidavit of support, form I-134 because you are immigrating to the United States for the first time, and it means you don’t know that place.

You are new to the United States, and therefore you don’t have any means, so they will need you to have or to prove to the United States government that you’re not going to become a public charge, that you have some way of supporting yourself for a short time as you pick up or as you take on the life in the United States.

After you have sought for a sponsor, it is not the sponsor who petitioned for your Green card.

You just found a sponsor and the sponsor has agreed to sponsor you, and it is for a short time, maybe a month or two or so, for you to start life in the United States.

Therefore, for the diversity visa lottery, you will require the Form I-134. Even though it is not a requirement, it’s not mandatory.

Prepare the Form I-134 before your interview and go with it to the interview, in case the consular officer asks for one, you will have it.

I hope this information has been very informative to you.

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.

If you have any questions about the DV lottery, please contact an immigration professional/officer or a licensed attorney.