Tag Archives: Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Selected

Biggest challenges for DV LOTTERY WINNERS when they arrive in USA: In this guide, we will learn some difficulty part for someone who has won the Diversity Visa Lottery on starting their life in America.

Biggest challenges for DV LOTTERY WINNERS when they arrive in USA

As a DV lottery winner (Green Card holder), what is the most frustrating situations on how to start? There are three biggest parts.

1. Accommodation

Accommodation is the most complicated issue sometimes for so many people. For instance, in order to rent apartment, these are some of the terms you need to know.

You need to pay the first month, including what is called security deposit fee. The security deposit is almost similar to the first month, so you pay for the last month. Let’s say if the apartment, let’s say they say is $1,500 per month, it means you have to pay for 3,000 upfront.

The security deposit is when you are going to finish staying there, they are going to see if there are any things you destroy or if let’s say there are certain things, you made some mess up on the room, that means they will come and use some of the security deposit to do that and the remaining of the money within 7-10 days they will give you back your money.

So at the beginning, that’s what has becoming difficult for someone going to U.S as a DV lottery winner. But sometimes, most of the landlord will want someone who will want to know how you’re going to pay, they want to see your three-month income. How much money do you make?

There are certain places they will say you must make maybe twice amount of the rent. If the rent is 1,500, you need to get paid 3,000 and above. But as a brand new DV lottery winner you cannot show the proof of been working, your income with this amount for three months, you don’t have that one. That’s usually the most difficult part for DV lottery winners.

They are also going to check for the criminal record.

As a new DV lottery winner, it’s advisable, when you have the host, it is better to have a discussion like, “is it okay if I can stay at your place for this amount of money?” Whatever you agree with, because that person will not require you to go and find the security deposit, pay the security.

When you are staying there for three months, four months, you have been working, you can be able to find apartment and to be able to start the place to go to stay.

Usual, place to stay, apartment-wise, that is the most challenging part for so many DV lottery winners, especially when you have a family, that is adding another layer of complications compared to if you were single.

2. Adjustment you are going to make

Another challenging part for people is not just about finding the jobs, is about the adjustment you are going to make. You are coming from your country, there are things you have to leave, like cultural wise.

In U.S, every time you will be speaking English, you are waking up compared to your country, sometimes there are that adjustment. There is adjustment to the culture, adjustment to working style, etc. You have to be flexible. You have to be understanding. You must be ready to start learning the new life.

Finding jobs is not really the difficult part. You can go to the specific stores, warehouses and directly ask them if they have employment, you can apply. You don’t go to U.S and expect you’re becoming the manager, you have to be humble. Even if you have bachelor degree, even if you have masters degree, even if you have PhD, even if you have been manager before, you are going to start over here.

3. Money Management

Another challenges is the money management. Maybe before, you go to the bar, you can give money to other people, bring the beer to everyone, give offer, etc, it’s over.

Also, maybe you cannot have money and you can ask your friend, neighbor, relative, etc or someone can borrow the money. There in U.S you are on your own. You have to know that the money we’re getting, it’s on your budget. You live on your means. Don’t go there to find a way to start showing off, there is no showing off, there is no competition with anybody, it’s your life.

Don’t start trying to find ways on how you can compete with other people. There is no competition with anybody. Know your budget. Don’t go and rent apartment of huge amount of money while you know your income is not that huge. There is no any other place to do to get the money except to working.

Those are the three important lessons, all the important things you need to pay attention when you go to the U.S as a brand new immigrant, and especially if you have a diversity visa lottery winner.

Learn those challenges and work ahead to those things you need to know, because otherwise you would be in trouble.

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.

U.S Green Card (DV) Lottery selection process: Let learn those factors that will not affect your chances of getting selected in the DV lottery process.

There are many theories, stories and notions out there that have been raised by many people about the factors that will affect you getting selected, this guide will rectify some ideas that have been put forward regarding the selection process and your chances of getting selected.

Factors that will not affect your chances of getting selected in the DV (Green Card) lottery process

Below are things people thought determined chances of Selection in DV Lottery, but do not:

• The time you take your photo

The first thing that will not affect is the time at which you take your photo.

Remember, the photo that you will use in the application must not be older than six months. But even if you took the photo one month’s time before the application, one day before the application, or two months or so, that one will not affect the selection process.

• The place in which you apply from will not affect you.

The other thing that has created theories about selection out there is the location where you were at the point of application or the country in which you were at the time of application. So long as your country was eligible, every one of you will have the same chances of getting selected, equal chances of getting selected.

If you applied while in the United States, maybe you are there on a visit visa or an academic visa, maybe you are there on a family visit and then you applied from that location, that will not guarantee you higher chances of getting selected more than other people in other countries that were qualified.

A person coming from this country and the other one from the other country and the other one from the other one, all of you have the same chances. It is not country-dependent. Not at all.

If you apply from the land of the United States, or if you apply from Ghana, or if you apply from a country in the Middle East or in Europe, the locality in which you are in at the time of application does not affect the selection process.

• The time of the day in which you apply does not affect selection.

Some people are saying that many that apply in the middle of the night (i.e the midnight) have higher chances of getting selected. No, that’s not correct. The time you apply is not what determines the selection.

In any case, in your country, midnight is not the same as that midnight of the other country’s citizen. One person from this country, the midnight might be different from another person in a different country. So we have different mid-nights in different locations.

Therefore, the time that you apply does not determine. People have applied in the noon time of their country, at 4:00 PM in their country, whichever time in their country and they have gotten selected. So the time factor is not a determinant. That one should not confuse you at all.

If you apply in the morning, if you apply at noon time or at midnight or at 6:00 PM, that one will not affect.

• The day in which you apply will never matter.

Some are saying that the time you apply affects your chances of getting selected or applying on the first day gives you higher chances of getting selected. That is not correct. Because what would you say of that person that applied on the last day and was selected and moreover, had a lower case number? What would you say of that?

So the notion that if you applied on the first day, you have higher chances of getting selected, that is a wrong notion.

DV selection is randomized and it’s just by a computer program that knows nothing about the time you entered the lottery or the day, but only the numbers that are given and then randomly selects or picks from those numbers.

So about the day that you apply, be it on the first day or the last day or the middle days, that does not matter at all.

If you apply on a Sunday, if you apply on a Monday, if you apply on a Wednesday, if you applied in the beginning of the lottery application period or on the day the lottery application period end or in the middle of the lottery application period, the day in which you apply never affects selection.

• The gadget that you use in your application will not matter.

If you use an iPhone, if you use Samsung or you use whichever brand, or if you use a computer or a laptop, whatever gadget you use never matters in the selection process.

• It will not matter if you are single or you are married.

Whether you are single or married, that will not affect your selection in the DV lottery.

• It will not matter if you have a big family or you have a small family.

If you are a family of two or you are a family of five or you are single, that one does not affect chances of getting selected.

• It will not matter how many times you’ve entered into lottery.

It does not mean that if you have tried seven times, then you have high chances of getting selected or you have tried once or twice, that one will not affect the chances of getting selected.

• It will not matter your age.

Whether you’re 30 or 45 or 20 or 18 or 21, the age that you are in does not affect or increase any chance of getting selected. Neither does it lower your chances of getting selected. It does not matter.

• The person that applies for you or the agent that applies for you.

In any case, you are supposed to do your own application. Don’t get anyone to apply for you. Any person applying for you or the agent applying for you will use the same website that you would have used to make your application.

It will not matter the person applying for you. Whether he or she is in the United States or is in whichever place, or he’s a professional or he is a quark, it will not matter the type of the person applying for you.

• The level of your education does not determine selection.

The other major thing and theory that has been put outside there is that your academic and professional achievement greatly affects your selection. No, it is not based on any life achievement, any academic prowess, any professional achievement. It is not based on that completely.

Yes the requirement for the DV entry is at least a high school diploma or a two-year work experience within the past five years. If you have your high school certificate and another person has a degree, another one has a diploma in some other country, that is an education above high school, or others have even postgraduate. Others are doctors, others are nurses, other engineers, others teachers.

A person with the PhD, a person with the masters or the degree, all of them have equal chances. One requirement is that all applicants should have attained a high school education.

If you have obtained the high school education, any other level of education higher than that does not determine the selection. It does not mean that with a PhD you have high chances of getting selected and with a degree you have some substantial chances, no.

All of you, even the high school diploma, everyone have equal chances of getting selected.

Regardless of the position or the professional achievement, all of you have the same chances of getting selected. So long as you have achieved the minimum qualification for the DV lottery application, the rest do not factor in. You are equally on the same position in terms of selection. Everyone has equal chances of getting selected.

• Social Status 

DV selection does not depend on the social status, your social status in your community or in your country. Maybe you are a very well-known politician or you are a very big person in your society. That one will not determine your selection at all. It is not based on any merit. It’s just randomized, based on the numbers that were put on those entries.

There are other things that people have created out there about DV selection process, which are not true.

I hope this guide have clearly explained the DV Lottery selection process with focus on those Factors that will not affect your chances of getting selected in the DV lottery process.

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.

When it comes to the Diversity Visa lottery (i.e Green Card Lottery), every applicant is treated equally. Everyone has an equal chance of getting selected. The DV Lottery selection is fair.

The diversity visa is only meant to diversify the immigration to the United States, and the selection process is not incumbent to anything. Everyone that enters into the lottery has an equal chance of getting selected. That is the beauty of this program.

Always try to apply because regardless of anything that you have or any other person have or the position, you are all the same when it comes to the Green Card lottery.

Everyone have equal chances of getting selected, regardless of the education level beyond the high school or the secondary education that is a requirement.

If you have any advancement in education beyond high school, probably the college degree, the university degree, the PhD or the master’s degree or any level beyond high school, that is not a factor in selection.

If you have your PhD and the other person has the high school diploma, all of you have equal chances. You are treated equally. You are equal when it comes to the diversity visa.

If you qualify through work experience and the other one qualifies through academics, all of you have equal chances of getting selected. You are treated equally.

The title that you hold

Having a higher title or a stronger title does not give you higher chances of getting selected than the other one without that title. Maybe you are a professor or you are an engineer or a doctor or any other specialization or any other title.

Regardless of the title you hold back in your country, you have all equal chances.

Your current profession

If you are in the teaching profession, it does not mean that you will have higher chances of getting selected because of your teaching profession. Or you are a doctor, you will not get higher chances of getting selected simply because you are a doctor and the other person who is just a casual laborer.

Regardless of the profession you are doing, be it an engineer or a doctor or any other profession or a casual laborer, it does not matter. All of you become equal when it comes to the diversity visa selection.

Your country

Whether you come from the first-world countries like those in the Europe or Asia, or you come from a second-world country or a third-world country, whether you come from a wealthy country or from a poor country, that one is not a factor.

You are all equal when it comes to the diversity visa. All of you qualify equally when it comes to the Green Card lottery.

It does not matter the race, whether you’re white or Asian or Latinos or blacks, it does not matter your race. A black person doesn’t have higher chances of getting selected than a white person and vice versa.

An Asian does not have higher chances of getting selected than the white or the white higher than the Asian or the Latinos. It does not matter the race. All people in the application, they are treated equally.

It doesn’t matter how many times you have ever tried your luck in the diversity visa lottery. Even if you have applied several times, it does not increase your chances of getting selected. It does not bring you closer to getting selected.

You might try the first time and get selected. You might try the seventh time and don’t get selected. The higher you try does not mean the closer to winning. Whether you are a first timer or you have applied separately, all of you have equal chances. You are treated the same and equal.

Having visited the United States for several times or for many times doesn’t guarantee you a higher chances of getting selected. Even if you’ve toured the United States 10 times or 20 times or whichever number of times, that doesn’t give you a higher chance of getting selected.

Whether you’ve never visited the United States or you have visited there several times, you are all treated the same. You have the same chances of getting selected.

What happens during the entry and selection is, whenever a person submits his or her entry into the DV Lottery Program, a special number is assigned to that particular application.

Every application into the diversity visa or any entry into the diversity visa, will be having an assigned number, and that number is what will be used when the computer program is selecting the winners. It will use just the numbers and not any other factor.

When the numbers are plugged into that program and then they are randomly selected, meaning you all have equal chances of being picked as a winner.

If you have applied and you’re waiting for the results, know that you have the same chances as the other applicant.

Yes, DV Lottery selection process is fair. I hope the information is clear and very useful 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.

The Visa Bulletin for the month of October 2023 for DV-2024 has been released and there’s some little concern that we need to go through, regarding this visa bulletin.

For the previous cut-off numbers from the previous visa bulletin i.e the visa bulletin for the month of September, it affected the interviews that are scheduled for the month of October.

Also, the visa bulletin for the month of October affects the interviews that will be scheduled for the month of November.

When you look on the last visa bulletin, that is for the month of September, that affects the interviews for the month of October, you will see that the cut-off numbers were 10,000 for Africa with its exceptions (Algeria 7,500, Egypt 5500, Morocco 5600), 2,000 for Asia with the exception of these countries (Iran 1750, Nepal 1300), 4,500 for Europe and with its exceptions (Russia 4400, Uzbekistan 1250), and so on.

Diversity Visa Bulletin For October 2023

The current visa bulletin for the month of October 2023 has cut-off numbers 10,000 for Africa, 2,300 for Asia, 5,000 for Europe and so on.

Why Have Cutoff Numbers Just Slightly Changed?

What you immediately notice is that, for Africa, nothing has changed, it has not increased. For Asia, it has already increased, but by a very slight increment. The same case for Europe, just by some few hundreds.

Why has there been just a slight increase? Why is it that Africa has not increased even by a little bit? That’s what will be discuss on this post because many questions in the minds of the winners because, especially since many have seen how it went with the DV lottery 2023.

The first thing that you should know and importantly it is that for the cut-off numbers, it does not mean that there are as many DV winners as the cut-off number.

For example, Africa cutoff number is 10,000, it does not imply that there are 10,000 cases under this cut-off number. Within this 10,000 cut-off number, you might find there are fewer DV winners. Maybe there is about between 5,000 to 6,000 cases and the rest are holes.

Under the cut-off number, you might find even fewer cases that are scheduled for the interview.

Why has it not changed, having known that? Let’s start with Africa. It has remained on 10,000 as the cut-off number, and we’ve seen that we can have roundabout 5,000 to 6,000 individual cases within that number. Within those cases under this cut-off number, you might find out, that of those cases, KCC might not have processed all of them.

You might find among that example of 6,000, they managed only to process fully around 2,000 cases. Those 2,000 cases are the cases that have been scheduled for the interview for October and they have already received their second notification letters.

The remaining about 4,000 in this example, they will have their DS-260 form processed and then they will be scheduled in the following month, that is the month of November.

It mean that, even without increasing the cut-off number, it is sufficient enough to have cases scheduled still under the cut-off number for the month of November, and that speaks of why the cutoff number has not changed.

So the reason as to why the cut-off number has not changed is because of all the cases under the cut-off number, you might find out that KCC could not be able to process all of them.

They processed some of them, and those processed, they were scheduled for the interview for the month of October, and the remaining cases that had not been processed, then they processed them and they are scheduled for the month of November.

Those cases are still under 10,000. So there’s no need for them to increase the cut-off number. Yet they can suffice the numbers to be scheduled for the month of November, even within the 10,000 cutoff numbers. That is the reason.

It also applies to Asia and Europe and other regions. For Asia, just a slight increase from 2,000 to 2,300. It’s because you find out within the last cut-off number 2,000, not all the DS-260 forms of those individuals had been processed.

Those whose DS-260 forms were processed, they were scheduled for the month of October and 2NLs have been sent to them. But the remaining one, still under 2,000 that had not been processed, they were pushed forward to the month of November.

When they were pushed to the month of November, only a small number of cases were to be added and that’s why only a slight increase in the cuto-ff number was placed for Asia.

Same case apply to Europe and to the other regions.

I hope you have understood that well because that is the major reason as to why the cut-off number has not changed for Africa and has slightly changed for other region and has not changed for the North America.

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.

DS-260 Expiration and Submission Deadline:

• Does the DS-260 form expire?
• Is there a deadline of submitting my DS-260 form?
• After winning the DV Lottery, when should you fill out the visa form, DS-260?

Those three obvious questions are going to be answered in this guide, read and get the knowledge.

Does the DS-260 form expire?

Yes, the DS-260 form expires. Just as with the other forms by the Immigration Department, other forms by the USCIS, they do expire. But let’s understand what expiry means on these documents.

Every batch of documents or forms that are released by the USCIS or any other department of the United States that needs to collect information from individuals, all those forms have an expiration date.

So their batch numbers always change, and when one batch or serial number comes to the end of when it was intended to serve, then it needs a replacement with a newer version. When it comes to this, then the end date for which those forms were to serve is called the expiration date.

If you take the example of DS-260 form, the DS-260 form normally changes over time, and when we are shifting from one DS-260 form to the next one, the next version with some updates, then we say that the form has reached its expiration.

You’ll see the notification that the DS-260 form will expire at such a date. That’s what we call the expiration. So when you see an expiration date of a particular form, e.g form I-134, form DS-260, form DS-5535, etc, that means that the end of that batch number or that serial number has come and a newer version, normally with some few updates, is going to be rolled out.

Does the expiration date affect your DS-260 form that you have filled and you have submitted?

Definitely no.

When you are filling the DS-260 form, the only form that you get, is the form that is currently serving, even if it has only one day to expiry, that form that you’re filling is the one that is valid at that moment, and there’s no problem with that.

It is the form that you are supposed to fill. Once you fill it and submit it, even if a new version is enrolled after the expiration of the one that was serving your details, they are safe. They are not affected in any way. You are not required to fill a newer DS-260 form. It won’t be possible. So it does not affect your DS-260 form at all.

Is there a deadline for submitting the DS-260 form?

The answer is an absolute yes. The deadline for submitting the DS-260 form is normally 30th September of that fiscal year.

For example, if you are a DV selectee for the DV Lottery 2023, then the deadline for submitting the DS-260 form is the end of the fiscal year 2023, and that is 30th September 2023.

If you are a DV Lottery 2024 winner, then you have until the end of the fiscal year 2024 and that is 30th September 2024.

Normally the end of the fiscal year for a certain DV program is the end of all the interviews regarding that DV program.

So if you are waiting to submit the DS-260 form at the end of the fiscal year, then that’s a very perfect lateness and that means you cannot be scheduled for the interview. Even your DS 260 form wouldn’t be processed. There’s no time for that.

Therefore, if you are a DV winner, the best practice is to submit your DS-260 form as early as you can.

After winning the DV Lottery, when should you fill out the visa form, DS-260?

After checking the results, you find out you are the winner of the diversity of the lottery. The question is, after knowing that you are the winner, when should you go and fill the famous DS-260 form (visa form)? How long should you wait until you go to fill that particular form? Should you feel right away? Should you wait a little bit longer? Does the U.S government through Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) process the visa interviews on first come, first serve basis?

If you find out you have won the diversity of the lottery, you can fill the visa form as soon as possible. But there are some of the things you need to know because you might come to regret later.

You must fill the form for the visa and submit only if you have everything required to have to complete the form. Make sure you have all the important documents.

If you are planning to get married, get married first before you complete the DS-260. Let’s say if you were the winner and you are pregnant or you are dependent of someone and you are pregnant and the child is going to be born in June or July, don’t rush to fill the submit form. You can fill the form, but you don’t need to submit yet. Wait until the child is born, get the passport, and just going to submit all at once.

Once you fill the form and submit, and for sure you know there are some of the information you don’t have, then you need to request for KCC to unlock the DS-260 so that you can fill that particular information to make it complete.

Sometimes KCC can take even seven weeks or nine weeks to just go and unlock your document. Sometimes the stress of waiting for them to unlock the DS-260 is higher than just if you could wait for one more month to go to submit.

Make sure that you have everything before you go to apply, before you go to fill the DS-260. Make sure everything is ready before filling and submitting.

I hope this guide on DS-260 Expiration and Submission Deadline have answered those questions above.

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.

Principal Applicant And Derivatives DV Interview: In previous guide, we learned the important tips that will give you a successful DV lottery interview. If you’ve not read the guide, it’s good that you go back and read that guide.

READ NOW: How to Successfully Pass DV/Green Card Interview

But in this guide, we will learn one of those tips that you that is regarding not leaving your derivatives when you go for the interview.

The Principal Applicant Must Attend DV Interview

Derivatives are those people that you include in your DV process as the DV principal applicant. The principal applicant is the main person that played the lottery and was selected a DV winner.

The principal applicant (either he or she) must be present during the interview. The principal applicant cannot be left behind and the derivatives attend the interview. It is impossible.

The principal applicant is the one that is known to KCC. He’s the one that was selected and has the case number. So he’s the person that KCC knows of.

Let’s say, if the principal applicant decides not to proceed with the DV process, that means an end to the whole process. The derivatives cannot proceed without the principal applicant.

In another uncertain situation, might be the principal applicant dies. If the principal applicant happens to die during the process, that is also a total end to the process.

Even if the DS-260 was submitted and maybe you are waiting for the interview, but the principal applicant dies, then the program comes to a halt. The derivatives cannot attend the interview without the principal applicant.

These Derivatives Must Be Present at the DV Interview

Having understood that, let’s come to the derivatives. Who are those that should count as derivatives and should attend the interview together with the principal applicant?

The first qualified derivative that must be present during the interview is the spouse of the principal applicant. That must be included in the whole DV process, the first or the initial application, and also on the DS-260 form and be present during the interview.

The spouse is not a girlfriend or a boyfriend. A spouse is not a person that you’ve lived with for many years. A spouse is someone to whom you are legally married and you have the marriage certificate.

The marriage certificate is the single document that proves that this is your spouse. He or she must be added on the DS-260 form. That is the document that proves he or she is your derivative.

Therefore, if you are with a person that you’re not legally married, he or she is not your spouse.

The second person that should be present at the interview and is one of your derivatives is the child or children. All the children that the principal applicant has must be included in the initial application, as well as on the DS-260 form. Clearly outlined with their details.

The children that are your derivatives are not just children you’re living with, no, they must fall under these three categories:

• Your biological children

The children that you gave birth to, your natural children, they are your derivatives and they must be added in the initial application on the DS-260 form and they must be present during the interview. If you leave them out, then that is a total visa denial.

• Your step-children

This is second set of children that must be included. Step-children are the children of your spouse. If you have legally married your spouse, then the children they came with, they are your stepchildren, and they must be added in the initial application on the DS-260 form and must be present during the interview.

If you leave one of them, that is a visa denial, they must be included in the whole process. Another thing to note about the step-children, you don’t need the consent letter of their biological father or mother. Owing to the fact that you are now legally married to this new spouse, they become his or her step-children and don’t need the consent of their biological father or their biological mother.

Don’t forget to include your step-children and also attend with them to the interview.

• Adopted Children

The children that you have legally adopted by a court procedure, a legal procedure, you’ve adopted the children. All those adopted children, they must be included in the initial application and also on the DS-260 form and must be present during the interview.

All those in the three categories above, those children must be under the age of 21. All the children have discussed about as your derivatives must be under the age of 21, and also they must not be married.

If your children are below 21 and they are already married, they don’t qualify to be added in your DV process.

Some frequently asked question regarding those people that should attend the interview

Question: If I don’t speak English, should I go with my interpreter?

Answer: Yes, you may go with your interpreter to the interview and the interpreter must be certified.

Question: Should you go with your parents to the interview?

Answer: No, you should not go with your parents to the interview.

Question: Should you attend the interview with the attorney?

Answer: The DV interview only requires you as the principal applicant and your derivatives. There is no need for an attorney.

Another thing that you should remember about the derivatives is that, they too may undergo questioning during the interview. So when you’re preparing for the interview, also let your derivatives know of this.

Make sure you prepare them as well with the example questions that they may be asked. Let them know about the DV process and let them know that they might be asked some questions and most cases they are asked most questions.

Finally, remember that you need to carry all the documents that are required, that pertains to your derivatives, e,g the birth certificate, the police clearance for those above 16years of age, the passports, those documents you need them.

Note: The qualification is based on the principal applicant. The principle applicant is the one qualified and is the one that needs to be academically qualified or qualified through work experience.

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.

In this guide, we will learn specific things that you must do for you to have a smooth and successful first DV interview and get your Diversity Visa approved.

It will focus mainly on the tips that you can use in preparation for the interview and also during the interview process to get your Diversity Visa approved.

As a first timer in the DV lottery interview or it’s your first time to attend the DV interview, there is a great tendency of panicking or missing some things in the preparation or during the interview.

Tips To Prepare For DV First Interview

1. You need to familiarize yourself with the whole interview process.

You’re going for the interview, just as the other normal interviews, the work interviews, or any other interview, you need prior preparation, you need to familiarize yourself with what it takes for the interview.

How do you do this?

You do this by simply consulting the previous interviews. Those people that have undergone through the interviews, and how do you consult with those interviews?

It is by going through the interview experiences. People are very generous with their information. Many that have gone to the United States, many that have passed through the DV interview, they have shared their interview experiences all over the internet and they are all different experiences.

You’ll find some for single persons, you’ll find some for married people, you’ll find some for married with kids, and others single with kids. When you go through those interview experiences, you’ll learn a lot of things. For example:

• You’ll know what happens during the interview.
• You’ll know what changes you can make during the interview.
• You’ll know what people to meet at the embassy.
• You’ll know what happens at the security check.
• You’ll know what size of baggage you should carry.
• You’ll know of the questions that you get during the interview, and you’ll know how to correctly go around those processes.

You need to go through the interview experiences.

Read: DV Interview Questions and Answers

Go through it, you’ll get to familiarize yourself with the whole process, and this will eliminate the panic that comes.

In other words, you will have gone through a mock interview. It’s like you’ve gone through a virtual tour of the whole interview process, and when you go for the interview, you’ll find yourself that whatever you’re meeting or encountering will be what you already know of.

So it’s very important to go through the DV interviews for you to get all this information. Go through the different interview experiences from those people.

2. You need to prepare the documents that are required correctly and they should be organized correctly.

The documents form the very important part of the DV interview because you’ll have to present those documents. What are those documents?

They are the supporting documents to the information that you field on your DS-260 form. Every document that is required, you need to have it.

Remember, there are some documents that need to be notarized. That is to certify them. They need a certified copy of the original one. So you have the original copy and a different one that is called certified.

READ: Original And Notarized Documents For DV Lottery Interview

You will get this certified from the custodian of your documents in your government. If it’s the birth certificate from the registrar of birth, for the marriage certificate from the registrar of marriage, etc.

For those documents that are listed as requiring certified documents, don’t forget to get the certified documents. Prepare your documents well, both you as a principal applicant and those of your derivatives, for a smooth interview.

3. Throughout the process, you have to be so honest.

Be honest with all information that you give. Be truthful. If you say yes, it’s a yes, and if it’s no, it’s a no.

If you don’t have these documents, don’t say you have them. Anything that you present should be true from the start to the end. Veracity is key. Lies are considered as fraud.

The principal item that will lead to your visa denial is for you speaking falsely, is for you presenting false information. That is fraud, and fraud is a definite visa refusal. So honest and truthful is what is needed in this process for a smooth interview.

4. You need to stay calm and be self-composed during the interview.

Fear can arise, the fear of unknown, not knowing whether you’ll be successful or you will fail and that can create anxiety. Fear can cause you not to be at ease.

Therefore, one thing that you need to do and you need to exercise is to be calm and to be self-composed. By this, you’ll have the confidence to answer the questions that are forwarded to you.

You create this confidence and calmness by going through the interview experiences for you to at least have the prior information of the process. Panicking can mess you up, be self-composed and calm when you are going through your DV interview.

5. You need to attend the interview with all your derivatives.

Derivatives must be present during the interview, if you leave the derivatives out then be sure you will not get your visa. All people that you included in your DV application as your family members (your spouse, your biological children, legally adopted children, stepchildren) you need to attend the interview with them, and they must be present there.

They should also have all the documents that they are required to have, e.g birth certificate, their passports, the police clearance certificate for all that are above 16 years of age. Every document that is attached to the derivatives must also be present.

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.

This guide will clarify you on this question, will previous visa denial affect your diversity visa interview?

The answer is that the embassy or the consulate, they have all your information regarding the former visa applications.

If you’ve ever tried to apply for any visa, the visit visa, the student visa, the work visa, any other visa, including the tourism visa, every other kind of information regarding those visas, they already have the information.

Also tied to that, they also have all the reasons that caused your visa denial. They have all those information.

But does this affect you? The answer is yes. It affects you either way. It affects you positively or it can affect you negatively, and this depends on the reason as to why you are denied that previous visa application.

If you had applied, let’s say for a student visa and you were denied the visa due to insufficient document proof, insufficient documentation or insufficient financial support.

If you had this reason, that is not a valid reason to cause any visa denial, be it any other type or the diversity visa, those are just common reasons.

So it will not affect you if you have a reason that is just general, that cannot affect you.

But let’s say for example, the cause of your visa denial was on legal grounds, maybe a criminal record. If that was the cause, then definitely you are sure that it will also affect you in the diversity visa or any other visa that you are applying.

Because they will have to go through your criminal record and if they find that you are not fit for the immigration, then you’ll be denied.

So it depends upon the reasons as to why you are denied the visa.

But if it’s on just general lack of information, general lack of documentation that proves then that will not affect you.

But if it’s on the legal grounds, they might have to check thoroughly. If that legal ground reason still affects you, then definitely you’ll get denied your diversity visa.

So does the previous visa denial affect you in the diversity visa interview? The answer is yes. Either positively or negatively.

I hope this is informative.

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.

What does DV Lottery case number stand for? What is it and what do you understand about it? That is basically what this guide is going to tackle.

If you’re waiting for the DV results or if you’re waiting for your DV interview, this will be very important to you to understand.

What is DV Case Number? What is Green card Lottery Number?

The case number is the number assigned to each and every winner in a DV lottery selection. This means that you only get your case number if you are successfully selected.

After the results are out, if you check the results and you are lucky to have been selected, that’s only when you will have access to see or to know your case number. You will find this on your first notification letter.

That message that you find on the entrant status check, congratulating you on your selection. On that message, you will find your DV case number and the DV case number will look something like this 2023AF00012345.

The first four digits of the case number normally indicates the fiscal year for the DV lottery. What does this mean? It means the year in which the interviews will be conducted for the DV lottery.

For example, for the DV lottery 2023, that means the first four digits in the case number is 2023, the fiscal year in which the interviews are being conducted. For the DV lottery 2024, it will be 2024 in which the DV-2024 interviews will be conducted.

The second part is the two letters which stand for the regions. For example, we have the EU for Europe region, we have OC for Oceania region, we have AF for Africa region, we have AS for Asia region, and so on and so forth.

After these two letters we have the rest of the numbers, these rest of the numbers are the actual numbers standing for your position in the case number system. For example, you have 00012345 as your position in the case number system.

The case number is unique to each and every winner. No two individuals will share the same case numbers. The case numbers are issued randomly. There is nothing, no qualification or nothing that is considered when issuing the case numbers. It all depends on luck.

Whether you get a low case number or a high case number, that depends on the luck, on the selection, random selection. Nothing is considered when issuing these case numbers to the successful winners.

Therefore, some will be lucky enough to get low case numbers, while others will get high case numbers.

Each region has its own order. That is, each region will have a case number beginning from the lowest to the highest. For example, for the EU region, you might find that we have from a 0001 up to maybe a 00023,000. This is just an example.

For AS, you might find that we have a 0001 up to a 00036,000. Each region will have its own numbering.

Interviews are scheduled in the order of these numbers. This means that the interviews will be scheduled from the lowest case number in a certain region and numerically to the highest case number in that region.

For example, you might find that we have an AF, 10,000 and also an EU 10,000. Therefore, you might find similar numbers but in different regions.

Holes in DV Lottery Case Number

If in a certain region we have a certain number of selectees, it does not mean that there are in totality those numbers. For example, if for Africa we have AF 84,000 as the highest case number, it does not mean that we have 84,000 selectees from Africa.

In between from the lowest number to the highest one, there are many vacant spaces that we call holes. You might find we have a case number 0001 and we don’t have 0002 or 0003, but we have 0004, 0005, we don’t have 0006, we don’t have 0009, but we have 00010, and so on.

Therefore, between the lowest case number and the highest case number for a specific region, there exist vacant slots that we call holes.

If we have AF 84,000 for Africa, then you might find we only have half the number of selectees from the Africa region. This is just to exemplify.

Finally, remember that the case number is unique to every individual, the case number is personal and private. But if a case number comes to be known by anyone, it is not a risk. No one can impersonate you. No one can take your number. Your number is unique to you.

Every information that regards you is attached to the case number and it is hard for anyone to impersonate you to produce a true copy of your documents. Therefore, your case number cannot be stolen.

Thank you for reading this guide. I hope the information is good and relevant 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.

How to Pass DV Lottery Interview: Are you panicking regarding your DV Lottery interview? In this guide, you will learn how you can go through your interview successfully.

The DV lottery interview or the famous green card lottery interview is a process that you should not panic about because the DV lottery interview is basically the simplest of all interviews.

You cannot compare DV interview to the job interview that you once went through. This is completely different.

How to Successfully Pass DV Lottery Interview

There are ways in which you can really make your DV interview process become very simple. Let’s dive through the question of how to be successful during the Green Card Lottery interview.

• The benchmark of you succeeding through this interview process is for you to be always true with what you are filling in and what you are saying.

To always speak the truth and only the truth alone. If you speak the truth and only the truth, there’s no way you can mess up with this interview. Provide true information regarding your background and everything that they require.

• Make sure you have gone through all the instructions pertaining the Green Card interview, which you’ll find in the State of Department’s website.

Visit the State Department’s website and read all the instructions regarding the interview and carefully stick them, carefully follow them and do exactly as they require you to. That is another very important thing that will make you successful during this interview process.

• Go through all the documents that you are required to have during the interview and you’ll find this document in the same place, the State Department’s website.

They will clearly outline each and every document that you will be required to present during the interview. Provide all the supporting documents to whatever you filled in the DS-260.

The first thing that the Embassy will try to look for, or the first thing that they will try and assess will be your qualifications.

They will try to assess if you have the relevant documents to prove your academic qualification or if you applied using the work experience, they will go through the work experience documents to see if you have enough proof and then if you do have the right qualification, there’s no need to panic. You will successfully go through the process.

Note that there are no specific or written down questions that the consular officer will ask you. There are no pre-written questions, he or she will ask you random question regarding your DS-260 and your application.

There are no specifically written questions that he or she will ask you, but all the questions will revolve around your application and your DS-260 and how you’re going to sustain yourself the very first days in the United States. Those are the questions that are likely to be asked.

Therefore, prepare yourself with the correct rationale and a workable plan to explain to the consular how you are planning to get yourself started while you land in the United States.

Do you have some finances to support you as you’re taking off? Do you have an evidence to prove that you have someone who is willing to sponsor you, to take care of your needs as you’re starting off your life in the United States?

Have a clear plan to show the consular how you’re going to sustain yourself within the very first days of settling down in the United States. By this, they may require a financial document to prove your financial status at the present that it will be able to stand for you as you are starting your life there.

Alternatively, you may present, if they ask you, the affidavit of support (form I-134), to prove that you have a relevant sponsor who is willing to take care of your everything, as you are settling down in the United States.

If you are able to prove this, then there is no point of being denied the visa.

Another famous question is regarding what are you intending to do in the United States? What are you intending to become? What is your vision when you land in the United States?

This is a very famous question, though it’s not always asked. So prepare yourself, have a good plan. For example, you can just say you are going there to study as well as to work or such an example.

Have a defined way of explaining your reason, your purpose of going to the United States, and let it be positive, because if it’s negative, then you may end up being denied the visa.

To Pass Your DV Lottery Interview, Proceed to: DV Lottery (Green Card) Interview Questions and Sample Answers>>>

Generally, the interview is not so long. It takes very short time, at maximum around five minutes. Very short interview and very direct interview, and if you’re honest and true, you cannot fumble around with what to answer.

You’ll answer things correctly and you’ll always be given your visa. Have confidence and just prepare yourself.

I hope this information has been great 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.

Is there any second selection of the results in the DV lottery application processes and the results for the green card lottery? Is there any second selection for the DV Lottery?

For the DV-2024, the answer is no. The results are out once and for all, there are no second selection for DV Lottery or second results for DV Lottery.

These are some of the rumors people are saying, for example, I checked the first time I didn’t see anything, I came the second time, maybe two months later I was the winner.

Maybe you didn’t check it correctly, but if you check correctly, there are no second selection of the diversity visa rotary results.

The reason why sometimes it’s confusing which make people believe or think that there is second selection.

When you check the result, they say your entry has not been selected at this time. You may now ask, what about next time? They say at this time, maybe if I come next time it will be there. The answer is No.

It is at this time of the fiscal year of DV 2022, at this time of the fiscal year DV-2023, at this time of the fiscal of DV-2024, that particular fiscal year that we are talking about.

Another sentence which is confusing people is, “continue keeping your confirmation number until September.” So many people may say, “Oh, they say I have to keep the confirmation number, i didn’t win at this time.”

They didn’t say that if you are not the winner, keep the confirmation number. No, you needed to keep your confession number, especially if you are the winner, because you will use the confirmation number to sign in the DS-260 to process.

After September 30, it will be the end of checking the results of the one fiscal year and the next fiscal year. So no matter whether you keep it, if you are not the winner, that confirmation number means nothing at all.

How many times are you supposed to check the DV Lottery Results?

You can check your DV results first time, second time, many times you want. But even if you check 100 times, remember they cannot exceed more than the required number of visas per year.

If the winners is more than the number of visas, why should they put in the second selection? No, they don’t need to do that.

If you find out you have not been selected, will it change at a later date if you look again for the results?

The answer is no.

So if you check, you didn’t win DV lottery this time, prepare for the next lottery and you can also try to look for other opportunities which will be able to help you to continue and to be able to succeed with the process to relocate to the United States of America.

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.

This is about the journey of a diversity visa winner entering the United States and more so at the point of entry. This guide is important for you, even if you are among those who are not selected because there are still preparation for the application in the upcoming DV lottery.

So for those who are preparing to enter into the United States after the successful interview, what are you expecting? As the diversity visa winner, and you have gotten your visa after a successful interview, what are you supposed to do?

The Journey of a Diversity Visa Winner to U.S for the first time

Below are the next steps:

Preparation for the relocation itself i.e preparing the departure from your country to the United States.

Before embarking on your journey to the U.S, there are several things that you should take care:

• You need to book a flight

The key point here is depending on your ability, you can decide to book for your flight earlier. Remember, you have six months to relocate. Therefore, you can book for your flights two months before, and by so doing, the flights become cheaper.

The flight ticket depends on the time from when you book and when you intend to travel. So if you book the flight today and you set it two months away, definitely that flight will be cheaper than booking the flight today and you want to travel tomorrow or some three days after.

• Gather your required documents

There are several documents that you will need to carry with you and these documents includes the envelope that you received via the courier service or from the embassy after the interview.

The document that contains your passport stamped with the visa, plus the sealed envelope that is inside there that is supposed to be handed over at the point of entry. That is the passport and it will be stamped, the diversity visa and the sealed envelope. Those are the documents that you are required to carry with you for the whole trip.

• Packing your bag

Packing it smart. If it is in the winter season, you just pack the warm clothes. If it is the normal seasons, you just pack smart. Pack it smart. Don’t over pack.

• Arrival in the United States

What happens when you arrive in the United States? So the point where you land with your plane, that is what you call the point of entry, because you’ll need to go through the custom and border protection. This is where they do a recheck of you to verify your identity, to verify your validity.

The point of entry Procedures: The officer will ask you a series of questions. Here are just some few examples questions, they vary from one person to the other. They are just overall questions just to verify the identity, nothing more.

• What is the purpose of your trip to the U.S?
• How long do you plan to stay in the U.S?
• Where will you be staying in the U.S?
• Do you have any relatives or friends in the U.S? And so on.

Such type of questions. Just the overall question to confirm the validity, and what you’re supposed to do is to be truthful.

Biometric Collection

They will take your biometrics, of course, take a photo of you, you’ll undergo some checking, your luggage will be checked for anything and so on.

Once your documents are verified, then they’ll tell you, Welcome to the United States.

What are the documents that are contained in the sealed envelope?

It simply contains the following documents:

• Sealed envelope with “To be opened by a DHS(Department of Homeland Security) officer only” written on it.
• Sealed medical exam results in a brown envelope.
• Original civil certificate/documents (the birth, the marriage, etc) whatever you had provided during time of the visa interview.

That’s what is contained in that sealed envelope that you’re requested to hand it over at the point of entry without unsealing it, without breaking the seal.

In conclusion

Entering the U.S for the first time can be an exciting and nerve-wrecking experience. By following the steps outlined above, you can ensure a smooth journey from start to finish. Remember to carry all necessary documents with you and answer all questions truthfully.

Some frequently asked question

Can I travel to the United States after the expiration of the visa?

No, you cannot travel to the United States after the visa that has been stamped on the passport gets expired and it only has six months to expire since the time of your interview or to be so precise, since the time of your medical examination. So after that, you cannot travel to that.

What happens if I forget to bring any of the required documents?

If you fail to carry, for example, the sealed envelope with you to the United States, then you’re not get through that point. If you don’t bring any required documents, then you don’t get through that point.

Can I extend my stay in the U.S after entering on a diversity visa?

After entering the United States, the visa is stamped on your passport. That is the diversity visa that gives you a stay of up to one year. So at the point of entry, there is a visa that will be stamped that gives you a stay for about one year.

During that stay, you are supposed to have taken your green card. The green card expires after 10 years, and after 10 years, you are supposed to renew that green card.

What should I do if I face any issue at the point of entry?

If you face any issue, just be calm and respectful and if you need any consultation, ask for the supervisor to clarify on those issues.

Can I travel within the United States after entering on a diversity visa?

Of course, yes. Once you land to the United States, you can move or you can relocate, or you can stay, or you can go to whichever location you want. You are not restricted to a certain jurisdiction.

You are not confined within any boundaries. You can relocate and move to whichever state you want, to whichever city you want, to whichever location you want, you are free to move around.

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.

Congratulations to DV Lottery Winners. What are the next step after winning DV lottery? After you have checked your DV lottery result and you realize that you have won, what will be the next steps?

In this guide, we will learn about what next after you checked your DV Entrant Status and realized you’ve won the DV lottery.

What are the next step after winning DV lottery?

The next step will be to fill the DS-260 form, the Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application. If you are a foreign national and you are among those successful selected for DV lottery, you are required to submit this online form.

This form is the form that will carry all the information of yourself together with those of your derivatives.

When you start filling the DS-260, it is advisable you feel it in stages. Don’t rush to feel it within a single day you, can fill it bit by bit. Fill one bit, that bit that you have filled, the documents and everything, save it, go and get the other documents and then continue to fill, then save.

For example, you might be having all the details that you have for yourself, the passports and everything, but you might not be having those for your derivatives, you are dependent.

Fill in your part, then save, go and apply the passport for your derivatives, your dependence. Get the passport, get everything they need, then come back again, open the form, fill those details and then save.

You go to the next step, there is a part where they need your host details, where your documents will be sent to the address of your host. So you go on, find your host, look for a host, request for their details, their address and everything that they need in that DS-260 form, then come back, reopen the form, fill it correctly and then save it.

Go on to fill every document bit by bit, every part of the document. It may take days, it may take a month, but make sure you feel bit by bit and in a relaxed state that you may feel correctly.

Then, after you’ve filled everything and you’ve confirmed again and again, then that’s the time when you comfortably submit and wait for the Second Notification Letter (2NL).

The DS-260 filling process should not be done in a single day, for you to be accurate, fill bit by bit, slowly by slowly, until it is complete, and then when you are sure that the details are correct, then submit it and wait for the next step.

How to fill DS-260 Form

In my next guide, you will learn how to fill DS-260 form bit by bit without making any mistakes.

Thanks for reading this guide, I hope it was so informative.

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.

The DV-2024 lottery results are out and people are busy checking. People have checked in their millions and they’ve gotten the results. Congratulations to DV Lottery Winners.

Did you applied successfully and you have been checking your DV lottery result, but you have been receiving errors and you get bothered? If you’re checking and you have errors, it’s normal. It is just the first period of the release of the results and the system can become overwhelmed, can become jammed.

It’s not a problem if you’re receiving errors, just give it some time and try again when the number of people checking have gone down. So just go later and check again and it will go through.

The first thing that you need to know is that the result that you get after checking remains permanent. It doesn’t mean if you check tomorrow or the day after tomorrow or some weeks ahead or some months away, it will change. It remains the way it is.

If you have been selected, congratulations to you. The process and the journey begins. What you need to do is to visit this site always for more updates that will be dropping in this site.

If you found out that you have not been selected, then that’s what we will discuss or talk about in this post because vast majority of people will not get selected. That’s a fact.

So if you’ve checked the results and it says based on the information submitted, the entry has not been selected for further processing this time around, that is not the end of it. It’s not the end of the world.

If you have not been selected, you need to keep your confirmation with you. Just keep it with you. In some rare cases, they do a second selection, and that is when they realize they have selected much less people than there are the visas.

They do a second selection around September and October. Keep your confirmation number with you up to that time. But that is a rare chance.

Also, if you realized that you are not selected, it means that you are not lucky at that time and you are not alone because millions of people were not selected too. That’s the first thing that you need to know.

Also, if you are not selected this time around, it does not mean that you are completely excluded from this process. There are more DV lottery coming. There is a DV lottery application this year, October, next year, and so on. It’s not the end of it.

You are not lucky this time around, keep on trying. Many have applied twice or more and was not selected and they never gave up.

If you do not get selected, what you’re supposed to do is you have another chance to try in the following years. Who knows? If you apply in this coming October, then one year from now, you might be celebrated. So don’t give up.

Yes it is so frustrating because some might have applied once, twice, thrice, four times, and so on, and they have not gotten selected. But don’t get frustrated. Never get frustrated. It is free to apply. Just try your luck. Year in, year out. One time will come and you’ll get selected.

For those who applied for the first time, you can also get frustrated because you had high expectation. Maybe you have a friend who just played once and was selected and you applied thinking so, but you are not selected and you now are trying to give up on this. You’re getting frustrated.

There are people who have applied several times and they have not gotten selected. Others applied for five times and the sixth time they got selected and they were celebrated with others. Others applied three times and they got selected.

Whichever the case, whether you are first timer or you’ve applied several times, you are not supposed to give up on this. Just keep trying in the next DV lottery.

Other ways to move to the U.S

If you really want to move to the U.S, maybe your hope is that one day in the future, you have to be in the U.S, DV lottery is just one way, one avenue to the United States.

If you are a student or you want to further your studies in the United States, that is another possible way. You can start your journey by becoming a student in the U.S.

Try out and find some scholarship or some programs that do the student exchange or some program that offer you an opportunity to study in the United States. That is another way if you really have to be in the United States.

There are many visas. If you have a family in the United States, maybe he/she went through the family visa, have your family file the visa or green card for you, i.e the F visas.

If you have a father in the United States, you have a mother in the United States, just have them file the family green card for you. That is another possible way that you can go to the United States.

Another possible way is by you trying to apply for jobs that are offered for foreigners by organization in the United States. There are many companies or institutions or organizations or workplaces that offer opportunities to foreign specialists.

So if you see a job that offers genuine opportunities of employment to people outside of the United States, then apply for that. If you qualify, try your luck through that. They are called the E visas or the EB visas. You just try your luck through that. You can also go to the US through those visas.

There are many others, including the business visa. If you are rich enough, you can go through the business visa. Those are just a few of the ways.

The point is that, if you are not selected for DV lottery this time around, you are not alone. There are millions of people that have not been selected too.

We have five months from now to the time that you apply for the next DV lottery. That will be DV lottery 2025. When October come, try your luck again, you never know, one year from now, we might be celebrating you.

Thank you for reading this guide.

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.

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.

DV lottery 2024 results: From DV official page (dvprogram.state.gov) it says, the entry period for the DV Lottery 2024 diversity visa program was between 5th of October 2022 and 8th of November 2022. Entries are not being accepted at this time.

DV 2024 Results

It also says, “DV 2024 entrants may enter their confirmation information through the link, starting at noon EDT, Eastern Daylight Time on May 6, 2023. The DV 2024 registration period opens 5th of October 2022 and closes on November 8th, 2022.

DV 2024 entrant should keep their confirmation number until at least September 30th, 2024. You will only check your DV 2024 results from May 6, starting from the noon time of the Eastern Daylight Time.”

If you convert that to your home country time, then you might see the exact time in your home country time. But it will be noon Time, Eastern Daylight Time. That is exactly the time in the United States.

This will be the exact date when you will be able to enter your confirmation information and check your results, and from that time it will continue up to the 30th of September 2024.

With only few days remaining, you should know that immediately the results date starts, you are supposed to check whether you are successfully selected. Once you realize you have been selected, you immediately start filling that important immigration form, the DS-260 form.

You’re supposed to fill it as early as that. Immediately you realize you’ve been selected, start that day and fill it slowly and correctly and submit it as early as that time. But for you to fill this form, there are requirements, and without those requirements, then you cannot be able to fill this form.

Requirements to fill DS-260 form

One of the most important requirement would be your travel document, and that is the passport. As the principal applicant, have you gotten your passport? If you had applied for the DV lottery last year on October and you had no passport, what have you done? Have you applied for one?

Many countries, the process of obtaining the passport does not take a single day. You apply and then you book for the biometrics, and then you go ahead for the biometrics and wait for the passport to be processed. This may take you even up to five months, three months, two months, four months, one month.

If you don’t apply it at this time, or if you have not applied for it, if you don’t have the document, immediately the results are out, you cannot be able to fill the DS-260 form as the principal applicant. You cannot fill the DS-260 form because you don’t have the passport.

When you check the results and you realize you have won, if you apply for the passport that date, that means you might get late up to three or four or two months before you fill this form DS-260, and that means late submission of the DS-260 form.

Late submission of the DS-260 form also leads to late reception of your Second Notification Letter (2NL).

For example, someone has case number 23,000 in the DV Lottery 2023 and have already gone through the interview and is now headed for the United States. The reason is simply because he submitted the DS-260 form very early. Immediately after the results were out, on 12th, he had finished filling the DS-260 form and submitted.

Also, someone with case number less than 10,000 who submitted their DS-260 form in August, up to now they have not received their second notification letter, simply because they submitted their DS-260 late.

So the point is, if you don’t have the passport, why don’t you take the chance now, as early as now, and start processing the passport? Even if you’re not sure that you will be selected, why don’t you apply?

Because the passport does not expire within a year or two or three. It might go up to 10 years. So there is no risk of you applying the passport now.

Just do it now, so that if you emerge a winner of the DV Lottery, then you have the documents and you fill the DS-260 form as early as you have seen the results. And that will prevent all these questions about why have I not received my DS-260 form, whereas my case number is low?

Late submission of DS-260 form leads to let interview scheduling and late 2NL reception. Get your passport as early as now and be with it ready, incase you get selected and fill your DS-260 form as early as it would be possible.

I wish you success and I pray for you to be selected for the DV interview.

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.

Original And Notarized Documents: This is a deep guide regarding the documents that you’re supposed to have during the DV interview. You will understand the difference between original documents and the certified document, the notary certified document.

What is the distinction between original documents and the notary certified document? Why are you required for some documents to have the both the original and the notary certified document?

What are original documents?

Original documents are the documents that you are issued with the documents that you have. For example, your academic document issued by that institution that governs your education, the education board, the certificate that you got from them, that is an original document.

If you are married, the marriage certificate that you are issued with the one that you have, that is called an original document.

Same case applies to the birth certificate. The birth certificate that you have, the document that you are holding now, that is called the original document.

What is the notary certified document?

When we come to the notarized document, every document that you have that is original, every original document that you have means that the government office, that is the civic department or the registrar’s department, or the vital statistics department of your government has your details.

So the original document simply says that the government has your details pertaining that original document. And that means that all your information is in that government’s office, that particular government’s office.

Since your details are with that office, then whenever you are requested by a certain organization to prove the originality of that original document, e.g if an organization requests that you prove that the original document that you’re holding is true, is legit and is original.

What you are supposed to do is, you are supposed now to visit that registrar’s office or the vital statistics office or the government office, or whichever name that you call in your country.

Once you visit that office, you request them of a certified copy to prove that this document you’re holding is true and legitimate. So that is the whole purpose of the notary of certified document.

Notary certified document is a proof of the originality of the document that you’re presenting to an organization. The same case applies to the embassies, the DV program, and all the types of visas.

You are required to prove the certification or the notarization of specific documents that will be explained in this guide. You cannot go through the diversity visa interview successful, without you providing copies of the notarized document of the following:

• The birth certificates

All of your dependents have their birth certificates, and all of them will have to get their notarized certified document of the birth certificate. So when you attend the interview, you will present your original document, the one that you are holding currently, plus that notarized document of the birth certificate that was issued by your civil department.

The notarized document are usually an advanced one of the original one. For example, they will have an embossed seal that is multicolored, or it might have watermarks just to enhance the validity of the document that you have.

So it will look totally different from the original. The same information, but with some additional proof of stamp. It will have embossed seams, for example, with multiple colors, or it might have any other type of seal and also water marks, just to prove that what you’re holding is true.

Simply because this comes from the civic department, then it stands as a surety. It proves to that body, and for this case, the embassy, that it’s true and it’s indeed that you are the holder of that birth certificate and it’s not fake.

So for the birth certificate, you need the original document together with the notarized document.

• Marriage Certificate

Another document that you need to have both the original and the notarized is the marriage certificate. The marriage certificate that you’re holding, the original, is not enough. You need to prove the validity, the originality, the legitimacy of that marriage certificate.

Therefore, you need to visit the Register of marriage Office and tell them to produce or to give you the notarized copy and they’ll give you that one. This is the second document that you’re supposed to present, both the original and the notarized document.

• Marriage Divorce Certificate

The other document that need notarization is the termination of your marriage or the divorce certificate. They also need to have the notarized document as an accompanied.

If you are separated or divorced, then the separation document or the divorce papers, they should be accompanied by notarized documents.

• Academic Documents

Another document that needs notarization are the academic documents. The academic documents, especially the high school diploma.

The high school diploma has to be notarized. That one must be presented during the interview, the original plus the notarized copy of the academic certificate.

In some countries, e.g Kenya, the notarization of the high school diploma is normally done online. You book online and the certified document will be sent directly to the embassy.

The academic document, especially the high school diploma, has to have the notarized copy.

• Translation Documents

Another documents that generally need to have notary certified document, they are the translation documents. For example, maybe your certificate or your documents, they are not in English.

Remember that all documents that are not in English, they are supposed to have their translation into English.

Those documents translations, they have to have the seal of approval of originality, and that means they need to be notarized. The translation document have to be notarized, be it translation of the birth, be it the translation of the academic documents, be it the translation of marriage certificate, court records, or every other.

All translations into English for your documents, they have to be notarized. If you don’t present a notarized one, then they will not be accepted.

So all translations have to be notarized.

Other documents like police clearance certificate, the passport, you don’t have to get the notarized one. The one that you presented with is enough, just go with that to the interview.

Some Frequently Asked Questions About Original and Notary Certified Document For DV Lottery Interview

Question: Do I need to have notarized documents by the time am filling in the DS-260 or I can get them ready by embassy interview.

Hint/Ans: No, when filling DS-260 you don’t need them, only during the interview.

Question: Can the copies be certified by the lawyer?

Hint/Ans: No, you have to do it from your government department dealing with it

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.

This guide will focus on the first email response you will receive from KCC, after you have submitted your DS-260 form, how to request for your Case Status from KCC and all the possible responses that you might get from KCC.

These responses come after you have sent KCC an email requesting the status of your case.

There are several email all along the DV journey that you can possibly get from KCC when you send a request email.

After the selection, you find out that you are successful and you have filled your DS-260 form and finished up submitting it. After some time, you may decide to request KCC to know the progress of your case. Below is the first kind of response that you can get from KCC.

The First Email Response From KCC

This is the sample email that you might receive in response, and the email says:

Thank you for your inquiry.

Your forms have been received and are currently processing. Allow several weeks for processing. Interviews are scheduled numerically based on case numbers that have completed processing.

Once the KCC has finished processing your DS 260, you will receive an email from Kentucky Consular Center giving you instruction to complete in order for your case to continue processing.

In order for the KCC to assist with inquiries regarding a specific Diversity Visa (DV) case, you must provide the principal applicant’s full name, complete case number, and the date of birth in the following format (MM/DD/YYYY), as entered in the original entry.

Please remember that KCC does not have the authority to tell you whether or not your specific case will be disqualified. Only a consular officer can do that at the time of your visa interview. Do not send any papers to Kentucky Consular Center. For additionally information, please refer to the following…………………..

This might be the first response that you might receive immediately after submitting the DS-260 form, and the DS-260 form has not yet been completely processed.

If KCC has not opened your DS-260 yet, or they are in the process of processing it, then this kind of email will come in response to your email requesting the status of your case.

As stated from the email, interviews are processed numerically, i.e in the interviews, they follow one another from the lowest case number all the way to the highest case number, on case numbers that have completed processing.

For all DS-260 forms that have been submitted and they have been processed, the interviews will be scheduled numerically.

But if you have not submitted your DS-260 form and your case is low, definitely you will not be scheduled for the interview before another one with higher case number that’s submitted before you.

How to Request Your Case Status From KCC

When sending the email request to KCC, you must provide three things, i.e

• the principal applicant’s full names as you entered in the original entry,
• the complete case number, including the preceding zeros, and
• the principal applicants birth date in this format, month, day, then year.

Every time you send a request email to KCC, include those three things.

KCC is not authorized to tell you whether you will be successful or disqualified. For you to get the results, whether you will be successful in the interview or not, this is the work of the Embassies and the consulates.

The consular officer after interviewing you and receiving the details from KCC and going through the details, he or she is the one to determine whether you will be successful or disqualified.

This will be the first letter before your DS-260 has been opened by KCC or is in the process of being processed.

Below are other email responses that you might receive from KCC:

• The Third Email Response From KCC | When Requesting Your Case Status From KCC
• The Second Email Response From KCC | When Requesting Your Case Status From KCC
• The Fourth Email Response From KCC | When Your Case is Current for DV Interview Processing
• The Fifth Email Response From KCC | When Your DV Interview Has Been Schedule At U.S Embassy

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.

What Papers Are Given After The DV Interview? Many people are waiting for the DV results to come out, which is in few months’ time. While others are still continuing with their interviews, some are also waiting for the second notification letters, 2NL.

Based on the recent visa bulletin that came out, there is promising in terms of the cut-off numbers. But the problem lies with the embassies and the speed at which they are processing, e.g some of the embassies in the region of Africa.

For those that are waiting for the results for the DV-2024, the results should be out by May 6.

Today, we will focus in those documents/papers that you may be given after a successfully DV interview.

5 Papers/Documents You Are Given After The DV Interview

Below are the documents that you can be issued after the interview, depending on the situation of your interview and they come in a paper form, it might be of different color.

Different Colour Paper that may be issued to you

For example, you can have a green paper issued to you after the interview, you can have a yellow paper/slip given to you after the interview. You can have a pink paper/slip given to you after the interview.

You can also have a white paper/slip given to you after the interview or even a blue paper issued to you after the interview.

Let now discuss these five papers that you may get after a DV lottery interview and their content and also their meaning, and what should you do after you have been given this paper.

Of course majority are wishing to be given the green paper after the interview. This is because it is the green paper that contains the information that congratulates you upon having a successful interview.

It tells you, congratulations, your visa has been approved, and this is the paper that many people are longing for after the interview.

Green Paper/Document

The first paper/document/slip is the green document, the document/slip that congratulates you of a successful diversity visa interview.

It says:

Dear Immigrant Visa/Diversity Visa Applicant.

Congratulations! Your visa has been approved. Please immediately register with DHL courier service for each traveling applicant. Instructions are attached to the sheet.

DHL will alert you by email when your passport or travel document is ready for collection and include a receipt number, and also the DHL Air way bill number.

Below is a sample of the Green Letter given after the DV interview

So depending on the country in which you come from, the courier services may be different. Others may also be told to come to the embassy directly to collect their visa. But this is the basic content of the green paper. It congratulates you on your winning the visa, and on your visa getting approved. It goes on to give you the details about what you’re required to have when you’re going to collect your passport through the courier services.

You’ll need your identification card and you’ll need the proof of your DHL airway bill number. If you’re taking for your child, you’ll be required to present the birth certificate for the child.

But if you cannot go by yourself as a principal applicant to collect the documents, then you can send someone. But the person you send, you must issue the person with an authorization document letter to go with to the courier services, together with your identification documents.

The authorization letter should have been signed by you and should indicate that you are authorizing the person to take the documents or to collect the documents on your behalf.

Green document/paper is the document that you get once you become successful in your visa interview and your visa has been approved. This is the document that all the winners in the DV lottery would like to get.

There are other documents that you may get which fall under the 221G, that is a temporary visa refusal and you will be required to take certain steps once you get those documents for your visas to be approved.

This is the first guide on those five different documents and papers that you can be given after the interview. To know more about the other documents/papers and everything about it, read more>>>>>

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.

Who Can Sponsor You for DV? In today’s guide, we will learn about who qualifies to be your sponsor, as a DV winner or who qualifies to financially sponsor a green card holder or an immigrant.

Who a sponsor?

A sponsor is someone that accepts to be held responsible for an immigrant expenses while he or she settles in the United States.

The United States government will consider the income and the assets of the sponsor as available to sponsor the immigrant or to support the immigrant in whatever thing he requires as he settles in the United States.

A sponsor can financially support anyone, a relative, an employee, a person outside his or her family, or any person that intends to immigrate to the United States.

Who Can Sponsor You for DV? | How To Get The Right Sponsor / Host

Below are the qualities or qualifications of a person to become a financial sponsor of an immigrant to the United States?

• This financial sponsor must be above 18 years of age and not under 18 years of age.
• The financial sponsor must be a United States citizen or a United States permanent resident.
• If you don’t qualify as a United States citizen or the holder of the permanent residence, then you should have a domicile in any of the United States territory or possession.
• The sponsor must prove income of not less than 125 percent of the federal poverty line. For the military personnel, the poverty line may be at 100%, but for any other citizen or any other sponsor, the poverty level should be at 125% or more than 125% of the federal poverty level.
• To qualify as a sponsor, also, you have to be a lawful citizen or a lawful permanent resident of the United States.

This means that, you should not have involved yourself in criminal activities, especially criminal activities involving the minor, children under the age of 17 years of age.

For example, if you have a criminal record of committing an offense against a minor sexually, then you can be disqualified to act as a sponsor.

• If you are found in possession of the children pornography or distribution of such items, then you are disqualified to be a sponsor.
• If you are also found in minor sexual performances, you get disqualified as a sponsor.
• If you are also involved in crime regarding children kidnapping, you are also disqualified as a sponsor.
• If you are engaged in activity involved around requesting and performing sexual acts to minors, then you are disqualified to become a sponsor.

Therefore, you should be as lawful as possible and don’t involve yourself in such activities that harms the minor, for you to become a qualified sponsor for an immigrant.

Finally, the sponsor must be willing to fill the Form I-134 and submit it.

Financial Qualification of the Sponsor

One of the requirements has been that the sponsor must meet 125% or more of the federal poverty level. So the sponsor’s income should be at that level.

But if the sponsor’s income alone does not reach this level, the 125% of the federal poverty level, he can join it with the property that he or she owns.

If he or she has a house, a car, a farm, he can combine the entire wealth for him or her to meet this level.

So he or she can include all the possession that he or she has to meet this level, 125% of the federal poverty level.

Alternatively, if the sponsor does not meet the 125% of the federal poverty level, then they can sign a joint or they can jointly sign with another sponsor, and they will do this by filling in the Form I-864, the both of them and submit them. So they can jointly sponsor an immigrant.

Some Frequently Asked Questions

Questions: When your sponsor fill it you are going to print it out or your sponsor will be submitting it

Answer: You print it out

Question: Can a retired US citizen qualify to sponsor someone.

Answer: Yes.

Thanks for reading this guide.

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.