Press Releases
U.S. Embassy Completes Review of 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery Program
September 14, 2007 नेपालीमा
Kathmandu – The U.S. Embassy in Nepal has recently completed a thorough review of the 2007 Diversity Visa (DV) program. More than 1100 Nepalese citizens received immigrant visas to the United States through the 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery Program. Over 85% of the Lottery winners met minimum program and legal requirements to qualify and earned the opportunity to start a new life in the United States of America.
The review has affirmed that the Embassy’s adjudications in DV cases were in full compliance with United States law, and confirmed that the small number of DV applicants who were refused visas did not qualify under U.S. law, meaning that fewer than 13 percent of the total DV-2007 applicants failed to meet the minimum education or work requirements clearly stated in the application instructions. Another two percent of the DV applicants misrepresented themselves by presenting false documents.
The Diversity Visa program was designed to bring greater racial and ethnic diversity to the United States. The DV program offers permanent residency visas to citizens of countries that have a traditionally low rate of immigration to the United States. More than 7,800 Nepalese have immigrated through the Diversity Visa program since 2001.
To qualify for the Diversity Visa, an applicant must meet simple, but strict requirements, which are clearly spelled out in the application. The U.S. Embassy has sought to make the DV program as transparent as possible, and to ensure that the Nepalese public is well informed when deciding whether or not to apply for a diversity visa. Every Diversity Visa applicant receives detailed instructions in English and Nepali languages.
The season for interviews of 2008 Diversity Visa lottery winners begins on October 1, 2007, and the application period for the 2009 DV program begins on October 3, 2007. Please visit http://travel.state.gov/ for the most updated information and complete instructions for registering, including how to qualify for a United States Diversity Visa.