FACTS FOR 2008 U.S. DIVERSITY VISA WINNERS AND APPLYING FOR THE 2009 DIVERSITY VISA LOTTERY

September 28, 2007                           

The season for interviews of 2008 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners begins on October 1, 2007, and the application period for the 2009 DV program begins on October 3, 2007. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu would like to remind DV applicants about some important facts regarding the DV program:

1. Please be aware that even if you are selected as a DV winner and receive the second letter from KCC this does not guarantee that you will receive a visa.  At the time of your visa interview, a Consular Officer will determine if you meet the qualifications for the DV under the laws of the United States and if you are eligible for the visa.

2. DV winners must have the equivalent of twelve years of formal education at a minimum to receive a visa.  In Nepal, this is:

• Intermediate or certificate level, which is the degree obtained for successfully finishing two years in college after ten years of school.
• Ten plus two that includes twelve years of formal schooling (academic or vocational). Vocational degrees will count only if they are accepted in Nepal as a basis for further academic study.

3. If the DV winner has not completed 12 years of education, he or she must have work experience in an occupation identified by the U.S. Department of Labor.  Most of these kinds of jobs require the equivalent of a U.S. university degree, and a list of these jobs appears on the U.S. State Department website.  Few people qualify for the DV based on their work experience.  If you do not have any of these qualifications, you WILL NOT qualify to receive a DV and should not proceed with your DV application. 

4. Please note that if you neglected to include your spouse and all unmarried children under age 21 on your original electronic DV entry, you WILL be disqualified from the DV, which means that the DV winner WILL NOT receive a visa (even though you receive the second letter from KCC).  Thus, if you won the lottery but failed to include your family on your original DV submission, you are advised not to pay the non-refundable $755 DV processing fee or to appear for a DV interview, as you will be found ineligible.

AVOID BECOMING A DIVERSITY VISA FRAUD VICTIM

There is no cost for the DV program until the day of the interview. Applicants do not need to pay money to anyone for DV information.  On the day of the interview, DV winners will pay the Embassy directly the application fee.

5. The United States government employs no outside consultants to facilitate visas.  We strongly urge you NOT to use consultants’ services, as their assistance does not improve your chances of obtaining a visa.  If you do not meet the minimum qualifications for the visa, you CANNOT receive a visa.  Please do not waste your time and money if you do not meet the minimum qualifications for the visa.  Any consultant who claims that he can improve your odds is promising something he cannot deliver.

6. Please do NOT attempt to submit fraudulent documents with your visa application.  By doing so, you will be refused a visa and risk being permanently ineligible for any type of visa to the United States in the future.  Furthermore, you may be turned over to the police who may take legal action against you.

7. The DV-2009 lottery registration period will run from 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, October 3, 2007 in Kathmandu (noon EST on October 3, 2007), until 10:45 p.m. Sunday, December 2, 2007 in Kathmandu (noon EST December 2, 2007).  No DV-2009 entries will be accepted after 10:45 p.m. Sunday, December 2, 2007 (noon EST on December 2, 2007), regardless of whether there are system delays during the registration period.

8. Apply early to make sure your application is accepted.  All registrations must be done electronically; mail-in requests or paper entries will not be accepted.  Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter. Heavy demand may result in website delays.

The DV program was designed to bring greater racial and ethnic diversity to the United States.  It offers permanent residency visas to citizens of nations that have a traditionally low level of immigration to the United States.  Persons seeking to enter the lottery program must register online through the designated website (www.dvlottery.state.gov) during the registration period.  Registration is free of charge.  The State Department plans to issue 50,000 permanent resident visas during DV-2009.

There have been instances of fraudulent websites posing as official U.S. Government sites. Some companies posing as the U.S. Government have sought money in order to "complete" lottery entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. The Department of State notifies successful Diversity Visa applicants by letter, and NOT by email.