Facts for 2006 U.S. Diversity Visa Winners And Applying for the 2007 Lottery

October 3, 2005                                                << in nepali >>

The season for interviews of 2006 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery winners will begin on October 1, 2005, and the application period for the 2007 DV program will begin on October 5, 2005. 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 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 are eligible for the visa.

2. DV winners must have the equivalent of twelve years of education at a minimum.  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 schooling (academic or vocational).

1. 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. Embassy 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. 

2. 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.  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.

3. 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.

1. 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.

2. The DV-2007 lottery registration period will run from 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, October 5, 2005 in Kathmandu (noon EST on October 5, 2005), until 10:45 p.m. Sunday, December 4, 2005 in Kathmandu (noon EST December 4, 2005).  No DV-2007 entries will be accepted after 10:45 p.m. Sunday, December 4, 2005 (noon EST on December 4, 2005), regardless of whether there are system delays during the registration period.  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.

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-2007.

For further information on the DV program, please visit the U.S. Embassy website at http://nepal.usembassy.gov.