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The Department of State has announced the procedures for the next Visa Lottery. Detailed information is available on the Department of State website at:
http://travel.state.gov/pdf/1318-DV2012Instructions-ENGL.pdf
The Visa Lottery enables 50,000 individuals from most countries of the world an opportunity to obtain a green card provided they meet certain minimal qualifications. In addition, they must not be “excludable” from the U.S. as a result of such factors as criminal record, immigration violations, etc.
For fiscal year 2012, 50,000 DVs will be available.
Applicants are chosen by a computer-generated random drawing after submitting a simple application and photograph via an online system established by the State Department.
For DV-2012, natives of the following countries are
not eligible to apply because they sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years:
BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PERU, PHILIPPINES, POLAND, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM.
Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible.
For DV-2012, no countries have been added or removed from the previous year’s list of eligible countries.
A "native" is a person born in a country, or entitled to be "charged to" the country under the rules of "alternate chargeability." Under the rules of alternate chargeability, an alien applicant born in an ineligible country may "use"
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the country of birth of his or her spouse, if the alien applicant is married to a native of an eligible country-provided the spouse is eligible for a visa and will immigrate to the U.S. with the applicant; or
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the country of birth of either parent, if the alien applicant was born in a country in which neither of his or her parents had established a residence at the time of the applicant's birth.
The spouse or children (a "child" is an unmarried person under 21 years of age) of a successful Applicant will also be eligible for immigrant status, regardless of their place of birth.
If selected, Applicants will be instructed to apply for an immigrant visa at the U.S. Consulate in their country of residence. However, Applicants who are in the U.S. will, in many cases, be eligible to
adjust their status through a local Immigration office.
A successful Applicant must prove that he or she has at least a
high school education or its equivalent, or
two years of work experience during the past five years in a job which, according to the Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database, requires at least two years of training or experience. An Applicant must also establish that she/he meets the usual qualitative requirements for entry to the U.S. For example, an Applicant with a criminal record may be barred.
Entries for the DV-2012 DV lottery must be submitted electronically between noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Tuesday, October 5, 2010, and noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, November 3, 2010. Applicants may access the electronic DV Entry Form (E-DV) at
www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. 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. No entries will be accepted after noon, EDT, on November 3, 2010. NO FEE is required to submit an entry.
We believe that anyone with access to the internet can complete the entry process without hiring an attorney or paying a fee to a third party, though it may be worthwhile for some individuals who are not computer savvy to pay a small fee to have someone assist them with the process.
PAYMENT OF A FEE TO A THIRD PARTY WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF BEING SELECTED.
However, we strongly recommend that anyone selected in the lottery consult with an experienced immigration attorney to determine the best course of action and to identify any issues which may derail their application for a green card.
Please feel free to contact our office if you have any questions.
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