It’s that time of year again, The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2025 (“DV-2025”) will begin accepting registrations at 12 noon EDT October 4, 2023. The registration period for the DV-2025 will conclude on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Entries are only accepted electronically, and not through the US Postal Service. Keep in mind that “law allows only one entry per person during each registration period” so submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better odds, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreDiversity Visa Lottery for Fiscal Year 2024 (DV-2024)
It’s once again time for The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2024 (“DV-2024”)! The online registration period for the DV-2024 began Wednesday, October 5, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Entries are only accepted electronically , they will not be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service. Keep in mind that submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, not better chances, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreDiversity Lottery for Fiscal Year 2023 (DV-2023)
Here we are again; it’s time for The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2023 (“DV-2023”)! The online registration period for the DV-2023 Program began Wednesday, October 6, 2021, at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Additionally, entries will not be accepted through the U.S. Postal Service. Submitting multiple applications will result in disqualification, and yes, “the Department of State uses sophisticated technology to detect multiple entries.”
Read moreDiversity Lottery for Fiscal Year 2021 (DV-2021)
It’s that time of year again! The Diversity Visa Lottery for fiscal year 2021 (DV-2021) is here. The online registration period for the DV-2021 Program begins on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 12:00 noon (EDT), and concludes on Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 12:00 noon (EST). It is recommended that foreign nationals not wait until the end of the period to apply as heavy demand could cause delays on the website. Additionally, they should not submit multiple applications since doing so will result in disqualification.
Read moreWhat Can I Do Without an Immigration Lawyer?
I will be the first to tell you that immigration law is complex and changing and requires vigilance and care in preparing applications, but there is no requirement that foreign nationals, their employers, or family members use a lawyer. It is also true that under the Trump administration, foreign nationals (and even immigration practitioners) have become more cautious and even hesitant about filing petitions given the increased scrutiny of their applications by immigration officials and consular officers; nevertheless, there are certain applications that should still be straightforward enough to file without legal assistance. Cases filed by individuals without legal representation are subject to the same review and adjudication process as others filed by attorneys. We’ve previously discussed why an experienced immigration attorney can be valuable and in some cases absolutely recommended, but in this post we’ll more closely examine the types of applications and petitions that foreign nationals in most situations can prepare and file on their own.
Read moreNew York Times: “Diversity Visa Lottery: Inside the Program That Admitted a Terror Suspect”
Following the terror attack in New York City last week when a man drove a rented truck down a bike path killing eight, President Trump is calling for the elimination of the Diversity Visa (DV) Program, which allowed the suspected terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov, to gain legal permanent resident status. Claiming he wants “merit based” immigration, President Trump says he is asking Congress to “immediately initiate work to get rid of this program.” Throughout the years, lawmakers have made multiple attempts to end the diversity visa program, citing reasons of fraud, increased numbers of low-skilled (and thus supposedly less desirable) immigrant workers, and claims that diversity recipients are not properly vetted and threats to national security.
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