If you are dreaming of moving to the USA, you are probably already thinking about the next Diversity Visa lottery. Each year about 80,000 winners qualify for a Green Card and legal immigration to America.
To increase your chances of winning, you need to take the participation process seriously. We have listed the major mistakes that can prevent you from achieving your dreams!
Mistake 1: Trust the intermediaries
DV Lottery is a gold mine for scammers. Remember: participation in the lottery is and always will be free of charge, and no middlemen are needed to fill in the form. Use only the official DV Lottery website.
Fraudulent emails are also those that tell you that you have won the lottery. It is likely that at the end of the email you will be asked to click on a phishing link or pay a fee. The U.S. Department of State will not process any notifications! You can only find out the results of the lottery on the official website after the designated date by entering your unique registration number.
Mistake 2: Provide a photo not formatted properly for the Lottery.
A detail such as a participant’s photo is critical. The fact is that the Green Card lottery photo is checked by special software at the US Department of State, not by people. If even one of the criteria is not met, the application will automatically be rejected.
Photos from previous US visas or lotteries cannot be submitted: the photo must not be older than 6 months. Therefore, if you are not trying your luck for the first time, a new photo must be taken.
You can find out as much as possible about the DV Lottery photo in this article.
Mistake 3: Not studying the application form before completing it
Once you start filling in the form, you will have exactly 1 hour to enter all the information. If you are late, you will have to start all over again. So read through the questions in advance so that you can formulate clear answers and have all the necessary documents on hand.
Mistake 4: Do not save the data received after completing the form
It is very important to keep the confirmation number and confirmation page. Without this information, you will not be able to check your result once the winners are known. Do not accept if someone offers to keep this information for you. You also need to keep access to the email address given when you apply.
Mistake 5: Prepare a lottery photo on the official Travel State Gov photo tool
The official Travel State Gov photo tool at tsg.phototool.state.gov/photo is a frequent choice for formatting lottery or US visa photos. But the problem is that the software offered is far from perfect and sometimes works with errors. And while in the case of visa photos these errors are not too critical as you can re-do your photo, with the DV lottery the opposite is true: even the smallest detail can lead to failure.
Mistake 6: Hide the presence of children when completing the form
If you win, this will be a valid reason for refusal at the embassy interview. You must list all of your unmarried children under 21 years of age, regardless of where they live and their intention to immigrate to the US. The only exceptions are children who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. If your spouse has biological children (under 21 years of age) from a previous marriage, you must list them on your application as well. You do not need to list your spouse’s adopted children. Only the applicant must list them on his/her application form.
Mistake 7: To think that winning the lottery will guarantee you a move to the USA
Winning the DV lottery entitles you to an interview at the embassy and the final decision depends on the American immigration authorities. Before the interview, you must fill out Form DS-260 and pass a medical exam.
Priority will be given to applicants with in-demand professions or savings – this ensures that you can support yourself after the move and do not become a burden. Find out how to prepare for your interview in this article.