IMMIGRATION 2011 VISA LOTTERY –
THROUGH NOV. 30 BY GAIL S. SEERAM,
ATTORNEY AT LAW
The Department of State is accepting applications for the 2011 Diversity Visa
Lottery program through Nov. 30, 2009. Each year, the Diversity Visa
Lottery program makes 55,000 permanent resident visas available to people from
eligible countries who meet the strict requirements. Of the 55,000 immigrant
visas, 5,000 are allocated for use under the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central
American Relief Act (NACARA), thereby making only 50,000 permanent resident
visas available on an annual basis.
During last year’s 2010 visa lottery process, 13.6 million visa lottery
applications were received and there were 102,800 winners randomly chosen. Since
not all winners submit an application and pursue visa issuance, the larger
number ensures that all 50,000 visas will be issued and used. Immigrant visas
under the 2010 visa lottery were issued to the following Caribbean countries:
Guyana 41, Trinidad & Tobago 226, St. Lucia 19, Grenada 9, Suriname 10, Barbados
29, Antigua & Barbuda 9, St. Kitts & Nevis 6, and St. Vincent 9.
The visas are distributed
among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to regions
with lower rates of immigration, and with no visas going to nationals of
countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the
period of the past five years. Within each region, no single country may receive
more than seven percent of the available DVs in any one year.
The Department of State
chooses the winners of the Diversity Visa Lottery program randomly through a
computer-generated lottery drawing. Anyone selected under the Diversity Visa
Lottery program will be notified directly by the U.S. Department of State
through the mail. If the winner is granted permanent residency, s/he will be
authorized to live and work in the United States along with their spouse and
children under age 21.
There are four basic entry requirements for the Diversity Visa Lottery program.
Native of Eligible Country:
Applicants must be a native of an eligible country. Natives from the following
countries are not eligible to apply because they sent more than 50,000
immigrants to the United States during the past five (5) years: Brazil, Canada,
China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti,
India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Peru, Poland, South Korea, United
Kingdom, and Vietnam.
Education or Work Experience:
Applicants must have either a high school education or its equivalent or two
years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring
at least two years of training or experience to perform.
Photograph:
Recent photographs of the applicant and his family must be submitted with their
application. Note, a group or family photo will not be accepted. Since the
application is submitted online, the digital photos are also required to be
submitted online. Thereby, the photos can be produced by taking a new digital
image or using a digital scanner to scan a submitted photograph. If a new
digital image is submitted, it must be in JPEG format, have a maximum file size
of 240KB, have a resolution of 600 pixels high by 600 pixels wide, and have
color depth of 24-bit color. If a scan photo is submitted, it must be scanned at
a resolution of 150 dpi, it must be in JPEG format, have a maximum file size of
240KB, have a resolution of 600 by 600 pixels, and have a color depth of 24-bit
color. Note: this is the most cumbersome part of the process because if your
photo does not meet these specific requirements, your application will not be
accepted online.
Application:
The Diversity Visa Lottery application is accessible only at
www.dvlottery.state.gov and must be submitted online. Note, when your
application and photo have been accepted on-line, a confirmation screen will
appear and this should be printed for your records. Gail
S. Seeram, an immigration attorney, handles cases involving family petitions,
business/investors visas, citizenship, deportation, asylum, work authorization
and extension of status. Call her office toll- free at 1-877-GAIL-LAW
(1-877-424-5529), send an email at gail@go2lawyer.com or visit
www.go2lawyer.com
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