Lottery Deadline Approaching
Posted Dec 26, 2004
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The deadline for participation in the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of State Visa Lottery is 12 o'clock noon (Eastern Standard Time), January 7, 2005. Information on the annual lottery program is available in our October 8, 2004 MurthyBulletin article, DV-2006 Lottery Instructions Issued, available on MurthyDotCom. We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C. remind our readers to carefully follow the instructions on the DOS Website for filing a Lottery application. The application form and instructions for electronic submission are available online during the registration period.
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Do Not Wait until the Last Minute
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Anyone interested in submitting an application to qualify for lottery selection should do so without further delay. Since the applications must be submitted electronically, it may not be possible to access the system as the deadline approaches. Last year was the first year for electronic filing, and many attempting to file at the last minute could not due to system overloads. Additionally, the noon deadline is, as stated above, Eastern Standard Time. This is the earliest time zone in the United States. No applications submitted after that time, even one minute late, will be accepted.
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Beware of Fraud
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The DOS website is the one and only site where the applications can be filed. There is no filing fee for lottery registration. Last year there were imposter sites that charged fees for purported lottery entries. These websites not only took money from unwitting victims, but, in many instances, caused the applicants to miss the deadline to file a legitimate application. This situation was reported in our October 24, 2003 article, FTC Discovers Fraudulent Diversity Lottery Websites, available on MurthyDotCom.
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Many individuals offer services to assist with the lottery filings. We have even seen signs about lottery applications posted up and down certain roads, tacked to trees. While there may be legitimate services offering assistance to those who are anxious about filing without help, one should beware of any claims that such a service will provide an advantage over other applicants. No one can give any particular applicant a better chance of selection than the other applicants. The only thing that makes a difference is whether the application is filed on time and filled out as directed.
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MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers should keep in mind that, in order to take advantage of selection for the lottery, one must be eligible in all other respects for adjustment of status or consular processing for an immigrant visa.