2005 Visa Lottery Applications Started November 1, 2003
Posted Nov 14, 2003

The annual Diversity Lottery program has a registration form which must be filed by all persons seeking to qualify for immigration lottery benefits. We at MurthyDotCom and the MurthyBulletin wish to remind our readers who may be interested and eligible for the lottery that the registration period is limited, having started on November 1 and ending on December 30, 2003. Additionally, the applications are no longer filed by mail, as they had been for many years. They now must be filed electronically with the U.S. Department of State (DOS). The Diversity Lottery is intended, in part, to balance the levels of immigration from underrepresented countries. Accordingly, persons from countries with high numbers of immigrants to the U.S. do not generally qualify; those from India, U.K., Canada, and Pakistan, for example. The detailed instructions for seeking benefits under the lottery program are available on the DOS WebSite. Also posted on the website are FAQs pertinent to persons who may qualify, and other relevant topics.

We explained the requirements for, and important changes in this year's Diversity Lottery in our August 29, 2003 MurthyBulletin article, DV-2005 Lottery Instructions, Electronic Filing Required, available on MurthyDotCom. It is important to note that "winning" the lottery does not guarantee a green card. There are additional hurdles to overcome, including either an adjustment of status or consular processing for an immigrant visa. Persons who are not eligible for adjustment of status or an immigrant visa will not be able to benefit from the lottery. The lottery provides a basis for applying for a green card but does not create exemptions from the need to be otherwise eligible to immigrate permanently to the U.S.

We wish all potential lottery winners the best of luck. The lottery program is genuine and people actually do obtain green cards through the lottery each year. We remind our readers to be cautious and to use only the official DOS WebSite for guidance and application. There is no filing fee required to enter the lottery. There are, however, fraudulent websites making false claims and taking money for lottery applications. Only the DOS WebSite is genuine. Websites not ending in dot gov <.gov> should be suspect and are likely not affiliated with the U.S. government.