The Department of State is expected to announce details on the next Diversity Visa lottery before the end of 1995. No word has yet been announced regarding details for the upcoming DV-97 green card lottery, but it is expected to occur in early 1996. Some serious changes to the program have been proposed by the Department of State, however. Recently, the State Department released a proposed regulation which would impose some additional requirements on DV applicants. Two of the proposals are based on complaints about impostors posing as lottery winners. First, applicants would be required to sign their petitions. Second, applicants would be required to submit a 37mm x 37mm photograph. The Department is also proposing to require an application fee to enter the lottery, but no amount has yet been announced. If the regulations are enacted, they would apply to the upcoming lottery.
The entire future of the DV program also remains unclear. The House of Representatives immigration reform legislation would keep the lottery, but only allow half the current number of visas ( a reduction from 55,000 to 27,000). The Senate’s bill would end the lottery program entirely.
[Special Note: We have been receiving a number of inquiries about the upcoming lottery. As we have for the past several years, we will be providing our readers with a detailed question and answer document explaining the lottery. The document will be distributed to subscribers of this newsletter and be posted at this web site. While we believe most people who take the time to carefully follow the entry rules can successfully enter themselves, we will also be happy to provide this service. We will be posting an online registration form at our web site in the next few weeks].
Disclaimer: This newsletter is provided as a public service and not intended to establish an attorney client relationship. Any reliance on information contained herein is taken at your own risk. The information provided in this article has not been updated since its original posting and you should not rely on it until you consult counsel to determine if the content is still valid. We keep older articles online because it helps in the understanding of the development of immigration law.