DV Visa Lottery Application – More New Procedures Introduced

Throughout this month, all interest in the DV Lottery has been focused on the current Entry period. Entrants all over the world have been submitting their entries as part of the DV 2021 Entry process. We at mydvprogram.com – for our part – have been quite involved in the process, both online and with our offline clients. There are however a number of procedural changes which are being introduced in the mainstream DV Visa Lottery Application process by DV authorities and the White House, which I would like to take a break from the ‘2021 Entry process to announce to our readers.

About a year ago, KCC introduced the sending out of emails to DV applicants, requesting them to scan and send in a number of required documents, as part of the application process. That requirement was discussed in this article of ours.

A year on, they’ve made the following three modifications to that procedure introduced last year.

Firstly

KCC has spelt out the manner in which the documents to be submitted are to be named. Please read an excerpt of the new format of the email requesting the documents to that effect, as follows:

All documents should be submitted as attachments to your email to ensure they are properly received. We ask that you use the following method to name and attach your files:

– Your DV case number;

– The full name of the applicant whose document you scanned; and

– The document name or form number.

For example:

2020AF00938653_John_Doe_Passport.pdf

2020AF00938653_Jane_Doe_Birth_Certificate.pdf

Use your case number as the subject of the email. The maximum email size is 30MB. If the total size of your attachments is larger than 30MB, send multiple emails using your case number as the subject of each email. Please send your documents for KCC review only after you have collected all of the required documents for yourself and all accompanying family members. Send documents only to the kccdvdocuments@state.gov email address.

Secondly

As part of the documents to be sent, they’ve also included marriage certificate and marriage termination documentation, for cases where those apply.

Thirdly

The third measure concerns the sending out of the email proper. Before now, the email requesting scanned documents was sent out to only applicants who had completed filling in their DS-260. In past articles on the subject, I referred to that email as NL1.5, seeing that it was sent out between the NL1 (the letter announcing to an entrant that they had been selected) and the NL2 (the interview invitation letter).

With this change in sending out procedure, my so-called NL1.5 would certainly have a new nickname, as it’s no longer sent out between both NLs. Instead, the email is henceforth being sent to ALL applicants alike, as long as they were selected, whether – or not – they’ve submitted their DS-260.

A New “Disqualification Tool”

This third measure by KCC perfectly aligns with the passport requirement, and I strongly believe, it will serve as a “disqualification tool” come May 2020.

What am I saying?

Remember, it was stressed both when the passport requirement was introduced and in the DV-2021 Instructions that any omission would result in “automatic disqualification”. At first, it appeared as if the State Department was referring to omissions in the Entry form. But that couldn’t be, as the Entry form can not be submitted without having all fields completed. The “omission” referred to therefore did not concern the Entry form.

On the contrary, what they were saying in essence is, there will be a comparison made between the passport information provided on the Entry form, on the one hand; and the passport bio data page – one of the scanned documents requested – on the other. And any omissions / discrepancies at that point will automatically result in disqualification.

This will come as a shock to those who think they can beat the system by entering false passport number as we’ve gathered some are currently endeavoring. Even if they manage to succeed in the selection phase, they will certainly not cross the “document comparison checkpoint” as it will prove quite difficult for them to produce a scanned bio data page with the same number as the one on their submitted form.

What I Foresee

It will not be a surprise to me if at the release of the DV 2021 results in May 2020, the document-requesting email is embedded within the NL1, meaning the notification letter that announces that an entrant has been selected, also includes the request for said selectee to scan and send his/her documents, as the first step in their DV Visa Lottery Application process, even before the filling of the DS-260.

A major preoccupation of the State Department’s currently is to curb and possibly eradicate fraud from the DV Lottery. As such, one can anticipate measures by them in that direction, hence my prediction.

Enter Passport Information with Care

DV 2021 entrants are therefore very highly admonished to enter their passport information exactly as it is, to avoid falling victim to the already-issued disqualification warning. That is why we at mydvprogram.com are taking utmost care in entering our clients’ passport information: so as not to be a stumbling block to their American dream.

“Bad News” for Many

Our final issue under discussion here is one that most DV applicants will not be happy about.

Two days after the start of this current Entry period, on October 4, 2019, the President of the United States signed a proclamation wherein prospective U.S. immigrants, including successful DV applicants will have to pay for medical insurance before entering the country or prove that they will acquire same within 30 days of their arrival, in order to be granted a visa.

What this proclamation has introduced in the application process is close in nature to the public charge clause which requests that applicants prove that once in the U.S., they will not constitute a public charge. Proof in this case is usually provided by means of an affidavit of support from the immigrant’s U.S. host or the availability of sufficient personal savings or investments. As of early next month, in addition to not being a public charge, prospective immigrants will have to also prove that they will not constitute a “medical charge” on the U.S. Government.

Take Heed, DV Applicants

The State Department now has the task of working out implementation intricacies of the proclamation, which will come into effect a minute past midnight Eastern Daylight Time, on Sunday, November 3, 2019 – that’s a week from now. Once into effect, the proclamation is expected to be applied in consular posts worldwide, depending on “standards and procedures” established by the State Department.

Financially-impotent DV applicants who are to be interviewed as early as next could be adversely affected by the proclamation. Those with interviews scheduled for later in the fiscal year must take heed, and begin the process of compliance, to avoid being denied immigrant status on the basis of the soon-to-come-into-effect “medical charge” clause.