Are you preparing for DV-2022 Lottery?
It was published as part of the Visa Bulletin for the month of September that the “dates for the DV-2022 program registration period will be widely publicized in the coming months”. Therefore, the question is not whether – but when – the DV-2022 Lottery will actually take place this year.
3 Reasons for a Possible ‘Late Start’
In normal times, DV-2022 Lottery should kick off some time in the first week of October. But as you know, these are not normal times. The overall prevailing (COVID-19) situation is a valid reason why there MAY be a ‘late’ kick off to the DV-2022 Program.
The announcement regarding the dates of the Entry period is usually posted within the third or fourth week of September. We’ve just entered the fourth week. So if we do not see the announcement posted in a couple of days, we will conclude that the dates have been moved forward.
Secondly, considering the recent decision by the State Department to consider DV-2020 cases as mission critical, one could expect the DV-2022 Entry period to be later than the usual time. The State Department may have decided in favor of a late kickoff in order to deploy all of their efforts and resources toward DV 2020 cases.
Finally, in addition to focusing on DV-2020 cases, there are ongoing court cases regarding a possible extension of the DV-2020 September 30, 2020 deadline. The outcome of the cases, which is expected by the end of this month, could be yet another reason why the State Department MAY decide to postpone this year’s Entry period. They may be awaiting the outcome of the cases, before publishing the dates of the DV-2022 Lottery.
But whether there be extension to the current (DV-2020) program or not, the DV-2022 program must still go ahead this year as announced last month.
With that in mind, it is about time DV-2022 hopefuls started to get their house in order to prevent possible disappointment from last-minute rush when the dates of the DV-2022 Entry period are eventually announced.
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What to do in preparation of the upcoming Entry period?
1. It all begins by you actually deciding to enter the Program.
Making such a decision is not always obvious. I have witnessed cases where a couple are divided on whether to enter the DV Lottery or not. Having an eligible member of the family not wanting to take part in the program is always a source of friction. This is therefore the right time to have such an issue sorted out: be sure to enter with ALL eligible members of your family to avoid disqualification in the future.
2. Get to know the instructions for entry.
There’s usually very little change to the annual DV instructions. In preparation of your entry into the upcoming Lottery, you may as well concult last year’s instructions. It will give you an idea of what to expect for this year.
3. Get understanding of other things you need to know about the DV Program.
There are other pieces of relevant details about the program which you may not get from last year’s instructions. This is the time to get better understanding in areas where you have doubts.
Do you have unanswered question about the Program? Get your questions answered now that there’s no anxiety involved. Your questions may not get the desired response, or you may not have ample time to inquire when the instructions are published.
4. Prepare your photo and those of your eligible family members.
Have you taken your photo and those of your family members? If not, you should start thinking in that direction. It’s almost mandatory if you have infants and toddlers. It’s quite a challenge to take photos of such entrants. It is therefore advisable to start to take their photos and save them while there’s still time, to avoid the anxiety of the Entry period. Such a move is not just prudent, it’s also not against the rules.
Another reason why you will want to take your photos now is if you presently have access to family members who may not be available during the Entry period.
Unless you rely on a trusted DV service offline or online like ours to take charge of your entry, now is the time to take and save those photos in case you haven’t done so yet.
5. And last – but not least: Do you have a valid unexpired passport?
If not, try acquiring one now. Remember, having a valid unexpired passport was introduced as part of last year’s instructions. Meaning you’ll need a valid unexpired passport to enter the upcoming Lottery. And it may not be as easy to acquire during the Entry period. So start making attempts at acquiring one if yours is invalid or expired.
These are steps to take to ensure you have a reasonable Entry process if at all you are contemplating entering the upcoming DV-2022 Lottery. In the absence of such initiative on your part, you could well be in for surprises.
My left me and got married to a new husband. My son is just two years old and I am taking care of him. Are we (my son and I) capable to apply…?
Definitely, Magabe! You can apply along with your son. And you have to get divorced (with relevant documents) if at all you were previously legally married.