DV 2020 Results Released!

And the winners are …

As is the case every year in the month of May, the results of the last Diversity Immigrant Visa program (DV 2020) has just been released by the U. S. State Department. After several months of waiting, those who entered the DV Lottery from October 3rd to November 6th 2018 can finally discover their fate.

For the past few weeks, DV hopefuls across the globe have all been holding their breath, wondering whether they are going to continue to the next phase of the DV program or if they will have to wait till October to try again. The answer to that question is now available at the State Department’s official DV website. For most people, however, just viewing their result will be sufficient for them to breathe a sigh of relief: their long wait has finally come to an end.

Living the Process

The suspense in waiting for such a long time, coupled with the reactions people have upon getting to discover their result, is what is most amazing in running a DV service like ours. This is probably what has kept me “glued” to the DV Lottery for several years now. It’s a kind of virtuous cycle that goes like this: first, there’s the Entry period when you enter data on behalf of customers from all walks of life. You get acquainted with their stories and assess their aspirations.

Then comes the six-month selection period, when you are kind of left alone; when entrants have all gone about their lives. During that time, the question is, “who are those that will ultimately be selected?” And before you know it, May arrives, and the results are out – like now. Then checking begins. And as you check, you are like, “Aha, so this person made it.” And as checking continues, entrants start to return, one after the other, to find out whether their entry was selected.

Reactions of all kinds

And that is when you see and feel faith at its highest. Unfortunately, due of the limited number of selectees required, the faith of most entrants is crushed; disappointment overtakes them. In most cases, there is a sigh and a subsequent expression of hope for the upcoming Entry period. A few, on the other hand, feel that they’ve tried too long, and have to bring their quest for the American dream to an end.

But best of all are those who are selected, whose reaction one can never predict. Some break down in tears, which is quite emotional. Others jump up and down, sometimes thanking God; yet others run off and occasionally disappear into the streets, while onlookers ask themselves whether the selectee concerned is getting mad. And before long, they reappear, short of breath and not knowing what to say or ask next.

There’s beauty in it!

Whether it is tears of joy or unexpected runoff like crazy for having been selected; or whether it’s a sigh, indicating disappointment, or the decision to abandon the Lottery; the truth is, what you experience when an entrant checks his/her result is just special. And that’s the beauty I personally find in managing a DV-related business.

Applying Scientific Method

In addition to this awesome DV experience, another reason why the release of the results is so important to us is interpolation. It may sound too technical, but this is what we do. Every year, we form hypotheses and carry out a number of “experiments” during the Entry period. In other words, we don’t just enter customers’ data. We also undertake a “cause and effect” project, and draw relevant conclusions when the results are published.

For example, based on our findings from the past two years, we put into place a specialized procedure during the last Entry period which allows predictions regarding the number of winners we expect to have from our business from the results released today. This is the short term goal of this specialized procedure: to determine a definite number of winners, for future use in our DV business. In the long term, this exercise – when proven – will eventually lead us to producing an increasing number of winners every year. That is one interesting aspect of the Lottery which we’ve been engaged in. This approach is purely scientific, and it has been quite helpful to us.

In conclusion

Now, to conclude on our subject. The long-awaited DV 2020 results have just been released. The die has been cast. It’s time to know one’s fate – that is, for those who entered in October – November last year. It’s advisable to check your result early enough, in order to begin the application process if you are selected, as there are fewer Diversity Immigrant visas on offer by the U.S. State Department than there are applicants. So, if you are selected, the sooner you begin your application process, the better it is for you (i.e. the more chances you would have to get yourself a DV). So, don’t wait any longer. Get up! Get your confirmation page out! Go and check it!

Wish you best of luck as you check.

And please let us know in the comments box below how checking went for you.

P.S.: A breakdown of the DV-2020 results appears in the August 2019 Visa Bulletin. Click here, and on the page that opens, scroll down close to the end of the page to see the breakdown of the results by country.