DV 2023 has ended!

Yes, that’s the shocking news – at least for most DV 2023 applicants who had already received their interview notification. But it’s true! The DV 2023 Program came to an abrupt end at the end of the gone week. It may have come early, but it was expected for several weeks now.

Why has it ended?

U.S. Immigration Law allows up to 55,000 visas to be issued out in the Diversity Visa Program every fiscal year. For several weeks, statistics of the DV 2023 Program had indicated that we were fast approaching the 55,000 cap. However, as the official end of the fiscal year is September 30 and with several thousand interviews scheduled, it was widely believed that interviews in the DV 2023 Program would continue up to the above-mentioned date.

But that will not be the case. On last Wednesday, September 6, the U.S. State Department announced by means of an update posted on their official website that the 2023 Program was in its final days. And before long, the news was ‘confirmed’ by some applicants who attempted to honor their interview appointments. They showed up for their interviews, but were informed at and by their respective embassies that the interviews wouldn’t take place as scheduled. The reason: the DV 2023 annual cap of 55,000 had already been reached!

That brought the DV 2023 Program to an end at least three weeks before September 30, 2023, its official end.

What’s going to happen now?

Nothing really!

Upon selection in the DV Lottery, applicants are warned that selection does not guarantee that they will be issued visas. Being selected can be interpreted as being part of the group from amongst whom the actual recipients of the visas will be gotten. Someone referred to it as a “second selection”. In essence, if you do not succeed in this “second selection”, you will not receive a visa.

As such, those whose interviews have so far (up to this weekend) not been held will not see those interviews conducted. Like for everyone else, the 2023 Program is over for them as well; and they (the applicants concerned) have no further claim as far as emigrating to the USA as part of the DV 2023 Program is concerned. Moreover, they have no further means to ensure that their case/situation is considered. In short, they’ve lost the ‘opportunity’, and there’s nothing they can do about that.

Who are concerned?

Everyone whose interview has not taken place.

Whatever stage they are currently at in their application process; whatever expenses they’ve incurred, whatever pains it has caused them; . . . so long their interview has not been conducted, they’ve lost their chance to be issued one of the visas available in the DV 2023 Program because in reality: there are no more visas left to be issued out!

Some applicants whose passports were left with their embassies – after their interview – may still be issued visas – but not those whose interviews have not been held.

What’s the DoS position on this?

The warning issued at the time of selection is reiterated in the update recently posted by the State Department. In the update, the Department goes a step further explaining that “Selection merely means the person may be eligible to participate in the DV program and may potentially apply for a visa, but it is not a guarantee”.

The situation is frustrating for so many DV 2023 applicants who had placed their hopes so high. But that is how the Diversity Visa Program was conceived and is being operated. So nothing can be done to overturn this ‘verdict’.

The DV 2023 Program is very well over – for good – and nothing is going to change that.

To access the update announcing the end of the DV 2023 Program, just click here!