US Visa lottery applicants warned against fraudsters

By Henry Sekanjako

THE U.S mission in Kampala has advised applicants of the U.S diversity immigration Visa lottery application for the year 2017 to avoid using third parties that offer assistance in registering for the diversity Visa program saying they are often scams.

On Tuesday last week, the U.S department of state opened the application period for the 2017 diversity immigration visa program calling upon Ugandans in and out of the country to apply for the diversity visa.

 The U.S embassy urges potential applicants to be wary of third parties that offer assistance in registering for the diversity visa program, as these are often scams. No official web site or email will ask for money to submit an application,  the embassy warned in a statement.

 Applicants may begin checking their status starting May 3, 2016, at www.dvlottery.state.gov. This process is the sole means by which applicants will be notified if they are selected for the diversity visa. The Department of State will not notify successful applicants by letter, email or any other means. Any communications to applicants stating they have won the diversity visa lottery are fraudulent and should not be trusted,  the embassy statement added.  

According to the statement, entries for the DV-2017 program can only be submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov not later than 7pm on November 3, 2015 at no cost.

The embassy noted that applicants, who are selected in the program, must meet simple, but strict, eligibility requirements in order to qualify for a diversity Visa.

 The two primary requirements for applying to the diversity lottery are, one to be an individual born in a qualifying country and two, to meet education or work experience requirements,  the statement said. 

For one to qualify for a diversity visa, they should have a high school education or the equivalent. According to the statement, In Uganda's case one must have the Uganda advanced certificate of education with a minimum of two principle passes out of three total subject exams.

Applicants, who don't meet this requirement, must instead have two years of certain work experience within the last five year. 

 The U.S embassy encourages all potential applicants to submit their entries as early as possible, as heavy demand may result in website delays,  read the statement.

Uganda which is one of the qualifying countries for the diversity immigration visa lottery, historically receives approximately 270 diversity visas a year. 

The diversity immigration program is a United States congressionally mandated lottery program for receiving a United States permanent resident card which is commonly known as the green card lottery.

Under the American law, the state department offers the opportunity to obtain an immigrant Visa to the U.S to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the US.  The 2017 application year will see 50,000 diversity Visas worldwide. 

Meanwhile the U.S government has increased the number of applications for the 2016 Mandela Washington fellowship, according to another statement issued by the US Mission in Kampala. 

The fellowship which is for the Young African leaders is the flagship program of President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI).

In 2014 and 2015, the US mission Uganda sent 19 young Ugandan leaders to the United States to participate in the program.

In 2016, the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders will bring 1,000 of Africa's most dynamic young leaders, ages 25-35, to the United States, doubling the number from the last two years.