Wednesday, November 8, 2017
By: Tom Gitaa |
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program administered by the U.S. Department of State has been in the news lately with calls to end it after one of its recipients, Uzbek native Sayfullo Saipov, was accused of driving a rented truck down a crowded New York City bike path, killing eight people and injuring more than a dozen others on October 31.
The program allows nationals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States to apply for permanent resident status (“green cards”) without a relative or employer sponsor. Each fiscal year, 50,000 of such visas are granted.
Entries for the next fiscal year (which starts on October 1 2018 and ends on September 30, 2019) are now being accepted and will close on Wednesday, November 22, 2017.
All countries in Africa, with the exception of Nigeria, are eligible for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
To be eligible, you must meet two qualifications:
Keep your confirmation number and check back at dvlottery.state.gov starting on May 15, 2018 as the State Department will not send emails or letters informing you that you have won.
After you log into dvlottery.state.gov starting on May 15, 2018, you will be directed to a confirmation page that will provide further instructions, including information on associated fees to facilitate your immigration to the United States. You can then apply for a visa between October 1, 2018 and September 30, 2019.
The State Department also warns individuals to guard against scams such as fraudulent websites informing them that they have won.
Detailed instructions are here.
Tom is the President and Publisher of Mshale. As the founder, he did a lot of the reporting during the humble beginnings of the newspaper. While he still does the occasional reporting, he now concentrates on the publishing side of the news operation.Tom was also the original host of Talking Drum, the signature current affairs show on the African Broadcasting Network (ABN-America), which was available nationwide in the United States via the Dishnetwork satellite service. On the show, he interviewed Nobel laureates such as 2004 Nobel Peace prize winner, Professor Wangari Maathai, the first woman from Africa to win the peace prize and heads of states such as the president ofВ The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh at State House, Banjul. Tom has previously served in the board of directors of the Minnesota International Center (MIC), the sixth largest World Affairs Council in the United States. He has also previously served as President of the Board of Directors of Books for Africa, the largest shipper of donated books to Africa. He sits on the board of the United Nations Association.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login