DV Lottery Visa Refusal Reasons
Over 10 million people around the world submit applications to the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery each year for the opportunity to immigrate to the United States as new US Permanent Resident Green Card holders.
Approximately 100,000 DV Lottery participants are randomly selected to continue the process to receive one of the 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas and Green Cards authorized to be issued through this US immigration program each year.
After being randomly selected in the DV Lottery, a winner and his or her family members will next need to complete the consular process successfully in order to be granted a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Green Card.
Unfortunately, thousands of winners experience DV Lottery rejection and are unable to immigrate to the United States.
This article will discuss the common DV Lottery visa refusal reasons and how you may avoid them, so you can maximize your chances of successfully obtaining a Diversity Immigrant Visa and Green Card to live, study and work in the USA.
Table of Contents
Common reasons for DV Lottery visa refusal
- Failure to satisfy the education or work experience criteria
- Not including one’s spouse on the DV-Lottery application
- Not including all dependent children on the DV Lottery application
- Entering an inaccurate marital status on the DV Lottery application
- Having other inaccurate information on the DV Lottery application
- A photo in the DV Lottery application does not meet the strict standards
- Filing more than one DV Lottery application under your name in the same DV-Year
Common reasons for interview rejection
- Failure to provide all of the required supporting documents at the interview
- One or more required documents is not accepted by the consular official
- Inaccurate information is on the DV Lottery application or the Form DS-260
- The applicant engaged in fraud or deliberately misrepresented a material fact
- A photo in the DV Lottery application does not meet the strict standards
- Being inadmissible for medical reasons
- Being inadmissible for criminal/security reasons
- Being inadmissible for violating US immigration law
- Lacking adequate financial resources to support oneself and one’s family in the USA
- Failure to attend the consular interview
If my DV Lottery visa is refused, can I appeal it?
Yes, you can generally appeal a DV Lottery visa refusal until the end of the US Fiscal Year, which ends September 30th.
In general, an applicant will normally be informed of the DV Lottery visa refusal reasons and the section(s) of the relevant US law, such as the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
There are some situations in which someone with a DV Lottery visa refusal can apply for an ineligibility waiver, depending on their circumstances and the relevant US immigration law.
Many people who are DV Lottery interview rejected will hire a US immigration lawyer to advise them about the appeal process.
What can be done in the case of lottery denials?
This will depend on the DV Lottery visa refusal reasons.
In general, DV Lottery rejection can be appealed before the end of the US Fiscal Year, however, the applicant must carefully consider his or her chances of receiving a desired outcome (based on the reason for the refusal).
For example, if an applicant for the DV Lottery does not actually satisfy the eligibility requirements for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, it is unlikely that appealing a DV Lottery rejection will be successful.
Some people will schedule an initial consultation with a US immigration lawyer after being DV Lottery visa rejected to find out if it is worth the time, effort and expense to file an appeal.
If the DV Lottery rejection was because a mistake was made on the application (for example, the individual forgot to include a dependent child on the DV Lottery application), another option may be to simply apply for the next DV Lottery if still eligible and next time be careful not to make any mistakes.
Conclusion
The Diversity Visa Lottery (also known as the Green Card Lottery) is one of the easiest ways to immigrate to the United States as a lawful permanent resident (LPR).
Millions of people apply for the Diversity Visa Lottery in pursuit of the American Dream, but many of those who are selected as winners are later DV Lottery interview rejected for making mistakes on their application or for other reasons.
USAFIS was established back in 2001 to make it easy for individuals and families to correctly prepare and submit their applications to the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
Customers of USAFIS receive detailed instructions (available in several languages) on how to properly prepare their application and photo(s) for the Diversity Visa Lottery so they can avoid making mistakes that could lead to DV Lottery rejection.
The USAFIS Photo Department checks their photos to make sure they satisfy the strict requirements and will inform customers if any photo does not meet the criteria so they can upload a new photo to their application.
When a customer’s application is ready, USAFIS submits it to the DV Lottery on their behalf during the annual registration period and contacts them promptly if they are selected as a winner, so they can start the consular process as soon as possible.
USAFIS customers who are selected as DV Lottery winners also have the option to receive guidance in properly preparing their Form DS-260 to send to the US State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), so the consular interview can be scheduled.
At every step of the US immigration process, it is important to do everything correctly, to maximize the chances of being able to live, study and work in the USA as a permanent resident.
Over the past two decades, USAFIS is proud to have had tens of thousands of customers who have been selected as DV Lottery winners and we would like to help you as well.
The first step in the process is to find out if you are eligible for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and if you are, to help you prepare your application and photos for submission during the annual registration period.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
How can I increase my chances of winning the DV Lottery?
First of all, make sure that you complete your DV Lottery application and photos correctly, according to the official instructions (USAFIS can help you with this). In the event that you are married and both you and your spouse are eligible to be DV Lottery main applicants, you could double the chances of your family being selected as winners if you submit an application under your name that includes your spouse and all dependent children, and your spouse submits a separate application under his/her name that includes you and all dependent children. Then, if either you or your spouse are selected as DV Lottery winners, your family will have the opportunity to apply for one of the 55,000 Diversity Visas and Green Cards! Finally, a person usually has to participate in the DV Lottery more than one year before being randomly selected as a winner, so just keep applying correctly year after year until you are, hopefully, selected.
How many DV Lottery winners are selected?
The number of DV Lottery winners selected varies from year to year, but approximately 100,000 winners are selected from six regions of the world annually for the opportunity to continue the process to receive one of the 55,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas and Green Cards issued through this US immigration program each year.
How long does it take to get an interview after winning the DV Lottery?
After winning the DV Lottery, a selectee must file the Form DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application with the US State Department’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) so the consular interview can be scheduled. The KCC will later send an email to the DV Lottery winner who is eligible to continue the process instructing him/her to login to the E-DV website’s Entrant Status Check webpage, where the date, time and place of the consular interview will be shown. The DV Lottery consular interview will only be scheduled once there is an available visa number. In general, it can take several months for a DV Lottery consular interview to be scheduled, depending on your country and other factors.
How random is the selection of the DV Lottery?
DV Lottery winners are randomly selected by computer from eligible countries in six regions around the world.
Why I didn't win the DV Lottery?
If you participated in the DV Lottery, but were not randomly selected as a winner, keep in mind that over 10 million entries (applications) are filed each year, but only around 100,000 winners are selected from eligible countries in six regions of the world. Consequently, a person usually needs to participate in the DV Lottery more than one year before he or she is randomly selected as a winner. So, if you didn’t win the DV Lottery this year, apply again next year, and the year after that, etc.
What happens after the DV Lottery interview?
After the DV Lottery interview, the applicant will be informed by the US consular official that he or she was approved, denied or further processing is needed before a decision can be made. If the applicant and his or her family were approved for US immigration, the consular official will inform them of when and how their passport(s) will be returned to them with the Diversity Immigrant Visa(s) attached inside. The consular official will also hand the applicant an envelope that must remain sealed which will be presented to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent at the US port of entry. Once approved for US immigration, it will be necessary to pay the online Immigrant Fee to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) so the plastic Permanent Resident Green Card can be sent to the new immigrant’s designated address in the USA. The new immigrant(s) must enter the United States while their Diversity Immigrant Visas are still valid.
How do I check the status of my DV interview?
At the end of the DV interview, the consular official will inform the applicant whether he or she was approved for US immigration, denied or if further processing is needed before a decision can be made.
Can I appeal after the DV Lottery refusal?
Yes, an individual can appeal a DV Lottery rejection before the US Fiscal Year ends on September 30th. Whether or not to file an appeal may depend on the DV Lottery visa refusal reasons. In some cases, it may be a good idea to have an initial consultation with a US immigration lawyer to find out if filing an appeal after DV Lottery rejection is worth the time, effort and expense.
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