RE: DV-2005 IMMIGRANT LOTTERY FOR 2004-2005
APPLICATION PERIOD:

NOVEMBER 1, 2003 TO DECEMBER 30, 2003

APPLY AT:

www.dvlottery.state.gov

Dear Friends and Immigration Clients:

We have just received information regarding this year’s version for the annual "lottery " for United States immigrant visas.  Known as the "DV-2005 " lottery, this program provides an opportunity for certain foreign nationals to participate in a special lottery of 50,000 immigrant "green card " visas.

Please be aware that, while you may not need or be eligible to file for the lottery yourself, we are sending this letter to all our clients and friends so that you can pass along this information to others you know who may be interested in applying.

The law apportions the 50,000 available immigrant visas under the new lottery program among six geographic zones of the world: Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America (which encompasses Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean).  The basic concept of the DV-2005 lottery is to provide additional "diversity " to the recent patterns of immigration resulting from the general U.S. immigrant categories.  Thus, the lottery formula identifies both high and low admission zones, and high admission foreign countries, such that the greater share of the 50,000 lottery visas goes to low admission zones; high admission foreign countries are excluded entirely from participating in the DV-2005 program.  Also, no single country may receive more than 7% (3,850) of the worldwide total of 50,000 DV-2005 visas.

ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES

            The following table lists the six geographic zones, the respective number of immigrant visas allocated to each zone, and specifies those countries which are not eligible to participate in the DV-2005 lottery.  A full listing of qualified countries by the zone appears as an attachment to this letter.

AFRICA: All countries eligible.

ASIA: All countries eligible except the following: 

CHINA – mainland born, INDIA, PAKISTAN, SOUTH KOREA, PHILIPPINES, and VIETNAM (HONG KONG, MACAU, and TAIWAN are eligible).

EUROPE: All countries are eligible except the following:

GREAT BRITAIN (United Kingdom) and its dependent territories (Northern Ireland is eligible) and RUSSIA.

NORTH AMERICA: The BAHAMAS is the ONLY country included in the North America Zone.  CANADA is  NOT eligible.

OCEANIA: All countries are eligible.

SOUTH AMERICA, All countries are eligible except the following: CENTRAL AMERICA,

and the CARIBBEAN :COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, JAMAICA, and MEXICO.

APPLICATION PERIOD

Similar to last year’s DV-2005 visa lottery registration, applications under the DV-2005 program will be accepted for a sixty-day period beginning at 12:00 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, November 1, 2003 and ending at 12:00 p.m. on December 30, 2003.  Also like last year, only one application per person may be submitted.  Submission of more than one application will disqualify an applicant from registration.  Importantly, it makes no difference when an application is received during the sixty-day period, since there will be a random selection from among all who applied during the entire sixty-day period.  There is no filing fee for the DV-2005 lottery application; however, there is a digital photograph requirement.

Starting with DV-2005 lottery, the Department of State will no longer accept paper entries.  The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic Diversity Visa (EDV) Entry Forms submitted electronically at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov during the 60-day registration period.  The Department of State will send DV lottery entrants an electronic confirmation notice upon receipt of a completed EDV Entry Form. 

The entry will be disqualified if all required photographs are not submitted.  Recent photographs of the applicant and his/her spouse and each child under the age of 21, including all natural children and all legally-adopted and step-children, must submit photographs electronically with the EDV Entry Form, even if the child no longer resides with the applicant or does not intend to immigration under the DV-2005 lottery.  Therefore, each applicant will need to submit a digital photograph with the EDV Entry form.  The image can be either by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a digital scanner.  Please see attachment for photograph specifications.

THE ENTRY

The actual DV-2005 application process is fairly straightforward and most people should be able to submit an application on their own by carefully complying with the following instructions.  However, you may have another person submit an entry for you.  The EDV Entry Form will ask the following information:

1. Applicant’s full name (Family/last, Given/first, Middle);

2. Applicant’s date (day/month/year);

3. Gender (male/female);

4. City/Town of Birth;

5. Country of Birth (the name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where the applicant was born);

6. Applicant’s Photograph;

7. Mailing Address (Address, City/Town, District/Country/Province/ State, Postal Code, Zip Code, Country);

8. Telephone Number (optional);

9. E-Mail Address (Optional);

10. Country of Eligibility if the Applicant’s Native Country is Different From Country of Birth (if the applicant is claiming nativity in a country other than his/her place of birth, this information must be submitted on the entry.  If the applicant is claiming nativity through spouse of parent, please indicate this on the entry);

11. Marriage Status (Yes/No);

12. Number of Children that are Unmarried and Under 21 Years of Age;

13. Spouse Information (Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph); and

14. Children Information (Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph) **Please note that married children and children over the age of 21 will not qualify for Diversity Visa**

EDUCATION/WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

A final requirement of this year’s DV-2005 immigrant visa lottery is that all applicants must have either a high school education or its equivalent, or within the past 5 years have 2 years of work experience in an occupation requiring at least 2 years of training or experience.  A "high school education or its equivalent " is defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education comparable to that of a high school diploma in the United States.  Documentary proof of education or work experience should not be submitted with the DV-2005 application, but must be presented to a consular officer at the time of formal immigrant visa processing if the applicant ultimately is selected under the lottery.  Although there is no specified minimum age for applicants, this education/work experience requirement effectively means that generally only those applicants who will be 18 years of age or older at the time they finally receive their immigrant visas will be eligible to participate in the DV-2005 lottery.

SELECTION AND PROCESSING OF WINNERS

DV-2005 lottery "winners " will be selected randomly by computer from among all applications received during the registration period.  Therefore, it makes no difference when or where an application is mailed so long as it arrives at the designated address between November 1, 2003 and December 30, 2003.  Applicants will be notified only if their application is selected between May and July 2004; others whose applications are not selected will receive no notification.

For each applicant selected under the DV-2005 lottery, an applicant’s spouse and minor child (under 21), unmarried children automatically will qualify to immigrate with the principal applicant.  Once the U.S. Department of State notifies DV-2005 lottery winners (during May and July 2004), winners and their families will need to follow the directions contained in their notification letters and begin the formal immigrant visa application process.  This year’s DV-2005 winners must receive and enter with their immigrant visas during the 2005 U.S. government fiscal year, which runs from October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005.

Further information about the DV-2005 lottery is available 24 hours a day from the Visa Office of the U.S. Department of State by computer at http:/travel.state.gov or email kccdv@state.gov. 

We believe that all people should be able to complete an application by themselves by carefully following these instructions.  However, if you need assistance, please contact us.

Good luck to all those who participate!

Very truly yours,

KUCK CASABLANCA LLC

IMMIGRATION GROUP