Beware of scams, says Embassy officer
A senior US Embassy officer said that Sri Lankans applying for the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery (Green Card) should be aware of scams involving persons or companies that claim affiliation with the US Government, or those who promise they can help you, for a fee, to improve your chances.
“The online application is completely free. You cannot improve your chances of winning the lottery by paying anyone,” said Consular Section Chief Sally Sternal.
There have been many reports in past years of unscrupulous people collecting money from applicants, with promises of a placement under the programme.
This year the lottery will open on October 1 and continue till November 2, 2013 and Sri Lankans who wish to apply can do so online during this time period.
“The lottery has been in operation for nearly 15 years, and during the past few years, around 50,000 Sri Lankans have applied annually for it,” Ms. Sternal said. “No one country can get more than seven per cent of placements available in a year, and Sri Lanka has been winning in the neighborhood of around 1,000 placements each year in the past five years,” she added.
“Sri Lanka and the Maldives are among the country’s that benefit under this programme, as they are countries that have a low rate of migrations to the US,” Ms. Sternal said.
The educational qualification to apply for the DV Lottery is three passes in the Advanced Level Examination or a bachelor’s degree from a university, while there is also provision to qualify, based on work experience, but this is hard. “Generally, only jobs that are highly skilled and require a university-level education qualify,” the US official said.
Being selected in the DV lottery also does not necessarily mean you will receive a visa. Instead, what winners will get is an opportunity for an interview with a visa officer, who will review their paperwork and determine if they have the proper qualifications to immigrate to the United States.
Those who apply will be able to find out if they have won by checking the relevant website on May 1, 2014, when the names will be announced.
Detailed information about the programme is available at http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/visas/diversity-visa-lottery-program.html
Applicants can also download instructions in Sinhalese and Tamil.