Visa Lottery

How to Prepare for DV Lottery Interview as a Derivative

Diversity Visa Program, DV 2023 / By

How to Prepare for DV Lottery Interview as a Derivative

A derivative is basically the eligible immediate family member who is deriving visa benefit for a principal applicant.

When it comes to DV Lottery, the derivative(s) does/do not influence the visa decision of the principal applicant. Meaning if the derivative fails to pass their interview for any reason, it will not impact the principal applicant’s visa unless in fraudulent cases.

{Now that we have clear this out of the way, let’s go to topic}

Basic Checklist

Interview Appointment letter; if you are not attending an interview with the Principal Applicant then you must have your interview appointment letter. This letter will be your means of entry to the embassy premises. But if you are attending interview together with the principal applicant, then one letter will suffice.

Confirmation page; this will be the DS260 confirmation page . It will contain the name of the derivative and the case number of the principal applicant.

Passport; valid and unexpired passport with minimum 6 months validity and minimum 2  used pages free.

Passport photo; (2) 2×2 inches or 5cm x 5cm color passport photo with your full name and DOB written on the back. DO NOT STAPLE

Birth Certificate; the original birth certificate and if you are unable to obtain it, please check the reciprocity page on the State Department’s website for your embassy’s procedure. 

Medical Exams; Typical, the medical exams results will be sent directly to the embassy  electronically. However, some U.S. embassies  still utilize hand delivered report by the visa applicant. So inquire from the medical facility if you might need to come back to pick up your results for interview day.

Police Clearance (s); if you meet the requirement for police clearance then make sure you have it or them. If you are unsure, please refer this video (insert video title)

Visa Fee; $330 per applicant. Derivatives are considered applicants at this stage and must also pay this fee. The fee must be paid in USD or local currency equivalent.

You may bring your educational certificates and work experience, but know that it will not be used in determining your visa eligibility since only the education or work experience of the principal applicant will be used in the visa approval determination.

If you are not attending this interview with the Principal Applicant, then you need to consider bringing relationship evidence and marital status evidence.

BUT if you are attending together, then there’s no need for you to also bring relationship evidence and marital status evidence.

If you have children then you have to go over this checklist for each derivative.

If you are derivative through who the eligibility is derived from, please WATCH my video on YouTube (WATCH THIS If Your DV Lottery Eligibility is Derived from Your Derivative)

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Is Green Card Lottery DV2023 Cancelled? Diversity Visa Lottery

11 Comments / Citizenship Act, Diversity Visa Program, DV 2022, DV 2023, Green Card, Kentucky Consular Center / By

Rumors have been going around on the internet about whether the diversity visa lottery will be cancelled for the 2023 fiscal year. The many hiccups by the U. S. State Department in dealing with  visa processing and interview backlogs for the DV2020 and DV2021 has led many to this speculation. Which is, if it is even worth continuing the program if the State department cannot handle interviewing all selectees and approving visas for  the qualified selectees who are able to pass their interviews.

These assumptions make sense but they are not facts!

The diversity visa program’s 2023 fiscal year application in October 2021 will not be cancelled due to various reasons I will explain below. You can watch my video discussion of this issue.

It would take an act of congress to cancel the diversity visa a.k.a. green card lottery program because the program was established by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1990 (INA 1990). This was passed by both houses of congress and signed by George H.W. Bush. Therefore, for the diversity visa program to be canceled, it will have to go through similar process.

U. S. State Department as a branch of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have the authority to cancel the diversity visa lottery program.  However, the State Department can petition congress to review the program. Even so, that would still be in the hands of congress.

Republican senators Tom Cotton, of the Senate Judiciary Committee (R-Arkansas) and David Perdue (R-Georgia) introduced legislation in 2017  called RAISE Act , that sought to eliminate the diversity visa program. Republican representative Bill Posey, of the Senate Judiciary Committee(R-Florida) also sponsor a bill called SAFE for America Act  to end the diversity visa program in 2017. Recent attempt has come from Republican senator John Kennedy (R-Louisiana). Sen. Kennedy introduced Visa Lottery Repeal Act . So far, these have been some of the attempts to end the program.

The diversity visa 2023 application period is few days away for such a dramatic end to the program to take place. As I have explained above, it will need the act of congress to end or eliminate the program and few days to a new fiscal year is too short for this to happen.

Immigration proponents in the congress are fighting for an increase in the number of diversity visas from 55,000 to 85,000. Rep.  Grace Meng (D-NY) voted to include an amendment  on the House Appropriation Committee Infrastructure funding of Department of Homeland Security, that would rollover any unused diversity visas from 2020 and 2021 fiscal years to the subsequent years.

For these reasons, diversity visa lottery  will continue for now! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel for more videos and also, watch my prediction for DV2023 application start date!

Long live Green Card Lottery!!