December 2003 issue

Processing for the 2004 Diversity Visa Lottery began October 1, 2003. Created in 1995, the Diversity Visa lottery seeks to ensure that the United States receives a balanced mix of immigrants from a variety of countries. As of September 30, 2003, a total of 16,412 Diversity Visas have been issued to Poles.

Each year the Diversity Visa lottery admits approximately 50,000 immigrants from around the world to receive green cards and become lawful permanent residents in the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, Poland, processes Diversity Visa applications for Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine. Between October 1, 2002, and September 30, 2003, we issued the following number of Diversity Visas to citizens of the following countries:

Ukraine 2,719
Poland 2,549
Lithuania 1,196
Belarus 510
Latvia 76

All winning registrants of the 2004 Diversity Visa lottery have already been notified. Although winning the lottery does not guarantee the issuance of a visa, these people are eligible to have an interview with a consular officer if they promptly complete their paperwork. The five countries we cover have the following number of registrants:

Poland 5,467
Ukraine 4,494
Lithuania 2,059
Belarus 966
Latvia 172

This year has seen significant changes to the way Diversity Visa applications are filed. Starting with the 2005 Diversity Visa Lottery, applicants will have to visit http://www.dvlottery.state.gov to file their applications. This online system has many improvements over the old paper method of filing. Perhaps most important for applicants is the instant confirmation that their application has been received. This will eliminate the worry of possible delays caused by mailing in the application. The filing period is November 1 to December 30, 2003, inclusive.

Applications must meet ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law, including medical and criminal checks, in order to be issued visas.

There are two basic application requirements:

1. Applicants must be natives of a qualifying country. You are usually considered a native of the country in which you were born. Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia and Lithuania are qualifying countries. For the 2005 Diversity Visa lottery, natives of Russia are not eligible to apply.
   
   
2. They must have EITHER a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform.
   

Please consult the Department of State website, http://travel.state.gov or the U.S. Embassy website, http://www.usinfo.pl for more information.