Diversity Lottery Refusals

We have just posted an in-depth article on this site about the various types of Diversity Lottery refusals – and how to prevent or challenge them.  At least 30,000 individuals go through Diversity Visa interviews every year – and don’t receive the visas.  Putting aside the approximately $10,000,000 in processing fees pocketed by the Department of State from unsuccessful applicants every year and millions more spent by these applicants in medical exams, travel, etc…, the article spotlights the veritable minefield of potential reasons for refusal.  One would think that the Lottery aspect of the Diversity Visa Program only applies to the selection – competing to be one of the less than 1% selected. But what many winners find is that even after selection the “Lottery” elements of luck and chance continue right up until September 30: until the visa is issued or denied or the application is not acted upon before the deadline. An applicant’s $20 bill was not accepted by a cashier because it had a mark on it, and he lost his chance for his interview as a result.   Nearly two years after the entry and photo were submitted, a consul thought an applicant’s photo was not “recent” at the time it was submitted, and he was denied. A consul believed that an applicant was married, but she was not, and she was refused.  Two applicants processed at the same Embassy with the exact same spelling alleged “defect” in their entries ended up with two different results: one received his visa, the other did not.  The list goes on and on and on… as does the Lottery.