Embassy of the United States

Press Release

2002 Diversity Visa Lottery
August 1, 2000

Section 203(c) of the U.S. Immigration Act of 1990 makes available up to 55,000 permanent resident visas each year by random selection through a diversity visa lottery. The registration mail-in period for the 2002 Diversity Visa Lottery will be held between noon on Monday, October 2, 2000 and noon on Wednesday, November 1, 2000.

Persons born in Georgia, as well as persons born in the other republics of the former Soviet Union, are eligible to participate in the 2002 Diversity Visa Lottery.

The address for submitting lottery applications has changed. Persons born in Georgia and other republics of the former Soviet Union must mail their entries to the Kentucky Consular Center at the following address:

DV-2002 Program
Kentucky Consular Center
Lexington, KY 41903
USA

Entries mailed to any other address will be disqualified.

Applicants must have either a high school education or its equivalent, or within the past five years have two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience. If an applicant does not meet these requirements, he or she should not submit an entry for the lottery.

There is no initial application fee or special application form to enter. The entry must be typed or clearly printed in the English alphabet on a sheet of plain paper and must include:

• The applicant's full name and date and place of birth.
• The name and date and place of birth of the applicant's spouse (even if separated, and even if the spouse does not plan to immigrate).
• The names and dates and places of birth of the applicant's minor, unmarried children under age 21 (even if they do not plan to immigrate, and regardless of whether they are natural, step, or adopted children, or children of the applicant or the applicant's spouse from a previous marriage).
• The applicant's mailing address and, if possible, a telephone number.
• A recent photograph (3.75 cm by 3.75 cm) of the applicant with the applicant's name printed across the back of the photograph, which should be taped to the entry with clear tape, not attached by staples or clips.

The applicant must also personally sign the entry using his or her usual and customary signature in his or her native language. Any entry that is not personally signed by the applicant will be disqualified.

The information must be sent by regular or air mail to the address of the Kentucky Consular Center. The entry must be mailed in a standard letter-size or business-size envelope with the applicant's country of birth, full name, and complete mailing address typed or clearly printed in the English alphabet in the upper left-hand corner of the envelope. Postcards are not acceptable.

Only one entry for each applicant may be submitted during the registration period. Any entry sent by express or priority mail will not be processed. Duplicate or multiple entries will disqualify an individual from registration. Any entry received before or after the specified registration dates will be disqualified. All mail received during the registration period and meeting the above requirements will be individually numbered and successful entrants will be selected at random by computer regardless of time of receipt during the specified mail-in period.

The decision to hire an attorney is up to the applicant. Procedures for entering the diversity visa lottery can be completed without assistance following simple instructions. However, if applicants prefer to use outside assistance, that is their choice. There are many legitimate attorneys and immigration consultants assisting applicants for reasonable fees, or in some cases for free. Unfortunately, there are many other persons who are charging exorbitant rates and making unrealistic claims.

Only successful applicants will be notified by mail by the Kentucky Consular Center at the address listed on their entry. The notifications will be sent between April and July 2001, along with instructions on how to apply for an immigrant visa. Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements under U.S. law to be issued a visa.

Being selected in the lottery does not automatically guarantee being issued a visa because the number of applicants selected is greater than the number of immigrant visas available. Those selected will therefore need to act quickly on their immigrant visa applications. Once all available visas have been issued, the 2002 Diversity Visa Lottery program will end. In any event, all visas must be issued by September 30, 2002.

Specific information regarding the application procedures will be posted on the Internet Web Site of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs, at http://travel.state.gov, and will also be available from the guard booth located at the entrance to the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi.