Now that the State Department-sponsored DV-2013 Diversity Visa Program is in full stride, it is time discuss the pros and cons of using a paid lottery service versus entering yourself.
Over the last few years, the Department of State (DOS) has made the entire process easier and more efficient. Application instructions have expanded to 13 languages including Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Bahasa/Indonesian, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Latvian, Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, and Uzbek.
The registration process now links to an easy to use photo validating application so you can check that your digital photographs meets the official U.S. passport photo requirements. (I haven’t tested it completely to make sure it works but the application can, at least, detect whether faces fit the correct proportions on the photo.)
After you successfully register, the DOS provides a confirmation number so you can check your winning status online — beginning in May 1, 2012. The entire registration process only takes about 15 minutes, depending on the size of your family, and is completely free.
Last year’s software bug that mistakenly notified 20,000 entrants that they won will not likely reoccur.
One of the major motivations to use a lottery service in the past was the winning notification issue. Starting with last year’s DV-2012, winning notices are no longer be sent by postal mail. In prior years, people with slow or unreliable postal service in their home country were strongly advised to use a lottery service. The reason was if your winning notification letter did not arrive in a timely manner, you would lose critical response time. Others did know where they will be living, if selected, and needed use the return address of a trusted third party that will not change. Again, beginning with DV-2012 this is no longer a reason to use a lottery service since winning notices are no longer mailed to winners.
Having said that, is there still any valid reason to use a lottery service, especially with reports of rampant fraud by many supposed “services?”
Well, for most entrants the answer is, “it depends.” The fact is that using a lottery service is a lot like using a paid tax preparer — it is mainly for the convenience:
- The convenience of being notified by email and/or phone if you win,
- The security of a service keeping your confirmation number safe (yes people do lose them),
- The service of accepting paper photos and scanning in the right format,
- The convenience of automatic multi-year entries and entering any time of year,
- The convenience of not worrying about ever-changing registration dates.
And good services provide their winners with links or access to immigration attorneys, and some even pay airfare to the United States if you win, although this last option comes with increased fees.
For a moderately sized family who registers with a service for two years and accept the paid travel option and other “extras” (many of which are unnecessary) the total cost can easily exceed several hundred dollars. Depending on your financial situation, this money could perhaps be better spent on a licensed U.S. immigration attorney to help you if you win. And don’t forget the Immigrant Visa Application and Security fees and a Diversity Visa Surcharge fee which can run over 800 dollars per person.
The bottom line is that there are circumstances in which a paid lottery service can help, but applicants must be careful to use an ethical service that has been in business for many years and avoid fraudulent ones. Fortunately, there is help for applicants who decide to use one.
This year myGreencard.com reviewed over 80 lottery services found on the Internet via a Google search for “green card lottery.” Only half a dozen received a high enough rating to qualify as a “top service.” These include: USAGC.org, Green-card.com, myUSGreencard.com, ExpertGreencard.org, and USGreencardOffice.com. Other services that almost made the top list are also listed at www.mygreencard.com/review.php. Full disclosure: myGreencard.com (which I am associated with) accepts advertising from top-rated services.
The bottom line is that if you use a service, use a highly rated one (“passed” or “top site”), and avoid most others that advertise on the Internet. Enter as soon as possible so they have time to contact you if there are issues with your photograph that they cannot correct. And feel free to rate your service here.
If you enter yourself, the deadline is Saturday, November 5, 2011 at noon, Eastern Daylight Time (GMT-4). Complete your registration by November 2 to avoid a possible computer slowdown during the last few days with the final rush of applications. In 2010, 14.8 million people registered for the diversity visa lottery.
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