Since 1990, millions of people around the world have had the opportunity to immigrate to the United States through the Diversity Visa program (DV). This year, thousands will get the chance to participate in the lottery hoping to win an entry visa into the U.S. But this possibility would not have been available to them had an amendment to the law by the Trump administration requiring applicants to have a passport remained in place even though it was well established that that stipulation was purposely designed to make it difficult for people in poor counties, especially Africa, to apply.
The program which has been widely welcoming, was passed by an act of congress to grant 55,000 immigrant visas annually to diversify the U.S. population by selecting applicants from countries with “low numbers in the previous five years”.
US Judge Timothy J. Kelly recently ruled against overturning a law passed by the Donald Trump administration requiring DV applicants to obtain a passport before filing for the visa. The suit was filed in 2019 by Friedman Kaplan on behalf of applicants in Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast and their families in the United States. Judge Kelly’s decision was based on the lack of “enough evidence against the passport rule.”
However, according to the Daily Observer, the judge reversed his original ruling to side with the plaintive after, on their second go around, they presented a new argument that led to a victory that will impact thousands of people worldwide planning to apply for the Diversity Visa program from October 5 to November 8 this year. So based on Judge Kelly’s ruling, an applicant does not need a passport to apply. He only has to be 18-years-old with a high school certificate or its equivalent.
In a YouTube interview, a representative of the US Embassy in Monrovia, Liberia said, applications are free. He said, an applicant will only pay a $330 processing fee after wining the DV lottery. Adding that the winner will be required to pay the same amount for each family member put on his list.
For application form and full instructions for the DV, refer to the link and the video below:
