In the Ukrainian press, with the exception of specialized publications, the DV lottery is practically not covered. Maybe it's for the better, because every intermediary is ready to open their own website or blog, and the publications that sometimes appear can hardly be called reliable.
So, in September, one very popular evening newspaper, published in the morning, published information about DV-2005, which stated that this year applications for participation in the lottery are accepted throughout October. Apparently, a correspondent who knows how to use the Internet managed to dig up this truly “relevant” news on the World Wide Web, but he failed to determine that it was from last year.
In advertising publications, advertisers already show all their imagination. We analyzed several advertisements offering services for participation in the DV lottery in some Kiev newspapers - and were quietly horrified. So, one of them states that applications are accepted until November 1, 2003 (let us remind you that from this day the website on which applications are processed only begins to operate). Moreover, the advertisement names DV-2004 - that is, last year's program. We would not recommend that you contact such “specialists”. If they are unable to understand the name of the program, then one can only sympathize with their clients who trusted them with the processing of applications.
“Zagranitsa” has repeatedly written about companies providing services for filling out applications for participation in the Green Card. There are quite a lot of them, and there will probably be even more, given the changes in the lottery rules that occurred this year (there is a demand for making digital photos, and most Ukrainians simply do not have access to the Internet). However, quite often intermediaries behave dishonestly with their clients. Let us briefly recall the cases described earlier.
1. There are companies that call themselves “official representatives of the US State Department” for accepting applications for participation in the lottery. This is not true, since no official representatives for the Green Card lottery exist. And this is clearly stated every year in the State Department instructions.
2. Companies that “process applications free of charge” may indeed be professionals in their field, but with one single drawback - in the application for participation in the lottery they indicate their own address. This means that the notification of winning will not come to you. It is not hard to guess what follows from this: plain blackmail. As a result, you pay them money - they send you the notification. The amounts range from $500 to $2,500! However, the expediency of such expenses is doubtful - why throw away a fairly substantial amount of money if you can pay nothing at all?
3. Beware also of marriage agencies, which may enter you into their database. In case of winning, they will persistently recommend a fictitious marriage to you.
4. Run far away from companies that “guarantee winning”! These scammers may send more than one application on your behalf. To do this, they change the spelling of your surname and first name in various ways. And even if you win this way (theoretically it is possible), the fraud will still be discovered later. And then - an immediate refusal to issue a visa or deportation from the USA if you have already obtained a visa by that time.
If we have already scared you enough and you are asking yourself “is it worth participating in the Green Card lottery at all?”, we answer: it is. Just carefully read again the instructions of the US State Department that we published. And if questions arise - write and call “Zagranitsa”. Traditionally, the editorial office opens a hotline that will help sort out all the problems that our readers may have.
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