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NIGERIA is among several countries whose citizens are qualified to participate in the next round of US Diversity Visa lottery for 2009, Empowered Newswire has reported.   But with the perceived high rates of Nigerians applying and qualifying for the visa in recent times, it may soon join the category of countries that may become temporarily ineligible for the visa.

For instance, there are some 20 countries which are ineligible for the 2009 US visa lottery. A statement released on Thursday by the US State Department in Washington DC, said citizens and natives from such countries “are not eligible to apply because they sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the period of the previous five years.”

Those countries included Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Haiti. Others are India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and Vietnam.

That means though the US Diversity visa lottery has been very popular among Nigerians in the last five years, fewer than 50,000 of them ultimately fulfilled the requirements to benefit from the visa even after initial selection.

The US government statement said applications for the 2009 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery would be accepted only between noon Eastern US Daylight Time on Wednesday, October 3, 2007, and noon Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, December 2, 2007. (more…)

Washington — Applicants for the United States’ 2009 Diversity Visa Lottery (DV-2009) are encouraged to enter early in the two-month registration period because excessive demand might slow down the system as the deadline nears, according to the State Department. The Diversity Visa Lottery registration period will be October 3 to December 2, 2007, the State Department announced September 25.

The Diversity Visa Lottery winners are selected in a computerized random drawing. Persons whose names are selected may apply for one of 50,000 Diversity Immigrant Visas made available each year. These visas are available only to persons from eligible countries with low immigration rates to the United States, according to the rules of the DV program.

Registration for the Diversity Visa Lottery is free. Persons seeking to enter the lottery must register online through the designated Web site (www.dvlottery.state.gov/), and digital photos must be submitted with the registration form. Paper entries will not be accepted.

The Department of State Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, will notify the lottery winners by mail (NOT e-mail) between May 2008 and July 2008. The winners will be provided instructions on how to apply for DV-2009 visas, which will be issued between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2009. (more…)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (#1 of 32) 1. WHAT DO THE TERMS “ELIGIBILITY”, “NATIVE” AND “CHARGEABILITY” MEAN? ARE THERE ANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH PERSONS WHO WERE NOT BORN IN A QUALIFYING COUNTRY MAY APPLY? Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live. “Native” ordinarily means someone born in a particular country, regardless of the individual’s current country of residence or nationality. For immigration purposes “native” can also mean someone who is entitled to be “charged” to a country other than the one in which he/she was born under the provisions of Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

For example, if you were born in a country that is not eligible for this year’s DV program, you may claim chargeability to the country where your derivative spouse was born, but you will not be issued a DV-1 unless your spouse is also eligible for and issued a DV-2, and both of you must enter the United States together with the diversity visas. In a similar manner, a minor dependent child can be “charged” to a parent’s country of birth.

Finally, if you were born in a country not eligible to participate in this year’s DV program, you can be “charged” to the country of birth of either of your parent as long as neither parent was a resident of the ineligible country at the time of the your birth. In general, people are not considered residents of a country in which they were not born or legally naturalized if they are only visiting the country, studying in the country temporarily, or stationed in the country for business or professional reasons on behalf of a company or government.

If you claim alternate chargeability, you must indicate such information on the E-DV electronic online entry form, question #6. Please be aware that listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e. one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) may disqualify your entry.

2. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR NEW REQUIREMENTS IN THE APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THIS DIVERSITY VISA REGISTRATION? (more…)

BE SURE - Moving can be extremely stressful, be as certain as you can be that it’s the right move for you before you go. If possible visit the country before you make up your mind, don’t rely on other people’s impressions. Ask yourself if the new culture will really suit you (and your family). BE PREPARED - …For anything and everything to go wrong. Don’t assume that you’ll be able to find the perfect job or house immediately. If possible make sure you’ve got enough money to see you through the first couple of months at the very least (preferably longer). And to do that you’ll need to…

BUDGET - As unglamorous as it sounds, good budgeting could be what makes the difference between a successful relocation and a disaster. Before you go, work out what everything is going to cost during those crucial first months when you’re trying to find your feet in a foreign land. (more…)

‘Culture shock’ is a term used in differing contexts, occasionally with different meanings. However, when used with reference to relocation it refers to the process of coming to understand and adapt to differences in culture manifest through daily interaction and situations.

Culture shock is a process that affects people of different walks of life. EFL teachers, managers, sportsmen and children all deal with culture shock as part of international relocation. Learning to recognise it and its effects is a useful means of minimising any negative side-effects of relocation.

Relocation abroad is a huge step. The changes and contrasts in the simple things such as the language, food, TV, weather, shopping and socialising are only a small part of the relocation process and culture shock. It is often the deeper differences in customs, mentality, world view and interpersonal interaction that have a more profound effect.

Experts have identified varying stages of culture shock. The most common stages of culture shock one faces with relocation abroad are: (more…)

The US Embassy in Nepal has recently completed a thorough review of the 2007 Diversity Visa (DV) program, says a release from the American Centre. More than 1100 Nepali citizens received immigrant visas to the United States through the 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery Program. Over 85% of the Lottery winners met minimum program and legal requirements to qualify and earned the opportunity to start a new life in the United States of America, release says.

The review has affirmed that the Embassy’s adjudications in DV cases were in full compliance with United States law, and confirmed that the small number of DV applicants who were refused visas did not qualify under US law, meaning that fewer than 13 percent of the total DV-2007 applicants failed to meet the minimum education or work requirements clearly stated in the application instructions. Another two percent of the DV applicants misrepresented themselves by presenting false documents, the release added. (more…)

An individual or entity in the United States may choose to be represented by an attorney or accredited representative when filing applications or petitions with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Know Your Rights

If you choose to have a representative when filing an application or petition with USCIS, an attorney or an accredited representative of a recognized organization may represent you. A representative must also file a “NOTICE OF ENTRY OF APPEARANCE AS ATTORNEY OR REPRESENTATIVE” (Form G-28) along with the application or petition. In matters filed within the United States, only attorneys and accredited representatives may communicate on your behalf to USCIS and receive information from USCIS regarding your application or petition.

If you need legal advice about an immigration matter but cannot afford to hire an attorney, you may be able to ask an attorney, an association of immigration lawyers, a state bar association, or an organization specially -accredited to provide such assistance about the availability of free or reduced cost legal services on immigration issues.

Attorneys Attorneys must be a member in good standing of the “bar” of a U.S. State (or U.S. possession, territory, Commonwealth, or the District of Columbia) and not be under any court order restricting their practice of law. Attorneys will check the first block on Form G-28 and must provide information regarding their admission to practice. The best way to protect yourself is to ask to see the current attorney licensing document for the attorney, make a note of the admission number if any, and to contact the State bar admission authorities to verify the information. A lawfully admitted attorney should honor your request for this information, as State Bar practice rules require disclosure of this information to clients. You may also access this information through the National Organization of Bar Counsel (NOBC) website. See the Ethics link, then click on Bar Associations and Disciplinary Authorities. (more…)

Oath of Allegiance The oath of allegiance is:

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.” (more…)

News Release September 14, 2007 WASHINGTON – More than 23,000 men and women across the country will become United States citizens next week during naturalization ceremonies hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to commemorate Citizenship Day and Constitution Week.

“Citizenship Day honors the brave act of 39 patriots who, on September 17, 1787, signed the Constitution of the United States and charted the course of our nation that has continued for 220 years,” said USCIS Director Emilio Gonzalez. “With the words, ‘We the People,’ they established the basic purposes of our government, forming a country that protects the rights and secures the liberties for all citizens - both native born and naturalized.” (more…)

The two main examinations of second-language-learners’ English-language skills are IELTS (created by the International English Language Testing Service) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The two are similar but by no means identical, and candidates for both tests regularly ask which is the better – and often which is the easier – of the two.

The similarities between the two are that both test writing, listening, and reading skills, in addition to one other skill area. In the case of IELTS, the additional area is speaking; for TOEFL, it is what the test-makers call ‘Structure’, which tests written expression from the standpoints of sentence completion and error recognition. One factor that makes many test-takers consider IELTS the more difficult of the two tests is its speaking module, which requires the candidate to participate in a formal interview with an examiner face to face.

IELTS rates candidates’ submissions with ‘band’ scores (0 to 9, including half-bands between), given first to each of the four skill modules and then averaged for one IELTS band score, which is the one university admissions programmes use as their determinant for accepting students. TOEFL, by contrasts, assigns numerical scores much like those of the SAT test to each of the skill areas and then totals them. The totals are the ones used to determine a candidate’s English skill level. (more…)

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We are not affiliated with the US Government or US Citizenship and Immigration Services and do not guarantee applicants have a better chance of winning a US visa by applying for the Diversity Lottery using our service. We are well-versed in the terms and conditions for application to the US Diversity Lottery. Our service provides the electronic submit needed to enter the green card lottery on your behalf. You provide the information, and for a fee we review and submit your application.