The United States has begun accepting applications for the 2025 Diversity Visa Program, also known as the visa lottery.
The US Department of State said on its website that the application will close on Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
The statement reads:
“The online registration period for the DV-2025 Program begins on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4) and concludes on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5).
“It is free but Submission of more than one entry for a person during the registration period will disqualify all entries for that person.”
Nigeria barred from U.S. visa Lottery 2024
Nigerians are once again prevented from applying, despite the fact that nationals from 53 African nations are eligible.
In a 21-page document, the US Department of State stated:
“In Africa, natives of Nigeria are not eligible for this year’s Diversity Visa program.”
The paper also stated that 21 nations, including Nigeria, are ineligible for the US visa lottery due to high rates of immigration.
The statement continues:
“For DV-2024, natives of the following countries and areas are not eligible to apply because more than 50,000 natives of these countries immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea (South Korea), United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, Venezuela, and Vietnam. Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.”
Other options for Nigerians
The US government specifies unequivocally that in order to apply, one must be born in an eligible country, regardless of current country of residence.
This change has left many Nigerians with few options for applying for immigrant lottery visas in the United States.
Those in Nigeria who wish to apply still have two alternatives, provided certain prerequisites are met.
The first option permits applicants to claim chargeability to their derivative spouse’s country of birth, if the spouse was born in an eligible nation.
In this case, eligibility is subject on the spouse being approved for and receiving an immigrant visa.
In addition, the candidate and their spouse must enter the United States using their Diversity Visas (D.V.s). Minor dependent children can be “charged” to their parent’s nation of birth under this clause.
The second option allows persons to be “charged” to either of their parents’ countries of birth, as long as neither parent was born in or was a resident of the applicant’s country of birth at the time of their birth.
The document added:
“Applicants who choose to claim alternate chargeability through either of these options must provide a detailed explanation on the E-DV Entry Form, particularly in question 6.
“It’s crucial to ensure accurate information is provided, as listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability, to which a valid claim cannot be established, will result in ineligibility for a Diversity Visa.”
To apply, if qualified, use this link.
