Biometric Notices for All I-131 Applicants (GC Holder)

The Nebraska Service Center (NSC) of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently announced that, regardless of age, all applicants who file for reentry permit or refugee travel document (Form I-131) are being issued biometric appointment notices. The purpose of these biometric appointments is to capture a digital photograph of applicants who are not required to submit fingerprints. These NSC statements came in response to questions submitted by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). 

Background: I-131 Applications

Form I-131 is used when applying for several different types of travel documents. The matters discussed here, however, are limited to I-131 applications filed by lawful permanent residents ("green card" holders) in order to obtain reentry permits and I-131 applications filed by refugees in need of travel documents. Reentry permits are needed when permanent residents plan to remain outside of the United States for more than one year.

Visa Bulletin Predictions for EB2

This post has been updated: http://topimmigrationnews.blogspot.com/2012/11/updated-visa-bulletin-prediction-for_29.html

In October 24, 2012 meeting, Charles Oppenheim provided important insights and predictions regarding the contents of the U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Bulletin for fiscal year 2013 (FY13). Mr. Oppenheim is the Chief of the division within the DOS that is responsible for the visa bulletin.  

EB2 Predictions: India

Mr. Oppenheim stated that he does not expect to be able to move the current EB2 India cutoff date of September 1, 2004 forward at any time in the immediate future. However, his predictions for FY13 indicate the likelihood of limited advancement.

Mr. Oppenheim gave his most optimistic, best-case predictions for EB2 India as reaching an early 2008 cutoff date by the end of the fiscal year. FY13 ends September 30, 2013. So, there is a

Defense of Marriage Act is ruled unconstitutional

The US Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued a major decision this week ruling the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional. DOMA bars federal agencies from providing any benefits to individuals in same sex marriages and unions. And that means US citizens are unable to sponsor their same-sex spouses for immigration benefits even if the marriage takes place in one of the growing number of states that allows such marriages or in a country where same sex marriages are legal. The US Supreme Court is likely going to be rule on DOMA soon.

USCIS Extends Temporary Protected Status for Haiti

The Associated Press reports the U.S. government is giving Haitians displaced by the 2010 earthquake more time to legally live and work while their Caribbean homeland rebuilds. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has extended Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for an additional 18 months. The immigration benefits had been set to expire in January but now Haitians with TPS status can register for an extension beginning January 23, 2013 through July 22, 2014.

Current Haitian TPS beneficiaries, who have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2011 and seek to extend their TPS status, must re-register during the 60-day registration period that runs through November 30, 2012, if they wish to maintain their TPS. USCIS started accepting applications on October 1, 2012 and will continue to accept applications until November 30, 2012. Individuals who have not continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2011 will not be eligible. The 18 month extension also allows TPS re-registrants to apply for a new Employment Authorization Document (EAD)

US Allows Visa-Free Travel for Taiwanese

The Associated Press reports that the United States recently announced visa-free travel for Taiwanese visiting America. Starting December 1, Taiwan joins 36 countries whose nationals can travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days without a visa, a privilege not enjoyed by China.

Since the announcement comes during a U.S. election campaign, it is believed that the move was timed to demonstrate that the Obama administration is sticking up for self-governing Taiwan, an island China claims as part of its territory. However, the new waiver is also seen as a response to Taiwan lifting restrictions on U.S. beef imports and for President Ma Ying-jeou’s easing tensions with China.

The announcement was made at a State Department conference where Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stressed the industry’s importance for creating jobs and promoting economic growth. She said tourists from China and Brazil alone support more than 40,000 jobs in the US.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gFswrYfsvOyLnRFd1bR3pT0h2Gpw?docId=62dbf79ac17140cfa1aea7afead64ae8

Microsoft: Shortage of tech workers in the US becoming 'genuine crisis'

Microsoft unveiled a lobbying push on Thursday to produce more applicants with the skills to fill technology and engineering jobs.

The proposal would boost visas for high-skilled foreign workers and invest millions of dollars in federal funding for education.

Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel and executive vice president, said at a press briefing that the lack of qualified job applicants is "approaching the dimensions of a genuine crisis" for tech companies.

H-1B Usage Under-Counted

Reports reveal that USCIS has under-counted H-1B usage by nearly 15% over the past 5 years.

In fact, data shows that USCIS has approved about 45,000 too few H-1B applications between 2008 and 2012 due to inaccurate estimates of denial rates.

H-1B Backlogs Persist

Several weeks into Fiscal Year 2013, USCIS continues to process an unexpectedly large backlog of H-1B cap cases. Many petitioning employers are experiencing longer processing delays than usual, while many foreign-born professionals were unable to start their employment on October 1 as anticipated

I-9 Resources in Spanish

USCIS’ I-9 Central is now available online in Spanish and provides employers and employees with important information about the I-9 process and E-Verify.

Read More: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=8ad2fa0020d2a310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

Fast Lane to U.S. Citizenship Reopens

Thousands of immigrants were so eager to enlist in the American military during the last two years, despite the strong odds that they could be sent to combat zones, that they signed a petition on Facebook asking the Pentagon to let them join.

Now they will have the chance. Late last month, the Pentagon reopened a program to recruit legal immigrants with special language and medical skills, which was active for a year in 2009 but was suspended in January 2010.

The program is small; it will enlist a total of 1,500 recruits each year for two years, mainly in the Army. But military officials said the yearlong pilot program brought an unusually well-educated and skilled cohort of immigrants into the armed services.

“Their qualifications were really stellar,” said Naomi Verdugo, assistant deputy for recruiting for the Army. “And we have been very pleased about how these folks have been performing.”

The program is open to immigrants on temporary visas, who otherwise would not be eligible to enlist. Its powerful lure is that it allows them to naturalize as United States citizens quickly, in most cases at the end of basic training, which lasts about 10 weeks. Most immigrants on temporary visas, whether they are students or workers with particular skills, must wait years — for some nationalities, more than a decade — to become citizens.

Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said the program was intended to fill “some of our most critical readiness needs.” This time around, the Army is looking for dentists and surgeons, and for psychology professionals to help with the severe emotional strains soldiers have undergone in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Officials are also looking for native speakers of 44 languages, including Azerbaijani, Cambodian-Khmer, Hausa and Igbo (both spoken in West Africa), Persian Dari (spoken in Afghanistan), Portuguese, and Tamil (spoken in South Asia). Spanish is not on the list of languages.

Recruiting officers were quietly frustrated that Pentagon officials took more than two years to restart the program. The renewal became tangled in a broad security review after the shooting rampage in 2009 at Fort Hood, Tex., according to accounts from military officials. The background checks for the immigrants were scrutinized with added caution, even though the man charged in the killings, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, is a native-born American.

In renewing the program, military officials added a new layer of security screenings, Ms. Lainez said.

To make their case to the Pentagon, recruiting officers compiled dossiers on the first class of immigrants, of whom 943 out of 1,000 were in the Army. On average, immigrants who enlisted in the Army language program scored 17 points higher (on a scale of 99) than other applicants on an entrance test, said Capt. Carol Stahl, who manages the program for the Army. One-third of the first class of recruits had master’s degrees or higher.

One-third of the class went into the Special Forces, a highly selective assignment that can often lead to combat missions, Captain Stahl said. Attrition was one-quarter the rate of other soldiers who entered at the same time.

A soldier from Nepal who entered with the first class, Sgt. Saral Shrestha, just won the Army’s Soldier of the Year award after a grueling four-day competition involving fighting skills at Fort Lee, Va.

“This was a boost of very high quality people,” said Margaret Stock, an immigration lawyer in Alaska who is a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve and helped devise the program. Even before they enlist, she said, the immigrants have been screened because they have to pass background and occupational checks for their temporary visas.

To qualify, immigrants must have been living in the United States legally for at least two years. They must be high school graduates and pass the entrance test.

The program — known as Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, or Mavni — is not open to illegal immigrants, who are barred by law from enlisting. In general, immigrants who are not citizens must have a permanent resident visa, known as a green card, to enlist.

The first round filled up quickly, and the Army turned away thousands of people. Many of them signed the Facebook petition and were hoping the program would start again.

Health care professionals, who enlist as officers, must serve either three years of active duty or six years in the Reserves. Immigrants who enlist based on their language skills must serve for a minimum of four years of active duty. Participants who fail to serve their term can lose their citizenship.

One of the first temporary immigrants the Army accepted this year was Dr. Amen Dhyllon, 33, a dentist practicing in Philadelphia who was born in India and came to the United States in 2006. Dr. Dhyllon said he completed a postdoctoral program at the University of Pennsylvania in June combining two dental specialties.

Dr. Dhyllon said he was eager to become an American citizen.

“Even in the position where I am today,” he said, “no one would appreciate me as much as people appreciate me here. This country does not differentiate between color or accent. Here, if you are good, people will put you to the front.”

Dr. Dhyllon said he was not worried about the risks of service. He said he was attracted to the Army because of the wide range of patients he would see.

“I can be part of the culture,” he said. “I can learn everything about this country from the root.”

DACA application rate as of 10/24/12

DHS Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Wednesday, 10/24/2012, that more than 3,000 young illegal immigrants are applying for DACA deferred deportation every day reaching the total number of applications to about 200,000. 

According to the office release of 10/12/2012, it reached close to 180,000. Accordingly in two weeks, about 20,000 applications were received by the DHS.

Read More: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/263937-napolitano-says-200k-illegal-immigrants-have-applied-for-deferred-deportation

USCIS I-140 and EB-I-485 Processing Statistics at the End of August 2012

I-140 Processing Statistics:
 

	TSC	NSC	National
Pending	10,300	6,790	17,133
Customer action waiting	1,947	2,256	4,203
Completed	4,308	2,124	6,485
New receipts	4,399	3,487	7,886

EB-I-485 Processing Statistics:

	TSC	NSC	National
Pending	45,177	18,945
Preadjudicated	49,506	48,599	98,212
Customer action waiting	3,603	9,181
Completed	6,672	9,181
New receipts	4,521	8,136

USCIS Service Centers Processing Time Target Goal for Each Type of Petition/Application as of 08/31/2012

• The following table for the national target processing times for different types of applications and petitions of the USCIS will help readers to understand the current USCIS Monthly Processing Times Report as of 08/31/2012 and as released on 10/19/2012.

Form Number	Type of Visas	Target Proc Times
Immigrant Proc:
I-130	FB-Based Petition	5 Mos
I-360	Rel Wkr Petitions	5 Mos
I-140	EB Petitions	4 Mos
EB-485	EB Green Card	4 Mos
EB765/131	EAD/AP	3 Mos
Nonimmigrant Proc
I-129F	Fiancee Petition	5 Mos
I-129H	H-1B Petition	2 Mos
I-129L	L-1 Petition	1 Mo for Regular 2 Mos for Blanket
I-129 others	E,O,P,Q,TN Visa Petitions	2 Mos
I-129R	Religious Wkr	5 Mos
I-539	All Types	1.5 Mos

• With the foregoing information, readers can visit the USCIS latest processing times reports to learn how much each of the five service centers is experiencing delays. However, readers should use the monthly processing times reports for each type to plan for filing each of the different types of petitions or applications not to encounter a problem with either status maintenance or employment authorization or other issues.

DHS Final Rule of Designation of Taiwan for Visa Waiver Program with Effective Date of 11/01/2012

• The benefit of this designation takes effect on November 1, 2012. This final rule adds Taiwan to the list of countries authorized to participate in the VWP. Accordingly, beginning November 1, 2012, eligible travelers possessing Taiwan electronic passports with valid personal identification numbers (household registration numbers) may apply for admission to the United States at U.S. ports of entry as nonimmigrant visitors for a period of ninety days or less for business or pleasure without first obtaining a nonimmigrant visa, provided that they are otherwise eligible for admission under applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

• This final rule will be officially published in the federal register on Monday, 10/22/2012. For the advance copy, please click here.

USCIS Naturalization Application Processing Data Through the End of 08/31/2012

 USCIS Naturalization Application Processing Data Through the End of 08/31/2012:

• Approval and Denials by each field office (FY 2010 - FY 2012 August)

• Monthly Cycle Time (March thru August 2012

FY-2012 USCIS Service-wide New Receipts & Approvals of All Types of Applications/Petitions (10/01/2011 - 06/30/2012)

FY-2012 USCIS Service-wide New Receipts & Approvals of All Types of Applications/Petitions (10/01/2011 - 06/30/2012)

This statistics is about one quarter (3 months) behind to learn actual status. However, it gives a general picture of the volumes of new receipts and approvals for 9 months in this FY-2012.

Link: http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Resources/Reports%20and%20Studies/Immigration%20Forms%20Data/All%20Form%20Types/all-form-types-performance-data_fy2012_qtr3.pdf

Taking Effect of U.S.-Russian Adoption Agreement on 11/01/2012 and USCIS Scheduling of Stakeholder Teleconference 10/18/2012

• The USCIS has announced that USCIS and the Department of State (State) would invite interested parties to participate in a stakeholder engagement concerning the U.S.-Russian Adoption Agreement, which will enter into force on Thursday, November 1, 2012. The engagement will take place on Thursday, October 18, 2012, from 1:00- 2:00 pm (Eastern). USCIS and State subject matter experts will provide information regarding:
  
  " The provisions of the Agreement;
  " How the Agreement will affect processing going forward;
  " Which provisions of the Agreement will take effect immediately and which will take effect later; and
  " The transition plan for cases already in progress as of entry into force.
  
  We are pleased that the Agreement will soon enter into force and believe that its provisions will improve the process of inter country adoptions between the United States and Russia. Adoption processing will continue uninterrupted as we make the transition, so we encourage your participation in this informational teleconference to explain how implementation of the Agreement will unfold.
• Read also FAQ on this Agreement.
• Full Text of Agreement

 
Link: http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDHSCIS-577e7d 

GAO Reports 90% Approval Rates for H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Cases in 2011

Government Accountability Office Report indicates that in 2011, 90% of H-2A cases were approved. However, this record of success is hampered by the procedural delays which are caused by the agencies' recent reinforcement of "integrity" in processing cases affecting the agricultural industry and the farm employers. 

It reports that about 60% of cases had to go through request for evidence or other scruitiny before the agencies completed the cases causing substantial delays in the processing times. Lately the DOL launched an electronic filing process which is likely to help to reduce the processing times but continued focus on integrity is likely to cause delays in the processing times. For the full report, please see below:

Link: http://www.gao.gov/assets/650/648175.pdf

USCIS DACA Receipts & Processing Volumes Reflect a Remarkable Change During Less Than One Month

USCIS DACA Receipts & Processing Volumes Reflect a Remarkable Change During Less Than One Month. Here is a quick overview:

As Of	Receipts Total	Bio Scheduled	Review Ready	Approvals
10/10/2012	179,794	158,408	6,416	4,591
09/13/2012	82,361	63,717	1,660	29

USCIS DACA Processing Statistics as of 10/10/2012

Processing of DACA for Dreamers has witnessed noticeable progress by approving 4,591 applications out of total receipt of 179,794 as of October 10, 2012.

Summary: Receipts=179,794 and Approved=4,591

November visa bulletin released

Family-Sponsored:

Family-Sponsored	All Charge-ability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
F1	01NOV05	01NOV05	01NOV05	22JUN93	01JUL97
F2A	15JUL10	15JUL10	15JUL10	22JUN10	15JUL10
F2B	08OCT04	08OCT04	08OCT04	15OCT92	15FEB02
F3	01JUN02	01JUN02	01JUN02	15FEB93	22JUL92
F4	22MAR01	15MAR01	22MAR01	08JUL96	01MAR89

Employment- Based

Employment- Based	All Chargeability Areas Except Those Listed	CHINA- mainland born	INDIA	MEXICO	PHILIPPINES
1st	C	C	C	C	C
2nd	C	01SEP07	01SEP04	C	C
3rd	22NOV06	15APR06	22OCT02	22NOV06	08AUG06
Other Workers	22NOV06	01JUL03	22OCT02	22NOV06	08AUG06
4th	C	C	C	C	C
Certain Religious Workers	C	C	C	C	C
5th Targeted Employment Areas/ Regional Centers and Pilot Programs	C	C	C	C	C

 Link: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5779.html

Same-Sex Partners Recognized as Family Relationship

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently issued correspondence stating that the relationship between long-term, same-sex partners will be recognized as a family relationship in a specific, limited context. The letter from Janet Napolitano, DHS Secretary, addressed the term family relationship as a factor to be considered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when exercising prosecutorial discretion.

Read more:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/29/us/homeland-security-puts-it-in-writing-on-immigration-policy-and-gay-couples.html?_r=0

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/29/us-usa-immigration-gays-idUSBRE88S02H20120929

http://www.murthy.com/2012/10/08/same-sex-partners-recognized-as-family-relationship/

Unlike Healthcare Benefits, Social Security Number is Available for the DACA Approved Dreamers

DACA beneficiaries have witnessed challenges with government benefits in various areas at federal or state government levels, but Social Security Administration accomodates Social Security Numbers to DACA which are essential for DACA beneficiaries to work. Read DACA SSN.

Grassley, Smith Question Process for DACA Approvals

Republican Senator Grassley and Smith  wrote a letter to the DHS Secretary demanding to disclose and publish every weekly detail of the DACA statistics and processing. Reportedly, these legislators have failed to receive the demanded data and wrote a follow-up letter to the DHS Secretary and the USCIS Director, this time questioning legitimacy of DACA approval procedures. 

One wonders whether this action will help Republican Presidential candidate Romney's late move to reach the Hispanic voters by loosening up his earlier position on the DACA issues. Read on.

High level Overview of EB and FB Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Cut-Off Date Changes (FY 1992 - FY 2012 Ending 09/30/2012)

Overview of Employment-Based Immigrant Visa Cut-Off Date Changes (FY 1992 - FY 2012 Ending 09/30/2012)

• Worldwide
• China
• India
• Mexico
• Philippines

Overview of Family-Based Immigrant Visa Cut-Off Date Changes (FY 1992 - FY 2012 Ending 09/30/2012)

• Worldwide
• China
• India
• Mexico
• Philippines

Urgent Advisory for DACA Applicants: Do Not Write C14 on Item 16 of I-765 EAD Application Form

USCIS advises that in filling out I-765 employment authorization application form, DACA applicant should write in C33 instead of C14. 

The C-14 is for regular Deferred Action applicants applying for EAD. The C-33 is DACA applicants applying for EAD. 

Mistake can cause delays or problems in obtaining employment authorization! Please check a copy of I-765 form which you have filed. See page 5 of the current I-765 instructions.

USCIS Official Notice of 3-Year Extension of 4-Sunsetting Immigration Programs Through 09/30/2015

USCIS Program Extension Alert

 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) advises the public that Public Law 112-176, signed by the President on Sept. 28, 2012, extends the following USCIS programs until Sept. 30, 2015:

• E-Verify
• Immigrant Investor (EB-5) Pilot Program
• Special immigrant visa category for non-minister special immigrant religious workers
• The date by which J-1 nonimmigrant exchange visitors must obtain that status in order to qualify for the Conrad 30 program.

Continue reading: http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=b117cc278d03a310VgnVCM100000082ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=68439c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1RCRD

USCIS I-129 Temporary Worker Petition Statistics Reflecting Clogged Processing of the Cases

FY 2013 H-1B cap case processing has been witnessing delays giving some hardships to the employers that hire foreign professional workers. The following data reflect the clogged state of I-129 processing assuming that the majority of those cases involved H-1B cases:
 
I-129 Statistics April Through August 2012  

At the End of:	New Receipts	Total Pending
April 2012	23,682	72,300
June 2012	56,935	123,398
July 2012	27,519	117,982
August 2012	28,664	106,336

   

Note: In calendar year 2012, the FY-2013 H-1B cap reached in early June 2012. Since then no cap cases have been filed. Total pending cases have not been moving much, considering the fact the new receipts in each recent month were only less than 29,000. There was information that Vermont and California Service Centers may add the pace of processing of H-1B cases beginning from September or October 2012, but we will have to wait and see. As for the H-1B professionals who have been suffering most are those who were in OPT that expired after filing H-1B cap petitions and have been working on automatic employment authorization, which expired at the end of September 2012. The latest USCIS monthly processing times report indicated that as of the end of August 2012, CSC was processing 06/04/2012 Receipt Cases and VSC was processing 05/07/2012 cases. Remembers these statistics include those which are filed with the Premium Processing Requests which they had to adjudicate in 15 calendar days. August statistics are not available, the July 2012 statistics reflected that USCIS processed 46,835, all I-129 cases including all EB nonimmigrant cases, including extension and change of status, and in H-1B cases including cap and non-cap cases, out of which the USCIS completed 36,728 cases and 10,107 cases were placed on either RFE or NOID or other customer actions

Diversity Visa – 2014 Green Card Lottery - Part 2

Read Part 1: http://topimmigrationnews.blogspot.com/2012/10/diversity-visa-2014-green-card-lottery.html

 What if someone else submits my application?

The good news is that an original signature is no longer necessary so it will be easier to have other people submit an application on your behalf. Note, however, that if more than one application is submitted for an applicant, the applicant will be disqualified.

In what region is my native country assigned?

(1) Africa

· Algeria

· Angola

· Benin

· Botswana

· Burkina Faso

· Burundi

· Cameroon

· Cape Verde

· Central African Republic

· Chad

· Comoros

· Congo

· Congo , Democratic Republic of the

· Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

· Djibouti

· Egypt

· Equatorial Guinea

· Eritrea

· Ethiopia

· Gabon

· Gambia, The

· Ghana

· Guinea

· Guinea-Bissau

· Kenya

· Lesotho

· Liberia

· Libya

· Madagascar

· Malawi

· Mali

· Mauritania

· Mauritius

· Morocco

· Mozambique

· Namibia

· Niger

· Nigeria

· Rwanda

· Sao Tome and Principe

· Senegal

· Seychelles

· Sierra Leone

· Somalia

· South Africa

· South Sudan

· Sudan

· Swaziland

· Tanzania

· Togo

· Tunisia

· Uganda

· Zambia

· Zimbabwe

(2) Asia

· Afghanistan

· Bahrain

· Bangladesh (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Bhutan

· Brunei

· Burma

· Cambodia

· China (not eligible for DV-2014)

· East Timor

· Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

· India (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Indonesia

· Iran

· Iraq

· Israel

· Japan

· Jordan

· Korea, North

· Korea, South (not eligible for DV-2013)

· Kuwait

· Laos

· Lebanon

· Macau Special Administrative Region

· Malaysia

· Maldives

· Mongolia

· Nepal

· Oman

· Pakistan (not eligible for DV-2013)

· Philippines (not eligible for DV-2013)

· Qatar

· Saudi Arabia

· Singapore

· Sri Lanka

· Syria

· Taiwan

· Thailand

· Timor Leste

· United Arab Emirates

· Vietnam (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Yemen

(3) Europe

· Albania

· Andorra

· Armenia

· Austria

· Azerbaijan

· Belarus

· Belgium

· Bosnia and Herzegovina (including components)

· Bulgaria

· Croatia

· Cyprus

· Czech Republic

· Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas)

· Estonia

· Finland

· France (including components and dependent areas overseas)

· Georgia

· Germany

· Greece

· Hungary

· Iceland

· Ireland

· Italy

· Kazakhstan

· Kyrgyzstan

· Latvia

· Liechtenstein

· Lithuania

· Luxembourg

· Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of

· Malta

· Moldova

· Monaco

· Montenegro

· Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas)

· Northern Ireland

· Norway

· Poland

· Portugal

· Romania

· Russia

· San Marino

· Serbia

· Slovakia

· Slovenia

· Spain

· Sweden

· Switzerland

· Tajikistan

· Turkmenistan

· Turkey

· Ukraine

· United Kingdom (not eligible for DV-2014; NOTE: natives of Northern Ireland are eligible, but natives of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, and the Turks and Caicos Islands are not eligible)

· Uzbekistan

· Vatican City (an independent city under the jurisdiction of the Holy See)

(4) North America

· Bahamas, The

· Canada (not eligible for DV-2014)

· United States

(5) Oceania

· Australia (including components and dependent areas overseas)

· Fiji

· Kiribati

· Marshall Islands

· Micronesia, Federated States of

· Nauru

· New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas)

· Palau

· Papua New Guinea

· Solomon Islands

· Tonga

· Tuvalu

· Vanuatu

· Western Samoa

(6) South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean

· Antigua and Barbuda

· Argentina

· Barbados

· Belize

· Bolivia

· Brazil (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Chile

· Colombia (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Costa Rica

· Cuba

· Dominica

· Dominican Republic (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Ecuador (not eligible for DV-2013)

· El Salvador (not eligible for DV-2013)

· Grenada

· Grenadines

· Guatemala

· Guyana

· Haiti (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Honduras

· Jamaica (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Mexico (not eligible for DV-2014)

· Nicaragua

· Panama

· Paraguay

· Peru (not eligible for DV-2014)

· St. Kitts and Nevis

· St. Lucia

· St. Vincent and the Grenadines

· Suriname

· Trinidad and Tobago

· Uruguay

· Venezuela

How do I apply for the lottery?

On October 2nd, the web site http://www.dvlottery.state.gov will go online until noon EDT, Saturday, November 3rd, 2012 and applicants must provide the following information and documentation:

1. FULL NAME - Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name

2. DATE OF BIRTH - Day, Month, Year

3. GENDER - Male or Female

4. CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH

5. COUNTRY OF BIRTH - The name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where the applicant was born.

6. APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH

7. MAILING ADDRESS - Address, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country

8. PHONE NUMBER (optional)

9. E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)

10. COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT’S NATIVE COUNTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH - See discussion above regarding claiming another country other than your country of birth.

11. MARRIAGE STATUS - Yes or No

12. NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE

13. SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth,

Country of Birth, Photograph

14. CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph

NOTE: Entries must include the name, date and place of birth of the applicant’s spouse and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted and stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21, excepting those children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents, even if you are no longer legally married to the child’s parent, and even if the spouse or child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Note that married children and children 21 years or older will not qualify for the diversity visa. Failure to list all children will result in your disqualification for the visa.

Applicants will receive an electronic confirmation indicating that the application was properly received. This is an improvement on the old paper application system where one had to take it on faith that the application was properly received by the State Department.

Link:  http://www.visalaw.com/greencard.html