As I mentioned in my earlier post, the DV-2018 program is scheduled to start allowing entries on October 4. The entry period will close on November 7th. The official instructions have now been released – so get ready at the official site:-
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/immigrate/diversity-visa/instructions.html
There is a link to a video guide in that link. The video guide is as good as anything else available – so please watch that!
There is no need to rush your entry on day 1 of the entry period – the winners are chosen at random from the entire entry period – there is no “best time to submit”.
My most important piece of advice is this.
Read the instructions carefully, and BE HONEST and ACCURATE in your answers.
May 15, 2017 at 13:12
hello sir!!
Can i change my year of birth after selection?
May 15, 2017 at 13:29
hello sir!!
Can i change my year of birth after selection?
May 15, 2017 at 13:30
Your DS260 and documents must be accurate. If the date of birth on the entry was inaccurate you have some risk.
December 2, 2016 at 22:26
Hello brit..Thank you very much for your good work..Please I unlocked my son’s ds260 and rearranged his name properly. .but after submitting d’s260 I realised his first name i used on the add applicant on d’s260 (first page where you can see beneficiaries and applicant name) is the same as I submitted the first time…why is that? Please is it going to change to the new arrangement or it will never change..? I did the corrections so I was expecting it to change to the new arrangement ..Please help me understand thank you.
December 2, 2016 at 23:12
It won’t change. And the 2NL will probably list the original name too. That’s all OK.
December 3, 2016 at 03:21
Thank you very much..you are very kind..so meaning any error on name on the edv..corrected on d’s 260 might also change to the correct name on 2nl?
December 3, 2016 at 06:28
No, the 2NL will most likely have the INCORRECT name.
November 30, 2016 at 12:13
I was born in lome togo, since left when i was 2yrs to nigeria and l played dv2018, what are the document l will need if selected?
November 30, 2016 at 14:50
If you are selected you can gather needed documents, but your chance of winning is less than once in 100 years. So – wait to see if you are selected.
October 26, 2016 at 15:12
Hi sir. Is it true that if someone was born in 1995, that person is not eligible to enter the lottery.
October 26, 2016 at 17:58
No.
October 23, 2016 at 22:36
Hi sir. A friend of mind along with his wife were scheduled for interview on the 15th of September this Year. His wife was the principal applicant. They didn’t show up for the interview. Can the embassy keep records of my friend since he was not principal applicant and he didn’t show up for the interview?
October 23, 2016 at 23:00
Possibly – yes.
October 19, 2016 at 09:12
I submitted my SD260 in June and unlock twice in September up to now no 2nls for December. My case no 2017AF000004**
October 19, 2016 at 14:08
https://britsimonsays.com/2nls-december-2016-interviews-sent
October 19, 2016 at 09:03
I want to know when will sending of 2nls for December end
October 18, 2016 at 05:00
Hi, Brit. my brother wants to register DV2018, but he is going to apply TRAVEL visa next month in NOV.
IF he register DV lottery before applying for his travel visa, will it influence his travel visa approval?
many people say that if registered DV lottery, other kind of visas of USA will deny. is that correct information or rumour? please explain
October 18, 2016 at 05:38
Entering the lottery will not make any difference to the travel visa.
October 8, 2016 at 01:07
Hi Brit thanks for your help and guidance. dv2018 instruction page says that “Submitting the same photograph that was submitted with last year’s entry (DV-2017) will result in disqualification.” Do you think this new rule will affect those who submitted the same photograph for dv2016 and dv2017 entries, then got selected for dv2017.
October 8, 2016 at 01:45
It isn’t really a “new rule” in that the instructions have always made clear the photograph should be less than 6 months old. However, they may enforce it with more rigidity, and that enforcement may start in DV2017.
October 17, 2016 at 08:41
Hi brit,
Thank you very much for your outstanding blog!
I’m dv2017 winner from Ethiopia with CN AF000334**,submitted ds260 on mid August, and I want to ask that I just joined university,1should i update the form? 2 what if i didn’t update(so as not to delay interview)
October 17, 2016 at 18:48
You have several months to wait anyway, so there is no downside of updating your DS260.
October 6, 2016 at 06:42
Hello brit, there is certain things that is confusing me I want to enter dv for my wife as a principal applicant because her place of birth is ghana which means her country of birth is eligible to enter dv but my problem here is that she has not been using my own surname yet due to fact that we haven’t legally married,she is still using her own father surname as it is on her birth certificate & credentials. Please is it advisable to enter dv for her with her own father’s surname while me as her husband would still be derivatives under her with different surname with her that is principal applicant. If we were selected would this not cause confusion. Your kindly advice is needed & I shall be grateful if this can be answer
October 6, 2016 at 13:03
She should enter with her legal name. She cannot include you as you are not married – her status is single. If she wins you would have to get legally married before processing.
October 5, 2016 at 18:30
Hello Mr Brit .
Thanks for the good work.
Can I make corrections to my Dv2018. My wife went for a short holiday in Kenya and I filled for her, her forms after submitting we realised that the country where she stays right now we put Uganda instead of Kenya. Will that affect her dv lottery? Or she can be allowed to make some corrections
October 5, 2016 at 19:19
You cannot make “corrections” to the original entry. However, since both Kenya and Uganda are in the same region, the mistake would be forgiven if you are selected.
October 5, 2016 at 12:08
Before 12 years ago i live in qutar now i im in nepal
#which country police report nedded of Dv Lottry
#plz reply
October 5, 2016 at 13:39
You would probably need both.
October 6, 2016 at 03:39
Is Impossible i will get qutar police report
Plz how to apply
Now im ne nepla
October 6, 2016 at 05:39
https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/fees/reciprocity-by-country/QA.html
October 5, 2016 at 06:27
Hi sir. My wife and I got married on the 30th of November, 2014 and in May of 2015, she was selected as a winner for dv 2015/2016. We wrote kcc and I added on the Case. We supposed to go interview in September this year but we didn’t show up for the interview. Because she didn’t had certain document.since she was the winner and principal applicant. Can I play 2018 dv alone or what should I do. I need your advice.
October 5, 2016 at 13:59
If you are married, enter as married.
October 4, 2016 at 05:59
Dear Simon,
I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, But I am a Rwandan and live in Rwanda since 20 years now.
If I fill in that I was born in DRC, I maybe required, if selected to process my application in Congo?
Which can be hard for me.
Because question (6) instruction says your “country of eligibility will normally be your country of birth”
Your advice?
October 4, 2016 at 12:58
You enter based on your place of birth (DRC), but you will process in a US embassy near where you live (Rwanda).
October 3, 2016 at 11:31
Dear Simon
Do we need to have both work experience and education
Or one will be enough to complete the requirements
I mean I have a university degree
But not an official work experience
October 3, 2016 at 15:57
You only need to meet one or the other.
September 30, 2016 at 04:55
dear brit how are you? i am a dv 2017 winner with case no af36***..should applying for the dv 2018 will affect my first selection?
September 30, 2016 at 05:00
You can apply for DV2018 – there is no impact to the DV2017 case.
September 28, 2016 at 03:44
Dear Sir,
I am the DV winner of 2017 and I got 2nd letter on Sep 20,but the problem towards me is about sponsor.As I said him I have received 2nd letter he is out of contact so inorder to change the sponser what should I have to do.Please provide me good suggestion
Thank you for your co-operation..
September 28, 2016 at 03:54
You can change the sponsor.
September 27, 2016 at 09:48
This message sent to me the Us Embassy.
Dear Sir / madam, our record indicate that this case is in its final processing/ review. Please feel free to check back with our office aftter 4weaks. Your visa will soon be issued through our approved courier.
Sincerly,
Correspondence &support unit, unit section,
Us Embassy.
So what is your expectation?.
September 27, 2016 at 14:37
That you will wait some more.
September 21, 2016 at 15:01
Hi,brit Simon. I love how you answered all questions throw to you. But my own question goes like this I was born in Nigeria which is not eligible to participate in dv lottery but my wife was born in Ghana which is eligible for dv lottery but what I want to ask now is that can we still apply for different entry. If my wife apply as a principal applicant as an eligible country,can I also apply as a principal applicant too since since my own country is not eligible. Please I need your full explanation on this because it really giving me headache I don’t know may be my wife alone should apply as a principal applicant or we can both apply as a principal applicant in a different entry. Thanks I will be look forward to read from you.
September 21, 2016 at 16:24
You can both apply.
You enter your country of birth as Nigeria in question 5. Question 6 should be answered “No”, and in the drop down you choose to be chargeable to Ghana.
If YOU are selected, you AND your wife will both need to meet the requirements such as education as if you are both principal selectees.
September 26, 2016 at 23:52
Thanks for the aboved question that been has answered. But you knew I said my wife was born in Ghana but she is living in nigeria right now are we going to use Ghanaian address for Question 8 which mailing address or we can use our address here in nigeria better still which one is the best for us to use is it ghana or Nigeria address & if we were selected where are we going to do our processing I mean the interview. Please your replied is important. Thanks. Be looking forward to your response.
September 27, 2016 at 00:11
Both Nigeria and Ghana embassies see high levels of fraud so I could not speculate which embassy is more strict. So – it is up to you to prepare as well as possible.
September 27, 2016 at 12:38
Ok. Thanks very much but which of the mailing address we should use,is it Nigeria address or ghana address the reason why am asking this is that since we are living in Nigeria now is it advisable to use address here in Nigeria or ghana.
September 27, 2016 at 14:26
The embassy will be chosen based on the current address…..
September 27, 2016 at 18:27
If that is the case does that means embassy would be chosen for us base on our current mailing address. If we use Ghanaians address as our current mailing address that mean our interview would be america embassy in ghana but if either Nigeria too,interview would be conducted in america embassy in Nigeria.
September 18, 2016 at 17:02
All selectees, including family members, must be issued by September 30, 2018. Under no
circumstances can
the Department of State is
sue
DVs or
approve
adjustments after this date, nor can
family members obtain DVs to follow
–
to
–
join the principal applicant in the United States after this date.
Does it affect only the 2018 selectees or it will affect those of 2016-17/?
coz i was thinking of submitting a follow to join after i do my wedding.
September 18, 2016 at 17:11
It’s the same rule every year. September 30th is a hard deadline – so DV2016 cases will be processed after 9/30/2016, including FTJ activity. The only thiong a DV2016 winner could do is family based immigration, which takes about 2 years for a spouse.
September 18, 2016 at 12:58
I am already Selected for DV 2017 but my case no. is above 6800 and I know that this is very high case no. having no chance so plz can I try for DV 2018 again or it may cause problems for DV 2017.(Nepal)
September 18, 2016 at 14:10
You can enter DV2018 with no problem.
September 18, 2016 at 00:02
Mey Mr Simon!
You’re piece of advise is good, but what should I do to increase my chances?
Thank you!
September 18, 2016 at 00:50
Submit an entry.
September 17, 2016 at 19:36
Hello Mr. Simon. I really appreciate your efforts; God bless you. I have read that a parent does not have to mention his/her US citizen children in the green card (No need to mention names or to upload photos). What about a step-parent? is it OK if a step-parent did not include the stepchildren who are already US citizens? Thank you
September 17, 2016 at 20:40
There is no difference between step children and children.
September 22, 2016 at 19:09
Hello Mr. Simon first thank you for all this that you are doing .
I am planning to apply for the coming DV-2018 . I live in other country but am planning to go to my home town so my question is if the results came out on may and I was still in my home country , would it be okay to proceed from there or should I come back to the country where I lived and applied from ???
September 23, 2016 at 00:32
It does not matter where you apply from. You process in your country of residence.
September 17, 2016 at 18:24
Thanks Brits
September 17, 2016 at 17:13
I’m in Ethiopia I’m 40 years old I want to get green card please help me
September 17, 2016 at 18:39
Enter the lottery.
September 17, 2016 at 17:07
Thanks dear.
September 17, 2016 at 17:04
Thanks for the update Simon.. you’ve hit the point home in the bold and italics… no room for errors here.