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In an unprecedented decision, the Department of State has invalidated the DV–2012 Lottery results. Here is the official announcement: http://dvlottery.state.gov/ The Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services confirmed what was pointed out in earlier blogs and our letter to the Visa Office — that the Lottery was not random because the overwhelming majority (90%) selected were those who submitted entries on October 5th and 6th, thereby violating one of the requirements of the Lottery. As a result, a new Lottery will be conducted, with all entries submitted during the October 5-November 3 timeframe being eligible. Unfortunately, for those who «won» — they are no longer winners. However, they will have another chance to be selected. The winners will be announced on or about July 15, 2011. Stay tuned…

Armande has passed on a link to her interview on Univision: http://noticias.univision.com/inmigracion/videos/video/2011-05-22/loteria-de-visas-afectada-por Also, notable in the video is the appearance of a DOS official, defending the invalidation. Thank you, Armande, for getting the word out!

As pointed out in our previous blog entry, the overwhelming majority of winners in the DV–2012 Lottery were those who submitted entries on October 5 and 6th. We have seen two surveys confirming this: 1. in which 74% of the winners (sampling of 957) submitted entries on October 5th and 6th — http://www.govorimpro.us/showthread.php?t=28753&page=5 (Russian language) 2. in which 82% of the winners (sampling of 153) submitted entries on October 5th and 6th. http://www.ulitka.com/Несортированное/Зависимость_выигрыша_от_даты_подачи_заявки_dv-2012_a-50985.html (Russian language) Also of interest is the statistic from these surveys that if one submitted an entry on those dates, the chances of winning were more than 50%. In general, the chances of being selected are 1–2%. We renew our call for the Department of State to investigate this “non-random” Lottery.

The day that millions of people waited for the world over ended in… scandal. On May 1 DV–2012 Lottery participants learned their fate: whether their entries were selected, or were being told “better luck next year (if there is a Lottery next year)." But what the losing participants did not count on was that the overwhelming majority of winners were those who submitted their entries on October 5 and 6, 2010, the first two days of the DV–2012 Lottery. For DV–2012, the “early birds” did get the proverbial worm — the right to pursue immigrant visa applications at US consular posts abroad or adjust status to permanent resident if lawfully located in the United States. As a reminder, the Department of State accepted DV–2012 entries from October 5 until November 3, 2010. DOS encouraged applicants not to wait “until the last week” to submit their entries in order to…

We’ve all seen the commercials with stunt cars and daredevil tricks, and the disclaimer at the bottom stating “Professionals at work. Do not try this on your own." That is why it is surprising that people with the means to hire a qualified lawyer to prepare a waiver application often do not do so: they are determined to try it on their own. The stakes could not be higher — an approval means a reunion in the United States for those located overseas, a denial can mean a lifetime of separation and the shattered lives of children — yet people are willing to learn as they go, to “experiment” on their own, to use whatever it is they can learn on the Internet to prepare their cases. Waiver law is complicated, and preparing a waiver application requires skill, creativity, and experience. Even if a 601 or 212 application is denied,…