@jesminaj 's situation of having someone apply for you is very common in Sub-Saharan Africa. I have seen a lot of internet cafe's, photographers, and so called 'agents' (I'll refer to all as agents in the rest of the post) apply for a bunch of people in the hopes of getting a small percentage of them to pay when they get selected. It has worked out well for so many people - mostly in Kenya - and they normally don't have problems. But every once in a while someone's name is wrongly written on the initial application or the d.o.b is messed up, just like it is with
@jesminaj ...
Before continuing, I’d like to state the obvious; in Africa or Uganda where I come from, everyone wants to go America (at least most people do) and they will take the first opportunity they get to go and most are even willing to pay some money to realize their dream.
As we all know, entry into the DV lotto is free for all, as long as you have internet access. But why do people in Africa pay for something they could do for themselves for free or at minimal cost? There are several reasons for this; I'll highlight some in order of priority;
1/ ignorance ... most of the so called high school graduates in Africa have no clue on what's happening in the world (the internet revolution) let alone how to use a computer... I know this because I was one of them. I never used a computer until I got into engineering school.
2/ reading is not our (most Africans) strongest trait…in Africa, we/most of us do not like anything to do with reading… And as we all know, there’re pages and pages of instructions on DV applications and picture specs, etc. So even folks who have some scanty knowledge about the DV and have internet access will opt to letting someone else submit their applications since they’re either not willing or don’t have time to read the instructions.
3/ we (most Africans) are lazy … we always take the shortest and fastest route….the lottery applications takes some work. First, you have to read and understand the instructions, then go take a picture - in a professional studio - that is to the required specs, then you go back to the internet café to upload your application… and you also have to keep tabs on the application period.. This is a much longer process as compared to letting the café guy do it for you, all in one go (they are at it all year round btw).
4/ Skepticism about the whole green card (DV) lottery due to internet scammers. Not sure if any of you has ever received those “you've been selected in the green card lottery. Send us this $450 for further processing” emails. But lots of people get them. This and the lack of information added to the fact that most don’t read, makes them assume the DV lottery is one of those that request for $450 dollars… now, that sum might seem okayishhh to some folks but it is an arm and leg in Africa. To put it into perspective, doctors (MD) working for government in Uganda are paid around $450/month. So when someone is given an option of “you only pay when you've been selected”, they’ll take it.
There’s more but I’ll cut it short at this point and put forth my advice to
@jesminaj
I do not think they (the agents) submit double entries for people. I don’t think they did for
@jesminaj … They mess up the information because they have so many people to apply for and sometimes lose track on who is who. Which I think is what happened in your case
@jesminaj …
This is what I think you should do:
Write an email clearly stating what happened. You tell them that the agent messed your information up and put down the wrong DOB while submitting the initial application for you. State what your correct D.O.B is and also attach a copy of your birth Certificate on the email. Send the email to KCC and send the same email to the diversity visa unit at us embassy where you’ll be processing your dv from. Please quote your case number and all the necessary information while sending out the communication.
The embassy will advise you on the way forward. I believe they will tell you to go ahead with the process and when you get there for the interview, they will ask questions about this whole thing. So make sure you know the agent’s name and details. Also, if the embassy tells you to proceed, make sure you take with you a copy of the email and an affidavit. Be honest about everything.
Good luck!