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Potential New Requirements for eDV Registration

Sm1smom

Super Moderator
The DOS has promulgated an interim final rule, effective June 5, 2019, which will require information from unexpired (current) passports. Information such as the unique serial or issuance number associated with a valid unexpired passport; country or authority of passport issuance; and passport expiration date will need to be provided on the eDV entry form by the main petitioner - this requirement however will not apply to the derivatives listed on the form.

Exception to this requirement will be made for a person who is either stateless, a national of a Communist-controlled country and unable to obtain a passport from the government of the Communist-controlled country, or the beneficiary of an individual waiver approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State. Such a person must indicate that he or she falls into one of these three circumstances on the electronic entry form, in place of providing passport information.

Failure to include the required information will lead to automatic disqualifications. This should greatly curb the activities of agents who enter people without their knowledge and hold unto the confirmation numbers of eventual selectees for ransom payments. This should also drive all these unscrupulous agents/organizations who charge people fees for entry submission on an ongoing basis.

Federal Register - Diversity Visa Lottery - for more details.
 
The DOS has promulgated an interim final rule, effective June 5, 2019, which will require information from unexpired (current) passports. Information such as the unique serial or issuance number associated with a valid unexpired passport; country or authority of passport issuance; and passport expiration date will need to be provided on the eDV entry form by the main petitioner - this requirement however will not apply to the derivatives listed on the form.

Exception to this requirement will be made for a person who is either stateless, a national of a Communist-controlled country and unable to obtain a passport from the government of the Communist-controlled country, or the beneficiary of an individual waiver approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State. Such a person must indicate that he or she falls into one of these three circumstances on the electronic entry form, in place of providing passport information.

Failure to include the required information will lead to automatic disqualifications. This should greatly curb the activities of agents who enter people without their knowledge and hold unto the confirmation numbers of eventual selectees for ransom payments. This should also drive all these unscrupulous agents/organizations who charge people fees for entry submission on an ongoing basis.

Federal Register - Diversity Visa Lottery - for more details.

It seems a very simple and elegant solution to the agent problem.
 
Will definitely reduce the agent mess. Not sure if it will 'solve' the situation since passport numbers can be easily collected.
 
Other information such as issuing authority, expiration (and possibly issuing) dates will be required in addition to the passport number - all these information makes it easy to verify the genuineness of the passport information submitted. And I doubt they will stop at that.

Eventual selectees may be required to present a physical copy of the particular passport used for eDV entry submission for verification purpose when they show up for their interview - for countries where people are required to surrender their passports when they get renewed, my guess is copies of such passport and some sort of notification from the passport issuing office will be required.

Even if all these does at the end of the day is reduce the number of double entries, cuts down on double entries, drive agents out of business, the effort is indeed ‘solving’ a lot of the problems associated with visa lottery. I’m not sure there’s any situation that can be fully “solved” for. Determined crooks will always try to find a way around any situation in life.
 
It will definitely stop those guys who take photos off Facebook and the various other ways they enter people without their knowledge, and we have seen those victims on this site. It will probably also stop the “10 year entry” business, or at the very least force those companies to update the data each year which at least will help those people paying for these services to help ensure their entries are valid.
 
Other information such as issuing authority, expiration (and possibly issuing) dates will be required in addition to the passport number - all these information makes it easy to verify the genuineness of the passport information submitted. And I doubt they will stop at that.

Eventual selectees may be required to present a physical copy of the particular passport used for eDV entry submission for verification purpose when they show up for their interview - for countries where people are required to surrender their passports when they get renewed, my guess is copies of such passport and some sort of notification from the passport issuing office will be required.

Even if all these does at the end of the day is reduce the number of double entries, cuts down on double entries, drive agents out of business, the effort is indeed ‘solving’ a lot of the problems associated with visa lottery. I’m not sure there’s any situation that can be fully “solved” for. Determined crooks will always try to find a way around any situation in life.

If I understand you well, are you saying one must have a passport before he/she can enter the lottery henceforth?
I asked because most people only do passport after they won. Acquiring passport in some countries is a long process so people don't do it when there's no green light that they're traveling in some couple of months or so.
 
If I understand you well, are you saying one must have a passport before he/she can enter the lottery henceforth?
I asked because most people only do passport after they won. Acquiring passport in some countries is a long process so people don't do it when there's no green light that they're traveling in some couple of months or so.

I don’t think it’s true that “most” people only get a passport after. I’m sure a lot do, but I don’t think it is “most”.
Anyway this will at least make some people ensure that it’s worth the hassle to entry, not some of those people who just enter for fun and don’t really want to go, don’t bother to read the rules and only realize after selection they are not actually eligible, etc. it will certainly inconvenience some people though, as all anti-fraud measures tend to do.
 
If I understand you well, are you saying one must have a passport before he/she can enter the lottery henceforth?
I asked because most people only do passport after they won. Acquiring passport in some countries is a long process so people don't do it when there's no green light that they're traveling in some couple of months or so.

Yes, exactly. It will drive down frivolous entries. This is a life changing opportunity for most people, anyone submitting an entry should be willing to put in a little bit of effort to that effect.
 
I don’t think it’s true that “most” people only get a passport after. I’m sure a lot do, but I don’t think it is “most”.
Anyway this will at least make some people ensure that it’s worth the hassle to entry, not some of those people who just enter for fun and don’t really want to go, don’t bother to read the rules and only realize after selection they are not actually eligible, etc. it will certainly inconvenience some people though, as all anti-fraud measures tend to do.
Good point with the frivolous entries! I know for sure agents enter unqualified people, who are made to pay for their services. But then eventually get denied, driving up the failure rate.
 
If I understand you well, are you saying one must have a passport before he/she can enter the lottery henceforth?
.

Not 100%, but mostly.

There is an exception for people unable to get a passport for specific scenarios (see below), but otherwise, no passport, no entry.

"A petitioner who does not have a passport and is either stateless, is a national of a Communist-controlled country and unable to obtain a passport from the government of the Communist-controlled country, or has an individual waiver of the passport requirement from the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of State, must indicate that he or she falls into one of these three circumstances on the electronic entry form, instead of providing passport information. The requirements for information from a valid passport will not be waived under any other circumstances. "
 
Thank you for the video Britsimon ! I think those are great steps to combat fraud/exploitation by those so called "immigration agents"
 
Seems to bode well for DV2020 if they are making these changes? Has Trump given up his drive to remove the diversity lottery?
 
Seems to bode well for DV2020 if they are making these changes? Has Trump given up his drive to remove the diversity lottery?

DV2020 is unaffected by any of this and is safe from Trump. But don't forget that Trump isn't a one man government, other departments will always be looking for ways to improve their systems and procedures, regardless of what Trump wants.
 
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