Should I fill in my spouse kid?

[Fona]

Hi!

I am asking for a friend.

She is in this dilemma, that her spouse has a kid with another lady which She dint include in the application process because she don't know the kid. Her question is, will this affect her if she is selected?

Thank you y'all.

 

[Sm1smom]

She is supposed to include all of her children under 21, including stepchildren in her entry. Take a look at the FAQ section of the entry instructions:

https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Diversity-Visa/DV-Instructions-Translations/dv-2025-instructions-translations/DV-2025_Instructions-faqs.pdf#page11

 

[Fona]

@Sm1smom

Ok! Thanks for your fast reply!

Now, isn't that a little bit weird tho? Because it is not her kid, it is the kid of her spouse. She has never met the kid, it isn't her by adoption either. And she has simply nothing to do with it. Should it not be the responsibility of her spouse instead? Because the child isn't hers. She is just together with someone that has a child with another lady.

 

[newacct]

If she is married to the child's biological parent, then the child is her step-child.

If she married the child's biological parent before the child turned 18, then the child also counts as her child for US immigration purposes, even if she never lived with the child.

 

[Fona]

If she is married to the child's biological parent, then the child is her step-child.

If she married the child's biological parent before the child turned 18, then the child also counts as her child for US immigration purposes, even if she never lived with the child.

What is she is not married with him?

 

[newacct]

What is she is not married with him?

I don't understand. You said "her spouse". She is married to her spouse, by definition, right?

 

[Sm1smom]

@Sm1smom

Ok! Thanks for your fast reply!

Now, isn't that a little bit weird tho? Because it is not her kid, it is the kid of her spouse. She has never met the kid, it isn't her by adoption either. And she has simply nothing to do with it. Should it not be the responsibility of her spouse instead? Because the child isn't hers. She is just together with someone that has a child with another lady.

Nothing weird about that. The child is her step child regardless of if she’s ever met the child or not. No adoption required for the child to be regarded as a step kid. If your friend is married to the child’s father, then he/she is automatically her step kid and should have been listed on your friend’s eDV entry.

 

[Fona]

I don't understand. You said "her spouse". She is married to her spouse, by definition, right?

Correct, my bad I am mixing the words in my own language.

 

[Fona]

Nothing weird about that. The child is her step child regardless of if she’s ever met the child or not. No adoption required for the child to be regarded as a step kid. If your friend is married to the child’s father, then he/she is automatically her step kid and should have been listed on your friend’s eDV entry.

Ok. Actually this is not even someone I know. But I wrote so in order to be able to help someone asking this question on Youtube.