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Visa Waiver Program and DV Lottery Entry Risk

A

Ari95

Guest
Hi,

Will having entered the DV lottery affect my chances of being admitted to the US under the Visa Waiver Program? I have never visited the US before and I'm thinking of going there for the first time.

I have dual citizenship: a passport from a Visa Waiver Program country and a passport from a non- Visa Waiver Program Country.

Officers at the airport can see if you've applied for DV lottery before!

I'm so paranoid.
 
1AurCitizen said:
If you're seeking admittance for purposes allowed under VWP, then no issues with eligibility to enter.
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Thanks for the replies! But I've read some posts made by a cbp agent who said that if you've applied for the DV lottery your name appears on the screen so since I have entered the lottery 2 years in a row will that raise suspicions when I'll travel under the Visa Waiver Program? I'm just gonna travel for 2 weeks for pleasure but they may interpret me entering the DV lottery as intent to permanently immigrate?

For all of you: your name appears on their computer if you've ever applied for the DV Lottery once you land at the airport. I didn't know that. You are at the airport they're gonna see that you applied for the DV Lottery.
 
Ari95 said:
Thanks for the replies! But I've read some posts made by a cbp agent who said that if you've applied for the DV lottery your name appears on the screen so since I have entered the lottery 2 years in a row will that raise suspicions when I'll travel under the Visa Waiver Program? I'm just gonna travel for 2 weeks for pleasure but they may interpret me entering the DV lottery as intent to permanently immigrate?

For all of you: your name appears on their computer if you've ever applied for the DV Lottery once you land at the airport. I didn't know that. You are at the airport they're gonna see that you applied for the DV Lottery.
Click to expand...

As you said. You are overly paranoid. You should listen to the expert answers you were given, and not continue to spread the unsubstantiated, and quite silly, point you made about 2 entries.
 
Ari95 said:
Thanks for the replies! But I've read some posts made by a cbp agent who said that if you've applied for the DV lottery your name appears on the screen so since I have entered the lottery 2 years in a row will that raise suspicions when I'll travel under the Visa Waiver Program? I'm just gonna travel for 2 weeks for pleasure but they may interpret me entering the DV lottery as intent to permanently immigrate?

For all of you: your name appears on their computer if you've ever applied for the DV Lottery once you land at the airport. I didn't know that. You are at the airport they're gonna see that you applied for the DV Lottery.
Click to expand...
I entered on a tourist visa after I had won the DV and submitted my DS form - which is the actual point at which you signal immigrant intent. They didn’t say a word about it. Your question is kinda like asking if the irs is going to start hassling you because you entered a $$ lottery.
 
Britsimon said:
As you said. You are overly paranoid. You should listen to the expert answers you were given, and not continue to spread the unsubstantiated, and quite silly, point you made about 2 entries.
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I just asked a question, no need to be rude.
 
SusieQQQ said:
I entered on a tourist visa after I had won the DV and submitted my DS form - which is the actual point at which you signal immigrant intent. They didn’t say a word about it. Your question is kinda like asking if the irs is going to start hassling you because you entered a $$ lottery.
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Good for you. I prefer to ask rather than panic later.
 
You will be fine, like others have said it’s not an issue. We’re you selected in the 2020 draft?
 
Ari95 said:
Good for you. I prefer to ask rather than panic later.
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Ok. ENTERING the DVLottery is not an immigrant intent. It is false that you "appear on a screen at the airport" if you ENTERED. If you win AND send the DS260, then you proof immigrant intent, and even then, you don't necessarily have problems for that.
Maybe renewing a tourist visa, after you send the DS260 is an issue, entering the lottery is not.
 
veronice said:
Ok. ENTERING the DVLottery is not an immigrant intent. It is false that you "appear on a screen at the airport" if you ENTERED. If you win AND send the DS260, then you proof immigrant intent, and even then, you don't necessarily have problems for that.
Maybe renewing a tourist visa, after you send the DS260 is an issue, entering the lottery is not.
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Yeah, I thought he’d appreciate reassurance through a personal experience, but apparently it just annoyed him. No pleasing some people.....
 
Ari95 said:
Thanks for the replies! But I've read some posts made by a cbp agent who said that if you've applied for the DV lottery your name appears on the screen so since I have entered the lottery 2 years in a row will that raise suspicions when I'll travel under the Visa Waiver Program? I'm just gonna travel for 2 weeks for pleasure but they may interpret me entering the DV lottery as intent to permanently immigrate?

For all of you: your name appears on their computer if you've ever applied for the DV Lottery once you land at the airport. I didn't know that. You are at the airport they're gonna see that you applied for the DV Lottery.
Click to expand...

Care to share link(s) to posts by the cbp agent?

Apparently subsequent posts on this thread call into question the cbp agent's version.
 
Fact remains you will find many, many people who have visited US after entering the lottery. There are currently over 20 million entries per year to the lottery, and the lottery has been going since the early 90s. There must have been hundreds of millions of entries over that time. You’d think if just entering was a problem you would instead find many, many people posting about denied entry. #logic

I have no doubt that CBP can - if the entrant had a passport listed at entry - see whether or not they entered the lottery. (Just because they can, doesn’t mean they do of course.) Fact remains that entering a lottery is not immigrant intent, so even if they see it...means nothing.
 
1AurCitizen said:
Care to share link(s) to posts by the cbp agent?

Apparently subsequent posts on this thread call into question the cbp agent's version.
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OP just said CBP can see it. Nowhere did he say the officer said they do anything about it - that seems to be his own leap of logic.
 
I made 7 trips on an ESTA after I had entered the visa lottery, 5 of those trips were after I had been selected and 3 of them were after submitting my DS-260. I even had to apply for a new ESTA after submitting my DS-260, as mine had expired - not once was I ever denied entry or even questioned about my Lottery entries or subsequent DS-260 submission.
This isnt to say that CBP officers weren't aware of my status it just shows that there is little to be concerned about .... 7 trips over a 2.5 year period without raising an eyebrow!!
 
Ari95 said:
I just asked a question, no need to be rude.
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My comment was not rude. But if you have some actual substantiation of what you claim - post that link here. We could then review it and decide it ist is at credible. Until then, I'll maintain your point was silly (if you think through what you are saying) - and frankly, not helpful, because it creates or perpetuates the kind of unfounded fears you yourself were suffering from.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Yeah, I thought he’d appreciate reassurance through a personal experience, but apparently it just annoyed him. No pleasing some people.....
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You didn't annoy me. I simply replied to you saying that I prefer to ask questions rather than panic. I appreciate all answers. I'm a woman by the way ;)
 
Aidyn said:
I made 7 trips on an ESTA after I had entered the visa lottery, 5 of those trips were after I had been selected and 3 of them were after submitting my DS-260. I even had to apply for a new ESTA after submitting my DS-260, as mine had expired - not once was I ever denied entry or even questioned about my Lottery entries or subsequent DS-260 submission.
This isnt to say that CBP officers weren't aware of my status it just shows that there is little to be concerned about .... 7 trips over a 2.5 year period without raising an eyebrow!!
Click to expand...
Thanks for your reply! It really reassures me.
 
SusieQQQ said:
Fact remains you will find many, many people who have visited US after entering the lottery. There are currently over 20 million entries per year to the lottery, and the lottery has been going since the early 90s. There must have been hundreds of millions of entries over that time. You’d think if just entering was a problem you would instead find many, many people posting about denied entry. #logic

I have no doubt that CBP can - if the entrant had a passport listed at entry - see whether or not they entered the lottery. (Just because they can, doesn’t mean they do of course.) Fact remains that entering a lottery is not immigrant intent, so even if they see it...means nothing.
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Yeah, he said he can see if a person has entered before but he didn't say if it'd be a problem. Of course they can do whatever they want at the border but the other replies reassured me.
 
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