245-I Dreamers - Don't Forget the Diversity Lottery

http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigra...ypes_1318.html

It's an out-dated concept but hey it's one way that we can get legalized IF we get incredibly lucky.

Open till Dec 1

Yeah, my mom and I have been entering this for a long time.
You know what sucks? My dad's side of the family--estranged--has had different people apply and they've always gotten it.

One time, one of his sisters applied, got it, and didn't even do anything with it!
And each of them applied on a whim.
Like, "Hey, maybe we'll get it, maybe we won't."
And then they do. And then my mom and I have applied every year we've been here--and still nothing.

So I'm a little bitter about this.
But I'll do it.

Yea, its like a lottery obviously so the odds of winning are not so great.
But you never know when you hit the jackpot.
I think my family did this even when they were in Fiji so it must have been a whole decade of submitting for this and more. I just started last year :-s
Program might be on its way out in the future.

Hey Everyone, i wanted to know one thing, obviously we are all in a "Situation", if we enter the Dv Lottery, do we run any risk of getting caught? like by giving a picture and our address and stuff, are we basically shooting ourselves in the foot? i want to enter me and my mom but im really nervous, and if i did win do you know how soon they let you know...

I've done the DV Lottery for past seven years now, and you don't have to worry about them catching you. There are so many of thousands of entries from all over the world, there is no way they would have time and resources to go through every single one to see if some of them were undocumented in the US.

And I believe if you haven't gotten a letter in the mail by May/June, you didn't win.

That blows!...if you don't mind me asking, how did you guys apply? by paper or online? because there is a lot of regulations with it and sometimes if you dont do it yourself, the people handling it for you can really screw it up and you dont even know it. Its VERY easy to do it yourself and i suggest it, because it is FREE (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/) and atleast you are comfortable in knowing that you did it with the correct specs on the picture entry which is VERY critical in the selection process so I've heard.

I have a question for those that might be able to answer...Once they announce that you're a winner on or around July, do you have to wait till you Obtain the Visa in September to get a SSN issued?? or can you get one as soon as you're approved with proof of approval? (I'm 245-i btw)

You can only apply online.

I know, however Vivace said "years", the online thing is pretty recent..My family has applied before on a paper app. in an agency years ago, so I was suggesting that everyone should do it online now (which IS the only way these days), this way you know what you did and you know how correct your info is, instead of relying on someone else's competence and paying for it.

The rest of my family aren't eligible, but I guess I am. =P

I think it has only been done online... at least to my knowledge. I have done it since I turned 18 (age of eligibility) and that was 6 years ago and every year I applied online. But I stopped when my lawyer said it wouldn't benefit me or anyone undocumented. I forgot what the reason was.