US embassy advice to DV-2008 applicants

The embassy in a special release said it is aware of fraudulent activities having occurred involving DV lottery applicants in recent years. The activities of so-called "visa agents" who "guarantee" DV visa are of particular concern.

It said incidents of "visa agents" stealing customer identities and giving them to other customers have occurred. "Visa agents" have also consistently extorted money from their clients before giving them information about their case.

The US embassy recommended that those interested in participating in the DV-2008 Lottery follow the following guidelines when completing the on-line DV registration process:

Candidates should carefully read all instructions on how to submit an entry properly. Failure to follow all instructions exactly may result in automatic disqualification.

Candidates should provide the address where they normally receive their mail and should not give the address of a "visa agent."

Candidates should provide completely accurate biographical information concerning themselves and their spouses and children, as biographic discrepancies may eventually result in visa refusal for lottery winners.

If candidates use the services of a third party to complete the on-line application, the services to be provided and the fees to be paid should be agreed in writing in advance. If third party services are used, the applicant is completely responsible for the accuracy of the information.

The US embassy said it is aware of many cases in which third party preparers, both "visa agents" and "internet shop preparers," submitted wrong information which led to the disqualification of the candidate.

The embassy stated that there is no cost for the DV programme until the day of the interview. Applicants should not pay money to anyone for DV information until the day of their interview, at which time they will pay the Embassy directly.

It said candidates should never give personal information or their school documents to a "broker" or other third party. The US embassy in Dhaka will advise lottery winners of documentation requirements.

Candidates should not surrender their original documents when having them translated to English. Candidates should have certified translation copies made from the original documents and should keep the original documents to present at their interview.