As reported earlier, the United States State Department announced on May 13 that ‘the results of the 2012 Diversity Lottery that were previously posted on its website have been voided’ due to a computer glitch.
The State Department had also explained that ‘the results were not valid because they did not represent a fair, random selection of entrants, as required by U.S. law’, according to David T. Donahue, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Visa Services.
According to Mr. Donahue, a computer programming error caused more than 90% of the selectees to come from the first two days of the registration period.(See: DV 2012:Cancelled and Postponed)
This week, however, State Department has been sending emails that provide a few more info for applicants. The e-mails are apparently sent to the e-mail address applicants registered when they applied for the DV program.
Started processing? The announcement made on May 13 didn’t provide instructions for the more than 20,000 applicants who had been informed that they are ‘selected’ when they visited the website between May 2 and May 13/2012. Of which, some started the next step in the process.
It appears the following two notes included in the e-mails are intended to address such cases.
Q: I thought I was selected, and I sent application forms to the Kentucky Consular Center. What should I do now?
Those forms will not be processed by the Kentucky Consular Center, because they were submitted in connection with the lottery result that was voided. We cannot reimburse you for any costs, such as postage, that you may have paid to send these forms to the Kentucky Consular Center. You should check the Entrant Status Check website on or about July 15 to see if you are selected in the repeated lottery selection process. If you are selected again, we ask that you simply follow the instructions given in the notification letter, including the step of mailing your completed application forms to the Kentucky Consular Center, once again.
Q: I thought I was selected. I am in the United State and contacted US Citizenship and Immigration Services about adjustment of status. What should I do now?
USCIS will not process any adjustment of status cases based on the voided DV selection process. If you already paid the $440 DV fee to the USBank lockbox based on your belief that you had been selected, you may request a refund from KCC through the following mailing address: Kentucky Consular Center, 3505 Highway 25-W North, Williamsburg, Kentucky 40769.
Lost Confirmation code? Moreover, the e-mails from State Department provides applicants a chance recover their confirmation number in case they lost it or it is destroyed.
The applicants could get their confirmation code by clicking on the unique link that State Department sent them through e-mail.
Exceptional mail: The State Department notes that this is an exceptional e-mail, thus applicants should not expect to be notified of the results by e-mail.
Q: You said the Department of State would not contact DV entrants by e-mail. Why are you sending this one now?
Because of the computer error, we decided it was important to notify every person who might have seen incorrect information on the website. An e-mail was the fastest way to reach DV entrants.
Winners in the new selection process will not be notified by e-mail. The results of the new selection process will only be available on the Entrant Status Check website (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov) on or about July 15, 2011.
My advise to some 580,000 Ethiopians who applied for the 2012 Diversity Lottery. Though this e-mail from State Department helps thousands who lost their confirmation code, it will open door for a variety of fraudulent e-mails including to e-mails distributing virus. Thus, I suggest:
- Make sure the e-mail is sent from no-reply@state.gov.
- You are not supposed to reply to it.
- Do not click any link on such e-mails unless it is from no-reply@state.gov.
- The only link you will get on that e-mail is this (http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/) and another link that leads you to your confirmation number.
- If you couldn’t access the e-mail address you registered on your application, there is nothing to worry – unless you lost or forgot your confirmation number. Because, the original confirmation number is not changed. (This is based on the seven e-mails I checked for friends so far.).
- The e-mail you received/will receive contains only the info provided in this post and in the previous post (link) plus a link to recover your confirmation code – Nothing else.
- Do not pay a dime to any website or company under any circumstances.
Leave a Comment