FAQs

PSC INTERNATIONAL DV-2006
Common Questions and Answers

1. Is the Visa Lottery program legitimate?

Yes. It is held by the United States Department of State under the provisions of the U.S.A. Immigration Act of 1990.

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2. Why does the U.S.A. Government have such a program?

Over time there has been a decline in immigration from certain countries and great increases from others. The U.S.A. Congress instituted this program to promote diversity in the composition of immigrants. Visas are granted on a lottery basis to encourage applicants from underrepresented countries and to balance the composition of immigrants as quickly as possible.

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3. How many Visas will be granted?

50,000 permanent residence Visas are granted in the lottery.

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4. Are the 50,000 Visas for the world?

Yes, except the 16 excluded countries.

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5. Why are these countries excluded?

These countries provided more than 50,000 immigrants in the preceding five years. The list of excluded countries changes from year to year.

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6. What qualifications do I need to apply?

There are two criteria to qualify:

1. You must have been born in an underrepresented country. Your country of residence or citizenship does not matter; and

2. You must have a high school education or equivalent OR you must have at least two years' working experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience.

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7. What if I was born in an ineligible country?

1. If you were born in an ineligible country but your spouse was not, you can claim your spouse's country of birth instead of you own.

2. If you were born in a country where neither of your parents resided at the time, you can claim one of their countries of birth. (Normally this occurs when the parents are traveling or are working outside of their native country at the time of birth.)

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8. Should I send my birth certificate or other documents with the application?

No documents are required with the initial application at this time. You will be required to supply them only if you are selected.

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9. Can I apply for my friend in Timbuktu?

Yes. You can apply for qualified relatives or friends. However, only one application may be made for or by each person. Please be sure to include a photograph.

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10. How do I pay PSC?

You may remit payment by postal money order, international bank draft, cash, credit card or direct deposit (Japan).

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11. When are the winners selected?

A computer program will make a random selection from all qualified entries. The Kentucky Consular Center is expected to notify all winners between May and July 2006. Each correctly- filed application has an equal random chance of being selected. The selection cannot be influenced in any way.

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12. What are the chances?

Chances are based on the number of qualified entries. For DV 2006, 1 in 70, for DV 2004, 1 in 65. For DV 2003, 1 in 71. For DV 2002, 1 in 110 and for DV 2001, 1 in 100.

If you are married, you can double your chances: you and your spouse may each make a separate application. If either is selected, the other automatically is entitled to a Visa. This would have increased the chance of winning last year's lottery to 1 in 35! The fee for a separate spousal application is only $70.

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13. How will I know if I am selected?

The Kentucky Consular Center will directly notify our offices in Lexington, Kentucky, U.S.A. by July 2006. We will redirect the notification to you by Federal Express Courier. If you do not get any notification, you will know that you have not been selected.

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14. What will the notification consist of?

The notice consists of a letter advising you that you have been selected. Included will be a package to complete and return with your birth certificate, education certificates etc. You do not need a job offer or family sponsorship.

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15. When will I get my Visa? What is the Visa?

You will be issued a Visa before September 30, 2007. You and your family (a family includes a spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age) will be issued a Permanent Visa, commonly referred to as a Green Card, with the right to live and work in the United States permanently. After five years you will be eligible for American Citizenship.

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16. What is PSC?

We are a legal service company. We have been processing applications on behalf of our clients for the Visa Lottery program since 1990.

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17. What is the advantage of using your services to file the application?

We GUARANTEE that your application will be filed correctly and on time. Applications have to conform to a strict format and received within a specific format and date. In previous visa lottery programs, millions (almost 40 percent) were disqualified for "failing to properly follow directions".

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18. What is the advantage of using your services if I win?

A large part of an application's success is dependent on the postal delivery system ( i.e. it is essential that the winning notification arrives quickly so you can be one of the first 50,000 to respond ). PSC is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and therefore has a delivery time of one day from the Kentucky Consular Center.

Each of our clients' entries has our office address in Lexington, KY as a return address. This will ensure timely receipt of the notification if you are selected. Each year more people are selected than there are Visas to go around, to ensure all Visas are used. Therefore, only the first 50,000 selectees to respond to the notifications will receive Visas. Our office will redirect the notification to you by overnight courier.

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19. Am I obliged to use your services after I am selected?

That is entirely up to you. We can continue to act on your behalf, and use our office address for all your correspondence from the Kentucky Consular Center. We will guide you through the winning process and we have a lot of experience in that process. If you decide to continue with us our fee is only U.S. $900.00.

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20. If I don't win, do I get a notification?

No, only the winners receive a notification. PSC will provide all clients with the results of the lottery, listing the numbers of winners per country.

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21. How am I assured that you filed my application?

PSC will send you a copy of the official confirmation from the United States Department of State confirming that your application was filed electronically.

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22. If I am not selected, do I get a refund?

No. The fee is for the work involved in filing the application on your behalf. As this is a lottery, PSC guarantees that your application will be accurately and timely, not that you will win a Visa.

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23. Do other companies charge a lower fee?

Perhaps. PSC International is a well-established company with knowledge and experience in the Visa Lottery program. We charge a reasonable fee for the professional service we provide. We guarantee your application is filed correctly and on time, and we provide you with proof of filing. We provide the added service of using our postal address in Lexington, KY, U.S.A., to ensure rapid receipt of your notification if you are selected.

You can file only one application annually within a narrow timeframe, and we ensure that our clients do not miss this opportunity.

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24. Will my information be released to any organizations?

No. By applying through our company, all information is kept totally confidential. Please note that As of DV-2004, the U.S. Department of State retains all the entries, with names and addresses, and makes them available to other government agencies. However, PSC lists the Lexington office address on each client's entry form and your address will not be disclosed to anyone without your permission.

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