National 6 (Spotlight Weekly)

Labor Of Luck

The US Diversity Visa lottery program is a major attraction for Nepalis, and a money-spinner for some firms.

By AKSHAY SHARMA

"US Diversity Visa forms available inside." Such notices have become a familiar sight outside firms offering secretarial service. For a fee, these outlets provide assistance in filling the form and mailing it.

Although applicants can fill up and mail the form themselves following instructions provided by the US Department of Stateís Bureau of Consular Affairs, "consultancy services" are doing brisk business, charging fees ranging between Rs. 100 and Rs. 3,700.

Sharimya Gurung of Friends Communications in Lazimpat, who forwarded 500 applications last year and 800 in 2000, is more upbeat this time. While some people do the job as it comes along, others are involved in a more professional way. They place advertisements in newspapers, with some offering guarantees that are too good to be true.

Consultants, however, cannot guarantee better results, since winners are chosen by random lottery. Where they can help is in ensuring that the specific instructions ó such as the information provided, size of the envelope and pictures ó are followed. Failure to abide by these instructions results in the disqualification of a large number of entries each year.

Mahendra Bhandari, who claims he is affiliated "individually" with Besto International, a US immigration firm, assisted some 500 people for the DV-2003 lottery. Although he charges Rs.3, 700 per entry, he gets a 20 percent share from Besto.

Periodic modifications are made in the application requirements. In recent years, applicants have been asked to sign their names in their native script. For DV-2003, applicants were required to provide photographs of children along with the spouse.

Nepalis of all backgrounds have been trying their luck since the DV program began in 1994. Shiv Prasad Kafle, 55, a journalist, has been applying since the last five years. Nineteen-year-old Sudanshu Poudel, who recently passed 10+2, is among the newer aspirants.

The stampede for the DV lottery has been substantiated by General Post Office. "We handled 170,000 application in 1998, 213,000 in 1999 and 175,000 in 2000," one source said.

Figures issued by the consular section of the American Embassy suggest that the number of winners from Nepal is on the rise. Out of 729 (including spouses and dependants) entitled to DV-2002, the embassy awarded visa to 304. The screening continues until the end of September.

Compare this with DV-2001 results, when only 82 winners were awarded visa

out of 376 (including spouses and dependants). "Chances are the DV numbers will go up just as drastically next year," says Sarah Welborne, vice-consul at the embassy.

Besides, the US embassy has been granting more employment-based immigrant visas and non-immigrant H1 visas. A total of 128 employment-based immigrant visas have been issued in 2001 while the figure for 2000 was 38. The trend in the H1 category is similar.

However, the largest number of people who visit the United States from Nepal annually is under the non-immigrant visa classes, including students, business people, tourists and others. Around 12,000 such visas are issued each year.

The DV category is intended to provide immigration opportunities for persons from countries other than the principal sources of immigration. The visas are distributed among six geographic regions with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration. Natives of countries that sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous five years are not eligible to apply.

DV-2003 lottery winners will be contacted by mail between May and June 2002 by the Kentucky Consular Center. If you do not receive written notification by July 2002, then you were not selected. Keep your fingers crossed.