Diversity Lottery -- are odds doubled by applying married..?

[craigslist.777778 0]

When you apply for the diversity lottery, and win.... do they do any checks on the marriage...??

I mean, other than the fact that are you married, i.e. marriage certificate.

But are there any checks other than that?

I know that when you apply for a marriage based visa, there are strict checks

But when you just apply for the lottery as a dual-application with your spouse, do they actually do checks on the legitimacy of the marriage...?

Thanks

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Yes DV lottery has one of the highest attempted sham marriage rates of any visa category.

[craigslist.777778 0]

So, why are people scamming..?? Just because their country isn't on the approved list of countries to apply...? Or, because filing a joint application doubles your odds of winning..?

But anyway.... what kind of checks are we talking about..? Can you link me to a web page which shows exactly what kinds of checks they do..?

Thanks

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

The scam is usually people who aren't really married claiming to be married either during the entry or after knowing they win to "help" someone they know ( or get paid by ) to get into the US. Because of this they do various checks into the validity of the marriage. Some places have very little fraud so they do nothing, others have high rates and they check much closer. When Nigeria used to be eligible there was a good deal of fake marriages that tried their luck. Where are you from. Being married only doubles your chances if both are eligible as individuals.

[craigslist.777778 0]

Because of this they do various checks into the validity of the marriage.

OK.... but I'm trying to find out what types of checks.

See... I've looked at the marriage visa.... And they check things like

1. Proof that you've been together in-person

2. Age differences

3. Income differences

4. Joint ownership of a house/real estate/rent

5. Proof of traveling together, like, plane tickets

They do really deep checks like that.

But, I'm wondering if they do the same kinds of checks for lottery... or whether it's just, like, certificate.... something simple like certificate.

Edited June 9, 2015 by craigslist.777778

[craigslist.777778 0]

See.... I looked on the US embassy website.... and it says....

http://riga.usembassy.gov/dv-winners/additional.html

If you registered your marriage AFTER submitting the DV lottery application that entitles you and your spouse to apply for the immigrant visa, please be prepared to present suitable documentation at the time of your immigrant visa interview to establish the bona fides of that marriage.

The types of documentation listed below have proven helpful in previous adjudications of visa cases involving such recent marriages. The type of documentation that you will need to present will depend upon your particular circumstances. Failure to present satisfactory documentation may delay issuance of your immigrant visa:

• receipts showing joint obligations for housing and living expenses, such as rent, utilities, telephone, etc.;

• evidence of mortgages, leases, credit accounts, or other financial obligations undertaken jointly;
• evidence of joint ownership of property;
• evidence of joint management of finances, such as joint bank accounts, insurance policies, retirement plans;
• evidence (e.g. phone bills, photos, letters, etc.) of correspondence between the married couple prior and during the marriage;
• correspondence to both spouses from family members;
• evidence (e.g. invitations, cards, correspondence, etc.) from other parties recognizing you and your spouse as a married couple;
• any other documentation or evidence which indicates that the parties to the marriage have formed a genuine economic and marital union.

---

So..... the truth of the matter is.... you only have to prove that the marriage is real..... if you married AFTER submitting the application.

If you marry before entering the lottery, you don't have to prove anything, according to this website.

[craigslist.777778 0]

Let's say I am in a non-eligible country.

And I marry someone from an eligible country.

Does that double by odds of winning the Diversity Lottery...?

Or not?

[Boiler 45,581]

You can enter twice so mathematically not quite but very close.

Edited June 10, 2015 by Boiler

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

Let's say I am in a non-eligible country.

And I marry someone from an eligible country.

Does that double by odds of winning the Diversity Lottery...?

Or not?

It makes an infinite difference to your personal chance, given it goes from zero to the normal probability of being selected. Not double, because double zero is still zero.

Btw I presume you mean "born in" rather than "in" an ineligible country. If not, you need to read the rules of entry.

Edited June 10, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

....

You're thinking of marrying someone just to be able to enter a lottery? Are you for real? Edited June 10, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[craigslist.777778 0]

It makes an infinite difference to your personal chance, given it goes from zero to the normal probability of being selected. Not double, because double zero is still zero.

Btw I presume you mean "born in" rather than "in" an ineligible country. If not, you need to read the rules of entry.

When I say "doubled"... I mean... doubling the odds of someone who was eligible.

So, does it double THEIR odds..?

That's what I'm asking.

Obviously my odds are zero. I know that.

[SusieQQQ 11,586]

When I say "doubled"... I mean... doubling the odds of someone who was eligible.

So, does it double THEIR odds..?

That's what I'm asking.

Obviously my odds are zero. I know that.

j

Well, if you count "winning" as being either you or your spouse then yes.

Of course double a very small probability is still a very small probability. What were the numbers this year, 91000 selected out of 17.5 million entries or something?

Edited June 10, 2015 by SusieQQQ

[Boiler 45,581]

Odds vary, seemingly downunder is best.

Mathematically it would not be possible to double the odds.

[NigeriaorBust 4,087]

Also each person must meet the other eligibility requirements such as education. If only one person has the proper education only that person can apply.

[Ryan H 3,812]

**Similar topics merged.**

Edited June 10, 2015 by Ryan H