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Miami Herald
06-08-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
You'll need more than luck in the Visa Lottery: Trump administration wants to change the rules
The rules for the popular Diversity Visa Lottery — which allows thousands of people each year to legally immigrate to the United States and apply for a green card — could soon change under a new proposal from the U.S. Department of State. The proposed measures, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, are aligned with several immigration and national security policies reinstated under the Trump administration. Officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program, the initiative is now under review to improve 'vetting and combatting fraud.' The Department of State's proposal would increase screening for applicants to the program, whose immigrant visas are granted through a computerized lottery. The agency is seeking to require DV applicants to submit 'valid, unexpired passport information and a scanned copy of the passport biographic page and signature page uploaded with their electronic entry form.' Another change would involve replacing the term 'gender' with 'sex,' in compliance with Executive Order 14168, as well as using 'date of birth' instead of 'age' in an effort to improve 'the accuracy of information collected and maintained by the Department throughout the immigrant visa process.' The DV Program is administered by the Department of State and benefits countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.: specifically, nationals of countries from which fewer than 50,000 people have immigrated to the U.S. over the past five years. According to official data, millions of applicants submit their DV entries every year through an online registration form. The Department of State says the proposed requirements would strengthen the security framework against fraud in the DV application and adjudication process. 'Requiring passport information with the DV entry would make it substantially more difficult for unauthorized third parties to submit entries on behalf of individuals with partial information,' the rule states. 'This requirement would also enable the Department to more effectively and efficiently confirm the identities of entrants. The Department also anticipates that this requirement would reduce the number of fraudulent marriages that occur within the DV Program.' Early identification of potential fraud would reduce the need to dedicate 'significant resources' to resolving inconsistencies between the DV entry and the visa application, and to 'determine whether the explanation provided by the applicant is credible or whether the entry was fraudulent.' Each year, 55,000 Diversity Visas are made available to those who meet eligibility criteria and qualify under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and State Department regulations. The proposal includes amending certain visa application forms to require 'a passport number or unique identification number associated with the applicant's valid, unexpired passport; the name on the passport; the country or authority that issued the passport; and the expiration date of the passport.' Additionally, DV applicants would be required to submit a scanned image of the passport's biographic and signature pages. This would, according to the proposal, 'significantly enhance' the department's ability to verify applicants' identities — part of the response to Trump's Executive Order 14161, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States, issued on January 20, 2025. With access to a scanned passport image, the department 'seeks to reduce the likelihood of a falsified passport number' and enable adjudicators 'to compare the spelling of the principal entrant's name in the native alphabet on the passport with the spelling of the entrant's name in English as provided on the entry form.' Under the new rules, some applicants would need to obtain a valid passport at the time of submitting their DV entry, rather than after being selected for an interview at a consular office or embassy. The proposed rule is open to public comment for 44 days and is scheduled to close on September 19, 2025.
Newsweek
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Trump Admin Proposes Change for Some Green Card Applicants
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration has proposed new changes to the process for those applying to the U.S. diversity visa (DV) lottery this week. Newsweek reached out to the Department of State for comment via contact form. Why It Matters The DV program annually offers a pathway to permanent U.S. residency for up to 50,000 immigrants from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States. Historically, applicants haven't needed to possess a passport when they apply—only after they are selected. That would change under the new proposed rule from the State Department, which they say aims to curb alleged fraud in the program. The change notably comes as President Donald Trump has emphasized border security and ramped up immigration enforcement during his second term in office. On the campaign trail, he pledged to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, and immigration officers have conducted raids across the country since Trump has taken office. A stock image shows a Permanent Resident green card on the American flag. A stock image shows a Permanent Resident green card on the American flag. Evgenia Parajanian/iStock via Getty Images What To Know The State Department unveiled the rule on Monday. If finalized, it could go into effect for the 2026 program. In the proposal, the State Department warned of fraud that has been in the program. "The Department has historically encountered significant numbers of fraudulent entries for the DV Program each year, including entries submitted by third parties, some of them criminal enterprises, on behalf of individuals without their knowledge. Unauthorized third parties will often then contact the unwitting individual, inform them of the opportunity to apply for a DV, and hold the entry information from the petitioner in exchange for payment or to coerce the petitioner to be complicit in certain acts of fraud," the proposal reads. Requiring passport information on the DV petition would "make it much more difficult for unauthorized third parties to enter someone with partial information," the proposal reads. "This measure would also enable the Department to more effectively and efficiently confirm petitioners' identities," it continues. "The Department also anticipates that these measures would decrease the number of fraudulent marriages encountered in the DV program." Under the proposal, applicants would have to provide a valid passport number and upload a scan or photo of the passport's photo and signature pages in JPEG format, with a file size of under 5 MB. There will be limited exceptions, including for those applicants who are stateless, citizens of communist-controlled countries who cannot readily obtain a passport, or who have an official government waive. The lottery remains free to enter and is open to nationals from eligible countries. The State Department wrote that it does "not believe that this requirement would substantially deter participation by legitimate petitioners, and the Department notes that petitioners who are selected are already required to have a passport before moving forward in the process." A similar rule change implemented during Trump's first term was struck down by a federal judge in 2022. What People Are Saying The State Department wrote: "Mandating valid passport information at the time of the DV Program entry would augment vetting and screening processes to ensure national security. It would also make it more difficult for third parties to submit an unauthorized entry because they are less likely to have the individual's unique identifiers, protecting potential petitioners by ensuring that they alone can enter the program using their unique information." What Happens Next The State Department's proposal is currently open for a 45-day period of public comment following its publication in the Federal Register on August 5.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Migrants at risk of losing green card lottery if GOP House wins fight
FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are seeking to end a government program that "undermines national security" by allowing a "faceless computer code" to randomly distribute visas to migrants through a lottery system, Fox News Digital has learned. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program), which is run by the State Department, holds an annual lottery where up to 55,000 green cards are given out to immigrants who are then granted permanent resident status through a randomized draw. The program has been in political debate for years among lawmakers who have raised national security concerns over randomly choosing migrants to receive residency rather than going through a merit-based selection process. On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga. introduced the Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025, shared first with Fox News Digital, that aims to end the visa lottery and eliminate the ability for lottery winners to immediately sponsor family members for preferential green cards. Doge Focuses On Millions In Migrant Hotels Billed To Us Taxpayers As Dhs Sec. Noem Targets Fema "The Diversity Visa Program is a needless exercise in government virtue signaling. We've opened our country up to an almost endless system of chain migration while throwing a dart at the globe and letting faceless computer code determine a path to citizenship for 50,000 immigrants," Collins said in a statement. Read On The Fox News App Trump's Department Of Homeland Security Looking To Deputize Irs Agents For Immigration Enforcement Collins added that "ending the Visa Lottery is commonsense" and that his bill "will reform our broken immigration system and realign our nation's priorities back to the America First immigration policies that we need." The DV Program currently allows applicants who meet a certain eligibility requirement to apply online. To apply, applicants must come from countries with historically low rates of immigration and complete at least a high school education. In 2017, several Republican lawmakers raised concern over the visa lottery after winner Sayfullo Saipov, a terrorist who was granted residency through the program in 2010, killed eight people in New York by driving a truck into a crowd on Halloween. Another accused terrorist, Akayed Ullah, was also granted a visa through the program, according to Republican Sen. John Boozman's office. Cosponsors of the bill include Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas, Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida, Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida, Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, and Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas. The legislation is also backed by both the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and Numbers USA, an immigration reform group. "U.S. visa holders should represent the best and brightest immigrants from all over the world who share the commitment to advance American values," Ryan Walker, Heritage Action Executive Vice President said in a statement shared with Fox. "Issuing visas based on arbitrary "diversity" quotas undermines national security, restricts opportunities for skilled talent, and fails to foster true diversity."Original article source: Migrants at risk of losing green card lottery if GOP House wins fight
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Migrants at risk of losing green card lottery if GOP House wins fight
FIRST ON FOX: Republican lawmakers are seeking to end a government program that "undermines national security" by allowing a "faceless computer code" to randomly distribute visas to migrants through a lottery system, Fox News Digital has learned. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program), which is run by the State Department, holds an annual lottery where up to 55,000 green cards are given out to immigrants who are then granted permanent resident status through a randomized draw. The program has been in political debate for years among lawmakers who have raised national security concerns over randomly choosing migrants to receive residency rather than going through a merit-based selection process. On Wednesday, Rep. Mike Collins, R-Ga. introduced the Security and Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025, shared first with Fox News Digital, that aims to end the visa lottery and eliminate the ability for lottery winners to immediately sponsor family members for preferential green cards. "The Diversity Visa Program is a needless exercise in government virtue signaling. We've opened our country up to an almost endless system of chain migration while throwing a dart at the globe and letting faceless computer code determine a path to citizenship for 50,000 immigrants," Collins said in a statement. Collins added that "ending the Visa Lottery is commonsense" and that his bill "will reform our broken immigration system and realign our nation's priorities back to the America First immigration policies that we need." The DV Program currently allows applicants who meet a certain eligibility requirement to apply online. To apply, applicants must come from countries with historically low rates of immigration and complete at least a high school education. In 2017, several Republican lawmakers raised concern over the visa lottery after winner Sayfullo Saipov, a terrorist who was granted residency through the program in 2010, killed eight people in New York by driving a truck into a crowd on Halloween. Another accused terrorist, Akayed Ullah, was also granted a visa through the program, according to Republican Sen. John Boozman's office. Cosponsors of the bill include Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, Rep. Brandon Gill of Texas, Rep. Mike Haridopolos of Florida, Rep. Daniel Webster of Florida, Rep. Tom Tiffany of Wisconsin, and Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas. The legislation is also backed by both the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, and Numbers USA, an immigration reform group. "U.S. visa holders should represent the best and brightest immigrants from all over the world who share the commitment to advance American values," Ryan Walker, Heritage Action Executive Vice President said in a statement shared with Fox. "Issuing visas based on arbitrary "diversity" quotas undermines national security, restricts opportunities for skilled talent, and fails to foster true diversity."
