AIT Issues Warning on Diversity Visa Fraud
The 2007 Diversity Visa Lottery began on October 5, 2005, and is scheduled to run through December 4, 2005. The American Institute in Taiwan would like to warn Taiwan passport holders to be wary of Web sites and e-mails offering assistance in registering for the lottery and notifying them that they have "won" a U.S. immigrant visa.
Taiwan passport holders who wish to enter the lottery may register on the Internet at www.dvlottery.state.gov. This is the only Web site where people may enter the lottery. Many other Web sites may look like official U.S. government Web sites, offering registration assistance for a fee. However, none of these Web sites are endorsed, recommended, or sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and they have no affiliation with the U.S. government whatsoever.
The U.S. Department of State does not charge a fee for registration. People may enter the lottery for free when registering at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Other non-governmental Web sites may charge registration fees, but these are not paid to the U.S. government, and no fee is necessary when registering directly with the U.S. Department of State.
All winners of the lottery will be notified by a letter sent directly from the National Visa Center in the United States. This letter will include an appointment time for an interview at AIT. At no times are winners notified by e-mail or telephone, and winners are never asked to pay a fee in order to "accept a U.S. green card." AIT advises anyone who has received notification that he or she has won the lottery to contact AIT immediately to confirm that the notification is genuine, before paying any fees.
People may enter the lottery only once per person. There is no way for people to increase their chances of winning the lottery. Using a non-AIT or non-Department of State registration service will not increase the chances of winning. These outsides services have no influence on the results of the Diversity Lottery.
Taiwan passport holders who are interested in participating in the Diversity Lottery program are encouraged to visit official Web sites hosted by AIT (www.ait.org.tw/zh/visa/iv) and the U.S. Department of State (www.dvlottery.state.gov). Members of the public with questions about any potentially fraudulent communications are encouraged to contact AIT by email at aitvisa@mail.ait.org.tw .