Immigration lottery program is intended to achieve a "diversity" of immigrants by allocating 50,000 immigrants from countries other than those where the largest number of immigrants immigrated to this country each year. However, this program has been continuously assaulted by the involved government agencies as well as the Congress for its potential fraud and security risks posed by these fraudulent immigrants.

GAO reported on September 21, 2007 that it had been requested to review and recommend this controversial program. Despite its acknowledgment of contribution to the diversity, GAO reported it had been a problem-ridden program.

Diversity visas provide an immigration opportunity to aliens from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Diversity visa applicants must apply online, be selected by lottery, be interviewed, and be determined to be eligible before obtaining a diversity visa. GAO was asked to review

(1) the extent to which the Diversity Visa Program (DV program) is diversifying the U.S. immigrant pool,

(2) areas of the DV program that are vulnerable to fraud,

(3) whether there are security implications associated with these vulnerabilities, and

(4) what steps the Department of State (State) has taken to address the vulnerabilities. We reviewed laws, regulations, and other documentation, and interviewed numerous State officials both at headquarters and in the field.

The DV program is contributing to the diversity of U.S. immigrants; more than 500,000 aliens from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States have become legal permanent residents through the program. Little is known about diversity immigrants once they enter the United States, such as whether they contribute to further diversity by petitioning for family members to immigrate. The DV program is vulnerable to fraud committed by and against DV applicants, but State has not compiled comprehensive data on detected and suspected fraudulent activity.

Consular officers reported that the majority of DV applicants, lacking access to a computer or internet savvy, use "visa agents" to enter the lottery. Some agents take advantage of DV applicants: visa agents in Bangladesh have intercepted applicants' program documents and charged ransoms of up to $20,000 or coerced applicants into sham DV marriages.

Difficulty in verifying identities has security implications because State's security checks rely heavily on name-based databases. In 2003, State's Inspector General raised concerns that aliens from countries designated as state sponsors of terrorism can apply for diversity visas. Nearly 9,800 persons from these countries have obtained permanent residency in the United States through the program. We found no documented evidence that DV immigrants from these, or other, countries posed a terrorist or other threat. - www.greencardfamily.com/news/news2007/news2007_1107.htm


Peter
www.greencardapply.com
www.greencardfamily.com

that's true , there is a lot of people I know who paid for getting their applicatio posted...