Cubans Are Second Among Winners of the US Visa Lottery

The Island has stood out in the last ten years as one of the countries with the largest number of citizens admitted in the Lottery. (14ymedio)

14ymedio bigger14ymedio, Havana, 15 July 2021 — Cuba is once again among the first countries in Latin America with the most winners of the well-known Visa Lottery, a draw that the United States Government convenes every year. With 975 selected, the Island came in second place after Venezuela (1,800) and followed by Ecuador (249).

The winners of the DV-2022 Diversity Program will have to complete the procedures for US residency in the next fiscal year that begins on October 1 and ends on September 30, 2022, according to the US the State Department.

Unlike previous years, in Latin America the number of winners decreased. Just last year, from Cuba, which came in third place by country, 1,235 people were selected.

The State Department reported that this year 7,336,302 applicants participated in the lottery and that the visas “have been distributed among six geographic regions with a maximum of 7% available for people born in any one country.”

The Department of State also cautioned that during the interview for residency, the main applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience, in the past five years.

“Those selected must act quickly on their immigrant visa applications,” insists the State Department.

On the other hand, it was announced that the registration period for the 2023 Visa Lottery will be reported soon. “Those interested in entering the DV-2023 program should consult the Department of State’s Visa website in the coming months.”

The Island has stood out in the last ten years as one of the countries with the largest number of citizens admitted to the Lottery, however, since 2017 Cuba does not have a consular section at the US Embassy in Havana. That year the US government accused the island’s executive branch of being responsible for the “acoustic attacks” on its diplomats and indefinitely suspended the issuance of visas to Cubans .

Nationals of the Island currently have to travel to Guyana to apply for this visa and as well as for other procedures such as family reunification. These consular processes have become very complicated in the last year for Cubans, not only because of the flight restrictions imposed by the Cuban government due to the pandemic, but also because of the visa requirement that Guyana began to implement a month ago for the nationals of the Island.

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