I had never heard of the lottery but entered the day I saw the advertisement in The Herald. Then I forgot about it until Mar. 16, 1998, when I received a letter from the State Department.
I was selected!
"Congratulations!" It read. "You are among those randomly selected and registered for further consideration in the DV-99 diversity immigrant program for fiscal year 1999..."
Selection and winner notification usually takes approximately six months from the lottery's closing date. Lottery winners who are outside the U.S. must complete the visa application process prior to entering the country. My situation was unique because I had already applied for and had been approved for a visitor's visa to travel to the U.S.
I wrote to the Department of State requesting to be processed within the U.S. due to my pre-arranged travel plans. My request was approved and I arrived in the country on Aug. 12, 1998.
This blog is about my immigration journey - which began in the late-1990s - from Zimbabwe to the United States of America. I am sharing my experiences with the objective of helping individuals who, similarly to me, may find the immigration process impermeable. I am not an attorney and the contents of this blog do not constitute legal advice.
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