Avoid fraud as early as you can

U.S. Embassy Kinshasa encourages all applicants to avoid fraud and malfeasance by preparing their own Diversity Visa entry and application. Each year, consular officers deny visas to applicants who are victims of fraud, unqualified for the DV Program, or otherwise qualified but made misrepresenting mistakes in their DV application.

If you are a victim of fraud or cyber café malfeasance, please email FPUKinshasa@state.gov.

Some tips to avoid fraud

• KNOW THE RULES AND FOLLOW THEM: Make sure you read and understand the rules on our website.

• DO NOT FAKE A FAMILY: You do not have to add unrelated people to your entry since it will lead you to disqualification. If you marry someone for the sole purpose of immigrating to the U.S. or add children who are not yours, you and your fake dependents will not be issued a visa.

• ENTER YOUR WHOLE FAMILY: Declare all your family members in your entry, including your spouse and children under 21, no matter if they live or will travel with you.

• ENTER ONCE: Enter only ONE time per year. If you are married, you and your spouse may each submit an entry that includes the other spouse and your children.

• CHOOSE THE CORRECT COUNTRY: Verify that you have selected the correct country. For example, if you accidentally pick the Cook Islands or Christmas Islands, your visa will be refused.

• TAKE A NEW PHOTO AND UPLOAD IT CORRECTLY: Take a new passport photo without eyeglasses. Do not use your photo from previous years. Ensure that the photo and biographic information match each family member. If you submit one person’s photo twice or a name does not match a photo, your entry can be disqualified.

Confirm your qualification

You must have at least a high school diploma. To avoid fraud in your Diversity Visa application, do not submit a fake diploma lest you blow your chance.

If you do not have a high school diploma, you may qualify through work experience. You must have two years of work experience in the past five years in an occupation which, by U.S. Department of Labor definitions, requires at least two years of training or job experience designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating of 7.0 or higher. Please visit the State Department’s website to confirm your education or work qualification.