2009 Press Releases

Diversity Visa Update from the US Embassy in Freetown

 

Freetown
February 6,2009                                                                                                      Contact: PAO Danna Van Brandt
Tel: 022-515-000 or 076-515-000

The United States Embassy is pleased to announce that Diversity Visa interviews will be processed at the Embassy in Freetown starting in late February 2009.  The Embassy is aware of the hardships faced by visa applicants who must travel to other countries for their applications, and this is the next step in the ongoing process to resume full U.S. visa services in Freetown.  Applicants scheduled for interviews in Freetown will be notified by letter by the Kentucky Consular Center, not by e-mail or by the Embassy.  All applicants previously scheduled for interviews in Abidjan will complete their applications in Abidjan.

Other immigrant visas, for now, will continue to be processed in Dakar, but we are working diligently toward resumption of full visa processing operations here in Freetown.  We appreciate the cooperation and patience of the people of Sierra Leone, and take this opportunity to remind all applicants that full disclosure and truth in the process is essential to obtaining a visa.  Fraudulent responses concerning the applicant or family members result in denial of a visa to the United States.

For further information about the Diversity Visa, please visit http://travel.state.gov and search for “DV Program.”  For specific questions about your DV entry, you may contact the Kentucky Consular Center by e-mail at kccdv@state.gov or by calling internationally to 001(606)526-7500.  Only the Kentucky Consular Center can answer specific questions about your entry until your case is scheduled for an interview at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown.

The Diversity Visa is an annual program that allows up to 50,000 people world-wide the chance to immigrate to the United States.  The DV program started with the notion that we should strive to increase our diversity by offering opportunities to people of underrepresented national origins to immigrate.  For years, this program has enhanced the vibrant tapestry of American society and made it multicultural and rich in human resources.

Entering the lottery is free, and you do not need anyone’s help to enter.   Lottery winners are only selected for a chance at an interview; they are not guaranteed a visa.  You do not need to pay ANYONE any money except inside the U.S. Embassy at the time of your interview.  The DV-2010 online entry registration period has ended; DV-2011 lottery entries will be accepted starting in October 2009.