Many typing centres and photo studios in the capital are cashing in on Asian workers’ ignorance about applying for the US Diversity Visa (DV) lottery programme.
Many shops have recently put up boards advertising professional help for workers, mainly Bangladeshis, who wish to apply for the 2007 DV programme.
The US Embassy, however, has said it has not authorised anyone to receive or submit visa applications for the programme.
Each year, 50,000 immigrant visas are made available through a lottery to those who come from countries with low rates of immigration to the US.
The shops in Abu Dhabi are offering their services to each applicant for a fee of Dh20. They charge Dh20 for the family head and Dh10 for every member.
An employee at a typing centre near Zayed the First (Electra) Street said: “Applicants must bring a passport photocopy and a colour photograph. The charge is only for entering the data and sending the application.”
An employee at another photo studio on Zayed the First Street said, “After being selected, the applicant has to go for an interview and pay a fee of $750 (about Dh2,760).”
According to the official website, no application fee is charged. Moreover, the fee for the visa is only $375.
Hilary Oslin-Windecker, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy, advised residents to apply online at www.dvlottery.state.gov after reading the terms and conditions carefully.
“Any intermediaries who offer assistance to prepare DV casework for applicants do so without the authority or consent of the US Government.”
Who is eligible and who is not
For DV-2007, natives of Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories and Vietnam are not eligible to apply because they sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the US in the previous five years.
An applicant must have either a high school education or its equivalent or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform.
Gulf News
