Press Releases

Editor Danielle Nelisse is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Headquartered in San Diego, California USA, the Law Offices of Danielle Nelisse represent multinational corporations, educational institutions, hospitals, smaller employers and foreign individuals concerning complex American immigration matters including permanent residence, citizenship, diversity lottery green cards, temporary work visas, NAFTA issues and other aspects of American immigration law.

J. Stephen Wilson is the co-author of Win the Green Card Lottery!, co-founder of myUSAi.org, and owner of myGreencard.com. He currently writes immigration opinion and immigration news as the Albuquerque Immigration Examiner.

Creative Networks at myGreencard.com is the publisher of “Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide: DV-2011 – DV-2013.” The Kindle ePub and Nook ePub versions are now available for $9.99 each from Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com respectively. It is also available in PDF format (ISBN-13: 9780981693866) and paperback (ISBN-13: 9780981693873) from resellers worldwide including the United States Association of Immigrants at myUSAi.org. The first three chapters are available free at myGreencard.com in PDF format.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Review Copies Available

CONTACT: J. Stephen Wilson, +1-805-452-4037 email: media@mygreencard.com

Eighth Edition of “Win the Green Card Lottery!” Now Available for DV-2013 Creative Networks at myGreencard.com announce worldwide availability of the October edition of “Win the Green Card Lottery!” for the calendar year 2011 diversity visa (green card) lottery.

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Albuquerque, NM–October 10, 2011 - The eighth edition of “Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide” is now available. With dozens of new and updated tips to help applicants navigate the complicated USA immigration process, this edition has the latest requirements from the U.S. Department of State (DOS) for DV-2013. According to co-author J. Stephen Wilson, "The October edition for DV-2013 is easily the most comprehensive, current, and easy-to-read explanation of the diversity visa lottery available." This book includes: How to read the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin to determine when your number is “current”; When to choose consular processing versus adjustment of status; What to do if you win and are out of status; How to conduct your visa interview;

How to manage denials, and How to avoid many costly, expensive, and time-consuming pitfalls. It also includes step-by-step instructions for self entry with screen shots of the entire process. The full table of contents is available at www.mygreencard.com/toc.php.

“Published to coincide with the DV-2013 open registration period, no other publisher even attempts to keep up with the frequent updates to the requirements by the DOS and the latest changes in immigration law,” said author Marybeth Rael.

Editor Danielle Nelisse is a member of the Bar of the District of Columbia and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). Headquartered in San Diego, California USA, the Law Offices of Danielle Nelisse represent multinational corporations, educational institutions, hospitals, smaller employers and foreign individuals concerning complex American immigration matters including permanent residence, citizenship, diversity lottery green cards, temporary work visas, NAFTA issues and other aspects of American immigration law.

J. Stephen Wilson is the co-author of Win the Green Card Lottery! and founder of myGreencard.com and myUSAi.org. His interest in immigration comes from working with foreign students and H-1B visa holders for the past 25 years. Steve has degrees from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM and the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. He currently writes for the Albuquerque Immigration Examiner.

Creative Networks is the publisher of “Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide, DV-2011 – DV-2013. This 237 page booklet is available in PDF format (ISBN-13: 9780981693866) and paperback (ISBN-13: 9780981693873) from resellers worldwide including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others. At a list price of $28.50, it is available for only $25 until November 5, 2011 from the United States Association of Immigrants at myUSAi.org. The first three chapters are available free at www.myGreencard.com.

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Of the 83 domains in their 2011 review, 17 (20%) earned “red flag” penalties indicating possible understaffing, negligence, or potentially fraudulent activity. Most websites were penalized for posting obsolete rules from past visa lotteries or for harboring viruses or other malware.

One of the main review criteria is whether the service provides the applicant with his or her official confirmation number after they register their application with the U.S. government website. If a site does not provide this number they were failed.

This year only 20 services passed myGreencard.com’s reviews, with five (6%) qualifying as “Top” lottery services. However, many services use multiple URLs or redirect to another domain. In these cases they only reviewed the site that confirms the user’s registration and provides support to the lottery entrant. These services were counted only once and the other domain(s) were marked as a “duplicate” site.

Ratings were tabulated from responses to myGreencard.com’s green card lottery service survey form, responses to questionnaires received from operators and owners of immigration services, and by examining each website for published fees, attorney contacts, services offered, contact information, and more.

About Creative Networks

Creative Networks at mygreencard.com is the publisher of the eighth edition of Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson; edited by Danielle Nelisse, Immigration Attorney (paperback ISBN: 9780981693873; eBook ISBN: 9780981693866). To order or obtain the latest immigration news and immigration reports, please visit: http://www.mygreencard.com.

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Albuquerque, NM–July 15, 2011 - Timed to coincide with the availability of the U.S. Department of State’s on-line Electronic Status Check (ESC) starting July 15, 2011, this newly updated publication includes just what diversity visa entrants need to know if they win. Edited by Danielle Nelisse, Immigration Attorney, ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Only’ is available for download from the United States Association of Immigrants at myUSAi.org. On May 8, 2011 the United States Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs announced that a programming error caused 20,000 green card lottery applicants to be mistakenly notified they were winners. Although some of those 20,000 may still win the lottery, they (and all other DV-2012 applicants) must recheck their status on or after July 15, 2011 when the software update should be complete.

Applicants for last year’s Diversity Visa Lottery Program need to provide just three pieces of identification to check their winning status online: 1) Confirmation Number, 2) Last (Family) Name, and 3) Birth Year. Winners will receive special instructions and forms from the U.S. State Department.

The new July edition of ‘Diversity Visa Lottery Winners Only’ is the three most important chapters from ‘Win the Green Card Lottery!’: Chapter 6 - "DETERMINE IF YOU WON AND WHAT TO DO NEXT'; Chapter 7 - "CONSULAR PROCESSING"; and Chapter 8 - " ADJUSTMENT OF STATUS (AOS) IN THE U.S."

According to author J. Stephen Wilson, “immigrating to the United States is complicated and full of pitfalls that can easily cost you your visa. ‘Diversity Visa Winners Only’ collects dozens of crucial tips from experienced immigration attorneys into one place. We also keep our clients informed about the latest lottery dates and deadlines, new rules, and fraudulent communications.”

Recently edited sections include: Limitations of Lawful Permanent Residents, Getting Married After you Register, When to Contact an Immigration Attorney, Your Ranking Number and the Visa Bulletin; Choosing Between AOS and Consular Processing; Required Documents; Your Interview with the U.S. Consulate; AOS Processing Steps; How to Handle your USCIS Green Card (Adjustment of Status) Interview; Processing Times, What To Do if Denied, and much more.

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Albuquerque, NM–September 20, 2010 - Creative Networks at myGreencard.com today announce the calendar year 2010 edition of "Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide for DV-2010 - DV-2012. This seventh edition has been completely updated with the latest diversity visa dates and rules from the U.S. State Department, including photo guidelines, what to do if you are out of status, tips for entering family members, and more. Edited by Danielle Nelisse, Esq., this comprehensive guide also helps lottery winners residing in the U.S. decide between consular processing abroad or adjusting status; understand their ranking number; comprehend the monthly Visa Bulletin and grasp other concepts required to get a green card.

According to co-author J. Stephen Wilson, founder of myGreencard.com, "The U.S. State Department unexpectedly reduced the open registration period from the usual 60 days to only 30 days. It now begins October 5 and ends November 3. Furthermore, winning letters will no longer be mailed to lottery winners via postal mail."

There were no changes to the list of qualifying or ineligible countries for DV-2012. Ineligible countries are: BRAZIL, CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, ECUADOR, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PERU, PHILIPPINES, POLAND, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible.

Creative Networks is the publisher of Win the Green Card Lottery! by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. ISBN 9780981693859. It includes screen shots of the registration process, critical tips that can prevent applicants from being disqualified, links to more information, a full index, and glossary of immigration terms; 230 pages. To download the free version containing chapters 1-3 or the purchase all 9 chapters please visit www.myGreencard.com or the United States Association of Immigrants at www.myUSAi.org/shopping.html.

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Albuquerque, NM–July 3, 2009 - Creative Networks at myGreencard.com today announced that the U.S. State Department has a system in place for green card lottery entrants to check the status of their 2008 entry at: http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ESC. This new process, available since July 1, finally gives diversity visa registrants a way to bypass slow or corrupt postal mail delivery service in some countries. Entrants need three pieces of information to check the status of their visa lottery registration: 1) their Confirmation Number, 2) their Family Name (Last Name), and 3) their Birth Year. The confirmation number was provided to those who entered last fall. It is a 16-digit number similar to this: 20101O0DZWY3DOV9.

According to J. Stephen Wilson, founder of myGreencard.com, “Those who won the 2008 lottery will get a message at the E-DV site stating they should receive a letter by postal mail from the United States Department of State Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) notifying them they were selected in the DV-2010 lottery. Those who won but have not received their letter by August 1, 2009 should contact KCC by email at: kccdv@state.gov. Alternatively, entrants that did not win will receive a message that their entry was not selected.”

DV-2010 lottery winners and entrants in the forthcoming calendar year 2009 (DV-2011) should get the latest edition of the annual booklet, Win the Green Card Lottery! Edited by Michael C. Cruse, Esq, the booklet outlines the entire procedure from entering the green card lottery to obtaining a permanent resident visa, including crucial tips to help lottery winners pass their visa interview. Written for DV lottery entrants, NAFSA members, and others that work with immigrants and potential immigrants to the USA, this sixth edition provides the most comprehensive and easy-to-read summary of the diversity visa lottery available. The complete Table of Contents is available online on their website. The first three chapters are available for download at no charge.

Author Marybeth Rael wrote Win the Green Card Lottery! based on her experience with the American Green Card Lottery Network, a lottery service she established to help prospective immigrants prepare diversity visa applications. She also wrote the first book dedicated to the visa lottery published by Self-Counsel Press in 2002. Co-author J. Stephen Wilson is the electronic publisher and founder of myGreencard.com and the United States Association of Immigrants at myUSAi.org, and is an immigration writer with the Albuquerque Immigration Examiner. Editor Michael C. Cruse is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

About myGreencard.com

Creative Networks is the publisher of Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery DV-2009--DV-2011 by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. ISBN 9780981693835 (PDF/$12.50); ISBN 9780981693828 (Paperback/$19.50). It includes a full index, illustrations, and glossary of immigration terms, 184 pages. The full version of the booklet is now available from resellers including Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com and others. Wholesale distribution is available through Ingram Book Company.

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Albuquerque, NM–June 30, 2008 - Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson today announce the 2008 edition of their annual booklet, Win the Green Card Lottery! Now available in PDF format at no charge at www.myGreencard.com and to registered members at www.myUSAi.org, this booklet provides critical tips to help prospective immigrants residing temporarily in the United States adjust status and those living outside the U.S. apply for an immigrant visa. Edited by Mark Jacobsen, U.S. Immigration Attorney, and James T. Daly, Attorney at Law, Win the Green Card Lottery! outlines the entire procedure from entering the upcoming green card lottery to obtaining a permanent resident visa. They also offer crucial tips to help recent lottery winners pass their visa interview.

According to co-author J. Stephen Wilson, “One of the most important factors that determine success is to apply for your visa immediately after you receive a winning notification letter from the State Department since only the first 50,000 of the 100,000 persons that receive winning notices can receive visas.”

“If you are eligible to adjust your status in the U.S. and your required documents are overseas ask a family member or close friend to fax your required documents to you immediately. Then have them mail you the originals or certified copies,” notes author Marybeth Rael.

For those entering the DV-2010 lottery in calendar year 2008, this easy to read booklet provides a background of the lottery, presumptive registration dates, a thorough explanation of “alternate state chargeability”, when to enter multiple applications, a section devoted to submitting photographs that meet State Department requirements, links to related web sites, and much more.

Author Marybeth Rael wrote Win the Green Card Lottery! based on her experience with the American Green Card Lottery Network, a lottery service she established to help prospective immigrants prepare diversity visa applications. She also wrote the first book dedicated to the visa lottery published by Self-Counsel Press in 2002.

Co-author J. Stephen Wilson is the electronic publisher and owner of myGreencard.com. Editors Mark Jacobsen and James T. Daly are members of the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

About myGreencard.com

Creative Networks is the publisher of Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery DV-2008— DV-2010 by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. ISBN 978-0-9816938-0-4 (Print on Demand) $19.50. Includes full index, illustrations, and glossary of immigration terms, 172 pp. To download the e-booklet or obtain the latest immigration news and immigration reports, please visit myGreencard.com. Printed copies are now available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Wholesale distribution is available through Ingram Book Company.

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Santa Barbara, CA August 22, 2005 - MyGreencard.com reviewed over 70 web-based immigration services currently offering to help prospective immigrants enter the upcoming U.S. State Department green card lottery. Among the major findings in their annual survey are that relatively few services use deceptive advertising, countering claims by some anti-immigration groups that the industry is rife with fraud. Their report found that only seven services (13%) earned “red flag” penalties – indicating either understaffing, negligence, or potential fraudulent activity. Most Web sites were penalized for posting obsolete rules from past visa lotteries or for receiving multiple unresolved complaints from customers who used their service.

The average fee charged by green card lottery service providers is $45.50 for one person and $70.12 for two persons. There was no correlation found between the fee charged and the quality of the service provided, based on their criteria.

Several green card lottery Web sites appearing at the top of popular search engines ranked among the lowest in their review.

Top rated services offer toll free telephone numbers, accept paper-based applications with standard photographs, have immigration attorney contacts, offer multiple natural language translations, and notify winners directly. According to J. Stephen Wilson, author of the report, "10 lottery services out of 73 we reviewed qualify as top sites based on price, quality of service, and information content provided to lottery registrants. Lower ranked services fail to post occupational requirements to obtain a visa, have no listed telephone number, no attorney contacts, and depend on the government to notify winners."

The report suggests best practice recommendations for site operators and provides helpful guidelines for lottery entrants, including legitimate reasons why applicants may need a service to help them prepare their entries.

About MyGreencard.com

MyGreencard.com is the publisher of Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery, 2005 Edition by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. Edited by James T. Daly, Attorney At Law (ISBN 0970508972, ISBN 0970508980). To order the Visa Lottery Services Report for DV-2007, the executive summary, or obtain the latest immigration news, books and reports, please visit: http://www.mygreencard.com.

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Santa Barbara, August 10, 2005 - If the immigration reform bill introduced by John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Jon Kyl (R-Arizona) is passed by the Senate, the diversity visa lottery may no longer exist. This popular U.S. State Department program, long the ire of anti-immigrant groups, is now a convenient target of those fearing terrorists will win the lottery and gain permanent residence. Regardless whether most Americans support the immigration lottery, winning and obtaining a visa is too important to be left to chance, and this year’s lottery could be the final opportunity for millions of prospective immigrants to register. Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson today announce the publication of Win the Green Card Lottery! for DV-2007.

Now in its fourth major edition, this booklet provides helpful tips and guidelines for visa lottery entrants, plus other ways to get a green card.

Edited by James T. Daly, Attorney At Law, Win the Green Card Lottery! outlines the entire procedure from entering the lottery to obtaining a permanent resident visa. They also offer the only independent review of lottery services for those who need third party assistance. “The average fee charged by green card lottery service providers is $45.50 for one person and $70.12 for two persons. There is no correlation between the fee charged and the quality of the service provided, based on their review criteria.”

“Most entrants should apply for the lottery themselves at the State Department web site. However, the main reasons to use a lottery service are: convenience, poor English skills, lack of computer access, unreliable postal service, and unknown future residence,” according to author Marybeth Rael.

Some lottery services even spend extra time cleaning up poor photographs that would normally be rejected by the government. Others accept applications received as late as one or two weeks before the closing date of the lottery, but may charge an additional fee for processing last minute applications. However, several green card lottery web sites appearing at the top of popular search engines rank among the lowest in their review, yet have well-designed, attractive web sites.

About MyGreencard.com

Creative Networks is the publisher of Win the Green Card Lottery! The COMPLETE Do-It-Yourself Guide to the USA Diversity Visa Lottery DV 2005—DV-2007 by Marybeth Rael and J. Stephen Wilson. Edited by James T. Daly, Attorney At Law. ISBN 097050897-2 (e-book) $9.50; ISBN 097050898-0 (POD) $19.50. Includes full index, illustrations, and glossary of immigration terms, 188 pp. Editors: free review copies are available. To order the booklet or obtain the latest immigration news and immigration reports, please visit: http://www.mygreencard.com.

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