This archive report was first published on 15 August 2021.
As the US government struggles to process visa applications, thousands of families worldwide, including those in Kenya, risk losing a rare chance to immigrate to the US.
According to the Biden administration, as of June 2021, only about 3% of the total 55,000 visa applications had been processed due to Covid-19-related restraints.
With the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2021, the US government must process the applications of lottery winners before the deadline, or else they will lose their shot at a green card.
The Diversity Visa Program, which has awarded a path to legal permanent residence to about 55,000 people each year from countries with low levels of immigration to the US for the past three decades, has become a crucial lifeline for many families.
