This archive report was first published on 26 September 2019.
The Trump administration's new passport requirement for diversity visa lottery applicants has sparked a federal lawsuit, with plaintiffs arguing it unfairly targets Africans.
Announced by the State Department in June, the policy requires applicants to possess a valid passport to enter the lottery, which is set to start on October 2nd for Diversity Visa 2021 (DV-2021) registration.
According to the State Department, the passport requirement aims to reduce fraud in the lottery system, but the plaintiffs argue it presents an unreasonable financial and logistical burden for applicants from African countries.
“In addition to financial hardship, administrative hurdles make acquiring a new passport time-consuming and impractical in many African countries,” the plaintiffs argue.
The diversity visa lottery awards 50,000 visas annually to nationals of countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, intended to diversify the US population.
