Green card questions and lottery scam

Ask the US Embassy

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Q: My brother received a United States green card about five years ago, and he lived in the US until December 2009. At that time, he came back to Jamaica temporarily to help me care for our elderly mother. Now that our mother has passed away, my brother is planning to go back to the United States. He is nervous because he has heard that some people have not been allowed back into the United States because their green cards have "expired". How can he find out if his green card is still valid?

A: US legal permanent residents, or "green card" holders, are expected to reside in the United States. If a legal permanent resident leaves the United States for more than one year, he must either obtain a new immigrant visa petition or file an application for a returning resident (SB-1) visa.

To qualify to receive a returning resident visa, your brother must provide evidence that he:

* Was lawfully admitted to the United States as a permanent resident;

* Departed the United States with the intention of returning;

* Maintained his intention to return the United States during his time in Jamaica; and

* Was unable to return to the United States for reasons beyond his control.

If your brother believes that he meets all of the criteria listed, he should e-mail KingstonIV@state.gov to schedule an appointment for a returning resident visa. On the day of his appointment, he should bring a valid passport, his green card, a completed DS-117 form, and US$380 to the US Embassy.

There is no guarantee that your brother's application will be approved. No refunds are available if the application is denied. If the returning resident visa application is approved, the Consular Section will schedule a second appointment for your brother to present the other required documentation, such as a medical exam and police certificates.

Q: I am a Jamaican citizen, and I recently received an e-mail saying that I won a green card lottery and will be able to move to the United States within the next year. Who should I contact within the US Embassy to confirm that the information in this email is true?

A: Unfortunately, the email you received is a scam. The Diversity Visa Lottery programme is only open to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Individuals who are born in Jamaica or in the Cayman Islands are not eligible to participate in the programme.

If you have questions about the diversity visa programme or your eligibility for a diversity visa, please visit the US Federal Trade Commission's website, http://www.ftc.gov/ and search for "Diversity Visa Lottery". The website outlines the details of the programme and provides lookouts against solicitations for the programme.

New contact information

The Consular Section has recently updated its e-mail addresses. All correspondence should be sent to the following addresses. E-mails sent to the Consular Section's old addresses will not be read.

* For general information about the immigrant visa process and questions about specific immigrant visa cases, please write to KingstonIV@state.gov;

* To make a follow-up appointment as a "blue sheet" applicant, please write to KingstonIVappointment@state.gov;

* For general information about the nonimmigrant visa process and questions about specific nonimmigrant visa cases, please write to KingstonNIV@state.gov; and

* For an expedited appointment due to a qualifying medical, family or business emergency, please write to KingstonNIVemergency@state.gov.

For additional information, please visit the US Embassy Kingston's website, at http://kingston.usembassy.gov/.

The US Embassy staff in Kingston will answer questions you may have regarding the US Mission, including consular law, regulations and/or practice. In order to respect privacy, staff will not answer questions about specific visa applications. The embassy employs a visa appointment system, so it is only necessary for visa applicants to arrive 15 minutes before their scheduled appointment.

Send your questions to: editorial@jamaicaobserver.com and we will send them to the embassy.

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Green card questions and lottery scam