If you are a family man or woman you are required to add the members of your family as your derivatives when entering into the diversity visa lottery without leaving anyone out. Speaking of the family, here it is referring to the immediate family; that is the nuclear family – the spouse together with the children.
Who is your spouse that qualifies to be added as a derivative?
A spouse is your legally married husband or wife. This means that you have a certifying document issued by the government showing that this is your wife or this is your husband. To be more precise you should be having a marriage certificate issued by the registrar of marriages in your country.
Who does not qualify to become your spouse?
Your girlfriend or your boyfriend does not qualify as a spouse to be added as the derivative when entering the diversity visa lottery program. Partnering is not allowed. That means if you are residing with a man or a woman or cohabiting with a lady or a gentleman, that lady or gentleman is not your spouse. They don’t qualify to be added as a derivative in the diversity visa lottery program. Your fiancé(e) is not a spouse. You are not yet married meaning you don’t have the marriage certificate. Therefore during application and you have a fiancé(e) you are supposed to apply as single and not as married. But thereafter, you will continue with your plans and get married and then add him or her as your spouse in the DS-260 form after marriage.
Your second wife or any other wife apart from your first wife is not considered your spouse. If you’re married to several wives then they are not all qualified as your spouse only the first wife is. She is the only one that you will add as the derivative when applying to the diversity visa program
If you were customarily married, meaning you took your wife or your husband and with the parents’ consent you lived together, and therefore you don’t have any certifying document, then you will be required to follow the legal procedures for you to obtain the marriage certificate before you enter the diversity visa lottery. In some cases, you might apply as married and then you follow the legal procedures and obtain a marriage certificate before your interview date.
If you get married after your DV application, how will you prove that your marriage was genuine?
If you are engaged to marry each other proceed and marry and obtain the marriage certificate. You then add your spouse to the DS-260 form. However, you must note that you must have evidence or proof of your existing relationship or engagement before entering the diversity visa lottery program. You’ll have to provide documentation of your engagement or any proof of relationship prior to your entry into the diversity visa lottery. This is to get rid of fraud in the DV application.
