Immigration Though Lottery
Overview
Each year, 50,000 immigrant
visas are made available through a lottery to people who come from countries with
low rates of immigration to the
FOR COMPLETE ELECTRONIC FILING INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FORTHCOMING DV-2005 VISA LOTTERY, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
What does the Law Say?
The legal foundation for the Diversity Visa Lottery Program comes from the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Please see INA 203 for more information.
Who is Eligible to Enter the Diversity Visa Lottery?
You or your spouse must be a native of a country that is eligible to participate in the Diversity Visa Lottery. You may also be eligible to apply if your parent was born in a country that is eligible to participate. (The State Department will publish the names of countries that are eligible to participate before each year's lottery.)
You must have a high
school diploma or the equivalent, defined in the
How Do I Apply?
The Department of State
recently announced (August 18, 2003) in the Federal Register, a change in how applicants
may petition to participate in the Diversity Visa lottery program. Starting this
year, all persons registering for an opportunity to apply for a
The Department of State
is implementing the new electronic system in order to improve efficiency in the
diversity visa petition process and make the process less prone to fraud, thus making
it less vulnerable to use by persons who may pose a threat to the security interests
of the
The Diversity Visa Program is administered by the Department of State. Applicants from eligible countries, as determined by the Department of Homeland Securitys Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, petition the Department of State for the opportunity to apply for one of 55,000 immigrant visa made available annually. Only those selected at random and notified by the Department of State will then be eligible to apply for an immigrant visa. Each year, approximately 6 million people worldwide register to participate in the program. Previously, all registrations were submitted by mail. Starting this year, only electronic submissions will be accepted.
Persons submitting a request for entry in the diversity visa lottery will use a specially designated website which will have a standard petition form that will be filled out and sent electronically. They will also be required to include digital photographs.
Further details
and a direct link to the
How Can I Find Out If I Won?
Only the winners will be notified by mail at the addresses listed on their applications. Winners will be sent instructions and information on fees. Being selected as a winner in the diversity visa lottery does not automatically guarantee that you will be issued a visa, even if you are qualified. The number of entries selected is greater than the number of immigrant visas available, because not everyone selected will be qualified for the visa or will choose to complete the processing. Once all 50,000 visas have been issued, the diversity visa program for the year will end.