Immigrant Visas
Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
Applications for the 2011 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery will be accepted online beginning the evening of October 2, 2009 and continuing through November 30, 2009. This annual program makes permanent residence visas available through a computer-generated random lottery drawing to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements.
The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) Entry Forms submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted. No fee is charged for the electronic lottery entry in the annual DV program.
Successfully registered entries will result in the display of a confirmation screen containing the applicant's name and confirmation number, which can then be printed. This information is necessary to electronically check the entry status. Successful applicants will also be sent a notification letter to the mailing address provided on the entry, but only those with the information from the confirmation page can check their entry status online. All entrants, including those not selected, will be able to check the status of their entry through the e-DV website starting July 1, 2010. Previously, unsuccessful entrants were not informed that their entries were not chosen and only successful entrants received notifications by mail. The U.S. Embassy will not be able to provide a list of successful entrants.
Spouses and unmarried children under age 21 of successful entrants will be able to apply for visas to accompany or follow to join the principal applicant. DV-2011 visas will be issued between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011.
To receive a Diversity Visa to immigrate to the United States, those chosen in the random drawing must meet all eligibility requirements under U.S. law.
The U.S. Government employs no outside consultants or private services to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV entries do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Use of any outside intermediary or assistance to prepare a DV entry is entirely at the entrant's discretion.
Every entry received during the lottery registration period will have an equal random chance of being selected. Submission of more than one entry for the same person will disqualify the applicant.
Please visit the official Diversity Visa Lottery website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ for authoritative information and answers to frequently asked questions.
Additional information is available from the Bureau of Consular Affairs at the U.S. Department of State
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants_types_diversity.html
Fraud Warning
Please Note: There have been instances of fraudulent websites posing as official U.S. Government sites. Some companies posing as the U.S. Government have sought money in order to "complete" lottery entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form.
Important warnings about fraudulent web sites posing as official Diversity Visa web sites:
http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1749.html
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt003.shtm
(4.03.09)