Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery

Each year the U.S. Department of State conducts the Diversity Visa lottery. The DV lottery is an actual lottery in which the State Department randomly selects approximately 50,000 applicants from a typical pool of several million and allows them to apply to come to the Unites States as lawful permanent residents. The purpose of the DV lottery is to increase the diversity of immigrants coming to the United States. Accordingly, countries that already send large numbers of immigrants to the U.S. are not eligible for the DV lottery. The list of eligible countries is updated each year. The registration period begins in October of each and remains open for thirty days. Registrations are submitted electronically on the State Department website. The State Department then performs its random selection and the “winners” are notified that they have been selected. DV applicants must hold the equivalent of a high school diploma. Spouses and children of DV winners are able to accompany the applicant to the U.S.

See this page for more information on the American Diverstiy Visa.