2007 DV Lottery Instructions
DV Lottery Instructions
The congressionally mandated Diversity
Immigrant Visa Program is administered on an annual basis
by the Department of State and conducted under the terms of
Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649)
amended INA 203 to provide for a new class of immigrants known
as "diversity immigrants" (DV immigrants). The Act makes available
50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries
with low rates of immigration to the United States. The instructions
for the 2007 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program are also available
in PDF Format .
The annual DV program makes permanent residence
visas available to persons meeting the simple, but strict,
eligibility requirements. Applicants for Diversity Visas are
chosen by a computer-generated random lottery drawing. The
visas, however, are distributed among six geographic regions
with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower
rates of immigration, and with no visas going to citizens
of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S.
in the past five years. Within each region, no one country
may receive more than seven percent of the available Diversity
Visas in any one year.
For DV-2007, natives of the following countries
are not eligible to apply because they sent a total of more
than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the previous five years:
CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN,
PHILIPPINES, POLAND, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM
(except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories,
and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and
Taiwan are eligible.
| ENTRIES FOR THE DV-2007 DIVERSITY
VISA LOTTERY MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY BETWEEN
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2005 AND SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2005.
APPLICANTS MAY ACCESS THE ELECTRONIC DIVERSITY VISA ENTRY
FORM AT 'WWW.DVLOTTERY.STATE.GOV' DURING THE REGISTRATION
PERIOD BEGINNING NOON ON OCTOBER 5. PAPER ENTRIES WILL
NOT BE ACCEPTED. APPLICANTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO
NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST WEEK OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD
TO ENTER. HEAVY DEMAND MAY RESULT IN DELAYS. NO ENTRIES
WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER NOON ON DECEMBER 4, 2005.
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REQUIREMENTS FOR
ENTRY
- Applicant must be a native of one of the countries
listed below. See List Of Countries By Region Whose Natives
Qualify.
Native of a country whose natives qualify:
In most cases this means the country in which the applicant
was born. However, there are two other ways a person may
be able to qualify. First, if a person was born in a country
whose natives are ineligible but his/her spouse was born
in a country whose natives are eligible, such person can
claim the spouse’s country of birth provided both the
applicant and spouse are issued visas and enter the U.S.
simultaneously. Second, if a person was born in a country
whose natives are ineligible, but neither of his/her parentswas
born there or resided there at the time of his/her birth,
such person may claim nativity in one of the parents’
country of birth if it is a country whose natives qualify
for the DV-2007 program.
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- Applicant must meet either the education or
training requirement of the DV program.
Education or Training: An applicant must
have EITHER a high school education or its equivalent, defined
as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary
and secondary education; OR two years of work experience
within the past five years in an occupation requiring at
least two years of training or experience to perform. The
U.S. Department of Labor's O*Net OnLine database will be
used to determine qualifying work experience. :
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If the applicant cannot meet these
requirements, he or she should NOT submit an entry to the
DV program.
The term "country" in this notice includes countries,
economies and other jurisdictions explicitly listed under
“List of Countries By Region Whose Natives Qualify.”
PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTING AN ENTRY
TO DV-2007
- The Department of State will only accept completed
Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Forms submitted electronically
at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during
the registration period beginning at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5)
on October 5, 200 5 and ending at 12:00
pm EST (GMT-5) on December 4, 2005.
- All entries by an applicant will be disqualified if more
than ONE entry for the applicant is received, regardless
of who submitted the entry. Applicants may prepare and submit
their own entries, or have someone submit the entry for
them.
- Successfully registered entries will result in the display
of a confirmation screen containing the applicant’s name,
date of birth, country of chargeability, and a date/time
stamp. The applicant may print this confirmation screen
for his/her records using the print function of their web
browser.
- Paper entries will not be accepted.
- The entry will be disqualified if all required photos
are not submitted. Recent photographs of the applicant and
his/her spouse and each child under 21 years of age, including
all natural children as well as all legally-adopted and
stepchildren (except a child who is already a U.S. citizen
or a Legal Permanent Resident), even if a spouse or child
no longer resides with the applicant or is not intended
to immigrate under the DV program, must be submitted electronically
with the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. Group or
family photos will not be accepted; there must be a separate
photo for each family member.
A digital photo (image) of each applicant,
his/her spouse, and children must be submitted on-line with
the EDV Entry Form. The image file can be produced either
by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic
print with a digital scanner.
- Entries are subject to disqualification in which the photographs
have been determined not to be recent, or which contain
photographs that have been manipulated or that fail to meet
the specifications explained below.
Instructions for Submitting a Digital
Photo (Image)
The image file must adhere to the following
compositional specifications and technical specifications
and can be produced in one of the following ways:
- Taking a new digital image.
- Using a digital scanner to scan a submitted photograph.
Compositional Specifications:
The submitted digital image must conform to the following
compositional specifications or the entry will be disqualified.
- Head Position
- Person being photographed must directly face the camera.
- Head of the person should not be tilted up, down,
or to the side.
- Head of the person should cover about 50% of the area
of the photo.
- Background
- Person being photographed should be in front of a
neutral, light-colored background.
- Dark or patterned backgrounds are not acceptable.
- Focus
- Decorative Items
- Photos in which the person being photographed is wearing
sunglasses or other items that detract from the face
will not be accepted.
- Head Coverings and Hats
- Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats
are only acceptable due to religious beliefs, and even
then, may not obscure any portion of the face of the
applicant.
- Photos of applicants with tribal or other headgear
not specifically religious in nature will not be accepted.
- Photos of military, airline, or other personnel wearing
hats will not be accepted
Technical Specifications:
The submitted digital photograph must conform to the following
specifications or the system will automatically reject the
EDV Entry Form and notify the sender.
- Taking a New Digital Image. If a new
digital image is taken, it must meet the following specifications:
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand
five hundred (62,500) bytes.
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320 pixels high by 240 pixels wide.
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24-bit color or 8-bit grayscale. [Note: Monochrome
images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.]
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- Scanning a Submitted Photograph. Before
a photographic print is scanned, it must meet the following
specifications:
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2 inches by 2 inches (50mm x 50mm) square.
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The image must be either in color or grayscale.
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The photographic print must also meet the
Compositional Specifications. If the photographic print meets
the Print Size, Print Color, and Compositional Specifications,
scan the print using the following scanner specifications.
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Scanned at a resolution of 150 dots per inch (dpi).
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts
Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size will be sixty-two thousand
five hundred (62,500) bytes.
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300 by 300 pixels.
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24-bit color or 8-bit grayscale. [Note: Monochrome
images (2-bit color depth) will not be accepted.]
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THE ENTRY
There is only one way to enter
the DV-2007 lottery. Applicants must submit an Electronic
Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry Form), which is accessible
only at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/. Failure
to complete the form in its entirety and with correct information
will disqualify the applicant’s entry. Applicants will be
asked to submit the following information on the EDV Entry
Form.
- FULL NAME - Last/Family Name, First
Name, Middle name
- DATE OF BIRTH - Day, Month, Year
- GENDER - Male or Female
- CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH
- COUNTRY OF BIRTH - The name of
the country should be that which is currently in use
for the place where the applicant was born.
- APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH - See page
2 for information on photo specifications.
- MAILING ADDRESS - Address, City/Town,
District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code,
Country
- PHONE NUMBER (optional)
- E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)
- COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT’S
NATIVE COUNTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH
- If the applicant is claiming nativity in a country
other than his/her place of birth, this information
must be indicated on the entry.
- MARITAL STATUS - Unmarried, Married,
Divorced, Widowed, Legally Separated
- NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND
UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE – Except children
that are either U.S. legal permanent residents or
American citizens.
- SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date
of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth,
Photograph
- CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date
of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth,
Photograph
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NOTE: Entries must include
the name, date and place of birth of the applicant’s spouse
and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted and
stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21 at
the time of entry (except children who are already U.S. citizens
or Legal Permanent Residents), even if you are no longer legally
married to the child’s parent, and even if the spouse or
child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate
with you. Note that married children and children 21 years
or older will not qualify for the diversity visa. Failure
to list all children will result in your disqualification
for the visa. (See question 11 on the list of Frequently Asked
Questions.)
SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
Applicants will be selected at
random by computer from among all qualified entries.
Those selected will be notified by mail between May and July
2006 and will be provided further instructions, including
information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S.
Persons not selected will NOT receive any notification.
U.S. embassies and consulates will not be able to provide
a list of successful applicants. Spouses and unmarried children
under age 21 of successful applicants may also apply for visas
to accompany or follow to join the principal applicant. DV-2007
visas will be issued between October 1, 2006 and September
30, 2007.
In order to actually receive a
visa, applicants selected in the random drawing must meet
ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law. Processing
of entries and issuance of diversity visas to successful applicants
and their eligible family members MUST occur by midnight on
September 30, 2007. Under no circumstances can diversity visas
be issued or adjustments approved after this date, nor can
family members obtain diversity visas to follow to join the
applicant in the U.S. after this date.
Important Notice
No fee is charged to enter
the annual DV program. 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 casework for applicants 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 applicant's
discretion.
A qualified entry submitted electronically
directly by an applicant has an equal chance of being selected
by the computer at the Kentucky Consular Center, as does an
entry submitted electronically through a paid intermediary
who completes the entry for the applicant.Every entry
received during the lottery registration period will have
an equal random chance of being selected within its region.
However, receipt of more than one entry per person will disqualify
the person from registration, regardless of the source of
the entry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
DV REGISTRATION
- WHAT DOES THE TERM "NATIVE" MEAN? ARE THERE ANY
SITUATIONS IN WHICHPERSONS WHO WERE NOT BORN IN A QUALIFYING
COUNTRY MAY APPLY?
"Native" ordinarily means someone born in a particular country,
regardless of the individual's current country of residence
or nationality. But for immigration purposes “native”
can also mean someone who is entitled to be “charged”
to a country other than the one in which he/she was born
under the provisions of Section 202(b) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act.
For example, if a principal applicant was born in a country
that is not eligible for this year’s DV program, he/she
may claim “chargeability” to the country where his/her
derivative spouse was born, but he/she will not be issued
a DV-1 unless the spouse is also eligible for and issued
a DV-2, and both must enter the U.S. together on the DVs.
In a similar manner, a minor dependent child can be “charged”
to a parent’s country of birth.
Finally, any applicant born in a country ineligible for
this year’s DV program can be “charged” to the country
of birth of either parent as long as neither parent was
a resident of the ineligible country at the time of the
applicant’s birth. In general, people are not considered
residents of a country in which they were not born or legally
naturalized if they are only visiting the country temporarily
or stationed in the country for business or professional
reasons on behalf of a company or government.
An applicant who claims alternate chargeability must indicate
such information on the application for registration. Please
be aware that listing an incorrect country of eligibility
(i.e. one to which the entrant cannot establish a valid
claim) may disqualify the entry.
- ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR NEW REQUIREMENTS IN THE
APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THIS DIVERSITY VISA REGISTRATION?
All DV-2007 lottery entries must be submitted electronically
at www.dvlottery.state.gov between Wednesday, October 5,
2005 and Sunday, December 4, 2005. No paper entries will
be accepted.
The Department of State implemented an electronic registration
system for the lottery in order to make the Diversity Visa
process more efficient and secure. The Department utilizes
special technology and other means to identify applicants
who commit fraud for the purposes of illegal immigration
or who submit multiple entries.
The DV-2007 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program registration
period will run from noon Eastern Standard Time October
5, 2005 through noon Eastern Standard Time December 4, 2005.
- ARE PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED FOR EACH FAMILY MEMBER,
OR ONLY FOR THE PRINCIPAL APPLICANT?
Recent and individual photos of the applicant,
his/her spouse and all children under 21 years of age are
required. Family or group photos are not accepted. Check
the information on the photo requirements on page 2 of this
bulletin.
- WHY DO NATIVES OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES NOT QUALIFY
FOR THE DIVERSITY PROGRAM?
Diversity visas are intended to provide an immigration
opportunity for persons from countries other than the countries,
which send large numbers of immigrants to the U.S. The law
states that no diversity visas shall be provided for natives
of "high admission" countries. The law defines this to mean
countries from which a total of 50,000 persons in the Family-Sponsored
and Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to the United
States during the previous five years. Each year, the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adds the family
and employment immigrant admission figures for the previous
five years in order to identify the countries whose natives
must be excluded from the annual diversity lottery. Because
there is a separate determination made before each annual
DV entry period, the list of countries whose natives do
not qualify may change from one year to the next.
- WHAT IS THE NUMERICAL LIMIT FOR DV-2007?
By law, the U.S. diversity immigration program
makes available a maximum of 55,000 permanent residence
visas each year to eligible persons. However, the Nicaraguan
Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed
by Congress in November 1997 stipulates that beginning as
early as DV-99, and for as long as necessary, 5,000 of the
55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas will be made available
for use under the NACARA program. The actual reduction of
the limit to 50,000 began with DV-2000 and remains in effect
for the DV-2007 program.
- WHAT ARE THE REGIONAL DIVERSITYVISA
(DV) LIMITS FOR DV-2007?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
determines the DV regional limits for each year according
to a formula specified in Section 203(c) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (INA). Once the USCIS has completed
the calculations, the regional visa limits will be announced.
- WHEN WILL ENTRIES FOR THE DV-2007 PROGRAM BE ACCEPTED?
The DV-2007 entry period will begin on noon EST
Wednesday, October 5, 2005 and will end at noon EST Sunday,
December 4, 2005. Each year millions apply for the program
during the registration period. The massive volume of entries
creates an enormous amount of work in selecting and processing
successful applicants. Holding the entry period during October
through December will ensure successful applicants are notified
in a timely manner, and gives both them and our embassies
and consulates time to prepare and complete entries for
visa issuance. Applicants are strongly encouraged to enter
early in the registration period. Excessive demand at end
of the registration period may slow the system down. No
entries whatsoever will be accepted after noon EST Sunday,
December 4, 2005.
- MAY PERSONS WHO ARE IN THE U.S. APPLY FOR THE
PROGRAM?
Yes, an applicant may be in the U.S. or in another
country, and the entry may be submitted from the U.S. or
from abroad.
- IS EACH APPLICANT LIMITED TO ONLY ONE ENTRY DURING
THE ANNUAL DV REGISTRATION PERIOD?
Yes, the law allows only one entry by or for each
person during each registration period; applicants
for whom more than one entry is submitted will be disqualified.
The Department of State will employ sophisticated technology
and other means to identify individuals that submit multiple
entries during the registration period. Applicants submitting
more than one entry will be disqualified and an electronic
record will be permanently maintained by the Department
of State. Applicants may apply for the program each year
during the regular registration period.
- MAY A HUSBAND AND A WIFE EACH SUBMIT A SEPARATE
ENTRY?
Yes, a husband and a wife may each submit one entry
if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either were
selected, the other would be entitled to derivative status.
- WHAT FAMILY MEMBERS MUST I INCLUDE ON MY DV ENTRY?
On your entry you must list your spouse,
that is husband or wife, and all unmarried children under
21 years of age at the time the entry is submitted, with
the exception of children who are already U.S. citizens
or Legal Permanent Residents. You must list your spouse
even if you are currently separated from him/her, unless
you are legally separated (i.e. there is a written agreement
recognized by a court or a court order.) If you are legally
separated or divorced, you do not need to list your former
spouse. You must list ALL your children who are
unmarried and under 21 years of age, whether they
are your natural children, your spouse’s children, or
children you have formally adopted in accordance with the
laws of your country, unless such child is already a U.S.
citizen or Legal Permanent Resident. List all children
under 21 years of age even if they no longer reside with
you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the
DV program.
The fact that you have listed family members on
your entry does not mean that they later must travel with
you. They may choose to remain behind. However, if you include
an eligible dependent on your visa application forms that
you failed to include on your original entry, your case
will be disqualified. (This only applies to persons who
were dependents at the time the original application was
submitted, not those acquired at a later date.) Your spouse
may still submit a separate entry, even though he or she
is listed on your entry, as long as both entries include
details on all dependents in your family. See question 10
above.
- MUST EACH APPLICANT SUBMIT HIS/HER OWN ENTRY,
OR MAY SOMEONE ACT ON BEHALF OF AN APPLICANT?
Applicants may prepare and submit their own entries,
or have someone submit the entry for them. Regardless of
whether the applicant submits an entry directly, or with
the assistance provided by an attorney, friend, relative,
etc., only one entry may be submitted in the name of each
person. If the entry is selected, the notification letter
will be sent only to the mailing address provided on the
entry.
- WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION OR WORK
EXPERIENCE?
The law and regulations require that every applicant
must have at least a high school education or its equivalent
or, within the past five years, have two years of work experience
in an occupation requiring at least two years training or
experience. A "high school education or equivalent" is defined
as successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary
and secondary education in the United States or successful
completion in another country of a formal course of elementary
and secondary education comparable to a high school education
in the United States. Documentary proof of education or
work experience should not be submitted with the lottery
entry, but must be presented to the consular officer at
the time of the visa interview. To determine eligibility
based on work experience, definitions from the Department
of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used.
- HOW WILL SUCCESSFUL ENTRANTS BE SELECTED?
All entries received from each region will be individually
numbered by computer. After the end of the registration
period, a computer will randomly select entries from among
all the entries received for each geographic region. Within
each region, the first entry randomly selected will be the
first case registered, the second entry selected the second
registration, etc. All entries received during the registration
period will have an equal chance of being selected within
each region. When an entry has been selected, the applicant
will be sent a notification letter by the Kentucky Consular
Center, which will provide visa application instructions.
The Kentucky Consular Center will continue to process the
case until those who are selected are instructed to appear
for visa interviews at a U.S. consular office, or until
those able to do so apply at a USCIS office in the United
States for change of status.
- MAY WINNING APPLICANTS ADJUST THEIR STATUS WITH
USCIS?
Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible to adjust
status under the terms of Section 245 of the INA, selected
applicants who are physically present in the United States
may apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) for adjustment of status to permanent resident.
Applicants must ensure that USCIS can complete action
on their cases, including processing of any overseas derivatives,
before September 30, 2007, since on that date registrations
for the DV-2007 program expire. No visa numbers for the
DV-2007 program will be available after midnight on September
30, 2007 under any circumstances.
- WILL APPLICANTS WHO ARE NOT SELECTED BE INFORMED?
No, applicants who are not selected will receive
no response to their entry. Only those who are selected
will be informed. All notification letters are sent within
about five to seven months from the end of the application
period to the address indicated on the entry. Since there
is no notification provided to those not selected, anyone
who does not receive a letter about five to seven months
from the end of the registration period should assume that
his/her application has not been selected.
- HOW MANY APPLICANTS WILL BE SELECTED?
There are 50,000 DV visas available for DV-2007,
but more than that number of individuals will be selected.
Because it is likely that some of the first 50,000 persons
who are selected will not qualify for visas or pursue their
cases to visa issuance, more than 50,000 entries will be
selected by the Kentucky Consular Center to ensure that
all of the available DV visas are issued. However, this
also means that there will not be a sufficient number of
visas for all those who are initially selected. All applicants
who are selected will be informed promptly of their place
on the list. Interviews with those selected will begin in
early October 2006. The Kentucky Consular Center will send
appointment letters to selected applicants four to six weeks
before the scheduled interviews with U.S. consular officers
at overseas posts. Each month visas will be issued, visa
number availability permitting, to those applicants who
are ready for issuance during that month. Once all of the
50,000 DV visas have been issued, the program for the year
will end. In principle, visa numbers could be finished before
September 2007. Selected applicants who wish to receive
visas must be prepared to act promptly on their cases.
Random selection by the Kentucky Consular Center computer
does not automatically guarantee that you will receive a
visa.
- IS THERE A MINIMUM AGE FOR APPLICANTS TO APPLY
FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
There is no minimum age to apply for the program,
but the requirement of a high school education or work experience
for each principal applicant at the time of application
will effectively disqualify most persons who are under age
18.
- ARE THERE ANY FEES FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
There is no fee for submitting an entry.
A special DV case processing fee will be payable
later by persons whose entries are actually selected and processed
at a U.S. consular section for this year’s program.
DV applicants, like other immigrant visa applicants, must
also pay the regular visa fees at the time of visa application.
Details of required fees will be included with the instructions
sent by the Kentucky Consular Center to applicants who are
selected.
- ARE DV APPLICANTS SPECIALLY ENTITLED TO APPLY
FOR A WAIVER OF ANY OF THE GROUNDS OF VISA INELIGIBILITY?
No. Applicants are subject to all grounds of ineligibility
for immigrant visas specified in the Immigration and Nationality
Act. There are no special provisions for the waiver of any
ground of visa ineligibility other than those ordinarily
provided in the Act.
- MAY PERSONS WHO ARE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR AN
IMMIGRANT VISA IN ANOTHER CATEGORY APPLY FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
Yes, such persons may apply for the DV program.
- HOW LONG DO APPLICANTS WHO ARE SELECTED REMAIN
ENTITLED TO APPLY FOR VISAS IN THE DV CATEGORY?
Persons selected in the DV-2007 lottery are entitled
to apply for visa issuance only during fiscal year 2007,
i.e., from October 2006 through September 2007. Applicants
must obtain the DV visa or adjust status by the end of the
Fiscal Year (September 30, 2007). There is no carry-over
of DV benefits into the next year for persons who are selected
but who do not obtain visas during FY-2007. Also, spouses
and children who derive status from a DV-2007 registration
can only obtain visas in the DV category between October
2006 and September 2007. Applicants who apply overseas will
receive an appointment letter from the Kentucky Consular
Center four to six weeks before the scheduled appointment.
- WHEN WILL E-DV ONLINE BE AVAILABLE?
Online entry will become available at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5)
on October 5, 2005 and will end at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5)
on December 4, 2005.
- WILL I BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD AND SAVE THE E-DV ENTRY
FORM TO A MICROSOFT WORD PROGRAM (OR OTHER SUITABLE PROGRAM)
AND THEN FILL IT OUT?
No, you will not be able to save the form into another program
for completion and submission later. The E-DV Entry Form
is a Web form only. This makes it more "universal" than
a proprietary word processor format. Additionally, it does
require that the information be filled in and submitted
while on-line.
- IF I DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A SCANNER, CAN I SEND
PHOTOS TO MY RELATIVE IN THE U.S. TO SCAN THE PHOTOS, SAVE
THE PHOTOS TO A DISKETTE, AND THEN MAIL THE DISKETTE BACK
TO ME TO APPLY?
Yes, this can be done as long as the photo meets the photo
requirements in the instructions, and the photo is electronically
submitted with, and at the same time the E-DV online entry
is submitted. The applicant must already have the scanned
photo file when they submit the entry on-line. The photo
cannot be submitted separate from the online application.
Only one on-line entry by or for each person can be submitted.
Multiple submissions will disqualify the entry for that
person for DV-2007. The entire entry (photo and application
together) can be submitted electronically from the United
States.
- CAN I SAVE THE FORM ON-LINE SO THAT I CAN FILL
OUT PART AND THEN COME BACK LATER AND COMPLETE THE REMAINDER?
No, this cannot be done. The E-DV Entry Form is designed
to be completed and submitted at one time. However, because
the form is in two parts, and because of possible network
interruptions and delays, the E-DV system is designed to
handle up to sixty (60) minutes between downloading of the
form and when the entry is received at the E-DV web site
after being submitted online. If more than sixty minutes
elapses, and the entry has not been electronically received,
the information received so far is discarded. This is done
so that there is no possibility that a full entry could
accidentally be interpreted as a duplicate of a previous
partial entry. For example, suppose an applicant with a
wife and child sends a filled in E-DV Entry Form Part One
and then receives Form Part Two, but there is a delay before
sending Part Two because of trouble finding the file that
holds the child’s photograph. If the filled in Form Part
Two is sent by the applicant and received by the E-DV website
within sixty (60) minutes then there is no problem, but
if the Form Part Two is received after sixty (60) minutes
has elapsed then the applicant will be informed that they
need to start over for the entire entry. The DV-2007 instructions
explain clearly and completely what information needs to
be gathered to fill in the form. This way you can be fully
prepared, making sure you have all of the information needed,
before you start to complete the form on-line.
- IF THE SUBMITTED DIGITAL IMAGES DO NOT CONFORM
TO THE SPECIFICATIONS, THE PROCEDURES STATE THAT THE SYSTEM
WILL AUTOMATICALLY REJECT THE E-DV ENTRY FORM AND NOTIFY
THE SENDER. DOES THIS MEAN I WILL BE ABLE RE-SUBMIT MY ENTRY?
Yes, the entry can be resubmitted. Since the entry was automatically
rejected it was not actually considered as submitted to
the E-DV website. It does not count as a submitted E-DV
entry, and no confirmation notice of receipt is sent. If
there are problems with the digital photograph sent because
it does not conform to the requirements, it is automatically
rejected by the E-DV website. However, the amount of time
it takes the rejection message to reach the sender is unpredictable
due to the nature of the Internet. If the problems can be
fixed by the applicant, and the Form Part One or Two re-sent
within sixty (60) minutes then there is no problem. Otherwise
the submission process will have to be started over. An
applicant can try to submit an application as many times
as is necessary until a complete application is received
and the confirmation notice sent.
- WILL THE ELECTRONIC CONFIRMATION NOTICE THAT THE
COMPLETED E-DV ENTRY FORM HAS BEEN RECEIVED THROUGH THE
ONLINE SYSTEM BE SENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER SUBMISSION?
The response from the E-DV website which contains confirmation
of the receipt of an acceptable E-DV Entry Form is sent
by the E-DV website immediately, but how long it takes the
response to reach the sender is unpredictable due to the
nature of the Internet. If many minutes have elapsed since
pressing the ‘Submit’ button there is no harm in pressing
the ‘Submit’ button a second time. The E-DV system will
not be confused by a situation where the ‘Submit’ button
is hit a second time because no confirmation response has
been received. An applicant can try to submit an application
as many times as is necessary until a complete application
is received and the confirmation notice sent.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION
WHOSE NATIVES QUALIFY
The lists below show the countries whose
natives are QUALIFIED within each geographic region for this
diversity program. The determination of countries within each
region is based on information provided by the Geographer
of the Department of State. The countries whose natives do
not qualify for the DV-2007 program were identified by the
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) according
to the formula in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality
Act. Dependent areas overseas are included
within the region of the governing country.
The countries whose natives do NOT qualify for this diversity
program (because they are the principal source countries of
Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based immigration, or "high
admission" countries) are noted after the respective regional
lists.
AFRICA
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Djibouti
Egypt
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia, The
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION
WHOSE NATIVES QUALIFY
ASIA
Afghanistan
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma
Cambodia
East Timor
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Japan
Jordan
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Nepal
North Korea
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria
Taiwan
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Natives of the following Asian countries
do not qualify for this year's diversity program:
China [mainland-born], India, Pakistan,
South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam. The Hong Kong S.A.R
and Taiwan do qualify and are listed above. Macau S.A.R. also
qualifies and is listed below.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION
WHOSE NATIVES QUALIFY
EUROPE
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Estonia
Finland
France (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau Special Administrative Region
Macedonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Northern Ireland
Norway
Portugal (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Romania
San Marino
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
Natives of the following European countries
do not qualify for this year's diversity program: Great Britain,
Poland and Russia. Great Britain (United Kingdom) includes
the following dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British
Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar,
Montserrat, Pitcairn, St. Helena, Turks and Caicos Islands.
Note that for purposes of the diversity program only, Northern
Ireland is treated separately; Northern Ireland does qualify
and is listed among the qualifying areas.
LIST OF COUNTRIES BY REGION
WHOSE NATIVES QUALIFY
NORTH AMERICA
The Bahamas
In North America, natives of Canada and Mexico do not qualify
for this year's diversity program.
OCEANIA
Australia (including components and dependent
areas overseas)
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Federated States of
Nauru
New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Samoa
SOUTH AMERICA, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND THE CARIBBEAN
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Ecuador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Countries in this region whose natives
do not qualify for this year's diversity program:
Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Jamaica,
and Mexico.
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