Overview of the- Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery
According to Section 203(c) of Immigration and Nationality (INA) act provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants” from countries with historically low rates of the immigrants to the USA. The Department of State administers the Congressionally-mandated Diversity Immigrants Via Program annually.
Highlights-
- There is no cost to register for the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery. 50,000 diversity visas (DVs) will be available for the fiscal year 2018.
- The applicants who are selected in the lottery (selectees) must take care of simple, yet, strict eligibility requirements to qualify for diversity visa (DV).
How will Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery select the selectees?
It will be an entirely electronic process (draw). The Department of State determines the selectees through a randomised computer drawing. Diversity Visa numbers are divided among six geographic regions and no single country may receive more than seven percent of the available diversity visa (DV) in any one year.
DV-2018 – a bad news for candidates of following countries-
For DV-2018 candidates from the following countries are not eligible to apply- These countries are as under
Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories and Vietnam.
Note: Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
Changes in eligibility this year: Ecuador is eligible for DV 2018.
Eligibility criteria:
No. 1 Eligibility of the country for DV 2018: Please check whether your country is eligible for DV 2018 program or not. According to the program, only the candidates (native) of the eligible countries will be allowed to enter the program.
Note: If you are not from an eligible country you can apply through following options-
- You can play the spouse card: If your spouse is a native of the eligible country you can claim your spouse’s country of birth if and only if both of you have the name on the selected entry and are found eligible for diversity visas.
- Claim parents birth country: If you are native of an ineligible country but either of your parents belongs to the eligible country for DV 2018- you can claim the birth country of your parents.
Educational qualifications: The candidates who are eligible to apply should be high school pass outs or equivalent. Successful completion of a 12 year of formal elementary and secondary education. OR:
two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation which requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.
- Strict entry period of Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery:
Please note: Do not wait until the last week for registration period to enter, as heavy demand may result in Website delay.
- No late entries or paper entries will be entertained.
The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. The system is fully electronic and the candidate with multiple entries will be disqualified on the spot. - Applicants must submit their entries for DV 2018 program electronically at dvlottery. state. gov between noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Tuesday, October 4, 2016, and noon Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Monday, November 7, 2016.
Important information to complete DV form-
1. Name (as exactly on your passport): last / family name, first name, middle name.
2. Gender: Male / Female
3. Date of birth: day month year (dmy)
4. Name of the country you were born in
5. Country of eligibility for the DV program- Country of eligibility is not the country where you live but the country you were born in.
6. Recent photographs- taken within 6 months.
7. Complete mailing address
8. Country where you live today
9. Phone number (optional)
10. City you were born in
11. Email address
12. The highest level of education you have achieved.
13. Current marital status
14. Name of children (if any)