Every fiscal year the U.S. embassy opens up the registration for Diversity Visa Program for a limited period. The detailed instructions are readily available on the official website of the Department of State. Nowadays, the embassy conducts registration and submission of the application electronically on the website of Electronic Diversity Visa. The embassy does not have provision for paper entries or late entries. Incidentally, the department allows only one entry per person. Registration for the DV Program is free. When you register the portal offers you a confirmation number. Save this number with you because only by entering this number can you get access to the status of your application.
Selection for the Diversity Visa Program
The Department of State takes into consideration the allocations available with each region. Generally, around May 7, the official website updates its entrants’ approval status of their online registration. For checking your entry status, enter the confirmation number you received while registering. There is no provision for resending the confirmation number if you lose it. It is the only way of checking whether the embassy selected your entry or not. The officials will not send you notifications via email or regular post. The only way to find out about your selection is by accessing the E-DV website. If the notification on this website indicates your selection then you must start further processing for getting the visa.
Are You Selected? Then, Here’s What You Do!
Selection notification through E-DV website does not indicate that you will qualify for Diversity Visa Program. Next you will need to prove your eligibility. To qualify for the DV Program an applicant must have two years of work experience and a high school education. Both these criteria’s should fulfill the provisions defined under the U.S. law. In the case you do not have either of the qualification then you cannot get the Diversity Visa.
The qualifying occupations are listed on the Department of Labor Website. Next you also require a valid passport to qualify for this program. However, in special cases the officials do provide three limited exemptions for passports.
Submitting Immigrant Visa for DV-2020 Program
If you qualify for the program, the next step is to apply for the diversity visa by completing Form DS-260. In the case you are the principal applicant and applying for all your family members you will have to upload all the necessary information in your DV entry. You can do so by entering DVcase number into the form. In the case you have got married or had a child in between, you must add this new information about your family in the form. Additionally, you will also have to attach documents that prove your relationship with these family members.