Annually the Department of State (DOS) administers the Diversity Visa Lottery Program which makes available up to 55,000 visas for qualified citizens and nationals of select countries. Department of State has made available 50,000 visas for the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery. Individuals from the following countries are not eligible to apply during the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program registration period:
Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born)*, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, 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 for the 2012 Diversity Lottery
Individuals of the above designated countries may still be eligible to apply based on cross-chargeability. For example, if an individual’s spouse is a national or citizen of a country not listed above, the individual may be eligible to apply for the diversity lottery. Instructions on determining eligibility, preparing, and submitting an application for the 2012 Diversity Visa Lottery Program are available on the DOS website.
New for the 2012 Diversity Lottery Program, DOS is administering the entire process electronically. Applicants selected for the lottery will not receive notification of selection in the mail or email. Instead, on or after May 1, 2011, applicants should check the status of their applications on-line on the E-DV website.
Individuals need to remember the program is a lottery. DOS will select up to 100,000 applicants to participate in the lottery. DOS will assign an individual a number designating his/her place in the visa lottery. The applicant must check the status of his/her designated visa number and, if selected for a visa, the date of his/her interview on the E-DV website. If the applicant is scheduled for an interview, he/she will need to provide additional evidence to qualify for permanent residence, including educational and professional documentation per the DOS instructions.
Please note that the DOS does NOT collect a fee to participate in the diversity lottery. Further, DOS does not employ or designate any outside consultants or websites to administer the lottery or complete applications. Using the services of an outside consultant or submitting an application on an unauthorized website does not increase your chances of selection in the lottery. If an eligible applicate is unable to file or desires assistance with preparing the application, we would recommend seeking assistance from a licensed attorney who specializes in immigration. A licensed attorney may charge for legal services to assist you in the process.
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