The DV (Diversity Visa) Lottery provides a maximum of 55,000 Diversity Visas (green cards) each year to be made available to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. The program is administered by the U.S. Department of State.  The annual DV program makes visas available to persons meeting particular eligibility requirements. A computer-generated, random lottery drawing chooses selectees for DVs. The visas 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 nationals of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States over the period of the past five years.

The entry registration period for DV-2011 is now over.  The entry registration period for DV-2012 will begin around October 1, 2010.    Interested applicants will need to apply through the U.S. Department of State's website at www.dvlottery.state.gov.  

To qualify, applicants must have completed a high-school education OR have completed two years of work experience.  The work experience must have been within the past five years, and must be in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.  The occupation definitions provided by the Department of Labor's O*Net Online Database will be used to determine if the work experience qualifies.

Those applicants randomly selected are notified by mail between May and July 2010, and provided further instructions as to how to proceed.   Winners will have between October 1, 2010 and September 30, 2011 to complete processing for a green card through a U.S. Consulate overseas, or through an adjustment of status with the USCIS from within the U.S. 

***  Entering the Diversity Lottery is FREE.   Many scam websites exist, and will request money to enter an applicant into the DV Lottery.   **** Any correspondence regarding a winning lottery application will come from the Kentucky Consular Center.    ***