DV-Lottery 2011 Opens October 2nd
The registration period for the 2011 DV Lottery begins Friday, October 2, 2009, at noon EDT. Entries must be submitted online at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted. The registration period remains open until November 30, 2009.
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 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.
For DV-2011, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply because the countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years: 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.
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 will be 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.
The U.S. Department of State emphasizes that there is no fee to enter the DV 2011 Lottery. However, if selected, winners pursuing a green card will be required to submit visa fees to the U.S. Government.
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 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.
For DV-2011, natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply because the countries sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years: 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.
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 will be 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.
The U.S. Department of State emphasizes that there is no fee to enter the DV 2011 Lottery. However, if selected, winners pursuing a green card will be required to submit visa fees to the U.S. Government.