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The online registration period for the 2013 Diversity Visa Program (DV-2013) will begin on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at noon, eastern daylight time (EDT) (GMT-4), and conclude on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 at noon, eastern standard time (EST) (GMT-5). Applicants must register online at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov.
The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program makes available up to 55,000 diversity visas (DVs) annually. DV entries are randomly selected from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States within the previous five years, and must meet strict eligibility requirements.
Natives of all countries are eligible to apply unless the country sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the United States in the previous five years. Countries ineligible this year are 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 apply.
The law and regulations require that every DV entrant must have at least: (1) a high school education or its equivalent or (2) two years’ work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years’ training or experience. The Department of State does not notify successful DV applicants by letter or e-mail. Entrants may check the status of their entries by returning to the website at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov to find out if their entry was selected or not.
Fraud Warning
Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to “complete” DV entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form.
© 2012 Vedder PriceAbout the Author
About the Author
