We are pleased to inform you that the U.S. State Department has released the information on how to register for the fiscal year 2015 Diversity Lottery. You are encouraged to prepare and submit your own entry; an attorney is NOT required to submit it on your behalf. Some attorneys claim they have internal connections that can increase your chance, DO NOT BELIEVE IT. Selectees are chosen through a randomized computer drawing. For fiscal year 2015, 50,000 diversity visas (DVs) will be available. Entries must be submitted electronically here between noon EST Tuesday, October 1, 2013, and noon EST Saturday, November 2, 2013. Do not wait until the last week of the registration period to enter, as heavy demand may result in website delays. No late entries or paper entries will be accepted. The law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period. IF YOU SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE ENTRY YOU WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
Natives born in the following countries are not eligible for DV-2015:
Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, 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.
Changes in eligibility this year: For DV-2015, natives of Nigeria are no longer eligible.
Requirements for Entry
1. Applicant born in countries whose natives qualify may be eligible to enter. (see countries here – page 15) In most cases, this means the country in which you were born. However, there are two other ways you may be able to qualify. First, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible but your spouse was born in a country whose natives are eligible; you can claim your spouse’s country of birth, provided both you and your spouse are on the selected entry, are issued visas, and enter the U.S. simultaneously. Second, if you were born in a country whose natives are ineligible, but neither of your parents was born there or resided there at the time of your birth, you may claim nativity in one of your parents’ country of birth, if it is a country whose natives qualify for the DV-2015 program. For more details, click here – page 8
2. Applicant must meet either the education or training requirement of the DV program. An applicant must have either a high school education or its equivalent, defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education; OR two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or experience to perform. The U.S. Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used to determine qualifying work experience.
If an applicant cannot meet these requirements, he/she should NOT submit an entry to the DV program.
How and when to apply for DV-2015 status:
The application period for registration for the DV visas to be issued during Fiscal Year 2015 (i.e., from October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2015) will begin at noon EST Tuesday, October 1, 2013, and will end at noon EST Saturday, November 1, 2013.
There is only one way to register for the DV-2015 Lottery: Applicants must submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry Form or DS-5501), accessible online here. The form must be completed in its entirety. If the form is not completed, the applicant’s entry will be disqualified. There is no cost to register for the DV Program. Starting May 1, 2014, applicants will be able to check the status of the entry by returning here, clicking on Entrant Status Check, and entering your unique confirmation number and personal information.
Applicants will be asked to submit the following information on the EDV Entry Form:
1. FULL NAME: Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle Name – exactly as on your passport.
2. DATE OF BIRTH: Day, Month, Year
3. GENDER: Male or Female
4. CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH
5. COUNTRY OF BIRTH-the name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where the applicant was born.
6. COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT’S NATIVE COUNTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH-if the applicant is claiming nativity in another country other than his/her place of birth, this information must be submitted on the entry. If the applicant is claiming nativity through spouse or parent, please indicate this on the entry form as well. (See information – on page 8)
7. APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH-see information – on page 5 for information on the photograph and how it must be submitted.
8. MAILING ADDRESS-Address, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country
9. COUNTRY WHERE YOU LIVE TODAY
10. PHONE NUMBER (optional, but recommended)
11. E-MAIL ADDRESS– you will receive follow-up email communication from Department of State notifying you that details of your immigrant visa interview are available on Entrant Status Check.
12. HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION-You must indicate which one of the following represents your own highest level of educational achievement: (1) Primary school only, (2) High school, no degree, (3) High school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate-level courses, (8) Master’s degree, (9) Some doctoral-level courses, and (10) Doctorate.
13. CURRENT MARITAL STATUS-Unmarried, Married, Divorced, Widowed or Legally Separated. Enter the Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth and a Photograph of your spouse meeting the same technical specifications as your photo.
14. NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE – except children that are either U.S. legal permanent residents or American Citizens. List the Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth. Submit individual photographs of each of your children using the same technical specifications as your photo.
Note that all entries must include the name, date, and place of birth of the applicant’s spouse and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted children and stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21 (exception: those children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents), even if you are no longer legally married to the child’s parent, and even if the spouse or child does not currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you. Note that married children and children 21 years or older will not qualify for the diversity visa. Failure to list all children will result in your disqualification for the visa.
Photograph(s)
The entry will be disqualified if all required photos are not submitted.
Recent photographs of the applicant and his/her spouse and each child under 21 years of age, including all natural children as well as all legally-adopted children and stepchildren (excepting a child who is already a U.S. citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident), even if a child no longer resides with the applicant or is not intended to immigrate under the DV program, must be submitted electronically with the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form.
Each applicant, his/her spouse, and each child will therefore need a computer file containing his/her digital photo (image) which will be submitted on-line with the EDV Entry Form. The image file can be produced either by taking a new digital photograph or by scanning a photographic print with a digital scanner.
If the submitted digital images do not conform to the specifications, the system will automatically reject the EDV Entry Form and notify the sender. The following specifications must be satisfied:
If a new digital photograph is taken
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size is 240 KB.
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It must have a resolution of 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels high
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Image MUST be in color (24 bits per pixel)
If a photographic print is scanned
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It must be scanned at a resolution of at least 300 dots per inch (dpi) and with a color depth of 24-bit color or True color.
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The image must be in the Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) format.
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The maximum image file size is 240 KB.
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It must have a resolution of 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels high
If the submitted digital images do not conform to the following specifications, the entry will be disqualified:
- Applicant, spouse, or child must be directly facing the camera; the head of the person being photographed should not be tilted up, down or to the side. The head height should cover between 50% and 69% of the area of the photo.
- The photo should be taken with the person being photographed in front of a neutral, light-colored background. Photos taken with very dark or patterned, busy backgrounds will not be accepted.
- Photos in which the face of the person being photographed is not in focus will not be accepted.
- Photos in which the face of the person being photographed is wearing sunglasses or other paraphernalia which detracts from the face will not be accepted.
- Photos of applicants wearing head coverings or hats are only acceptable due to religious beliefs, and even then, may not obscure any portion of the face of the applicant. Photos of applicants with tribal or other headgear not specifically religious in nature are not acceptable. Photos of military, airline, or other personnel wearing hats will not be accepted.
Color photographs in 24-bit color depth are required. Photographs may be downloaded from a camera to a file in the computer, or they may be scanned to a file in the computer. If you are using a scanner, the settings must be for True Color or 24-bit color mode. Color photographs must be scanned at this setting for the requirements of the DV program.
Concluding Remarks
Only one application may be submitted by or for each applicant during this registration period. Submitting more than one application will disqualify the person from registration. However, a husband and wife may each submit an application, including the required details about the other, without violating this rule. Applications for registration will be grouped by region and will be selected strictly in a random order from among all those received during the application period. Every application received will have an equal chance of being selected.
NO fee is charged to enter the annual DV program. However, a special DV case processing fee will be payable later by persons whose entries are actually selected and processed at a U.S. consular section for this year’s program. DV applicants, like other immigrant visa applicants, must also pay the regular visa fees directly to USCIS at the time of visa issuance. Details of required fees will be included with the instructions provided through the EDV website here.
Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among all qualified entries. You must your confirmation number to access Entrant Status Check available on EDV website here stating May 1, 2014 through at least September 2015. Entrant Status Check is the sole means by which you will be notified if you are selected, provided further instructions on your visa application, and notified of your immigrant visa interview appointment date and time. The Department of State will NOT contact you to tell you that you have been selected. Persons not selected will NOT receive any notification. U.S. embassies and consulates will not be able to check your selection statues for you.
For DV-2015, applicants may check the status of their entry using Entrant Status Check. You must have your confirmation number to access Entrant Status Check. A tool is now available on site that will allow you to retrieve your confirmation number via the email address you registered with by entering certain personal information to confirm your identify. U.S. embassies and consulates and the Kentucky Consular Center are unable to provide your confirmation number to you directly.
Should you have any other questions, please see the information posted here.
We encourage all applicants to prepare and submit their own entry but as always, Tidwell, Swaim & Associates is ready to help you navigate through this process.