Instructions for the Diversity Visa Lottery program DV-2014

September 20, 2012

Based on Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the U.S. government conducts the Diversity Visa program each year. In this program, applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States are selected in a random lottery from among those who enter.

Online registration for the DV-2014 Program will begin on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and conclude on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4). After the entry period opens October 2, we recommend early entry, and we strongly encourage applicants not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter.

Successful applicants will no longer be notified by mail, and will not receive first notifications about a successful application by e-mail. Instead, from May 1, 2013 on, applicants can check for themselves to see if they have been selected online using “Entry Status Check” at the same website, http://www.dvlottery.state.gov, using their confirmation numbers. Entrants should make sure to keep their confirmation numbers, because no one else has access to them. After checking the status of their entry next year, successful applicants in this year’s lottery will be directed to a confirmation page and instructions on further steps toward the visa application. Then, they will receive instructions on how to apply via e-mail.

Starting May 1, 2013, you will be able to check the status of your DV-2014 entry by returning to http://www.dvlottery.state.gov, clicking on Entrant Status Check, and entering your unique confirmation number and personal information. Entrant Status Check will be the sole means of informing you of your selection for DV-2014, providing instructions to you on how to proceed with your application, and notifying you of your appointment for your immigrant visa interview. Therefore, it is essential you retain your confirmation number.

Entries will be selected at random using a computerized system. If an applicant is selected for interview, he or she may apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy at a time to be determined after the drawing, along with any legal spouse and unmarried children under 21 at the time of the application for a visa. Visas in this program for qualified applicants will be issued from October 1, 2013, until September 30, 2014. No more visas in this year’s program can be issued after that final date. Applicants must be legally qualified for a visa under all sections of U.S. immigration law in order to be issued a visa in the DV program.

Important Notice:

Electronic entry to the DV-2014 program is free of charge. The U.S. government does not employ any outside consultants or private firms in connection with the DV program. Agents offering help to enter the program do so without any verification or authority of the U.S. government. We cannot be responsible for use of third parties to enter the DV program.

NOTICE: The Department of State strongly encourages applicants to complete the entry form without the assistance of “Visa Consultants,” “Visa Agents,” or other individuals who offer to submit an entry on behalf of applicants. If somebody else (a third-party) helps you to complete your entry form, you should be present when the entry is prepared so that you can retain the confirmation page and your unique confirmation number. Facilitators may try to withhold confirmation numbers in order to make an unlawful demand for money or services in exchange for notification information that should have been directly available to you.

REMINDER: Your unique confirmation number from your DV-2014 online entry registration is required for you to later access the E-DV website. You will need to access the E-DV website after May 1, 2013, to determine whether or not your entry has been selected through the Entrant Status Check. Entrant Status Check will be the sole means of informing you of your selection for DV-2014. It will provide instructions to you on how to proceed with your application and notify you of the date and time of your immigrant visa interview. If you do not have your confirmation information, you will not be able to check your DV entry status.

If you receive a notification about a winning entry in the DV lottery by mail or e-mail, please do not consider that notice to be valid.

Applicants who are not selected in the random drawing will also not be notified, but will be able to check their status using Entry Status Check as explained above.