Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery Program Open for Registration

October 19, 2009

Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 U.S. Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. This Congressionally mandated program makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually, drawn from random selection among all entries to persons who meet strict eligibility requirements from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States, including Japan.

The DV-2011 lottery registration period began on Friday noon, EDT on October 2, 2009 and will run through Monday noon, EST November 30, 2009. All applications must be received during this period, and applicants are encouraged to apply early. The U.S. Department of State has established a dedicated website for the submission of e-DV entries, www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Entrants are able to check the status of their entry online. In the case of successful registration, entrants will see a printable confirmation screen containing the applicant's name and confirmation number. The confirmation page will also provide information the entrant may use to electronically check the status of their own entry.

All selected entrants will be notified by mail of their successful entries, but only those entrants who keep their confirmation page information will also be able to check their entry status through the Internet. The e-DV website also offers a "photo validator" program entrants can use to test their photographs for suitability before submission with their entries. As in the past, no fee is charged to enter the e-DV program.

For DV-2011, Japanese citizens are eligible to apply for the e-DV lottery. However, citizens of the following countries are not eligible to apply because from each a total of more than 50,000 citizens immigrated to the U.S. over the previous five years: