2013 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Registration Period

September 19, 2011

The DV-2013 Diversity Visa lottery program registration period will open on October 4. Entries for the DV-2013 Diversity Visa (DV) lottery must be submitted electronically between noon on Tuesday, October 4, 2011 and noon on Saturday, November 5, 2011, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4).

The DV-2013 program will be conducted entirely electronically. Paper entries will not be accepted. The State Department website established for the submission of E-DV entries is www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Successfully registered entries will result in the display of a confirmation screen page containing the applicant's name and confirmation number, which should then be printed by the applicant. The confirmation screen page will provide information the entrant must use to electronically check the status of his/her own entry through the Entrant Status Check (ESC) available at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Only those entrants who keep their confirmation screen page information will be able to check their entrant status and, if selected, receive application instructions and notification of their IV interview appointment.

Applicants may prepare and submit their own entries or have someone submit the entry on their behalf. Regardless of whether an entry is submitted by the individual directly or assistance is provided by an attorney, friend, relative, etc., only one entry may be submitted in the name of each individual, and the person entering DV-2013 remains responsible for ensuring that the information is correct and complete. All entrants, including those not selected, will be able to check the status of their entry through the ESC available at www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Diversity Visa Scammers Sending Fraudulent Emails and Letters

The Department of State, Office of Visa Services is aware of a notable increase in fraudulent emails and letters sent to DV program applicants. The scammers behind these fraudulent emails and letters are posing as the U.S. government in an attempt to extract payment from DV applicants. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form.

For applicants who wish to file a complaint about internet fraud, please visit http://econsumer.gov, which is a joint effort by consumer protection agencies from 27 nations, hosted by the Federal Trade Commission. To file a complaint about unsolicited email, contact the Department of Justice at www.usdoj.gov/spam.htm.