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Resources > Rights >
Instructions for the 2006 Diversity Immigrant
Visa Program (DV-2006)
| Source |
• Carefully read the Department
of State web site for the 2006
Diversity Visa Program (DV-2006) to verify information
and see latest changes and updates.
• Instructions
for the 2006 Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV-2006)
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The congressionally-mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program
is administered on an annual basis by the Department of State
and conducted under the terms of Section 203(c) of the Immigration
and Nationality Act (INA).
Section 131 of the Immigration Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-649)
amended INA 203 to provide for a new class of immigrants known
as "diversity immigrants" (DV immigrants). The Act
makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to
persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the
United States.
The annual DV program makes permanent residence visas available
to persons meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements.
A computer-generated random lottery drawing chooses applicants
for Diversity Visas.
Entries for the DV-2006 Diversity Visa Lottery must be submitted
electronically between Friday, November 5, and Friday, January
7, 2005.
During the registration period, beginning
12:00 noon November 5, paper entries will not be accepted.Applicants
are strongly encourages not to wait until the last week of the
registration period to enter. Heavy demand may result in delays.
No entries will be accepted after 12:00 noon on January 7, 2005.
Education or Training
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
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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 the applicant cannot meet these requirements,
he or she should not submit an entry to the DV program.
Proceedures for Submitting an Entry to DV-2006
The Department of State will only accept completed Electronic
Diversity Visa Entry Forms submitted electronically at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during
the registration period beginning at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on
November 5, 2004 and ending at 12:00 pm EST (GMT-5) on January
7, 2005.
All entries by an applicant will be disqualified if more than
ONE entry for the applicant is received, regardless of who submitted
the entry. Applicants may prepare and submit their own entries,
or have someone submit the entry for them.
Successfully registered entries will result in the display
of a confirmation screen containing the applicant's name, date
of birth, country of chargeability, and a date/time stamp. The
applicant may print this confirmation screen for his/her records
using the print function of their web browser.
Paper entries will not be accepted.
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 and stepchildren (except
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.
Group or family photos will not be accepted; there must be a
separate photo for each family member.
The Entry
There is only one way to enter the DV-2006 lottery. Applicants
must submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (EDV Entry
Form), which is accessible only at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/.
Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify
the applicant's entry. Applicants will be asked to submit the
following information on the EDV Entry Form.
| EDV Entry
Form
- FULL NAME - Last/Family Name, First
Name, Middle name
- DATE OF BIRTH - Day, Month, Year
- GENDER - Male or Female
- CITY/TOWN OF BIRTH
- COUNTRY OF BIRTH - The name of the
country should be that which is currently in use for
the place where the applicant was born.
- APPLICANT PHOTOGRAPH - See website
for information on photo specifications.
- MAILING ADDRESS - Address, City/Town,
District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code,
Country
- PHONE NUMBER (optional)
- E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)
- COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY IF THE APPLICANT'S
NATIVE COUNTRY IS DIFFERENT FROM COUNTRY OF BIRTH -
If the applicant is claiming nativity in a country other
than his/her place of birth, this information must be
indicated on the entry.
- MARITAL STATUS - Unmarried, Married,
Divorced, Widowed, Legally Separated
- NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE UNMARRIED AND
UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE Ð Except children that
are either U.S. legal permanent residents or American
citizens.
- SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date of
Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth,
Photograph
- CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date
of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth,
Photograph
NOTE: 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 and
stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21
(except 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. |
Selection of Applicants
Applicants will be selected at random by computer from among
all qualified entries. Those selected will be notified by
mail between May and July 2005 and will be provided further
instructions, including information on fees connected with
immigration to the U.S. Persons not selected will not receive
any notification. Spouses and unmarried children under age
21 of successful applicants may also apply for visas to accompany
or follow to join the principal applicant. DV-2006 visas will
be issued between October 1, 2005 and September 30, 2006.
In order to actually receive a visa, applicants selected
in the random drawing must meet ALL eligibility requirements
under U.S. law.
No Fee Charged
No fee is charged to enter the annual DV program. The U.S.
Government employs no outside consultants or private services
to operate the DV program. Any intermediaries or others who
offer assistance to prepare DV casework for applicants do so
without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government. Use
of any outside intermediary or assistance to prepare a DV entry
is entirely at the applicant's discretion.
Avoiding Fraud and Rip-Offs
There have been instances of fraudulent websites posing
as official U.S. Government sites. Some companies posing
as the U.S. Government have sought money in order to "complete"
lottery entry forms. To learn more, please see the
Federal Trade Commission Warning.
Be advised that online registration for the 2005 Diversity
Visa lottery ended December 31, 2003. The online registration
period for the DV-2006 Program will begin on November
5, 2004 and end on January 7, 2005. Applicants selected
in the Diversity Visa random drawing are notified by the
Department of State, Kentucky Consular Center, and provided
instructions on how to proceed to the next step in the
process.
No other organization or company is authorized by the
Department of State to notify Diversity Visa lottery applicants
of their winning entry. |
Frequently Asked Questions About the
1. MAY PERSONS WHO ARE IN THE U.S. APPLY FOR
THE PROGRAM?
Yes, an applicant may be in the U.S. or
in another country, and the entry may be submitted from the
U.S. or from abroad
2. IS EACH APPLICANT LIMITED TO ONLY ONE ENTRY DURING
THE ANNUAL DV REGISTRATION PERIOD?
Yes, the law allows only one entry by or
for each person during each registration period; applicants
for whom more than one entry is submitted will be disqualified.
3. MAY A HUSBAND AND A WIFE EACH SUBMIT A SEPARATE
ENTRY?
Yes, a husband and a wife may each submit
one entry if each meets the eligibility requirements. If either
were selected, the other would be entitled to derivative status.
4. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION OR WORK EXPERIENCE?
The law and regulations require that every
applicant must have at least a high school education or its
equivalent or, within the past five years, have two years
of work experience in an occupation requiring at least two
years training or experience
5. MAY WINNING APPLICANTS ADJUST THEIR STATUS WITH USCIS?
Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible
to adjust status under the terms of Section 245 of the INA,
selected applicants who are physically present in the United
States may apply to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) for adjustment of status to permanent resident.
6. MAY PERSONS WHO ARE ALREADY REGISTERED FOR AN IMMIGRANT
VISA IN ANOTHER CATEGORY APPLY FOR THE DV PROGRAM?
Yes, such persons may apply for the DV program.
List of Countries, by Region, Whose Natives Qualify
| Asia |
| Afghanistan |
Lebanon |
| Bahrain
|
Malaysia
|
| Bangladesh
|
Maldives
|
| Bhutan |
Mongolia
|
| Brunei |
Nepal |
| Burma |
North Korea
|
| Cambodia
|
Oman |
| East Timor
|
Qatar |
| Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region |
Saudi Arabia
|
| Indonesia
|
Singapore
|
| Iran |
Sri Lanka
|
| Iraq |
Syria |
| Israel |
Taiwan |
| Japan |
Thailand
|
| Jordan |
United Arab
Emirates |
| Kuwait |
Yemen |
| Laos |
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Natives of the following Asian countries do not qualify for this year's diversity program: China [mainland-born], India, Pakistan, South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam.
The Hong Kong S.A.R and Taiwan do qualify and
are listed above. Macau S.A.R. also qualifies.
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