Skip Global Navigation to Main Content
Skip Breadcrumb Navigation
Skip Left Navigation
Diversity Visa Program

Diversity Visa Program

An annual Diversity Immigration Program, commonly known as the visa lottery, makes available each year by random selection 55,000 immigrant visas to people from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. Eligibility to apply for this Program is determined by a person's place of birth, not citizenship.

Notification to winners 2012

The only official way to apply for the DV lottery is directly through the official U.S. Department of State website during the specified and limited-time registration period. 

Notifications to those selected in the random lottery are NOT sent by email or mail.  Official notification of selection will be made through Entry Status Check available from May 1, 2011 on the E-DV website at www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Please Note:  Should you receive an e-mail notification or a mailed letter about your E-DV selection, be aware that the notification is not legitimate. It is only after you are selected, and respond to the notification instructions made available to you via Entry Status Check, and processing begins on your case, that you may receive follow-up e-mail communication from the Kentucky Consular Center (KCC) informing you to review Entry Status Check for new information about your application. The KCC will not ask you to send money to them by mail or by services such as Western Union. 

DV-2013

The registration period for DV-2013 has been announced. For further information visit the Department of State website.

Entries must be submitted electronically between noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), Tuesday, October 4, 2011, and noon, EDT (GMT-4), Saturday, November 5, 2011. Applicants may access the electronic DV Entry Form at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov/ during the registration period. Paper entries will not be accepted. We strongly encourage applicants not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter. Heavy demand may result in website delays. No entries will be accepted after noon EDT on November 5, 2011.

Do not get scammed. There is only one official U.S. government registration website - www.dvlottery.state.gov.

Fraud Warning

  • DOS seal Fraudulent websites are posing as official U.S. government sites. Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to "complete" DV entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. To learn more, see the Department of State Warning and the Federal Trade Commission Warning.