Entry of EDV lottery 2010

There is only one way to enter the DV-2010 lottery. You must submit an Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV Entry Form), which is accessible only at www.dvlottery.state.gov. Failure to complete the form in its entirety will disqualify the entry. Those who submit the E-DV entry will be asked to include the following information on the E-DV Entry Form.
1. FULL NAME- Last/Family Name, First Name, Middle name
2. DATE OF BIRTH- Day, Month, Year
3. GENDER- Male or Female
4. CITY WHERE YOU WERE BORN
5. COUNTRY WHERE YOU WERE BORN - The name of the country should be that which is currently in use for the place where you were born.
6. COUNTRY OF ELIGIBILITY OR CHARGEABILITY FOR THE DV PROGRAM - Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live. If you were born in a country that is not eligible for the DV program, please review the instructions to see if there is another option for country of chargeability available for you. For additional information on chargeability, please review Frequently Asked Question #1 of these instructions.
7. ENTRY PHOTOGRAPH(S) - See technical information on photograph specifications. Make sure you include photographs of your spouse and all your children, if applicable. See Frequently Asked Question #11
8. MAILING ADDRESS – In Care Of, Address Line 1, Address Line 2, City/Town, District/Country/Province/State, Postal Code/Zip Code, Country
9. COUNTRY WHERE YOU LIVE TODAY
10. PHONE NUMBER (optional)
11. E-MAIL ADDRESS (optional)
12. WHAT IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION YOU HAVE ACHIEVED, AS OF TODAY?
You must indicate which one of the following represents your own highest level of educational achievement:
(1) Primary school only, (2) High school, no degree, (3) High school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate level courses, (8) Master degree, (9) Some doctorate level courses, and (10) Doctorate degree.
13. MARITAL STATUS- Unmarried, Married, Divorced, Widowed, Legally Separated
14.NUMBER OF CHILDREN: Entries must include the name, date and place of birth of your spouse and all natural children, as well as all legally-adopted children and stepchildren, who are unmarried and under the age of 21 (do not include 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 are not eligible for the diversity visa.Failure to list all children who are eligible will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.See Frequently Asked Question #11.
15. SPOUSE INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph. Failure to list your spouse will result in disqualification of the principal applicant and refusal of all visas in the case at the time of the visa interview.
16. CHILDREN INFORMATION - Name, Date of Birth, Gender, City/Town of Birth, Country of Birth, Photograph:Include all children declared in question #14 above.
SELECTION OF APPLICANTS
The computer will select at random individuals from among all qualified entries.
They will be notified by mail between May and July 2008 and will be provided further instructions, including information on fees connected with immigration to the U.S.Those selected in the random drawing are NOT notified by email.Those individuals NOT selected will NOT receive any notification.U.S. embassies and consulates will not be able to provide a list of successful entrants. Spouses and unmarried children under age 21 of successful entrants may also apply for visas to accompany or follow to join the principal applicant.DV-2009 visas will be issued between October 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. In order to receive a Diversity Visa to immigrate to the United States, those chosen in the random drawing must meet ALL eligibility requirements under U.S. law. Processing of entries and issuance of diversity visas to
successful individuals and their eligible family members MUST occur by midnight on September 30, 2009. Under no circumstances can diversity visas be issued or adjustments approved after this date, nor can family members obtain diversity visas to follow to join the principal applicant in their case in the U.S. after this date.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
No fee is charged for the electronic lottery entry in 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 entries 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 entrant's discretion.A qualified entry submitted electronically directly by an applicant has an equal chance of being selected by the computer at the Kentucky Consular Center,as does an entry submitted electronically through a paid intermediary who completes the entry for the applicant. Every entry received during the lottery registration period will have an equal random chance of being selected within its region. However, receipt of more than one entry per person will disqualify the person from registration,regardless of the source of the entry.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT E-DV REGISTRATION
1. WHAT DO THE TERMS “ELIGIBILITY”, "NATIVE" AND “CHARGEABILITY” MEAN?
ARE THERE ANY SITUATIONS IN WHICH PERSONS WHO WERE NOT BORN IN A QUALIFYING COUNTRY MAY APPLY?
Your country of eligibility will normally be the same as your country of birth. Your country of eligibility is not related to where you live. “Native” ordinarily means someone born in a particular country, regardless of the individual's current country of residence or nationality. For immigration purposes “native” can also mean someone who is entitled to be “charged” to a country other than the one in which he/she was born under the provisions of Section 202(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. For example, if you were born in a country that is not eligible for this year’s DV program, you may claim chargeability to the country where your derivative spouse was born, but you will not be issued a DV-1 unless your spouse is also eligible for and issued a DV-2, and both of you must enter the United States together with the diversity visas. In a similar manner, a minor dependent child can be “charged” to a parent’s country of birth. Finally, if you were born in a country not eligible to participate in this year’s DV program, you can be “charged” to the country of birth of either of your parents as long as neither parent was a resident of the ineligible country at the time of the your birth. In general, people are not considered residents of a country in which they were not born or legally naturalized if they are only visiting the country, studying in the country temporarily, or stationed in the country for business or professional reasons on behalf of a company or government.If you claim alternate chargeability, you must indicate such information on the E-DV electronic online entry form, question #6. Please be aware that listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e. one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) may disqualify your entry.
2. ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR NEW REQUIREMENTSIN THE APPLICATION PROCEDURES FOR THIS DIVERSITY VISA REGISTRATION?
All DV-2009 lottery entries must be submitted electronically at www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. No paper entries will be accepted. Several questions and options for answers have been added to DV-2009 to gather additional information. Several questions and options for answers have been added to DV-2009 to gather additional information. Country where you live today? What is the highest level of education you have achieved, as of today?You must choose one of the ten options indicating the highest level of education you have achieved: (1) Primary school only, (2) High school, no degree, (3) High school degree, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6) University degree, (7) Some graduate level courses, (8) Master degree, (9) Some doctorate level courses, and (10) Doctorate degree.“Legally Separated”replaces the term “Separated” used in previous DV programs as an option under the question “What is your marital status?” Legal separation means that a court has formally declared that you and your spouse are legally separated. Legal separation means that your spouse would not be eligible to immigrate as your derivative.
3. ARE SIGNATURES AND PHOTOGRAPHS REQUIRED FOR EACH FAMILY MEMBER, OR ONLY FOR THE PRINCIPAL ENTRANT?
Signatures are not required on the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. Recent and individual photographs of you, your spouse and all children under 21 years of age are required. Family or group photographs are not accepted. Refer to the information on the photograph requirements on page 2 of this bulletin.
4. WHY DO NATIVES OF CERTAIN COUNTRIES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE DIVERSITY PROGRAM?
Diversity visas are intended to provide an immigration opportunity for persons from countries other than the countries that send large numbers of immigrants to the U.S. The law states that no diversity visas shall be provided for natives of "high admission" countries. The law defines this to mean countries from which a total of 50,000 persons in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to the United States during the period of the previous five years. Each year, the USCIS adds the family and employment immigrant admission figures for the previous five years in order to identify the countries whose natives will be ineligible for the annual diversity lottery. Because there is a separate determination made before each annual E-DV entry period, the list of countries whose natives are not eligible may change from one year to the next.
5. WHAT IS THE NUMERICAL LIMIT FOR DV-2009?
By law, the U.S. diversity immigration program makes available a maximum of 55,000 permanent residence visas each year to eligible persons. However, the Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997 stipulates that beginning as early as DV-1999, and for as long as necessary, up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas will be made available for use under the NACARA program. The actual reduction of the limit by up to 5,000 diversity visas began with DV-2000 and is likely to remain in effect through the DV-2009 program.
6. WHAT ARE THE REGIONAL DIVERSITY VISA (DV) LIMITS FOR DV-2009?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines the DV regional limits for each year according to a formula specified in Section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Once the USCIS has completed the calculations, the regional visa limits are announced.
7. WHEN WILL ENTRIES FOR THE DV-2009 PROGRAM BE ACCEPTED?
The DV-2009 entry period will run through the registration period. Each year millions of people apply for the program during the registration period. The massive volume of entries creates an enormous amount of work in selecting and processing successful individuals.Holding the entry period during October, November, and December will ensure that selectees are notified in a timely manner, and gives both the visa applicants and our embassies and consulates time to prepare and complete cases for visa issuance. You are strongly encouraged to enter early in the registration period. Excessive demand at end of the registration period may slow the system down. No entries whatsoever will be accepted after noon EST Sunday, December 2, 2007.
8. 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 United States or from abroad.
9. IS EACH APPLICANT LIMITED TO ONLY ONE ENTRY DURING THE ANNUAL E-DV REGISTRATION PERIOD?
Yes, the law allows only one entry by or for each person during each registration period.Individuals for whom more than one entry is submitted will be disqualified. The Department of State will employ sophisticated technology and other means to identify individuals who submit multiple entries during the registration period.People submitting more than one entry will be disqualified and an electronic record will be permanently maintained by the Department of State. Individuals may apply for the program each year during the regular registration period.
10. 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.
11. WHAT FAMILY MEMBERS MUST I INCLUDE ON MY E-DV ENTRY?
On your entry you must list your spouse, that is husband or wife, and all unmarried children under 21 years of age, with the exception of children who are already U.S. citizens or Legal Permanent Residents.You must list your spouse even if you are currently separated from him/her, unless you are legally separated (i.e. there is a written agreement recognized by a court or a court order). If you are legally separated or divorced, you do not need to list your former spouse. You must list ALL your children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age, whether they are your biological children, your spouse’s children, or children you have formally adopted in accordance with the laws of your country, unless such child is already a U.S. citizen or Legal Permanent Resident.List all children under 21 years of age even if they no longer reside with you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the DV program. The fact that you have listed family members on your entry does not mean that they later must travel with you. They may choose to remain behind. However, if you include an eligible dependent on your visa application forms that you failed to include on your original entry, your case will be disqualified. This only applies to those who were family members at the time the original application was submitted, not those acquired at a later date. Your spouse may still submit a separate entry, even though he or she is listed on your entry, as long as both entries include details on all dependents in your family. See question #10 above.
12. MUST EACH INDIVIDUAL SUBMIT HIS/HER OWN ENTRY, OR MAY SOMEONE ACT ON BEHALF OF ANOTHER PERSON?
People may prepare and submit their own entries, or have someone submit the entry for them. 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 person and the entrant remains responsible for insuring that information in the entry is correct and complete. If the entry is selected, the notification letter will be sent onlyto the mailing address provided on the entry.
13. WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR EDUCATION OR WORK EXPERIENCE?
The law and regulations require that every entrant musthave 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. A "high school education or equivalent" is defined as successful completion of a twelve-year course of elementary and secondary education in the United States or successful completion in another country of a formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a high school education in the United States. Documentary proof of education or work experience must be presented to the consular officer at the time of the visa interview. To determine eligibility based on work experience, definitions from the Department of Labor’s O*Net OnLine database will be used. What Occupations qualify for the Diversity Visa Program?The Department of Labor (DOL) O*Net Online Database database groups job experience into five "job zones." While many occupations are listed on the DOL Website, only certain specified occupations qualify for the Diversity Visa Program. To qualify for a Diversity Visa on the basis of your work experience, you must, within the past five years, have two years of experience in an occupation that is designated as Job Zone 4 or 5, classified in a Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 7.0 or higher. How Do I Find the Qualifying Occupations on the Department of Labor Website? Qualifying DV Occupations are shown on the Department of Labor O*Net Online Database. Follow these steps to find out if your occupation qualifies: Select "Find Occupations" and then select a specific "Job Family". For example, select Architecture and Engineering and click "GO". Then click on the link for the specific Occupation.Following the same example, click Aerospace Engineers. After selecting a specific Occupation link, select the tab "Job Zone" to find out the designated Job Zone number and Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating range.
14. HOW WILL SUCCESSFUL ENTRANTS BE SELECTED?
At the Kentucky Consular Center, all entries received from each region will be individually numbered. After the end of the registration period, a computer will randomly select entries from among all the entries received for each geographic region. Within each region, the first entry randomly selected will be the first case registered, the second entry selected the second registration, etc. All entries received during the registration period will have an equal chance of being selected within each region. When an entry has been selected, the entrant will be sent a notification letter by the Kentucky Consular Center, which will provide visa application instructions.The Kentucky Consular Center will continue to process the case until those selected to be visa applicants are instructed to appear for visa interviews at a U.S. consular office, or until those qualifying to change status in the United States apply at a domestic USCIS office. Important Note: Notifications to those selected in the random lottery are not sent by email. Should you receive an email notification about your E-DV selection, be aware that the message is not legitimate.
15. MAY SELECTEES ADJUST THEIR STATUS WITH USCIS?
Yes, provided they are otherwise eligible to adjust status under the terms of Section 245 of the INA, selected individuals who are physically present in the United States may apply to the USCIS for adjustment of status to permanent resident. Applicants must ensure that USCIS can complete action on their cases, including processing of any overseas derivatives, before September 30, 2009, since on that date registrations for the DV-2009 program expire. No visa numbers for the DV-2009 program will be available after midnight EST on September 30, 2009 under any circumstances.