[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 3, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 68261-68270]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21807]
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
[Public Notice: 12196]
Diversity Visa Instructions for DV-2025
ACTION: Notice of Diversity Visa Program for fiscal year 2025.
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SUMMARY: This public notice provides information on how to apply for
the DV-2025 Program and is issued pursuant to the Immigration and
Nationality Act.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Program Overview
The Department of State annually administers the statutorily
created Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Section 203(c) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) provides for a class of
immigrants known as ``diversity immigrants'' from countries with
historically low rates of immigration to the United States. For fiscal
year 2025, up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) will be available. There
is no cost to register for the DV program, but selectees who are
scheduled for an interview will be required to pay a visa application
fee prior to making their formal visa application where a consular
officer will determine whether they qualify for the visa.
Applicants who are selected in the program (selectees) must meet
simple but strict eligibility requirements to qualify for aDV. The
Department of State determines selectees through a randomized computer
drawing. The Department of State distributes diversity visas among six
geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than seven
percent of the available DVs in any one year.
For DV-2025, natives of the following countries and areas are not
eligible to apply, because more than 50,000 natives of these countries
immigrated to the United States in the previous five years: Bangladesh,
Brazil, Canada, The People's Republic of China (including mainland and
Hong Kong born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti,
Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines,
Republic of Korea (South Korea), Venezuela, and Vietnam.
Natives of Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.
With the exception of the United Kingdom and its dependent
territories, which are now eligible for DV-2025, there were no changes
in eligibility from the previous fiscal year.
Eligibility
Requirement One: Natives of countries with historically low rates
of
[[Page 68262]]
immigration to the United States may be eligible to enter.
If you are not a native of a country with historically low rates of
immigration to the United States, there are two other ways you might be
able to qualify.
Is your spouse a native of a country with historically low
rates of immigration to the United States? If yes, you can claim your
spouse's country of birth--provided that you and your spouse are named
on the selected entry, are found eligible and issued diversity visas,
and enter the United States at the same time.
Are you a native of a country that does not have
historically low rates of immigration to the United States, but in
which neither of your parents was born or legally resident at the time
of your birth? If yes, you may claim the country of birth of one of
your parents if it is a country whose natives are eligible for the DV-
2025 program. For more details on what this means, see the Frequently
Asked Questions.
Requirement Two: Each DV applicant must meet the education/work
experience requirement of the DV program by having either:
at least a high school education or its equivalent,
defined as successful completion of a 12-year course of formal
elementary and secondary education;
OR
two years of work experience within the past five years in
an occupation that requires at least two years of training or
experience to perform. The Department of State will use the U.S.
Department of Labor's O*Net Online database to determine qualifying
work experience. For more information about qualifying work experience,
see the Frequently Asked Questions.
You should not submit an entry to the DV program unless you meet
both of these requirements.
Entry Period
Applicants must submit entries for the DV-2025 program
electronically at dvprogram.state.gov between 12 p.m. (noon), eastern
daylight time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 4, 2023, and 12 p.m.
(noon), eastern standard time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Do not wait until the last week of the registration period to enter as
heavy demand may result in website delays. No late entries or paper
entries will be accepted. The law allows only one entry per person
during each entry period. The Department of State uses sophisticated
technology to detect multiple entries. Submission of more than one
entry for a person will disqualify all entries for that person.
Completing Your Electronic Entry for the DV-2025 Program
Submit your Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form (E-DV Entry Form
or DS-5501), online at dvprogram.state.gov. We will not accept
incomplete entries or entries sent by any other means. There is no cost
to submit the online entry form. Please use an updated browser when
submitting your application; older browsers (internet Explorer 8, for
example) will likely encounter problems with the online DV system.
We strongly encourage you to complete the entry form yourself,
without a ``visa consultant,'' ``visa agent,'' or other person who
offers to help. If someone helps you, you should be present when your
entry is prepared so that you can provide the correct answers to the
questions and keep your unique confirmation number and a printout of
your confirmation screen. It is extremely important that you have the
printout of your confirmation page and unique confirmation number.
Unscrupulous visa facilitators have been known to assist entrants with
their entries, keep the confirmation page printout, and then demand
more money or illegal activities in exchange for the confirmation
number. Without this information, you will not be able to access the
online system that informs you of your entry status. Be wary if someone
offers to keep this information for you. You also should have access to
the email account listed in your E-DV entry. See the Frequently Asked
Questions for more information about DV program scams.
After you submit a complete entry, you will see a confirmation
screen containing your name and a unique confirmation number. Print
this confirmation screen for your records. Starting May 4, 2024, you
will be able to check the status of your entry by returning to
dvprogram.state.gov, clicking on Entrant Status Check, and entering
your unique confirmation number and personal information.You must use
Entrant Status Check to check if you have been selected for DV-2025
and, if selected, to view instructions on how to proceed with your
application. The U.S. Government will not inform you directly. Entrant
Status Check is the sole source for instructions on how to proceed with
your application. If you are selected and submit a visa application and
required documents, you must use Entrant Status Check to check your
immigrant visa interview appointment date. Please review the Frequently
Asked Questions for more information about the selection process.
You must provide all of the following information to complete your
entry. Failure to accurately include all the required information may
make you ineligible for a DV.
1. Name--last/family name, first name, middle name--exactly as it
appears on your passport, if you have a passport (for example, if your
passport shows only your first and last/family name, please list your
last/family name and then first name; do not include a middle name
unless it is included on your passport. If your passport includes a
first, middle and last/family name, please list them in the following
order: last/family name, first name, middle name). If you have only one
name, it must be entered in the last/family name field.
2. Gender--male or female.
3. Birth date--day, month, year.
4. City where you were born.
5. Country where you were born--Use the name of the country
currently used for the place where you were born.
6. Country of eligibility 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 or your
nationality if it is different from your country of birth.
If you were born in a country that is not eligible, please review
the Frequently Asked Questions to see if there is another way you may
be eligible.
7. Entrant photograph(s)--Recent photographs (taken within the last
six months) of yourself, your spouse, and all your derivative children
included on your entry. See Submitting a Digital Photograph for
compositional and technical specifications. You do not need to include
a photograph for a spouse or child who is already a U.S. citizen or a
Lawful Permanent Resident, but you will not be penalized if you do. DV
entry photographs must meet the same standards as U.S. visa photos. You
may be ineligible for a DV if the entry photographs for you and your
family members do not fully meet these specifications or have been
manipulated in any way. Submitting the same photograph that was
submitted with a prior year's entry will make you ineligible for a DV.
See Submitting a Digital Photograph (below) for more information.
8. Mailing Address--In Care of
Address Line 1
Address Line 2
City/Town
District/Country/Province/State
[[Page 68263]]
Postal Code/Zip Code Country
9. Country where you live today.
10. Phone number (optional).
11. Email address--An email address to which you have direct access
and will continue to have direct access through May of the next year.
If you check the Entrant Status Check in May and learn you have been
selected, you will later receive follow-up email communication from the
Department of State with details if an immigrant visa interview becomes
available. The Department of State will never send you an email telling
you that you have been selected for the DV program. See the Frequently
Asked Questions for more information about the selection process.
12. Highest level of education you have achieved, as of today: (1)
Primary school only, (2) Some high school, no diploma, (3) High school
diploma, (4) Vocational school, (5) Some university courses, (6)
University degree, (7) Some graduate-level courses, (8) Master's
degree, (9) Some doctoral-level courses, or (10) Doctorate. See the
Frequently Asked Questions for more information about educational
requirements.
13. Current marital status: (1) unmarried, (2) married and my
spouse is NOT a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR),
(3) married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR, (4) divorced,
(5) widowed, or (6) legally separated. Enter the name, date of birth,
gender, city/town of birth, and country of birth of your spouse, and a
photograph of your spouse meeting the same technical specifications as
your photo.
Failure to list your eligible spouse or, listing someone who is not
your spouse, may make you ineligible as the DV principal applicant and
your spouse and children ineligible as DV derivative applicants. You
must list your spouse even if you currently are separated from them
unless you are legally separated. Legal separation is an arrangement
when a couple remain married but live apart, following a court order.
If you and your spouse are legally separated, your spouse will not be
able to immigrate with you through the DV program. You will not be
penalized if you choose to enter the name of a spouse from whom you are
legally separated. If you are not legally separated by a court order,
you must include your spouse even if you plan to be divorced before you
apply for the Diversity Visa, or your spouse does not intend to
immigrate.
If your spouse is a U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, do
not list them in your entry. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or
LPR will not require or be issued a visa. Therefore, if you select
``married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR'' on your entry,
you will not be prompted to include further information on your spouse.
See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about family
members.
14. Number of children--List the name, date of birth, gender, city/
town of birth, and country of birth for all living, unmarried children
under 21 years of age, regardless of whether they are living with you
or intend to accompany or follow to join you, should you immigrate to
the United States. Submit individual photographs of each of your
children using the same technical specifications as your own
photograph.
Be sure to include:
[cir] all living natural children;
[cir] all living children legally adopted by you; and
[cir] all living stepchildren who are unmarried and under the age
of 21 on the date of your electronic entry, even if you are no longer
legally married to the child's parent, and even if the child does not
currently reside with you and/or will not immigrate with you.
Married children and children who are already aged 21 or older when
you submit your entry are not eligible for the DV program. However, the
Child Status Protection Act protects children from ``aging out'' in
certain circumstances: if you submit your DV entry before your
unmarried child turns 21, and the child turns 21 before visa issuance,
it is possible that he or she may be treated as though he or she were
under 21 for visa processing purposes.
A child who is already a U.S. citizen or LPR when you submit your
DV entry will not require or be issued a Diversity Visa; you will not
be penalized for either including or omitting such family members from
your entry.
Failure to list all children who are eligible or listing someone
who is not your child may make you ineligible for a DV, in which case
your spouse and children will also be ineligible as Diversity Visa
derivative applicants. See the Frequently Asked Questions for more
information about family members.
See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about
completing your Electronic Entry for the DV-2025 Program.
Selection of Entries
Based on the allocations of available visas in each region and
country, the Department of State will randomly select individuals by
computer from among qualified entries. All DV-2025 entrants must go to
the Entrant Status Check using the unique confirmation number saved
from their DV-2025 online entry registration to find out whether their
entry has been selected in the DV program. Entrant Status Check will be
available on the E-DV website at dvprogram.state.gov from May4, 2024,
through at least September 30, 2025.
If your entry is selected, you will be directed to a confirmation
page providing further instructions, including information about fees
connected with immigration to the United States. Entrant Status Check
will be the ONLY means by which the Department of State notifies
selectees of their selection for DV-2025. The Department of State will
not mail notification letters or notify selectees by email. U.S.
embassies and consulates will not provide a list of selectees.
Individuals who have not been selected also ONLY will be notified
through Entrant Status Check. You are strongly encouraged to access
Entrant Status Check yourself. Do not rely on someone else to check and
inform you.
In order to immigrate, DV selectees must be admissible to the
United States. The DS-260, Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
Application, electronically, and the consular officer, in person, will
ask you questions about your eligibility to immigrate under U.S. law.
These questions include criminal and security-related topics.
All selectees, including family members, must be issued visas by
September 30, 2025, or prior to issuance of the approximately 55,000
visas available each year--whichever is earlier. Under no circumstances
can the Department of State issue DVs nor can USCIS approve adjustments
after this date, nor can family members obtain DVs to follow-to-join
the principal applicant in the United States after this date. The U.S.
Government only authorizes issuance of approximately 55,000 diversity
visas each year. Given the limited number of visas available, selectees
should act promptly in submitting their materials and pursuing their
application.
See the Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the
selection process.
Submitting a Digital Photograph
You can take a new digital photograph or scan a recent (taken
within the last six months) photograph with a digital scanner if it
meets all of the standards below. DV entry photos must be of the same
quality and composition as U.S. visa photos. You can see examples of
acceptable photos at the following link: https://travel.state.gov/
content/travel/en/us-
[[Page 68264]]
visas/visa-information-resources/photos/photo-examples.html. Do not
submit a photograph older than six months or a photograph that does not
meet all the standards described below. Submitting the same photograph
that you submitted with a prior year's entry, a photograph that has
been manipulated, or a photograph that does not meet the specifications
below may make you ineligible for a DV.
Your photos or digital images must be:
[ssquf] In color
[ssquf] In focus
[ssquf] Sized such that the head is between 1 inch and 1\3/8\ inches
(22 mm and 35 mm) or 50 percent and 69 percent of the image's total
height from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head. View the
Photo Composition Template for more size requirement details.
[ssquf] Taken within the last six months to reflect your current
appearance.
[ssquf] Taken in front of a plain white or off-white background.
[ssquf] Taken in full-face view directly facing the camera.
[ssquf] With a neutral facial expression and both eyes open.
[ssquf] Taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis.
[ssquf] Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious
clothing that is worn daily.
[ssquf] Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or
hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face
must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on
your face.
[ssquf] Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are
not acceptable in your photo.
[ssquf] Do not wear eyeglasses.
[ssquf] If you normally wear a hearing device or similar articles, they
may be worn in your photo.
Review the Photo Examples at this link: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/photos/photo-examples.html to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.
Photos copied or digitally scanned from driver's licenses or other
official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine
photos, low quality vending machine, and full-length photographs are
not acceptable.
You must upload your digital image as part of your entry. Your
digital image must be:
In JPEG (.jpg) file format
Equal to or less than 240 kB (kilobytes) in file size
In a square aspect ratio (height must equal width)
600 x 600 pixels in dimension
Do you want to scan an existing photo? In addition to the digital
image requirements, your existing photo must be:
2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm)
Scanned at a resolution of 300 pixels per inch (12 pixels per
millimeter)
Taking photos of your baby or toddler--When taking a photo of your
baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo, and your child
should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open. Tip 1: Lay
your baby on his or her back on a plain white or off-white sheet. This
will ensure your baby's head is supported and provide a plain
background for the photo. Make certain there are no shadows on your
baby's face, especially if you take a picture from above with the baby
lying down. Tip 2: Cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white
sheet and take a picture of your child in the car seat. This will also
ensure your baby's head is supported.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Eligibility
1. What do the terms ``native'', and ``chargeability'' mean?
Native ordinarily means someone born in a particular country,
regardless of the individual's current country of residence or
nationality. 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.
Because there is a numerical limitation on immigrants who enter
from a country or geographic region, each individual is charged to a
country. Your chargeability refers to the country towards which
limitation you count. Your country of eligibility will normally be the
same as your country of birth. However, you may choose your country of
eligibility as the country of birth of your spouse, or the country of
birth of either of your parents if you were born in a country in which
neither parent was born and in which your parents were not resident at
the time of your birth. These are the only three ways to select your
country of chargeability.
Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e.,
one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) may make you
ineligible for DV-2025.
2. Can I still apply if I was not born in a qualifying country?
There are two circumstances in which you still might be eligible to
apply. First, if your derivative spouse was born in an eligible
country, you may claim chargeability to that country. As your
eligibility is based on your spouse, you will only be issued an
immigrant visa if your spouse is also eligible for and issued an
immigrant visa. Both of you must enter the United States together,
using your DVs. Similarly, your minor dependent child can be
``charged'' to a parent's country of birth.
Second, you can be ``charged'' to the country of birth of either of
your parents as long as neither of your parents was born in or a
resident of your country of birth at the time of your birth. People are
not generally considered residents of a country in which they were not
born or legally naturalized. For example, persons simply visiting,
studying, or temporarily working in a country are not generally
considered residents.
If you claim alternate chargeability through either of the above,
you must provide an explanation on the E-DV Entry Form, in question #6.
Listing an incorrect country of eligibility or chargeability (i.e.,
one to which you cannot establish a valid claim) will make you
ineligible for a DV.
3. Why do natives of certain countries not qualify for the DV program?
DVs are intended to provide an immigration opportunity for persons
who are not from ``high admission'' countries. U.S. law defines ``high
admission countries'' as those from which a total of 50,000 persons in
the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based visa categories immigrated to
the United States during the previous five years. Each year, the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counts the family and employment
immigrant admission and adjustment of status numbers for the previous
five years to identify the countries that are considered ``high
admission'' and whose natives will therefore be ineligible for the
annual Diversity Visa program. Since DHS makes this calculation
annually, the list of countries whose natives are eligible or not
eligible may change from one year to the next.
4. How many DV-2025 visas will go to natives of each region and
eligible country?
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines the regional
DV limits for each year according to a formula specified in Section
203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The number of
visas the Department of State eventually will issue to natives of each
country will depend on the regional limits
[[Page 68265]]
established, how many entrants come from each country, and how many of
the selected entrants are found eligible for the visa. No more than
seven percent of the total visas available can go to natives of any one
country.
5. What are the requirements for education or work experience?
U.S. immigration law and regulations require that every DV entrant
must have at least a high school education or its equivalent or have
two years of work experience within the past five years in an
occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience.
A ``high school education or equivalent'' is defined as successful
completion of a 12-year course of elementary and secondary education in
the United States OR the successful completion in another country of a
formal course of elementary and secondary education comparable to a
high school education in the United States. Only formal courses of
study meet this requirement; correspondence programs or equivalency
certificates (such as the General Equivalency Diploma [G.E.D.]) are not
acceptable. You must present documentary proof of education or work
experience to the consular officer at the time of the visa interview.
If you do not meet the requirements for education or work
experience you will be ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and
children will be ineligible for derivative DVs.
6. What occupations qualify for the DV program?
The Department of State will use the U.S. Department of Labor's
(DOL) O*Net OnLine database to determine qualifying work experience.
The O*Net OnLine database categorizes job experience into five ``job
zones.'' While the DOL website lists many occupations, not all
occupations qualify for the DV program. To qualify for a DV on the
basis of your work experience, you must have, within the past five
years, two years of experience in an occupation classified in a
Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) range of 7.0 or higher.
If you do not meet the requirements for education or work
experience, you will be ineligible for a DV, and your spouse and
children will be ineligible for derivative DVs.
7. How can I find the qualifying DV occupations in the Department of
Labor's O*Net OnLine database?
When you are in O*Net OnLine, follow these steps to determine if
your occupation qualifies:
[cir] Under ``Find Occupations,'' select ``Job Family'' from the
pull down menu;
[cir] Browse by ``Job Family,'' make your selection, and click
``GO''.
[cir] Click on the link for your specific occupation; and
[cir] Select the tab ``Job Zone'' to find the designated Job Zone
number and Specific Vocational Preparation (SVP) rating range.
As an example, select Aerospace Engineers. At the bottom of the
Summary Report for Aerospace Engineers, under the Job Zone section, you
will find the designated Job Zone 4, SVP Range, 7.0 to <8.0. Using this
example, Aerospace Engineering is a qualifying occupation.
For additional information, see the Diversity Visa--List of
Occupations web page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/diversity-visa-program-entry/diversity-visa-if-you-are-selected/diversity-visa-confirm-your-qualifications.html.
8. Is there a minimum age to apply for the E-DV Program?
There is no minimum age to apply, but the requirement of a high
school education or work experience for each principal applicant at the
time of application will effectively disqualify most persons who are
under age 18.
Completing Your Electronic Entry for the DV-2025 Program
9. When can I submit my entry?
The DV-2025 entry period will run from 12 p.m. (noon), eastern
daylight time (EDT) (GMT-4), Wednesday, October 4, 2023, until 12 p.m.
(noon), eastern standard time (EST) (GMT-5), Tuesday, November 7, 2023.
Each year, millions of people submit entries. Restricting the entry
period to these dates ensures selectees receive notification in a
timely manner and gives both the visa applicants and our embassies and
consulates time to prepare and complete cases for visa issuance.
We strongly encourage you to enter early during the registration
period. Excessive demand at end of the registration period may slow the
processing system. We cannot accept entries after noon EST on Tuesday,
November 7, 2023.
10. I am in the United States. Can I enter the DV program?
Yes, an entrant may apply while in the United States or another
country. An entrant may submit an entry from any location.
11. Can I only enter once during the registration period?
Yes, the law allows only one entry per person during each
registration period. The Department of State uses sophisticated
technology to detect multiple entries. Individuals with more than one
entry will be ineligible for a DV.
12. May my spouse and I each submit a separate entry?
Yes, each spouse may each submit one entry if each meets the
eligibility requirements. If either spouse is selected, the other is
entitled to apply as a derivative dependent.
13. Which family members must I include in my DV entry?
Spouse: If you are legally married, you must list your spouse
regardless of whether they live with you or intend to immigrate to the
United States. You must list your spouse even if you currently are
separated from them unless you are legally separated. Legal separation
is an arrangement when a couple remains married but lives apart,
following a court order. If you and your spouse are legally separated,
your spouse will not be able to immigrate with you through the
Diversity Visa program. You will not be penalized if you choose to
enter the name of a spouse from whom you are legally separated. If you
are not legally separated by a court order, you must include your
spouse even if you plan to be divorced before you apply for the
Diversity Visa, or your spouse does not intend to immigrate. Failure to
list your eligible spouse or listing someone who is not your spouse
will make you ineligible for a DV. If you are not married at the time
of entry but plan on getting married in the future, do not list a
spouse on your entry form, as this would make you ineligible for a DV.
If you are divorced or your spouse is deceased, you do not have to
list your former spouse.
The only exception to this requirement is if your spouse is already
a U.S. citizen or U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident. If your spouse is a
U.S. citizen or Lawful Permanent Resident, do not list them in your
entry. A spouse who is already a U.S. citizen or a Lawful Permanent
Resident will not require or be issued a DV. Therefore, if you select
``married and my spouse IS a U.S. citizen or U.S. LPR'' on your entry,
you will not be able to include further information on your spouse.
Children: You must list ALL your living children who are unmarried
and under 21 years of age at the time of your
[[Page 68266]]
initial DV entry, whether they are your natural children, your
stepchildren (even if you are now divorced from that child's parent),
your spouse's children, or children you have formally adopted in
accordance with the applicable laws. List all children under 21 years
of age at the time of your electronic entry, even if they no longer
reside with you or you do not intend for them to immigrate under the DV
program.You are not required to list children who are already U.S.
citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents, though you will not be
penalized if you do include them.
Parents and siblings of the entrant are ineligible to receive DV
visas as dependents, and you should not include them in your entry.
If you list family members on your entry, they are not required to
apply for a visa or to immigrate or travel with you. However, if you
fail to include an eligible dependent on your original entry or list
someone who is not your dependent, you may be ineligible for a DV, in
which case your spouse and children will be ineligible for derivative
DVs. This only applies to those who were family members at the time the
entry was submitted, not those acquired at a later date. Your spouse,
if eligible to enter, may still submit a separate entry even though
they are listed on your entry, and both entries must include details
about all dependents in your family (see FAQ #13 above).
14. Must I submit my own entry, or can someone else do it for me?
We encourage you to prepare and submit your own entry, but you may
have someone submit the entry for you. Regardless of whether you submit
your own entry, or an attorney, friend, relative, or someone else
submits it on your behalf, only one entry may be submitted in your
name. You, as the entrant, are responsible for ensuring that
information in the entry is correct and complete; entries that are not
correct or complete may be disqualified. Entrants should keep their
confirmation number, so they are able to check the status of their
entry independently, using Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov.
Entrants should retain access to the email account used in the E-DV
submission.
15. I'm already registered for an immigrant visa in another category.
Can I still apply for the DV program?
Yes.
16. Can I download and save the E-DV entry form into a word processing
program and finish it later?
No, you will not be able to save the form into another program for
completion and submission later. The E-DV Entry Form is a web-form
only. You must fill in the information and submit it while online.
17. Can I save the form online and finish it later?
No. The E-DV Entry Form is designed to be completed and submitted
at one time. You will have 60 minutes, starting from when you download
the form, to complete and submit your entry through the E-DV website.
If you exceed the 60-minute limit and have not submitted your complete
entry electronically, the system discards any information already
entered. The system deletes any partial entries so that they are not
accidentally identified as duplicates of a later, complete entry. Read
the DV instructions completely before you start to complete the form
online so that you know exactly what information you will need.
18. I don't have a scanner. Can I send photographs to someone else to
scan them, save them, and email them back to me so I can use them in my
entry?
Yes, as long as the photograph meets the requirements in the
instructions and is electronically submitted with, and at the same time
as, the E-DV online entry. You must already have the scanned photograph
file when you submit the entry online; it cannot be submitted
separately from the online application. The entire entry (photograph
and application together) can be submitted electronically from the
United States or from overseas.
19. If the E-DV system rejects my entry, canI resubmit my entry?
Yes, you can resubmit your entry as long as your submission is
completed by 12 p.m. (noon) eastern standard time (EST) (GMT-5) on
Tuesday, November 7, 2023. You will not be penalized for submitting a
duplicate entry if the E-DV system rejects your initial entry. Given
the unpredictable nature of the internet, you may not receive the
rejection notice immediately. You can try to submit an application as
many times as is necessary until a complete application is received and
the confirmation notice sent. Once you receive a confirmation notice,
your entry is complete, and you should NOT submit any additional
entries.
20. How soon after I submit my entry will I receive the electronic
confirmation notice?
You should receive the confirmation notice immediately, including a
confirmation number that you must record and keep. However, the
unpredictable nature of the internet can result in delays. You can hit
the ``Submit'' button as many times as is necessary until a complete
application is sent and you receive the confirmation notice. However,
once you receive a confirmation notice, do not resubmit your
information.
21. I hit the ``Submit'' button but did not receive a confirmation
number. If I submit another entry, will I be disqualified?
If you did not receive a confirmation number, your entry was not
recorded. You must submit another entry. It will not be counted as a
duplicate. Once you receive a confirmation number, do not resubmit your
information.
Selection
22. How do I know if I am selected?
You must use your confirmation number to access the Entrant Status
Check available on the E-DV website at dvprogram.state.gov from May 4,
2024, through September 30, 2025. Entrant Status Check is the sole
means by which the Department of State will notify you if you are
selected, provide further instructions on your visa application, and
notify you of your immigrant visa interview appointment date and time.
To ensure the use of all available visas, the Department of State may
use Entrant Status Check to notify additional selectees after May 4,
2024. Retain your confirmation number until September 30, 2025, in case
of any updates. The only authorized Department of State website for
official online entry in the Diversity Visa Program and Entrant Status
Check is dvprogram.state.gov.
The Department of State will NOT contact you to tell you that you
have been selected (see FAQ #25).
23. How will I know if I am not selected? Will I be notified?
The Department of State will NOT notify you directly if your entry
is not selected. You must use the Entrant Status Check to learn whether
you were selected. You may check the status of your DV-2025 entry
through the Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website from May 4, 2024,
until September 30, 2025. Keep your confirmation number until at least
September 30, 2025. (Status information for the previous year's DV
[[Page 68267]]
program, DV-2024, is available online through September 30, 2024.)
24. What if I lose my confirmation number?
You must have your confirmation number to access Entrant Status
Check. A tool is now available in Entrant Status Check on the E-DV
website that will allow you to retrieve your confirmation number via
the email address with which you registered by entering certain
personal information to confirm your identity.
U.S. embassies and consulates and the Kentucky Consular Center are
unable to check your selection status for you or provide your
confirmation number to you directly (other than through the Entrant
Status Check retrieval tool). The Department of State is NOT able to
provide a list of those selected to continue the visa process.
25. Will I receive information from the Department of State by email or
by postal mail?
The Department of State will not send you a notification letter.
The U.S. Government has never sent emails to notify individuals that
they have been selected, and there are no plans to use email for this
purpose for the DV-2025 program. If you are a selectee, you will only
receive email communications regarding your visa appointment after you
have responded to the notification instructions on Entrant Status
Check, if an immigrant visa interview becomes available. These emails
will not contain information on the actual appointment date and time;
they will simply tell you to go to the Entrant Status Check website for
details. The Department of State may send emails reminding DV program
applicants to check the Entrant Status Check for their status. However,
such emails will never indicate whether the DV program applicant was
selected or not.
Only internet sites that end with the ``.gov'' domain suffix are
official U.S. Government websites. Many other websites (e.g., with the
suffixes ``.com,'' ``.org,'' or ``.net'') provide immigration and visa-
related information and services. The Department of State does not
endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material on these
other websites.
Warning: You may receive emails from websites that try to trick you
into sending money or providing your personal information. You may be
asked to pay for forms and information about immigration procedures,
all of which are available free on the Department of State website,
travel.state.gov, or through U.S. embassy or consulate websites.
Additionally, organizations or websites may try to steal your money by
charging fees for DV-related services. If you send money to one of
these non-government organizations or websites, you will likely never
see it again. Also, do not send personal information to these websites,
as it may be used for identity fraud/theft.
Deceptive emails may come from people pretending to be affiliated
with the Kentucky Consular Center or the Department of State. Remember
that the U.S. Government has never sent emails to notify individuals
they have been selected, and there are no plans to use email for this
purpose for the DV-2025 program. The Department of State will never ask
you to send money by mail or by services such as Western Union,
although applications to USCIS for adjustments of status do require
mailing a fee. Visit this site for more details on adjusting status.
26. How many individuals will be selected for DV-2025?
For DV-2025, 55,000 DiversityVisas are available. The Department of
State selects more than 55,000 selectees to account for selectees who
will not qualify for visas and those who will not pursue their cases to
completion. This means there will not be a sufficient number of visas
for all those selected. The Department does this to try to use as many
of the 55,000 DVs as we can.
You can check the E-DV website's Entrant Status Check to see if you
have been selected for further processing and later to see the status
of your case. Interviews for the DV-2025 program will begin in October
2024 for selectees who have submitted all pre-interview paperwork and
other information as requested in the notification instructions.
Selectees whose applications have been fully processed and have been
scheduled for a visa interview appointment will receive a notification
to obtain details through the E-DV website's Entrant Status Check four
to six weeks before the scheduled interviews with U.S. consular
officers overseas.
Each month, visas may be issued to those applicants who are
eligible for issuance during that month, as long as visas are
available. Once all the 55,000 diversity visas have been issued, the
program will end. Visa numbers could be finished before September 2025.
Selected applicants who wish to apply for visas must be prepared to act
promptly on their cases. Being randomly chosen as a selectee does not
guarantee that you will receive a visa or even the chance to make a
visa application or to schedule a visa interview. Selection merely
means that you may be eligible to apply for a Diversity Visa. If your
rank number becomes eligible for final processing, you may have the
chance to make an application and potentially may be issued a Diversity
Visa. A maximum of 55,000 visas may be issued to such applicants.
27. How will successful entrants be selected?
Official notifications of selection will be made through Entrant
Status Check, available May 4, 2024, through September 30, 2025, on the
E-DV website, dvprogram.state.gov. The Department of State does not
send selectee notifications or letters by regular postal mail or by
email. Any email notification or mailed letter stating that you have
been selected to receive a DV that does not come from the Department of
State is not legitimate. Any email communication you receive from the
Department of State will direct you to review Entrant Status Check for
new information about your application. The Department of State will
never ask you to send money by mail or by services such as Western
Union unless you are adjusting status. See this site for more
information on adjusting status.
All entries received from each region are individually numbered; at
the end of the entry 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 will be the second case
registered, etc. All entries received within each region during the
entry period will have an equal chance of being selected. When an entry
has been selected, the entrant will receive notification of his or her
selection through the Entrant Status Check available starting May 4,
2024, on the E-DV website, dvprogram.state.gov. For individuals who are
selected and who respond to the instructions provided online via
Entrant Status Check, the Department of State's Kentucky Consular
Center (KCC) will process the case until those selected are instructed
to appear for visa interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate or until
those in the United States who are applying to adjust status apply with
USCIS in the United States.
28. I am already in the United States. If selected, may I adjust my
status with USCIS?
Yes, provided you are otherwise eligible to adjust status under the
terms
[[Page 68268]]
of section 245 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), you may
apply to USCIS for adjustment of status to permanent resident. You must
ensure that USCIS can complete action on your case, including
processing of any overseas applications for a spouse or for children
under 21 years of age, before September 30, 2025, since on that date
your eligibility for the DV-2025 program expires. The Department of
State will not approve any visa numbers or adjustments of status for
the DV-2025 program after midnight EDT on September 30, 2025.
29. If I am selected, for how long am I entitled to apply for a
Diversity Visa?
If you are selected in the DV-2025 program, you may apply for visa
issuance only during U.S. Government fiscal year 2025, which is from
October 1, 2024, through September 30, 2025. We encourage selectees to
apply for visas as early as possible once their program rank numbers
become eligible. As noted above, once all the 55,000 diversity visas
have been issued, the program will end.
Without exception, all selected and eligible applicants must obtain
their visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year. There is no
carry-over of DV benefits into the next year for persons who are
selected but who do not obtain visas by September 30, 2025 (the end of
the fiscal year). Also, spouses and children who derive status from a
DV-2025 registration can only obtain visas in the DV category between
October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025. Individuals who apply overseas
will receive an appointment notification from the Department of State
through Entrant Status Check on the E-DV website four to six weeks
before the scheduled appointment.
30. If a DV selectee dies, what happens to the case?
If a DV selectee dies at any point before he or she has traveled to
the United States or adjusted status, the DV case is automatically
closed. Any derivative spouse and/or children of the deceased selectee
will no longer be entitled to apply for a DV visa. Any visas issued to
them will be revoked.
Fees
31. How much does it cost to enter the Diversity Visa program?
There is no fee charged to submit an electronic entry. However, if
you are selected and apply for a Diversity Visa, you must pay all
required visa application fees at the time of visa application and
interview directly to the consular cashier at the U.S. embassy or
consulate. If you are a selectee already in the United States and you
apply to USCIS to adjust status, you will pay all required fees
directly to USCIS. If you are selected, you will receive details of
required fees with the instructions provided through the E-DV website
at dvprogram.state.gov.
32. How and where do I pay DV and immigrant visa fees if I am selected?
If you are a randomly selected entrant, you will receive
instructions for the DV application process through Entrant Status
Check at dvprogram.state.gov. You will pay all fees in person only at
the U.S. embassy or consulate at the time of the visa application and
interview. The consular cashier will immediately give you a U.S.
Government receipt for payment. Do not send money for DV fees to anyone
through the mail, Western Union, or any other delivery service if you
are applying for an immigrant visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate.
If you are selected and are already present in the United States
and plan to file for adjustment of status with USCIS, the instructions
page accessible through Entrant Status Check at dvprogram.state.gov
contains separate instructions on how to mail adjustment of status
application fees to a U.S. bank.
33. If I apply for a DV, but don't qualify to receive one, can I get a
refund of the visa fees I paid?
No. Visa application fees cannot be refunded. You must meet all
qualifications for the visa as detailed in these instructions. If a
consular officer determines you do not meet requirements for the visa,
or you are otherwise ineligible for the DV under U.S. law, the officer
cannot issue a visa and you will forfeit all fees paid.
Ineligibilities
34. As a DV applicant, can I receive a waiver of any grounds of visa
ineligibility? Does my waiver application receive any special
processing?
DV applicants are subject to all grounds of ineligibility for
immigrant visas specified in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).
There are no special provisions for the waiver of any ground of visa
ineligibility aside from those ordinarily provided in the INA, nor is
there special processing for waiver requests. Some general waiver
provisions for people with close relatives who are U.S. citizens or
Lawful Permanent Resident aliens may be available to DV applicants in
some cases, but the time constraints in the DV program may make it
difficult for applicants to benefit from such provisions.
Fraud Warning and Scams
35. How can I report internet fraud or unsolicited emails?
Please visit the econsumer.gov website, hosted by the Federal Trade
Commission in cooperation with consumer-protection agencies from 36
nations. You also may report fraud to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) internet Crime Complaint Center. To file a
complaint about unsolicited email, use the ``Telemarking and Spam''
complaint tool on the econsumer.gov website or visit the Department of
Justice Unsolicited Commercial Email (``Spam'') web page for additional
information and contacts.
Statistics
36. How many visas will be issued in DV-2025?
By law, a maximum of 55,000 visas are available each year to
eligible persons.
Miscellaneous
37. If I receive a visa through the DV program, will the U.S.
Government pay for my airfare to the United States, help me find
housing and employment, and/or provide healthcare or any subsidies
until I am fully settled?
No. The U.S. Government will not provide any of these services to
you if you receive a visa through the DV program. If you are selected
to apply for a DV, before being issued a visa you must demonstrate that
you will not become a public charge in the United States. If you are
selected and submit a diversity visa application, you should
familiarize yourself with the Department of State's public guidance on
how the likelihood of becoming a public charge is assessed and what
evidence can be provided to demonstrate that you are not likely to
become a public charge.
List of Countries/Areas by Region Whose Natives Are Eligible for DV-
2025
The list below shows the countries and areas whose natives are
eligible for DV-2025, grouped by geographic region. Dependent areas
overseas are included within the region of the governing country. DHS
identified the countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV-2025
program according to the formula in Section 203(c) of the INA. The
countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV program (because
[[Page 68269]]
they are the principal source countries of Family-Sponsored and
Employment-Based immigration or ``high-admission'' countries) are noted
after the respective regional lists.
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Cabo Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Cote D'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Djibouti
Egypt *
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia, The
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
In Africa, natives of Nigeria are not eligible for this year's
Diversity Visa program.
Asia
Afghanistan
Bahrain
Bhutan
Brunei
Burma
Cambodia
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel *
Japan ***
Jordan *
Kuwait
Laos
Lebanon
Malaysia
Maldives
Mongolia
Nepal
North Korea
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Syria *
Taiwan **
Thailand
Timor-Leste
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
* Persons born in the areas administered prior to June 1967 by
Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt are chargeable, respectively, to
Israel, Jordan, Syria, and Egypt. Persons born in the Gaza Strip are
chargeable to Egypt; persons born in the West Bank are chargeable to
Jordan; persons born in the Golan Heights are chargeable to Syria.
** Macau S.A.R. (Europe region, chargeable to Portugal) and Taiwan
(Asia region) do qualify and are listed. For the purposes of the
diversity program only, persons born in Macau S.A.R. derive eligibility
from Portugal.
*** Persons born in the Habomai Islands, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and
Etorofuare chargeable to Japan. Persons born in Southern Sakhalin are
chargeable to Russia.
Natives of the following Asia Region countries are not eligible for
this year's Diversity Visa program: Bangladesh, China (including Hong
Kong), India, Pakistan, South Korea, Philippines, and Vietnam.
Europe
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Estonia
Finland
France (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Kazakhstan
Kosovo
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau Special Administrative Region **
NorthMacedonia
Malta
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Netherlands (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Northern Ireland ***
Norway (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Poland
Portugal (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Romania
Russia ****
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom (including dependent areas)
Uzbekistan
Vatican City
** Macau S.A.R. does qualify and is listed above and for the
purposes of the diversity program only; persons born in Macau S.A.R.
derive eligibility from Portugal.
*** For purposes of the diversity program only, Northern Ireland is
treated separately. Northern Ireland does qualify and is listed among
the qualifying areas.
**** Persons born in the Habomai Islands, Shikotan, Kunashiri, and
Etorofu are chargeable to Japan. Persons born in Southern Sakhalin are
chargeable to Russia. Great Britain (United Kingdom) and its dependent
areas do qualify for DV-2025. Great
[[Page 68270]]
Britain (United Kingdom) includes the following dependent areas:
Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean
Territory, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat,
Pitcairn, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, St. Helena, and
Turks and Caicos Islands.
North America
Bahamas, The
In North America, natives of Canada and Mexico are not eligible for
this year's DV program.
Oceania
Australia (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Fiji
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia, Federated States of
Nauru
New Zealand (including components and dependent areas overseas)
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Samoa
Solomon Islands
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
South American, Central America, and the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Chile
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Ecuador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Countries in this region whose natives are not eligible for this
year's DV program: Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, and Venezuela.
Hugo F. Rodriguez,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Consular Affairs, Department of
State.
[FR Doc. 2023-21807 Filed 10-2-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-06-P