U.S. Consulate General Press Releases (2009)

Registration Opens for U.S. Immigrant Visa Program

News Release
October 6, 2009
Tuesday

The U.S. Department of State announced the opening of the 2011 Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery program effective October 2, 2009. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, and Taiwan are eligible to apply for the 2011 DV lottery.

The DV lottery opened for applications October 2, 2009. Application is free. The open period ends at noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST), on November 30, 2009. Applicants are required to submit entries electronically during the registration period at: www.dvlottery.state.gov. Paper entries will not be accepted.

The DV program is a U.S. congressionally-mandated program that distributes U.S. permanent resident cards on a lottery basis.

Applicants for the DV lottery should apply as early as possible. Heavy demand may result in website delays, especially in the final week of the registration period. Absolutely no entries will be accepted after noon EST on November 30, 2009, whether or not there are system delays during the registration period.

Please note that natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply because they have sent a total of more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. over the previous five years: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, the United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.

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