Spinhan

The Diversity Visa Lottery Program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, makes permanent residence visas (a/k/a green cards) available to 50,000 immigrants, their spouses, and their minor children who are unmarried and under 21 years of age. 50,000 immigrants are randomly selected each year from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Natives of the following countries are not eligible to apply for DV-2006, because these countries sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. in the past five years: CANADA, CHINA (mainland-born), COLOMBIA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, EL SALVADOR, HAITI, INDIA, JAMAICA, MEXICO, PAKISTAN, PHILIPPINES, RUSSIA, SOUTH KOREA, UNITED KINGDOM (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and VIETNAM. Persons born in Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible.

When and how can I apply for the 2006 Diversity Visa Lottery Program?

The USDOS has announced in September that they will be accepting applications for the 2006 Diversity Visa Lottery Program (DV-2006) electronically during the registration period beginning at 12:00 PM EST on November 5, 2004 and ending at 12:00 PM EST on January 7, 2005. Please note that you must file an electronic form online through www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period. You will be asked to submit your photo, full name, date of birth, city of birth, country of birth, mailing address, phone number (optional), email address (optional), country of eligibility if the you are claiming nativity in country of birth of your spouse or one of your parents, marital status, number of children that are unmarried and under 21 years of age, and information on spouse and children and their photos. Paper entries by mail are not accepted. You will be disqualified if you file several entries.  You will also be disqualified if you do not submit information and photos of your spouse and/or your unmarried minor children regardless of their intent to immigrate to the U.S. You can also obtain detailed information on this program by visiting the official website of the USDOS at www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/36613.htm.

Requirements for Entry
No fee is required to enter, however, an applicant has to be a native of one of the eligible countries; and an applicant must have either a high school education or its equivalent, or two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation requiring at least two years of training or work experience to perform.

Selection of Winners
After the end of the registration period, a computer will randomly choose the winners of the DV-2006. Those selected will be notified by mail between May and July 2005 with application forms and instructions.  If you are not selected, you will not receive any notification.  Please note that a winner has to meet all the requirements under the U.S. law to become a permanent resident of the U.S.  This means that some winners may not receive green cards if they have certain criminal backgrounds, have committed immigration violations, and/or are threats to the national security, unless limited exceptions or waivers apply to them. Once you win the lottery, and if you have any previous criminal or immigration violations, you should consult with an immigration attorney before you file any application forms.  It is also important to file and complete all the necessary procedure, such as security clearances, medical check-ups, and interviews, before September 30, 2006.

Important Note
Please be skeptical of business entities making unrealistic promises or posing as U.S. government sites. When a domain name does not end in "  .gov", it is not a US government website.  If you believe that you have a complaint against such business entities, please contact your local consumer affairs office or the Federal Trade Commission in the United States. The address of the Federal Trade Commission is Consumer Response Center, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580; phone number: 202 382 4357. You can also file a complaint online at www.ftc.gov.