Press Releases

2010 Diversity Visa Lottery Program Registration

October 8, 2008

The congressionally mandated Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is administered on an annual basis by the Department of State and provides for a class of immigrants known as “diversity immigrants.”  Up to 55,000 permanent resident visas are given out annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.  Last year, 62 Mauritians were awarded Diversity Visas.  Again this year Mauritians are eligible to apply for visas under this program.  Lottery winners are notified by mail and process their applications through the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.  The Embassy in Port Louis does not process any type of immigrant visa.

The 2010 Diversity Visa Lottery Program began accepting applications on October 2, 2008 and will continue to accept submission through December 1, 2008.  Entries for the DV-2010 Diversity Visa lottery must be submitted electronically by noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST) (GMT-5), Monday, December 1, 2008.  Applicants may access the electronic Diversity Visa entry form (E-DV) online at http://www.dvlottery.state.gov during the registration period.  Paper entries will not be accepted.  Applicants are strongly encouraged not to wait until the last week of the registration period to enter as heavy demand may result in website delays.  No entries will be accepted after noon, EST, on December 1, 2008.

The annual Diversity Visa program makes visas available to persons meeting the simple, but strict, eligibility requirements.  Selectees for Diversity Visas are chosen by a computer-generated, random lottery drawing.  The visas are distributed among six geographic regions, with a greater number of visas going to regions with lower rates of immigration, and with no visas going to citizens of countries sending more than 50,000 immigrants to the U.S. over the past five years.  Within each region, no one country may receive more than seven percent of the available Diversity Visas in any one year.

The Department of State implemented the electronic registration system beginning with DV-2005 in order to make the Diversity Visa process more efficient and secure. Special technology and other means are used to identify those who commit fraud for the purposes of illegal immigration or those who submit multiple entries. In DV-2010, for the first time, those who submit entries may check the status of entries online and determine whether their entries are selected or not selected. Successful entrants will continue to receive notification letters by mail.

There have been instances of instances of fraudulent websites posing as official U.S. government sites.  Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to “complete” lottery entry forms.  Please remember that no fee is charged to enter the annual Diversity Visa program, nor does the U.S. Government employ outside consultants or private services to operate the Diversity Visa program. Any intermediaries or others who offer assistance to prepare DV applications or other visa paperwork do so without the authority or consent of the U.S. Government and the use of those services is entirely at the applicant's discretion.  An entry submitted electronically through a paid intermediary has no better chance of being selected as a winner than a qualified entry submitted electronically directly by an applicant.

The Embassy has become aware of various notices being sent via email purporting to notify recipients they have won the Diversity Visa Lottery (also known as the "Green Card Lottery"). People have also been contacted by phone.  Applicants with winning entries in the DV lottery will always be notified by letter mail, NOT email or phone, by the Department of State, Kentucky Consular Center in the U.S.  No other organization or company is authorized by the Department of State to notify Diversity Visa lottery applicants of their winning entry.

For detailed information about entry requirements, along with frequently asked questions about the DV lottery, please see the instructions for the DV-2010 Diversity Visa lottery on the Department’s Consular Affairs Website at http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/types/types_1318.html.