On September 30, 2020, the DOS released instructions on how to apply for the 2022 DV Program. For FY2022, there are up to 55,000 Diversity Visas (DVs) that will be available.

Registration began on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and will conclude on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST).

You must submit an online entry through the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website.

If you are selected, you will receive notification of your selection through the Entrant Status Check starting May 8, 2021, or, on the E-DV website and you will have until September 30, 2021 to obtain your visa or adjust your status.

What is the Diversity Visa Immigrant Visa Program?

Each year, the Department of State (DOS) administers the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV), which provides the possibility of a green card for “diversity immigrants,” who are foreign nationals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S. Each year there is an annual allocation level. There is no cost to register for the DV program.

The DOS selects applicants through a randomized computer drawing, or a “lottery” system and must distribute diversity visas among six geographic regions, and no single country may receive more than 7% of the available DVs in any one year. This may change from year to year.

The DV program will not be open to countries where more than 50,000 of their nationals have immigrated to the U.S. in the past five years.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Country Eligibility

• Must be born in a country that is not on the list of ineligible countries
• Your country of eligibility is typically your country of birth
• You must be a native of a country with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S.; if not,
• You may apply under your spouse if he or she is a native from one of these countries; or
• If you are a native that does not have historically low levels of immigration to the U.S., but neither of your parents were born there or legally a resident at the time of your birth

2. Education/Work Experience

• Each DV applicant must have a minimum of high school education or equivalent; or,
• Two years of work experience in the last five years in an occupation that requires two years of training or experience to perform

STEPS

• Submit an online entry through the Electronic Diversity Visa (E-DV) website between Wednesday, October 7, 2020, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and Tuesday, November 10, 2020, at 12:00 noon, Eastern Standard Time (EST)
• Only one entry per person will be accepted; however, a husband and wife may each submit their own entry
• You will receive a confirmation number that you can check the status to see if you are selected
• You must use your confirmation number to access your “Entrant Status Check” after the registration period to check if you have been selected by the DOS and further instructions on the visa application process and visa appointment date and time
• You are responsible to keep track of your own case as you will not receive updates from the government
• You will not be notified if you are not selected
• Once you are selected, will receive notification of your selection through the Entrant Status Check and further instructions
• If you are applying from overseas, you will receive instructions from the DOS’s Kentucky Consular Center (KCC), which will process the case and provide instructions on how to appear for the visa interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate
• If you are applying from within the U.S. and you are eligible to adjust your status, you will receive a notification on how to apply to USCIS for adjustment of status to permanent residence
• All selected and eligible applications must obtain their visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year

List of ineligible countries:

For DV-2022, persons born in the following countries 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, China (including Hong Kong SAR), Colombia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
• Note – Persons born in Macau SAR and Taiwan are eligible. There is a complete list of eligible countries published on the DOS website.

All DV-2022 diversity visa program applicants must be found eligible for, and obtain, their visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year 2022 (September 30, 2022).

Update on DV-2020

On September 2^nd, a court order was issued that the Department of Homeland Security must make good-faith efforts to expeditiously schedule, process, and adjudicate 2020 Diversity Visa (DV) applications by September 30, 2020, in embassies and consulates where local health conditions and post resources allow.

Although DV-2020 applicants may be issued an immigrant visa under this court order, Presidential Proclamation 10014, suspends entry into the U.S. of certain immigrant categories, which includes Diversity Visa applicants. As the proclamation remains in effect until December 31, 2020, with the potential of further extension, unless a DV visa recipient also meets an exception to the Proclamation. If there is no exception, the DV visa holder won’t be able to travel to the U.S. even though they may have a valid visa while the Proclamation is in effect.

DV-2021

All DV-2021 diversity visa program applicants must be found eligible for, and obtain, their visa or adjust status by the end of the fiscal year 2021 (September 30, 2021).

Keep Vigilant About Possible Scams and Identify Fraud / Theft

Please keep vigilant about companies that may trick you to send money or provide your personal information. They may ask you to pay for forms or for immigration advice. These are all FAKE. They may try to charge you fees for DV-related services, which are free.

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 DOS does not endorse, recommend, or sponsor any information or material on these other websites

You may also receive emails. These deceptive emails may come from people pretending to be affiliated with the Kentucky Consular Center or the DOS. 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 program. The DOS will never ask you to send money by mail or by services such as Western Union.

If you are thinking about applying for the DV-2022, do not delay your application! Complete our free online assessment and someone from our office will get back to you!